I went to Jinan as an English teacher at the end of August 2008. I intended to stay there for a year, but it was shortened to be a month. Nevertheless I managed to discover some of its interesting historical and cultural background.
I had never heard the name of the city until I got this job. The survey I did said that Jinan is the capital of Shandong province in north-eastern China. It's located in the western part of the province and borders Liaocheng to the southwest, Dezhou to the northwest, Binzhou to the northeast, Zibo to the east, Laiwu to the southeast, and Tai'an to the south.
Because of its location, Jinan falls within the warm temperate continental monsoon and therefore has four seasons. It's dry and rainless in spring, hot and rainy in summer, crisp in autumn, then dry and cold in winter. I arrived in Jinan at the end of August when the weather was still hot with little bit of rain. I left the city when it has started to get cold at the end of September and before I had a chance to explore all of its districts.
The city has five districts (Lixia, Licheng, Shizhong, Tianqiao, and Huayin). It is 8.227 square kilometers in size and has a population of 5.49 million people including 2.54 million urbans. I lived and worked in an English school in Licheng district. I felt that it wasn't a very nice place to live. It's alright execpt for some garbage piling up on the street, unpleasent smells that sometimes came to my nose, and the high level of dust. The only things I liked about Jinan were the friendly and honest local people, tourist attractions that were worth visiting, and its interesting historical background.
Jinan is an old city which has been inhabited since more than 4000 years ago. It's also considered as the cradle of the Longshan culture, which was first discovered in 1928. This culture is famous for its pottery making. Some black pottery relics that was found was as thins as eggshells.
The city was split between two states during the Spring and Autumn period (722 BC-481 BC) and Warring States period (475 BC-221BC): the states of Lu in the west and Qi in the east. The Qi state started o build the Great Wall of Qi (Qi Changcheng) accross the Changqing county, which still exists today and opens to tourists. Unfortunately, I didn't have a chance to go there. The Qi Great Wall isn't the only thing that makes this city special. Some notable people in Chinese history and cultufe came from the spring city
First, there's the earliest doctor appeared in the Chinese historical documents and the famous one at that time : Zou Yan (305-204 BC). He was the one who developed the concepts of Yin Yang and the Five Elements (water, fire, wood, earth, wind) in the traditional Chinese medicine. Another famous figure is Li Qingzhao, the most famous female poet in Chinese literature. She was born in Shandong province and lived in Jinan for sometime. We will talk about her further when discussing about Baotu Spring (Baotu Quan). I'm sure there are still others, but I don't have all of their names.
The Jet Spring
Jinan is nicknamed 'the spring city', due to the large number of springs located within the city. Known historically as the 72 Famous Springs (qi shi er ming quan), they are concentrated in the downtown district and flow north to converge in Daming Lake. The number one spring, the must see, and I think the most beautiful is the Baotu Spring (Baotu Quan). 'Baotu' means 'jumping' or 'leaping'. That's why it's also nicknamed the 'Jet Spring'. I think it came from the water which can be seen gushing as if it was boiling. This is because the spring pool is fed by an underwater limestone through three outlets. The water jets are said to have reached up to 26 meters. The water temperature remains stable at 18 degrees celcius throughout the year. My friend Jackie said that the water level is measured everyday and announced on radio and television. That shows how important the spring is to Jinanese today. Actually it has always been from the ancient time.
The Jet Spring has existed since 3500 years ago, dated back to the Shang dynasty (about 1600-1028 BC). It is mentioned in the Spring and Autumn Annals (the official chronicles of the State of Lu) and one of the Five Classics of the Chinese literature, also in the Suijing Zhu (Commentary on the Waterways Classic) compiled by the noted geographer Li Daoyuan during the Northern Wei dynasty (386-534). During his time, the Jet Spring and the adjecent springs formed the source to the ancient Luo River. Today, they are protected by a park, Baotu Quan Kung Yuan. It was created in 1956 and covers an area of 10.5 hectares.
The main spring pool is located at the center of the park. To it's right is a tablet written by the Qing emperor Qianlong (1735-1796) that declares the spring as 'The First Spring Under Heaven (Tian Xia Di Yi Quan). He and his grandfather, emperor Kangxi (1661-1722) visited the spring and left their inscriptions on a big stone.
Other than the stone, the spring is also surrounded by some historical buildings such as the Leyuan Hall from the Song dynasty (960-1125), the Guanlan Pavilion from the Ming dynasty (1368-1644), and the Laihe Bridge (built during the reign of emperor Wanli of the Ming dynasty). On the shore of the main spring stands the Wangheting Teahouse. It is said that emperors used to come and drink tea here during their visits.
The spring has also been a recurring subjects of classic Chinese literature. It has been written by authors such as Zhao Mengfu and Pu Songling. It also houses memorials to the local painter Li Kuchan (1898-1983) and Wang Xuetao (1903-1982) as well as the most notable female poet in Chinese literature, Li Qingzhao (1084-1151). Born in Licheng district in Jinan, she had been interested in literature at young age. Her father was a friend of Su Shi, or known as Su Dongpo, a prominent Song poet. Her poetry later became well-known among Chinese elite society. In 1101 she married Zhao Mingcheng, with whom she shared interests in art collection and epigraphy. They loved poetry and often wrote poems to each other. Her husband then got a job as a government official and they couldn't be togather for awhile. This situation inspired many of her love poems. They also wrote about bronze artefects of the Shang and Zhou dynasties.
When the Northern Song capital, Kaifeng, fell in 1126 to the Jurchen army, Li's house was burned down, so she and her husband had to move to Nanjing. They live there for a year. Zhao died in 1129, and this made Li Qingzhao very sad. She was never recovered. This also changed her poetry style. Her earlier works portrayed her as a woman of high society who was full of life and vitality. After she lost her husband, they changed to be more solemn and depicted her as a grieving woman who was even 'too lazy to comb her hair'. A section in the Baotu Spring Park is dedicated to her. Inside, I saw some statues depicting the female poet from the young age until her death. Too bad I didn't stay long enough to be able to find out more about her.
Daming Lake
Located in the north-eastern part of the ancient city, this lake was formerly known as the 'Lotus Seed Lake' and the 'West Lake' (not to be confused with the famous West Lake in Hangzhou). It covers an area of 46 hectares, surrounded by temples and teahouses. The name 'Daming Hu' was given during the Jin dynasty (265-420). However, it was not until the Ming dynasty (1368-1644) that the lake took the shape as we see today.
Water from many springs including the Pearl Spring (Zhengzhuquan), the Washing Ying Spring, and the Prince's Residence Pool converges to this lake. It neither rises during the rainy days nor dries out during the drought. Walking along the river banks, I enjoyed the clear water and the beautiful surroundings; pretty flowers combined with artistic rock formations and willow trees. A tourist boat was seen from the distance. I didn't get on it, as I didn't want a boat ride on a chilly day, so I kept on walking.
On the north western bank, I found a temple called the Tie Xuan Temple (Tie Gong). It was built in 1792 as a memorial to Tie Xuan (1366-1402), a military officer in the Ming dynasty era. He was famous for his loyalty to Jianwen, the second Ming dynasty emperor. Tie became an officer responsible for the logistics in Shandong province at the beginning of Jianwen's reign. In 1399, Zhu Di, the emperor's uncle, started a rebellion in Beiping (now Beijing), an event known in history as the Jingnan Incident. The year after, Jinan was surrounded by Zhu Di's army. Tie Xuan and his men tried to defend the city for three months, before he was caught by Zhu Di, who had become the emperor after Jianwen's death. Tie Xuan was brought before the emperor. The brave officer refused to look at the Son of Heaven and stood with his back to the emperor's face. This made Zhu Di really angry and ordered Tie's ears and nose to be cut and boiled, then stucked into the officer's mouth. Because Tie kept on cursing, the emperor had the officer's body cut into pieces and boiled as well. Tie's wife, Mrs. Yang, and his two daughters were sold as prostitutes. His two sons were made into slaves.
A prince from the Ming dynasty, Prince Fu (Zhu Yousong) was impressed by Tie Xuan's loyalty that he gave the title 'Zhongxiang' which means I don't know. It will be interesting to find out.
Quancheng Square
When I returned to Jakarta, the first thing I missed from Jinan was this square. I used to go here a lot, especially after having bad days at the school. This was also the first place I visited after arriving in the city.
Covering an area of 16.96 hectares, it is now a modern top-grade square where ancient and modern culture are mixed togather. At the main entrance, I saw a Chinese flag flowing in the air and a big tablet that says 'Quancheng Guangchang' (Quancheng Square).
The square is located in the city center and this is where the Jinanese hang out. It's always full of people, especially at night. They come here and do lots of activities. I saw a group of children learning in-line skating, some elderly people doing qigong, some others were learning ballroom dancing. Most of the people were just walking around to get some fresh air. It has some interesting features too.
The first thing that caught my attention was a tall big blue monument which is shaped like a woman's body. In the middle there's a large crystal ball, which is called 'the eye of Jinan'. It is considered as the symbol of the spring city. In the center of the square I saw some flower-shaped fountains; one big flower surrounded by eight small ones. At exactly 8 o'clock in the evening, music plays and they spray colorful water that dances with the tunes. It's very beautiful and never fails to attract the crowd.
I was attracted as well, but I may not have a chance to go there again. Quancheng Square was where it all began and ended. This was where I took my first and last walk in Jinan.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Monday, August 18, 2008
Just Like Heaven
Two cities in China are nicknamed 'paradise on earth'. One is Suzhou and the other one is Hangzhou.
Hangzhou is known for its beautiful natural scenery. The city is located on the Yangtzi River delta, 180 kilometers southwest of Shanghai. It is the capital of Zhejiang province. It was founded around 2.200 years ago during the Qin dynasty. Besides listed as one of the Seven Ancient Capitals of China, it was also the capital of the Wuyue Kingdom from 907 to 978 during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. This city was one of the three great centers of culture in Southern China during the tenth century along with Nanjing and Chengdu.
As a city of culture, Hangzhou was popular among philosophers, politicians, and artists. One of them was Su Shi or known as Su Dongpo from the Song dynasty (960-1127). He was also once the city's governor and in 1089 constructed a 2.8 kilometers long dike accorss the West Lake, now known as the Su Causeway. Another poet turned governer was Bai Juyi from the Tang dynasty. He also built a dike out of mud cleaned from the bottom of the lake, now known as the Bai Causeway. These dikes prevented the lake from evolving into the marshland. Other famous people from Hangzhou were poets Lu You and Xin Qiji, also the famed scientist Shen Kuo, whose tomb is located in the Yuhuang district.
Freezing on the West Lake
The first agenda as soon as I arrived in Hangzhou was visiting the famous West Lake. I was really amazed by its beauty; clear water and beautiful surroundings. The well-known poet Su Dongpo compared this lake with Xizi, the most beautiful woman in ancient China in this poem:
Ripping water shimmering on a sunny day,
Misty mountains shrouded the rain,
Plain or gaily decked like Xizi,
West Lake is always alluring.
I would say that this lake is the large version of Chinese classical gardens. Whatever the season, the panorama is always breathtaking.
I got on the boat to cross the lake to the Temple of Yue Fei. It was freezing cold because the autumn wind was blowing hard. While sitting and shivering, I tried to listen to the guide talking about the Leifeng Pagoda seen from the distance. This pagoda was built in 975 during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period at the order of King Qian Chu of the Wuyue Kingdom to celebrate the birth of his son who was born to Huang Fei, his favorite concubine. Also known as the Thunder Peak Pagoda, it was originally an octagonal five-storied tower made of bricks and wood. Its wooden elements were burned during the late Ming dynasty when the Japanese pirates attatcked Hangzhou. Later, due to superstitions that bricks from the tower could prevent illness and bring luck, people stole them and grinded the bricks into powder. They probably drank it too. The action caused the pagoda collapsed on the afternoon of September 25th, 1924. It was then rebuilt by the provincial and municipal government in October 1999. The original base is kept in good condition as well as the treasures discovered in an underground chamber.
The pagoda became one of the ten sights of the West Lake because of The White Snake Legend, a Chinese story that began as oral traditions the written as compilations, also performed in the TV series, films, and Chinese operas. It's one of my favorite stories. Set in the Southern Song dynasty, the story basically tells about a young scholar named Xu Xian who falls in love with a woman named Bai Su Zhen, unaware that she is a white snake demon in human form. A monk called Fa Hai intervenes to safe the scholar's soul and arrests the white snake in a deep well at the Leifeng Pagoda. She is captivated for a few years. Meanwhile, her sister the green snake named Xiao Qing practices her magic, and when strong enough, she defeats Fa Hai, destroys the pagoda, and frees Bai. The White Snake then rejoins with her husband and they live happily ever after.
On the shore of the lake I saw a bridge. The guide said that it is called the Broken Bridge and still linked to the legend. It is said that Xu Xian met Bai Su Zhen here. It was raining, and the scholar offered his umbrella to Bai. This was also the place where they met again after going through a series of ups and downs; and the place where they said goodbye for the last time. The farewell made them very sad. There is a saying that describes how they feel, “The Broken Bridge is not broken but the heart is'.
The Temple of Martyr
Getting off the boat on the other side of the lake, I arrived on a temple. The tour guide told me that this was the mausoleum of General Yue Fei, whose name I had never heard before. Later I found out that he was an ancient Chinese hero lived in the era of the Song dynasty (960-1279). He was famous for his war against the Jin (1115-1234) and is considered as the symbol of patriotism and loyalty to the country until today.
The place occupies an area of four acres and located at the southern foot of Qixia Hill near the lake. Its main hall is called the Shrine of Remembrance, where I saw the sculpture of General Yue Fei in the middle. He was dressed in a colorful battle uniform and holding a sword in his hand. He looked solemn and mighty; I could feel that he was a great leader. Above is a tablet written in the general's handwriting that says 'Huan Wo He Shan' or 'Give Back My Rivers and Mountains'. At one side of the wall is a painting of the general and his mother. Yue Fei is kneeling down while his mother is writing four characters on his back, 'Jin Zhong Bao Guo' meaning 'serve the country with outmost loyalty'. This tattoo later became famous. The scene happened before Yue Fei went on a battle.
I proceeded to a yard that is located to the west of the main hall. In the middle are two tombs; the one in the center is Yue Fei's and to its left is his son's Yue Yun, who had joined his father in the battlefields. In front of it are some statues of horses, tigers, and sheep.
A little bit further from the tombs are four kneeling bronze statues. I wondered why they were made with bare chests and hands tied behind their back. Their eyes are looking at the ground and I saw some guilty expressions there, as if they had done something wrong. And indeed they had.
The statues on the right are Qin Hui and his wife Lady Wang while the ones on the left are his subordinates, Mo Qixie and Zhang Jun. Qin Hui (1090-1155) was was a Song prime minister who is widely regarded as the traitor of the Han race because he played a part in the political execution of Yue Fei.
History told that after having Yue Fei, Yue Yun, and their friend Zhang Xian arrested for false charges, Qin Hui and his wife were sitting by the eastern window at their home, warming themselves by the fire. Qin was worried because he couldn't get Yue Fei to admit the charges and eventually had to release him. However, after a servant girl brought fresh oranges into the room, Lady Wang came up with an idea of slipping an execution notice inside the skin of an orange and send it to the examining judge. This way, the general and his companions would be executed before the emperor himself gave the order of execution. The conspiracy is known as the 'Eastern Window Plot'. That was why their statues are made to kneel forever before the tombs. For centuries these statues have been cursed, spat, and urinated. But today they are preserved as historical relics.
Retreating the Soul
Most Chinese are Buddhists and temples are found everywhere, including in Hangzhou.
The temple I visited was the Lingyin Temple of Lingyin Si in Chinese. The name is formed by two characters, 'ling' meaning 'spiritual' and 'yin' meaning retreat. Together they mean 'spiritual retreat' or 'the Temple of Soul's Retreat
This temple is found to the northwest of the West Lake, located in a narrow alley between Feilai Feng (Peak Flying from Afar) and the North Peak. As one of the ten most famous Buddhist temples in China, it is also considered as a leading center for research related to Chinese Buddhist culture.
The existence of the holy site can be traced back to the ear of the Jin dynasty (317-420). Legend said that an Indian monk named Huili came to the area and fell in love with the spiritual nature of the scenery. He then decided to build a temple which we know now. His ashes are kept in a small pagoda at the foot of Feilai Feng.
This peak is located in front of the temple. It got its name because it is made of limestone, thus gives a different appearance compared t its surrounding mountains. According to legend, it was originally from India; some versions suggested that it had flown to Hangzhou overnight to show the almighty power of the Buddhist law. I saw a large number of carvings on its surface depicting the Buddha. One of their panels on the left tells a story of the Monkey King, 'Journey to the West.'
The formal entrance to the temple itself is the Hall of Heavenly Kings (Tianwang Dian). It is a double-eaved building with a plague written by the third Qing dynasty emperor Kangxi (1661-1722) which says 'Yunlin Chan Si' or 'the Chan Temple of the Clouds and Forests.' That is how the temple got its name. The main statue in this hall is the Maitreya Buddha in his manifestation as the clothes bag monk or the Laughing Buddha. At the back is the Boddhisatva Skanda who is regarded as a devoted guardian in Chinese Buddhism. The statue dates from the Song dynasty (960-1279).
Passing through the main hall and crossing the courtyard, I arrived in front of Da Xiong Bai Dian or the Hall of Great Heroes. It is a single storey construction with double-eaved roof shaped like a cone rising to 33.6 meters tall, making it probably the tallest single storey building in China. Inside is the statue of Sakyamuni made of camphor wood and stands 24.8 meters tall, covered with gold. It is guarded by twenty statues of saints on its euther sides, said to be protectors of justice.
I continued again until reaching the Hall of Medicine Buddha (Yaoshi Dian) where you can see the statue of Bhaisajyaguru, also known as the Healing Buddha. The sun and the moon on his left and right hands represnt yin and yang. In Chinese traditional medicine, they have to be balanced to create good health.
On the way out I saw a beautiful stone carving on the wall. It was complicated to figure out what it was, but later I noticed that it is the dragon and the phoenix; symbols of the Chinese emperor and empress.
Drinking a Cup of Tea
It is a common knowledge that China is famous for its tea. I'm a tea drinker myself, but have never tasted the 'real' Chinese tea. Not until I visited the Longjing tea plantation. This place reminded me of Puncak, West Java which is also famous for its beautiful tea plantation scenery. The view here was just as gorgeous.
Also known as the 'Dragon Well', this well was discovered in about 230 AD, according to legend. The fresh spring water encouraged Hangzhouers to develop their own quality tea. A spokeswoman explained that to me in the National Tea Museum, the only state-level museum specializing in the tea culture. It has a wonderful collection of tea utensils. My interest was particularly the unique teapots; one stops pouring water when its lid is held and the other can pour spiral water. There are more kinds that I didn't see.
I learned about different kinds of tea, among them are the famous Longjing tea and there is the chrysanthemum tea. The Longjing tea is made of fresh tea leaves and the chrysanthemum tea is made of dried chrysanthemum flowers. They tasted delicous! The tea are packed in special containers that are designed so that the flavor doesn't wear off. You can buy the tea there too. It's quite expensive, but you get the best quality of tea which can last for a long time.
As I walked around the museum, I saw a statue in its garden. The tour guide said he was Lu Yu, the tea sage. This man lived between 733-804 and had contributed a lot to the Chinese tea culture. He is well known for his book, The Classic of Tea, the first comprehensive work on cultivating, making, and drinking tea.
The Dragon Well is well known to foreigners as well as the Chinese. Some world leaders had visited the plantation, among them were Queen Elizabeth and the former Chinese president Jiang Zemin.
And that's the end of my trip in Hangzhou
Hangzhou is known for its beautiful natural scenery. The city is located on the Yangtzi River delta, 180 kilometers southwest of Shanghai. It is the capital of Zhejiang province. It was founded around 2.200 years ago during the Qin dynasty. Besides listed as one of the Seven Ancient Capitals of China, it was also the capital of the Wuyue Kingdom from 907 to 978 during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. This city was one of the three great centers of culture in Southern China during the tenth century along with Nanjing and Chengdu.
As a city of culture, Hangzhou was popular among philosophers, politicians, and artists. One of them was Su Shi or known as Su Dongpo from the Song dynasty (960-1127). He was also once the city's governor and in 1089 constructed a 2.8 kilometers long dike accorss the West Lake, now known as the Su Causeway. Another poet turned governer was Bai Juyi from the Tang dynasty. He also built a dike out of mud cleaned from the bottom of the lake, now known as the Bai Causeway. These dikes prevented the lake from evolving into the marshland. Other famous people from Hangzhou were poets Lu You and Xin Qiji, also the famed scientist Shen Kuo, whose tomb is located in the Yuhuang district.
Freezing on the West Lake
The first agenda as soon as I arrived in Hangzhou was visiting the famous West Lake. I was really amazed by its beauty; clear water and beautiful surroundings. The well-known poet Su Dongpo compared this lake with Xizi, the most beautiful woman in ancient China in this poem:
Ripping water shimmering on a sunny day,
Misty mountains shrouded the rain,
Plain or gaily decked like Xizi,
West Lake is always alluring.
I would say that this lake is the large version of Chinese classical gardens. Whatever the season, the panorama is always breathtaking.
I got on the boat to cross the lake to the Temple of Yue Fei. It was freezing cold because the autumn wind was blowing hard. While sitting and shivering, I tried to listen to the guide talking about the Leifeng Pagoda seen from the distance. This pagoda was built in 975 during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period at the order of King Qian Chu of the Wuyue Kingdom to celebrate the birth of his son who was born to Huang Fei, his favorite concubine. Also known as the Thunder Peak Pagoda, it was originally an octagonal five-storied tower made of bricks and wood. Its wooden elements were burned during the late Ming dynasty when the Japanese pirates attatcked Hangzhou. Later, due to superstitions that bricks from the tower could prevent illness and bring luck, people stole them and grinded the bricks into powder. They probably drank it too. The action caused the pagoda collapsed on the afternoon of September 25th, 1924. It was then rebuilt by the provincial and municipal government in October 1999. The original base is kept in good condition as well as the treasures discovered in an underground chamber.
The pagoda became one of the ten sights of the West Lake because of The White Snake Legend, a Chinese story that began as oral traditions the written as compilations, also performed in the TV series, films, and Chinese operas. It's one of my favorite stories. Set in the Southern Song dynasty, the story basically tells about a young scholar named Xu Xian who falls in love with a woman named Bai Su Zhen, unaware that she is a white snake demon in human form. A monk called Fa Hai intervenes to safe the scholar's soul and arrests the white snake in a deep well at the Leifeng Pagoda. She is captivated for a few years. Meanwhile, her sister the green snake named Xiao Qing practices her magic, and when strong enough, she defeats Fa Hai, destroys the pagoda, and frees Bai. The White Snake then rejoins with her husband and they live happily ever after.
On the shore of the lake I saw a bridge. The guide said that it is called the Broken Bridge and still linked to the legend. It is said that Xu Xian met Bai Su Zhen here. It was raining, and the scholar offered his umbrella to Bai. This was also the place where they met again after going through a series of ups and downs; and the place where they said goodbye for the last time. The farewell made them very sad. There is a saying that describes how they feel, “The Broken Bridge is not broken but the heart is'.
The Temple of Martyr
Getting off the boat on the other side of the lake, I arrived on a temple. The tour guide told me that this was the mausoleum of General Yue Fei, whose name I had never heard before. Later I found out that he was an ancient Chinese hero lived in the era of the Song dynasty (960-1279). He was famous for his war against the Jin (1115-1234) and is considered as the symbol of patriotism and loyalty to the country until today.
The place occupies an area of four acres and located at the southern foot of Qixia Hill near the lake. Its main hall is called the Shrine of Remembrance, where I saw the sculpture of General Yue Fei in the middle. He was dressed in a colorful battle uniform and holding a sword in his hand. He looked solemn and mighty; I could feel that he was a great leader. Above is a tablet written in the general's handwriting that says 'Huan Wo He Shan' or 'Give Back My Rivers and Mountains'. At one side of the wall is a painting of the general and his mother. Yue Fei is kneeling down while his mother is writing four characters on his back, 'Jin Zhong Bao Guo' meaning 'serve the country with outmost loyalty'. This tattoo later became famous. The scene happened before Yue Fei went on a battle.
I proceeded to a yard that is located to the west of the main hall. In the middle are two tombs; the one in the center is Yue Fei's and to its left is his son's Yue Yun, who had joined his father in the battlefields. In front of it are some statues of horses, tigers, and sheep.
A little bit further from the tombs are four kneeling bronze statues. I wondered why they were made with bare chests and hands tied behind their back. Their eyes are looking at the ground and I saw some guilty expressions there, as if they had done something wrong. And indeed they had.
The statues on the right are Qin Hui and his wife Lady Wang while the ones on the left are his subordinates, Mo Qixie and Zhang Jun. Qin Hui (1090-1155) was was a Song prime minister who is widely regarded as the traitor of the Han race because he played a part in the political execution of Yue Fei.
History told that after having Yue Fei, Yue Yun, and their friend Zhang Xian arrested for false charges, Qin Hui and his wife were sitting by the eastern window at their home, warming themselves by the fire. Qin was worried because he couldn't get Yue Fei to admit the charges and eventually had to release him. However, after a servant girl brought fresh oranges into the room, Lady Wang came up with an idea of slipping an execution notice inside the skin of an orange and send it to the examining judge. This way, the general and his companions would be executed before the emperor himself gave the order of execution. The conspiracy is known as the 'Eastern Window Plot'. That was why their statues are made to kneel forever before the tombs. For centuries these statues have been cursed, spat, and urinated. But today they are preserved as historical relics.
Retreating the Soul
Most Chinese are Buddhists and temples are found everywhere, including in Hangzhou.
The temple I visited was the Lingyin Temple of Lingyin Si in Chinese. The name is formed by two characters, 'ling' meaning 'spiritual' and 'yin' meaning retreat. Together they mean 'spiritual retreat' or 'the Temple of Soul's Retreat
This temple is found to the northwest of the West Lake, located in a narrow alley between Feilai Feng (Peak Flying from Afar) and the North Peak. As one of the ten most famous Buddhist temples in China, it is also considered as a leading center for research related to Chinese Buddhist culture.
The existence of the holy site can be traced back to the ear of the Jin dynasty (317-420). Legend said that an Indian monk named Huili came to the area and fell in love with the spiritual nature of the scenery. He then decided to build a temple which we know now. His ashes are kept in a small pagoda at the foot of Feilai Feng.
This peak is located in front of the temple. It got its name because it is made of limestone, thus gives a different appearance compared t its surrounding mountains. According to legend, it was originally from India; some versions suggested that it had flown to Hangzhou overnight to show the almighty power of the Buddhist law. I saw a large number of carvings on its surface depicting the Buddha. One of their panels on the left tells a story of the Monkey King, 'Journey to the West.'
The formal entrance to the temple itself is the Hall of Heavenly Kings (Tianwang Dian). It is a double-eaved building with a plague written by the third Qing dynasty emperor Kangxi (1661-1722) which says 'Yunlin Chan Si' or 'the Chan Temple of the Clouds and Forests.' That is how the temple got its name. The main statue in this hall is the Maitreya Buddha in his manifestation as the clothes bag monk or the Laughing Buddha. At the back is the Boddhisatva Skanda who is regarded as a devoted guardian in Chinese Buddhism. The statue dates from the Song dynasty (960-1279).
Passing through the main hall and crossing the courtyard, I arrived in front of Da Xiong Bai Dian or the Hall of Great Heroes. It is a single storey construction with double-eaved roof shaped like a cone rising to 33.6 meters tall, making it probably the tallest single storey building in China. Inside is the statue of Sakyamuni made of camphor wood and stands 24.8 meters tall, covered with gold. It is guarded by twenty statues of saints on its euther sides, said to be protectors of justice.
I continued again until reaching the Hall of Medicine Buddha (Yaoshi Dian) where you can see the statue of Bhaisajyaguru, also known as the Healing Buddha. The sun and the moon on his left and right hands represnt yin and yang. In Chinese traditional medicine, they have to be balanced to create good health.
On the way out I saw a beautiful stone carving on the wall. It was complicated to figure out what it was, but later I noticed that it is the dragon and the phoenix; symbols of the Chinese emperor and empress.
Drinking a Cup of Tea
It is a common knowledge that China is famous for its tea. I'm a tea drinker myself, but have never tasted the 'real' Chinese tea. Not until I visited the Longjing tea plantation. This place reminded me of Puncak, West Java which is also famous for its beautiful tea plantation scenery. The view here was just as gorgeous.
Also known as the 'Dragon Well', this well was discovered in about 230 AD, according to legend. The fresh spring water encouraged Hangzhouers to develop their own quality tea. A spokeswoman explained that to me in the National Tea Museum, the only state-level museum specializing in the tea culture. It has a wonderful collection of tea utensils. My interest was particularly the unique teapots; one stops pouring water when its lid is held and the other can pour spiral water. There are more kinds that I didn't see.
I learned about different kinds of tea, among them are the famous Longjing tea and there is the chrysanthemum tea. The Longjing tea is made of fresh tea leaves and the chrysanthemum tea is made of dried chrysanthemum flowers. They tasted delicous! The tea are packed in special containers that are designed so that the flavor doesn't wear off. You can buy the tea there too. It's quite expensive, but you get the best quality of tea which can last for a long time.
As I walked around the museum, I saw a statue in its garden. The tour guide said he was Lu Yu, the tea sage. This man lived between 733-804 and had contributed a lot to the Chinese tea culture. He is well known for his book, The Classic of Tea, the first comprehensive work on cultivating, making, and drinking tea.
The Dragon Well is well known to foreigners as well as the Chinese. Some world leaders had visited the plantation, among them were Queen Elizabeth and the former Chinese president Jiang Zemin.
And that's the end of my trip in Hangzhou
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Menelusuri Jejak Kekaisaran Cina
Pada bulan Agustus 2008 mata seluruh dunia tertuju ke Beijing yang menjadi tuan rumah pesta olahraga terbesar di dunia, Olimpiade. Bagi mereka yang beruntung dapat pergi ke sana, selain menyaksikan kemegahan Olimpiade, juga akan diingatkan akan sejarah panjang negara yang dijuluki Negeri Tirai Bambu tersebut.
Film peraih piala Oscar tahun 1987 'The Last Emperor' mengambil latar belakang tempat di Istana Kekaisaran Cina, atau yang lebih terkenal dengan Kota Terlarang. Film ini merupakan biografi Pu Yi, kaisar Cina terakhir dari dinasti Qing (baca 'Cing'). Selama berabad-abad Cina diperintah oleh kaisar dari 37 dinasti. Ming dan Qing adalah dua dinasti terakhir dan yang paling terkenal.
Jejak kemegahan kekaisaran Cina tersebar luas di Beijing; Kota Terlarang yang megah, Istana Musim Panas yang Indah, Kuil Surga yang sakral, Makam Kaisar Dinasti Ming yang mewah, dan tentu saja, Tembok Besar.
Beijing menjadi ibukota kekaisaran untuk pertama kalinya ketika Kubilai Khan mendirikan Dinasti Yuan. Lalu kaisar ketiga Dinasti Ming, Yongle, yang juga dikenal sebagai arsitek Beijing, mulai membangun kota ini secara besar-besaran, termasuk mendirikan Kuil Surga dan Istana Kekaisaran. Yang terakhir diselesaikan dalam waktu empat belas tahun. Beliau juga mendirikan tembok pelindung istana lengkap dengan menara pengawasnya.
Bangsa Manchu meruntuhkan dinasti Ming pada tahun 1644 dan mendirikan Dinasti Qing. Mereka memperluas Kota Terlarang dan mendirikan beberapa istana peristirahatan di luar kota Beijing.
Rumah Kaisar
Untuk mencapai Kota Terlarang, saya harus berjalan melewati Lapangan Tiananmen, alun-alun kota terbesar di dunia yang luasnya mencapai seribu hektar. Jalan menuju Kota Terlarang terletak di antara dua bangunan tua.
Kota Terlarang adalah kompleks istana terbesar di dunia dengan 9.999 ruangan. Halaman utamanya sengaja dibuat untuk menampung 90.000 orang pada upacara kekaisaran. Ada tiga gedung utama; Balairung Keselarasan Tertinggi, Balairung Keselarasan Sempurna, dan Balairung Keselarasan Abadi.
Balairung Keselarasan Tertinggi, yang paling besar diantara ketiganya, berdiri tepat di tengah. Disinilah berbagai upacara penting diadakan ternasuk perayaan ulang tahun kaisar. Di dalamnya terdapat Singgasana Naga yang terkenal. Tepat di belakangnya adalah Balairung Keselarasan Sempurna, dimana sang kaisar berganti pakaian sebelum menghadiri berbagai upacara. Bangunan terakhir adalah Balairung Keselarasan Abadi dimana kaisar bersiap-siap sebelum memberi gelar kepada permaisuri dan putra mahkota.
Saya terus berjalan sampai tiba di bagian dalam istana. Disinilah para kaisar tinggal bersama kedua permaisuri dan selir-selir mereka, dilayani oleh ratusan kasim dan pelayan. Jalan masuk utama kesini adalah melalui Gerbang Kemurnian Surgawi, yang dibangun seperti rumah. Sejak masa pemerintahan Kang Xi (1662-1722) dari Dinasti Qing, kaisar kadang memberi pengarahan kepada para pejabat di gerbang ini. Bangunan terpenting disini adalah Istana Kemurnian Surgawi, yang tempat tinggal kaisar, yang kadang juga digunakan untuk menangani urusan kenegaraan. Di tempat ini jugalah kaisar yang mangkat disemayamkan.
Para permaisuri semasa dinasti Ming dan Qing tinggal di Istana Kedamaian Bumi. Kamar pengantin di sebelah timur ruang utama adalah tempat dimana kaisar dan permaisuri tinggal selama dua malam setelah upacara pernikahan. Interiornya sama persis dengan yang ditata untuk pernikahan Kaisar Guangxu (1871-1908) dari dinasti Qing. Dinasti ini adalah yang terakhir memerintah Cina sebelum Revolusi Kebudayaan tahun 1911, didirikan oleh klan Manchu Aisin-Gioro. Guangxu adalah kaisar kesebelas dari dua belas kaisar.
Taman Istana terletak di bagian belakang. Taman ini dbangun pada tahun 1417 dan merupakan taman tertua di Beijing. Luasnya mencapai 1,3 hektar. Tempat paling indah disini adalah Bukit Kumpulan Kemenangan dengan Pavilion Kemegahan Abadi. Di depannya ditanam pohon-pohon sipres tua, beberapa sudah berusia sekitar empat ratus tahun.
Kaisar, permaisuri, dan para selir kadang datang kesini untuk memuja bintang kejora dan bintang timur pada hari ketujuh bulan ketujuh. Ini berarti agama adalah hal penting dalam kehidupan kekaisaran. Kaisar dianggap sebagai 'putra surga', yang menangani berbagai urusan duniawi atas nama dan mewakili otoritas yang lebih tinggi. Persembahan kepada Langit menjadi sangat penting.
Istana Musim Panas
Bangunan ini pada awalnya bernama 'Taman Riak Air Jernih' (Qingyi Yuan) dan dibangun pada masa pemerrintahan Kaisar Qianlong (1761-1795). Didominasi oleh Bukit Keabadian yang tingginya enam puluh meter dan Sungai Kunming, tempat ini dibuat dengan cara memperluas bagian air yan sudah ada agar menyerupai Danau Barat di Hangzhou.
Kompleks istana ini pernah diserang musuh dua kali; ketika terjadi invasi gabungan Inggris-Prancis tahun 1860 dan pada masa pemberontakan kaum Boxer pada oleh pasukan sekutu Barat pada tahun 1900. Untungnya Istana Musim Panas selamat dan dibangun lagi pada tahun 1900.
Di halaman depan istana, saya melihat beberapa patung batu yang berbentuk berbagai binatang, diantaranya burung phoenix, burung bangau, dan qilin (baca: cilin). Burung phoenix adalah lambang permaisuri. Bangau adalah simbol keabadian. Qilin adalah mahkluk dalam legenda yang dipercaya membawa pertanda baik. Menurut legenda, mahkluk ini menghukum yang jahat dan berkepala naga, bertanduk rusa, berkulit dan bersisik ikan, berkaki banteng, dan berekor singa.
Keindahan alam sekitar bisa dilihat sambil menyusuri koridor yang panjangnya 700 meter dan menghubungkan bagian utara-selatan danau. Dari kejauhan terlihat Kuil Kebaikan Buddha. Kombinasi kuil dan danau ini pasti bisa membuat siapa pun terpesona.
Istana Musim Panas adalah tempat tinggal Ibu Suri Cixi dari Dinasti Qing. Beliau adalah selir dari Kaisar Xianfeng (baca Hsienfeng) (1850-1861), satu-satunya yang melahirkan anak laki-laki dan karena itu pangkatnya dinaikkan lima tingkat. Ketika kaisar mangkat, dia mendapat gelar ibu suri dan menjalankan pemerintahan atas nama anaknya, Kaisar Tongzhi (baca: Tungchih), yang meninggal pada usia 19 tahun. Setelah Tongzhi wafat, dia mengangkat keponakannya, Guangxu (baca: kuanghsu) menjadi kaisar yang naik takhta pada usia empat tahun. Namun Cixi tetap menjalankan pemerintahan 'di belakang layar' dan menjadikan Guangxu kaisar boneka. Sebelum mangkat, dia menunjuk Pu Yi sebagai pengganti Guangxu.
Di istana inilah para kaisar pergi untuk beristirahat di musim panas, juga tempat Ibu Suri Cixi menghabiskan sebagian besar hidupnya. Sayang, tempat ini juga menyimpan tragedi. Kaisar Guangxu yang mencoba membebaskan diri dari pengaruh Cixi dengan membuat gerakan reformasi pada tahun 1898. Cixi tidak menyukai ini karena pandangannya yang konservatif. Atas perintah Ibu Suri, Guangxu dijadikan tahanan rumah di Ruang Riak Giok. Dia tinggal disana sampai menemui ajalnya pada usia 37, kemungkinan besar diracun oleh sang Ibu Suri, yang meninggal sehari kemudian. Ini hanya satu dari sekian banyak cerita yang tejadi di Istana Musim Panas, dituturkan secara turun temurun.
Doa Bagi Hasil Panen Yang Baik
Ritual keagamaan adalah bagian penting dalam kehidupan kerajaan. Sebuah tempat didirikan untuk tujuan ini yaitu Kuil Surga. Konsturksinya dikerjakan pada masa pemerintahan Yongle (1402-1424) dan selesai dalam waktu empat belas tahun.
Kuil ini masuk dalam Daftar Warisan Budaya Dunia UNESCO pada tahun 1998. Menurut kantor berita Cina Xinhua, renovasi besar-besaran dilakukan mulai awal 2005 dan selesai pada tanggal 1 Mei 2006 untuk menyambut Olimpiade. Proyek ini menelan dana 47 miliar yuan atau sekitar 5.9 juta dolar.
Memasuki kompleks bangunan, saya melihat Balairung Doa untuk Panen yang Baik, tingginya 39 meter, ditopang 28 tiang kayu dan beratap batu giok biru. Di dalamnya terdapat Altar Surga, dimana kaisar melakukan persembahan kepada Langit pada perayaan di musim dingin setiap tahun;sebuah upacara keagamaan untuk bersyukur kepada Langit dan berdoa kebaikan di masa depan.
Bangunan penting lainnya adalah Balairung Kekaisaran Langit yang jika dilihat dari jauh berbentuk seperti payung berujung emas. Ukurannya lebih kecil daripada Balairung Doa, dan digunakan untuk menyimpan peralatan upacara.
Di dalam balairung ini terdapat Dinding Gema yang sangat menarik. Terbuat dari batu dan mengelilingi seluruh balairung, dinding ini memantulkan gema yang sangat kuat. Dua orang bisa berbicara dalam bisikan dari jauh.
Saya melihat orang-orang berdoa di depan altar di Balairung Doa untuk Panen Yang Baik. Semoga Langit mendengar doa merreka.
Nyekar ke Makam Kaisar Ming
Dinasti Ming yang terkenal memerintah Cina dari tahun 1368-1644. Ada enem belas kaisar tapi hanya tiga belas yang dimakamkan di 'Shisan Ling' atau 'Tiga Belas Makam Kaisar Ming'.
Makam-makam ini terletak sekitar 50 kilometer sebelah utara Beijing, di lokasi yang dulu dipilih oleh kaisar ketiga Ming, Yongle, ketika ibukota kekaisaran dipndah dari Nanjing ke Beijing. Setelah membangun Kota Terlarang tahun 1420, Yongle memilih tempat ini sebagai makamnya, yang dinamai Changling. Kabarnya enam belas selir dikubur hidup-hidup bersama sang kaisar untuk menemaninya di akhirat nanti. Untungnya hal ini dihapuskan di masa pemerintahan kaisar Zhengtong.
Dingling, yang terletak 27 meter di bawah tanah adalah makam kaisar ketiga belas dinasti Ming, Zhu Yijun, yang bergelar Wanli. Kaisar ini dianggap tidak becus dalam menjalankan pemerintahan karena menyerahkan urusan negara kepada para pejabat korup dan membawa penderitaan bagi rakyat. Makam ini diselesaikan dalam waktu enam tahun dan selesai pada tahun 1581. Wanli kemudian mengadakan pesta peresmian, 38 tahun sebelum kematiannya.
Peti mati sang kaisar dan dua permaisurinya serta kebih dari tiga ribu artefak dipamerkan dalam dua museum kecil. Diantaranya adalah peralatan makan dari emas dan perak, jubah kebesaran kaisar dan permaisuri, mahkota, baju-baju perang, dan pedang.
Keajaiban Dunia
Tentu saja yang saya bicarakan adalah Tembok Besar Cina, salah satu pencapaian terbesar manusia di bidang konstruksi bangunan. Tembok ini terbentang sepanjang 5900 kilometer dari Teluk Bohai di Laut Kuning sampai ke Jiayuguan di pegunungan Gansu. Mungkin itu juga sebabnya ia mendapat julukan 'Changcheng' atau 'Tembok Panjang'.
Tembok ini awalnya dibangun untuk mencegah serangan orang barbar Hun dari utara oleh Qin Shi Huang, kaisar pertama Dinasti Qin, yang menyatukan Cina. Bahan-bahan yang digunakan adalah taipa, batu, dan kayu. Pada masa dinasti Ming, batu bata lebih banyak digunakan karena ukurannya lebih kecil dan lebih ringan sehingga pekerjaan konstruksi bisa diselesaikan lebih cepat. Lagipula batu bata bisa menahan berat lebih baik daripada bahan bangunan lainnya. Dasar, pinggiran dalam dan luar, serta pintu masuknya dibangun menggunakan batu yang dipotong persegi karena bahan ini dapat menahan berat bangunan lebih baik daripada batu bata.
Pada tiap jarak 27 meter, para pekerja dipaksa membangun menara pengawas setinggi kira-kira 14 meter yang digunakan untuk mengintai musuh. Mereka yang meninggal dikuburkan di bawah Tembok Besar. Para kaisar dinasti Ming (sekitar seribu tahun sesudah Qin Shi Huang) membangun konstruksi raksasa ini hingga mencakup sebagian besar propinsi sampai ke Juyongguan (pintu masuk Jalur Sutra yang terlenal).
Sebagian besar tembok di sebelah tenggara Cina saat ini berasal dari periode Dinasti Ming, yang memberikan perhatian sangat besar padanya. Mereka memperkuat dasar tembok dengan batu bata.
Katanya Tembok Besar Cina adalah satu-satunya benda di bumi yang bisa terlihat dari permukaan bulan. Second Book of Marvel karangan Richad Halliburton yang terbit pada tahun tahun 1938 mengklaim hal serupa, tapi ternyata ini tidak benar. Orang-orang tetap percaya pada cerita ini, sampai dicantumkan pada buku pelajaran sekolah. Arthur Waldron, pengarang 'Tembok Besar Cina: Sejarah dan Mitos' berspekulasi bahwa kepercayaan ini muncul karena karena kekaguman pada 'kanal' yang dipercaya berada di planet Mars.
Lepas dari benar tidaknya cerita diatas, Tembok Besar Cina terus membuat orang kagum dan menarik mereka untuk menyaksikan sendiri keajaiban dunia yang satu ini. Ada pepatah mengatakan, 'Mereka yang belum mendaki Tembok Besar bukan manusia sejati.'
Film peraih piala Oscar tahun 1987 'The Last Emperor' mengambil latar belakang tempat di Istana Kekaisaran Cina, atau yang lebih terkenal dengan Kota Terlarang. Film ini merupakan biografi Pu Yi, kaisar Cina terakhir dari dinasti Qing (baca 'Cing'). Selama berabad-abad Cina diperintah oleh kaisar dari 37 dinasti. Ming dan Qing adalah dua dinasti terakhir dan yang paling terkenal.
Jejak kemegahan kekaisaran Cina tersebar luas di Beijing; Kota Terlarang yang megah, Istana Musim Panas yang Indah, Kuil Surga yang sakral, Makam Kaisar Dinasti Ming yang mewah, dan tentu saja, Tembok Besar.
Beijing menjadi ibukota kekaisaran untuk pertama kalinya ketika Kubilai Khan mendirikan Dinasti Yuan. Lalu kaisar ketiga Dinasti Ming, Yongle, yang juga dikenal sebagai arsitek Beijing, mulai membangun kota ini secara besar-besaran, termasuk mendirikan Kuil Surga dan Istana Kekaisaran. Yang terakhir diselesaikan dalam waktu empat belas tahun. Beliau juga mendirikan tembok pelindung istana lengkap dengan menara pengawasnya.
Bangsa Manchu meruntuhkan dinasti Ming pada tahun 1644 dan mendirikan Dinasti Qing. Mereka memperluas Kota Terlarang dan mendirikan beberapa istana peristirahatan di luar kota Beijing.
Rumah Kaisar
Untuk mencapai Kota Terlarang, saya harus berjalan melewati Lapangan Tiananmen, alun-alun kota terbesar di dunia yang luasnya mencapai seribu hektar. Jalan menuju Kota Terlarang terletak di antara dua bangunan tua.
Kota Terlarang adalah kompleks istana terbesar di dunia dengan 9.999 ruangan. Halaman utamanya sengaja dibuat untuk menampung 90.000 orang pada upacara kekaisaran. Ada tiga gedung utama; Balairung Keselarasan Tertinggi, Balairung Keselarasan Sempurna, dan Balairung Keselarasan Abadi.
Balairung Keselarasan Tertinggi, yang paling besar diantara ketiganya, berdiri tepat di tengah. Disinilah berbagai upacara penting diadakan ternasuk perayaan ulang tahun kaisar. Di dalamnya terdapat Singgasana Naga yang terkenal. Tepat di belakangnya adalah Balairung Keselarasan Sempurna, dimana sang kaisar berganti pakaian sebelum menghadiri berbagai upacara. Bangunan terakhir adalah Balairung Keselarasan Abadi dimana kaisar bersiap-siap sebelum memberi gelar kepada permaisuri dan putra mahkota.
Saya terus berjalan sampai tiba di bagian dalam istana. Disinilah para kaisar tinggal bersama kedua permaisuri dan selir-selir mereka, dilayani oleh ratusan kasim dan pelayan. Jalan masuk utama kesini adalah melalui Gerbang Kemurnian Surgawi, yang dibangun seperti rumah. Sejak masa pemerintahan Kang Xi (1662-1722) dari Dinasti Qing, kaisar kadang memberi pengarahan kepada para pejabat di gerbang ini. Bangunan terpenting disini adalah Istana Kemurnian Surgawi, yang tempat tinggal kaisar, yang kadang juga digunakan untuk menangani urusan kenegaraan. Di tempat ini jugalah kaisar yang mangkat disemayamkan.
Para permaisuri semasa dinasti Ming dan Qing tinggal di Istana Kedamaian Bumi. Kamar pengantin di sebelah timur ruang utama adalah tempat dimana kaisar dan permaisuri tinggal selama dua malam setelah upacara pernikahan. Interiornya sama persis dengan yang ditata untuk pernikahan Kaisar Guangxu (1871-1908) dari dinasti Qing. Dinasti ini adalah yang terakhir memerintah Cina sebelum Revolusi Kebudayaan tahun 1911, didirikan oleh klan Manchu Aisin-Gioro. Guangxu adalah kaisar kesebelas dari dua belas kaisar.
Taman Istana terletak di bagian belakang. Taman ini dbangun pada tahun 1417 dan merupakan taman tertua di Beijing. Luasnya mencapai 1,3 hektar. Tempat paling indah disini adalah Bukit Kumpulan Kemenangan dengan Pavilion Kemegahan Abadi. Di depannya ditanam pohon-pohon sipres tua, beberapa sudah berusia sekitar empat ratus tahun.
Kaisar, permaisuri, dan para selir kadang datang kesini untuk memuja bintang kejora dan bintang timur pada hari ketujuh bulan ketujuh. Ini berarti agama adalah hal penting dalam kehidupan kekaisaran. Kaisar dianggap sebagai 'putra surga', yang menangani berbagai urusan duniawi atas nama dan mewakili otoritas yang lebih tinggi. Persembahan kepada Langit menjadi sangat penting.
Istana Musim Panas
Bangunan ini pada awalnya bernama 'Taman Riak Air Jernih' (Qingyi Yuan) dan dibangun pada masa pemerrintahan Kaisar Qianlong (1761-1795). Didominasi oleh Bukit Keabadian yang tingginya enam puluh meter dan Sungai Kunming, tempat ini dibuat dengan cara memperluas bagian air yan sudah ada agar menyerupai Danau Barat di Hangzhou.
Kompleks istana ini pernah diserang musuh dua kali; ketika terjadi invasi gabungan Inggris-Prancis tahun 1860 dan pada masa pemberontakan kaum Boxer pada oleh pasukan sekutu Barat pada tahun 1900. Untungnya Istana Musim Panas selamat dan dibangun lagi pada tahun 1900.
Di halaman depan istana, saya melihat beberapa patung batu yang berbentuk berbagai binatang, diantaranya burung phoenix, burung bangau, dan qilin (baca: cilin). Burung phoenix adalah lambang permaisuri. Bangau adalah simbol keabadian. Qilin adalah mahkluk dalam legenda yang dipercaya membawa pertanda baik. Menurut legenda, mahkluk ini menghukum yang jahat dan berkepala naga, bertanduk rusa, berkulit dan bersisik ikan, berkaki banteng, dan berekor singa.
Keindahan alam sekitar bisa dilihat sambil menyusuri koridor yang panjangnya 700 meter dan menghubungkan bagian utara-selatan danau. Dari kejauhan terlihat Kuil Kebaikan Buddha. Kombinasi kuil dan danau ini pasti bisa membuat siapa pun terpesona.
Istana Musim Panas adalah tempat tinggal Ibu Suri Cixi dari Dinasti Qing. Beliau adalah selir dari Kaisar Xianfeng (baca Hsienfeng) (1850-1861), satu-satunya yang melahirkan anak laki-laki dan karena itu pangkatnya dinaikkan lima tingkat. Ketika kaisar mangkat, dia mendapat gelar ibu suri dan menjalankan pemerintahan atas nama anaknya, Kaisar Tongzhi (baca: Tungchih), yang meninggal pada usia 19 tahun. Setelah Tongzhi wafat, dia mengangkat keponakannya, Guangxu (baca: kuanghsu) menjadi kaisar yang naik takhta pada usia empat tahun. Namun Cixi tetap menjalankan pemerintahan 'di belakang layar' dan menjadikan Guangxu kaisar boneka. Sebelum mangkat, dia menunjuk Pu Yi sebagai pengganti Guangxu.
Di istana inilah para kaisar pergi untuk beristirahat di musim panas, juga tempat Ibu Suri Cixi menghabiskan sebagian besar hidupnya. Sayang, tempat ini juga menyimpan tragedi. Kaisar Guangxu yang mencoba membebaskan diri dari pengaruh Cixi dengan membuat gerakan reformasi pada tahun 1898. Cixi tidak menyukai ini karena pandangannya yang konservatif. Atas perintah Ibu Suri, Guangxu dijadikan tahanan rumah di Ruang Riak Giok. Dia tinggal disana sampai menemui ajalnya pada usia 37, kemungkinan besar diracun oleh sang Ibu Suri, yang meninggal sehari kemudian. Ini hanya satu dari sekian banyak cerita yang tejadi di Istana Musim Panas, dituturkan secara turun temurun.
Doa Bagi Hasil Panen Yang Baik
Ritual keagamaan adalah bagian penting dalam kehidupan kerajaan. Sebuah tempat didirikan untuk tujuan ini yaitu Kuil Surga. Konsturksinya dikerjakan pada masa pemerintahan Yongle (1402-1424) dan selesai dalam waktu empat belas tahun.
Kuil ini masuk dalam Daftar Warisan Budaya Dunia UNESCO pada tahun 1998. Menurut kantor berita Cina Xinhua, renovasi besar-besaran dilakukan mulai awal 2005 dan selesai pada tanggal 1 Mei 2006 untuk menyambut Olimpiade. Proyek ini menelan dana 47 miliar yuan atau sekitar 5.9 juta dolar.
Memasuki kompleks bangunan, saya melihat Balairung Doa untuk Panen yang Baik, tingginya 39 meter, ditopang 28 tiang kayu dan beratap batu giok biru. Di dalamnya terdapat Altar Surga, dimana kaisar melakukan persembahan kepada Langit pada perayaan di musim dingin setiap tahun;sebuah upacara keagamaan untuk bersyukur kepada Langit dan berdoa kebaikan di masa depan.
Bangunan penting lainnya adalah Balairung Kekaisaran Langit yang jika dilihat dari jauh berbentuk seperti payung berujung emas. Ukurannya lebih kecil daripada Balairung Doa, dan digunakan untuk menyimpan peralatan upacara.
Di dalam balairung ini terdapat Dinding Gema yang sangat menarik. Terbuat dari batu dan mengelilingi seluruh balairung, dinding ini memantulkan gema yang sangat kuat. Dua orang bisa berbicara dalam bisikan dari jauh.
Saya melihat orang-orang berdoa di depan altar di Balairung Doa untuk Panen Yang Baik. Semoga Langit mendengar doa merreka.
Nyekar ke Makam Kaisar Ming
Dinasti Ming yang terkenal memerintah Cina dari tahun 1368-1644. Ada enem belas kaisar tapi hanya tiga belas yang dimakamkan di 'Shisan Ling' atau 'Tiga Belas Makam Kaisar Ming'.
Makam-makam ini terletak sekitar 50 kilometer sebelah utara Beijing, di lokasi yang dulu dipilih oleh kaisar ketiga Ming, Yongle, ketika ibukota kekaisaran dipndah dari Nanjing ke Beijing. Setelah membangun Kota Terlarang tahun 1420, Yongle memilih tempat ini sebagai makamnya, yang dinamai Changling. Kabarnya enam belas selir dikubur hidup-hidup bersama sang kaisar untuk menemaninya di akhirat nanti. Untungnya hal ini dihapuskan di masa pemerintahan kaisar Zhengtong.
Dingling, yang terletak 27 meter di bawah tanah adalah makam kaisar ketiga belas dinasti Ming, Zhu Yijun, yang bergelar Wanli. Kaisar ini dianggap tidak becus dalam menjalankan pemerintahan karena menyerahkan urusan negara kepada para pejabat korup dan membawa penderitaan bagi rakyat. Makam ini diselesaikan dalam waktu enam tahun dan selesai pada tahun 1581. Wanli kemudian mengadakan pesta peresmian, 38 tahun sebelum kematiannya.
Peti mati sang kaisar dan dua permaisurinya serta kebih dari tiga ribu artefak dipamerkan dalam dua museum kecil. Diantaranya adalah peralatan makan dari emas dan perak, jubah kebesaran kaisar dan permaisuri, mahkota, baju-baju perang, dan pedang.
Keajaiban Dunia
Tentu saja yang saya bicarakan adalah Tembok Besar Cina, salah satu pencapaian terbesar manusia di bidang konstruksi bangunan. Tembok ini terbentang sepanjang 5900 kilometer dari Teluk Bohai di Laut Kuning sampai ke Jiayuguan di pegunungan Gansu. Mungkin itu juga sebabnya ia mendapat julukan 'Changcheng' atau 'Tembok Panjang'.
Tembok ini awalnya dibangun untuk mencegah serangan orang barbar Hun dari utara oleh Qin Shi Huang, kaisar pertama Dinasti Qin, yang menyatukan Cina. Bahan-bahan yang digunakan adalah taipa, batu, dan kayu. Pada masa dinasti Ming, batu bata lebih banyak digunakan karena ukurannya lebih kecil dan lebih ringan sehingga pekerjaan konstruksi bisa diselesaikan lebih cepat. Lagipula batu bata bisa menahan berat lebih baik daripada bahan bangunan lainnya. Dasar, pinggiran dalam dan luar, serta pintu masuknya dibangun menggunakan batu yang dipotong persegi karena bahan ini dapat menahan berat bangunan lebih baik daripada batu bata.
Pada tiap jarak 27 meter, para pekerja dipaksa membangun menara pengawas setinggi kira-kira 14 meter yang digunakan untuk mengintai musuh. Mereka yang meninggal dikuburkan di bawah Tembok Besar. Para kaisar dinasti Ming (sekitar seribu tahun sesudah Qin Shi Huang) membangun konstruksi raksasa ini hingga mencakup sebagian besar propinsi sampai ke Juyongguan (pintu masuk Jalur Sutra yang terlenal).
Sebagian besar tembok di sebelah tenggara Cina saat ini berasal dari periode Dinasti Ming, yang memberikan perhatian sangat besar padanya. Mereka memperkuat dasar tembok dengan batu bata.
Katanya Tembok Besar Cina adalah satu-satunya benda di bumi yang bisa terlihat dari permukaan bulan. Second Book of Marvel karangan Richad Halliburton yang terbit pada tahun tahun 1938 mengklaim hal serupa, tapi ternyata ini tidak benar. Orang-orang tetap percaya pada cerita ini, sampai dicantumkan pada buku pelajaran sekolah. Arthur Waldron, pengarang 'Tembok Besar Cina: Sejarah dan Mitos' berspekulasi bahwa kepercayaan ini muncul karena karena kekaguman pada 'kanal' yang dipercaya berada di planet Mars.
Lepas dari benar tidaknya cerita diatas, Tembok Besar Cina terus membuat orang kagum dan menarik mereka untuk menyaksikan sendiri keajaiban dunia yang satu ini. Ada pepatah mengatakan, 'Mereka yang belum mendaki Tembok Besar bukan manusia sejati.'
Friday, August 8, 2008
Paradise on Earth
Marco Polo said this was a great noble city with 1600 stone bridges under which a galley may pass. It’s nicknamed the ‘Capital of Silk’, ‘World of Gardens’, and ‘Venice of the East’. The city is also considered one of the most beautiful places on earth.
‘Above there is paradise, below there is Suzhou and Hangzhou’, is an old Chinese saying.
These words aren’t enough to describe the beauty of Suzhou, a city located on the lower reaches of the Yangzi River and the shore of Lake Tai in Jiangsu province, China. The city is famous for its beautiful stone bridges and canals; maybe that’s why it is associated with Venice. Meticulously designed classical gardens are also the reason why Suzhou is one of the major tourist attractions in China. Since the Song dynasty (960-1279), it has been the center of silk industry and continues to hold the prominent position until today.
The Chinese Pisa Tower
I’ve never seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa, because I’ve never been to Italy. But I don’t have to go as far as Rome to see it, because I found one in Suzhou, at the Tiger Hill Park to be exact.
The Tiger Hill, named because it is said to look like a crouching tiger, is a popular tourist destination known for its natural beauty as well as historical sites. Another legend states that a white tiger appeared on the hill to guard the burial site of King Helu, the King of the Wu kingdom during the Spring and Autumn period (770-476 BC). Also known as the Surging Sea Hill, it’s a large hill rock covering 14.100 square meters in width and 36 meters in height.
As I entered the park, I saw a tower. For a moment I thought I saw the famous Pisa tower, but I soon realized that it was its twin, the Yunyan Temple Pagoda or also known as the Leaning Tower of Suzhou. Built in the later period of the Five Dynasties (907-960 AD) and completed on the second year of the Song dynasty, it is a seven storey octangular building made of blue bricks. It is 47 meters high.
The pagoda wasn’t leaning when it was first built, but it is now due to its not so solid foundation, half soil half rock. Efforts were made to stabilize it and prevent further leaning by pumping concrete into the soil to form a stronger foundation. It was during this process that a stone casket containing Buddhist scriptures was found. An inscription in the casket said that the tower was completed on the seventh day of the twelfth month of the second year of Emperor Jianlong (961 AD). The uppermost stories were actually built as additions during the reign of Emperor Chongzhen (1628-1644), the last emperor of the Ming dynasty. It was interesting to enter and felt how it’s leaning.
The Oriental Venice
Everybody knows that Venice is famous for its canals and gondolas. But not all people know, including me, that in China you can find another version of Venice. I discovered that in Suzhou when I went to Zhouzhuang or the Water Town.
The town is located 30 kilometers south east of Suzhou. It’s a popular tourist destination and the most famous water township in China, noted for its strong cultural backgrounds, well-preserved ancient residential houses, and stone bridges.
The first thing that caught my attention was the canal that divides the old town into two parts. I heard a high-pitched song sang which came from a lady who was rowing a gondola full of tourists. My tour guide said the song praised the beauty of Suzhou.
Stone bridges are built along the canal. There are fourteen of them, but the most famous are the Twin Bridges, consisting of Yong’en and Shide bridges. They are considered the symbol of Zhouzhuang. Built during the Wanli era (1573-1619) of the Ming Dynasty, the Twin Bridges are located in the northeast of the town. Shide Bridge is east-west and has a round arch, while Yong’en Bridge is north-south and has a square arch. Crossing the two crisscross rivers (Yinzi Creek and Nabeishi River) and connecting at the middle, the Twin Bridges look like an old-style Chinese key. In 1984, 38 canvases of the notable painter, Chen Yifei, were exhibited in a New York gallery of Armand Hammer, chairman of Occidental Petroleum Corporation. "Memory of Hometown" which depicted the Twin Bridges, was one of the items on display and has gained the world's attention for Zhouzhuang. The painting was chosen to be the first-day cover of the United Nations' postage stamp in 1985. A stone tablet is placed near one of the bridges telling the story of ‘Chen Yifei and the Twin Bridge’.
I continued walking until I got to a fancy old house. There are two old houses, the Shen and the Zhang house. They both belonged to Chinese past millionaires.
The Shen house was built in 1742 and was the private property of the descendants of Shen Wanshan, the first millionaire of Jiangnan (on the south of Yangzi River) in the early Qing dynasty. It covers an area of 2000 square meters and built in the Qing architecture style. There are over a hundred rooms in it, which are divided into three sections and each one is connected by arcades and aisles.
The Zhang house, which I think was the one I entered, was built by the Xu family during the Zhengtong era (1436-1449) of the Ming Dynasty. It was then bought by the Zhang family in the early Qing dynasty. Located to the south of the Twin Bridge, it covers an area of 1.800 square meters and has more than 70 rooms. With Ruojing River flowing through, Zhang house is a dapper and graceful residential house; has a tranquil courtyard and pond. I will always remember the pond; when I went there, I saw some noisy geese and I was afraid they were going to attack. But they were nice enough to leave me alone, so my fear didn’t come true.
A Fancy Garden
I got the impression that Suzhou used to be full of the riches as I stepped into another house called the Canglang Pavilion, or Canglang Ting in Chinese.
Located in the southern part of the ancient city, this pavilion is the oldest among the existing classical gardens in Suzhou. It was the private property of the famous Northern Song poet, Su Sunqin. He bought the garden and built the pavilion in a setting adjacent to water that was on the property that would enhance its beauty. The garden was then named Canglang Pavilion in honor of his namesake, Canglang Wong.
I wouldn’t mind if I was offered a house like this. It was designed emphasizing the harmony between man made building and natural surroundings. Rocks taken from the Tai Lake were used to make beautiful formations combined with some gorgeous flowers. As I walked along its long corridor, it felt like walking in a forest in autumn.
The building was beautifully designed in the Qing (1644-1911) architecture style. At the eastern end of the corridor, a square pavilion sits on a stone beside the pool. It is called the Fishing Terrace which is a perfect place to sit and watch different varieties of fish swimming in the pond. Too bad I couldn’t do it since there were no fish.
‘Above there is paradise, below there is Suzhou and Hangzhou’, is an old Chinese saying.
These words aren’t enough to describe the beauty of Suzhou, a city located on the lower reaches of the Yangzi River and the shore of Lake Tai in Jiangsu province, China. The city is famous for its beautiful stone bridges and canals; maybe that’s why it is associated with Venice. Meticulously designed classical gardens are also the reason why Suzhou is one of the major tourist attractions in China. Since the Song dynasty (960-1279), it has been the center of silk industry and continues to hold the prominent position until today.
The Chinese Pisa Tower
I’ve never seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa, because I’ve never been to Italy. But I don’t have to go as far as Rome to see it, because I found one in Suzhou, at the Tiger Hill Park to be exact.
The Tiger Hill, named because it is said to look like a crouching tiger, is a popular tourist destination known for its natural beauty as well as historical sites. Another legend states that a white tiger appeared on the hill to guard the burial site of King Helu, the King of the Wu kingdom during the Spring and Autumn period (770-476 BC). Also known as the Surging Sea Hill, it’s a large hill rock covering 14.100 square meters in width and 36 meters in height.
As I entered the park, I saw a tower. For a moment I thought I saw the famous Pisa tower, but I soon realized that it was its twin, the Yunyan Temple Pagoda or also known as the Leaning Tower of Suzhou. Built in the later period of the Five Dynasties (907-960 AD) and completed on the second year of the Song dynasty, it is a seven storey octangular building made of blue bricks. It is 47 meters high.
The pagoda wasn’t leaning when it was first built, but it is now due to its not so solid foundation, half soil half rock. Efforts were made to stabilize it and prevent further leaning by pumping concrete into the soil to form a stronger foundation. It was during this process that a stone casket containing Buddhist scriptures was found. An inscription in the casket said that the tower was completed on the seventh day of the twelfth month of the second year of Emperor Jianlong (961 AD). The uppermost stories were actually built as additions during the reign of Emperor Chongzhen (1628-1644), the last emperor of the Ming dynasty. It was interesting to enter and felt how it’s leaning.
The Oriental Venice
Everybody knows that Venice is famous for its canals and gondolas. But not all people know, including me, that in China you can find another version of Venice. I discovered that in Suzhou when I went to Zhouzhuang or the Water Town.
The town is located 30 kilometers south east of Suzhou. It’s a popular tourist destination and the most famous water township in China, noted for its strong cultural backgrounds, well-preserved ancient residential houses, and stone bridges.
The first thing that caught my attention was the canal that divides the old town into two parts. I heard a high-pitched song sang which came from a lady who was rowing a gondola full of tourists. My tour guide said the song praised the beauty of Suzhou.
Stone bridges are built along the canal. There are fourteen of them, but the most famous are the Twin Bridges, consisting of Yong’en and Shide bridges. They are considered the symbol of Zhouzhuang. Built during the Wanli era (1573-1619) of the Ming Dynasty, the Twin Bridges are located in the northeast of the town. Shide Bridge is east-west and has a round arch, while Yong’en Bridge is north-south and has a square arch. Crossing the two crisscross rivers (Yinzi Creek and Nabeishi River) and connecting at the middle, the Twin Bridges look like an old-style Chinese key. In 1984, 38 canvases of the notable painter, Chen Yifei, were exhibited in a New York gallery of Armand Hammer, chairman of Occidental Petroleum Corporation. "Memory of Hometown" which depicted the Twin Bridges, was one of the items on display and has gained the world's attention for Zhouzhuang. The painting was chosen to be the first-day cover of the United Nations' postage stamp in 1985. A stone tablet is placed near one of the bridges telling the story of ‘Chen Yifei and the Twin Bridge’.
I continued walking until I got to a fancy old house. There are two old houses, the Shen and the Zhang house. They both belonged to Chinese past millionaires.
The Shen house was built in 1742 and was the private property of the descendants of Shen Wanshan, the first millionaire of Jiangnan (on the south of Yangzi River) in the early Qing dynasty. It covers an area of 2000 square meters and built in the Qing architecture style. There are over a hundred rooms in it, which are divided into three sections and each one is connected by arcades and aisles.
The Zhang house, which I think was the one I entered, was built by the Xu family during the Zhengtong era (1436-1449) of the Ming Dynasty. It was then bought by the Zhang family in the early Qing dynasty. Located to the south of the Twin Bridge, it covers an area of 1.800 square meters and has more than 70 rooms. With Ruojing River flowing through, Zhang house is a dapper and graceful residential house; has a tranquil courtyard and pond. I will always remember the pond; when I went there, I saw some noisy geese and I was afraid they were going to attack. But they were nice enough to leave me alone, so my fear didn’t come true.
A Fancy Garden
I got the impression that Suzhou used to be full of the riches as I stepped into another house called the Canglang Pavilion, or Canglang Ting in Chinese.
Located in the southern part of the ancient city, this pavilion is the oldest among the existing classical gardens in Suzhou. It was the private property of the famous Northern Song poet, Su Sunqin. He bought the garden and built the pavilion in a setting adjacent to water that was on the property that would enhance its beauty. The garden was then named Canglang Pavilion in honor of his namesake, Canglang Wong.
I wouldn’t mind if I was offered a house like this. It was designed emphasizing the harmony between man made building and natural surroundings. Rocks taken from the Tai Lake were used to make beautiful formations combined with some gorgeous flowers. As I walked along its long corridor, it felt like walking in a forest in autumn.
The building was beautifully designed in the Qing (1644-1911) architecture style. At the eastern end of the corridor, a square pavilion sits on a stone beside the pool. It is called the Fishing Terrace which is a perfect place to sit and watch different varieties of fish swimming in the pond. Too bad I couldn’t do it since there were no fish.
Shopping for Silk
As I mentioned before, Suzhou is also famous for its silk and nicknamed ‘silk city’. It has been recognized as the world leader in silk production since the ancient times and has the best quality of silk products. It won’t be completed coming to Suzhou without buying silk.
That’s why I was taken to Choyer’s, the number one silk factory in the city, and I guess in China. Built in 1926, its ‘Wu Ai’ mulberry silk clothes and quilts are famous both home and abroad. They have been exported to Southeast Asia, America, and Europe. The factory also has opened the production line with the Chinese silk reeling and quilt industry. A silk museum shows 5000 years of silk history and culture. Visitor’s programs include mulberry silk planting, silkworm rising, and fashion shows.
A factory employee warmly welcomed me and took me on a tour to see the silk products making in process. It was interesting. It started by taking silk threads from cocoons using special machines. The threads then made into the base of the products depending on what to make; sheets, quilts, or dresses. To make a blanket, the material has to be pulled and fit into a bed. I tried pulling it and found out it’s not an easy task and takes power to do it. Then I proceed to the gallery where finished products are sold. You can find lots of things here; shirts, dresses, scarves, pillows, blanket, handkerchiefs, cell phone cases, you name it. They’re not cheap however, so you need to plan your budget and know what you want to buy. But since the products are of the finest quality, I think it’s worth spending your money here.
The last agenda in the factory was watching a fashion show, so I was led to a big showroom with a catwalk. The music started, and a few minutes later some Chinese models came out displaying clothes made in Choyer’s. Though not as sophisticated as those in Paris or Milan, the show was quite entertaining.
I ended my days in Suzhou by having a big lunch in the factory’s restaurant.
Monday, July 7, 2008
The Former Imperial Capital
Everybody knows that Beijing is the capital of China. But not all people aware that it is not the only one. In the past, several cities served as the imperial capital and one of them was Nanjing.
This city is located in the lower Yangtzi River drainage basin and the Yangtzi River Delta economic zone. It has always been one of China’s most important cities. Apart from having been the capital for six dynasties and of the Republic of China, it has also served as a national hub of education, research, transportation, and tourism throughout history. It is the second largest commercial center in East China after Shanghai. As the capital of Jiangsu province, Nanjing (literally means ‘the southern capital’) has a prominent place in Chinese history and culture.
The National Hero
He was Dr. Sun Yat Sen, the first president of the Republic of China. One of the organizers who created a modern country, he staged a revolution and in 1911 overthrew the Qing, the last imperial dynasty and ended the two thousand years of the feudal monarchy system.
Dr. Sun passed away of liver cancer on March 12th, 1925. He was buried in Nanjing, in Zhongsan Ling or the Grand Tomb located in Zijin Mountain on the outskirt of the city.
A question aroused on why this location was chosen despite the fact that the former president was born in Guangdong province, died in Beijing, and only stayed in Nanjing for a short time. In March 1912 when he was the provisional president of then the Republic of China, once he went hunting to the mountain. As he gazed at the winding Qinhuai River followed by green mountains behind, Ming dynasty tomb to the left, and Linggu Valley to the right, he smiled and said to his close attendants, “The day I die, I wish to be buried here.” Perhaps that is the answer.
To honor the ‘Father of the Republic of China’, a grand mausoleum was created. The impressive memorial was constructed from 1926 to 1929, covers an area of 80.000 square meters. It is considered the ‘Holy Land’ for the Chinese, both home and abroad.
After his death, Dr. Sun’s coffin was temporarily put in the Fragrant Mountain’s Temple of Azure Clouds while the mausoleum was being built on the southern slope of Zijin Mountain, according to his will. It is designed in the shape of an alarm bell, reflecting the doctor’s idea of ‘evoking the mass people to build the Republic of China.’ A granite memorial archway or the ‘paifang’ leads to the mausoleum’s ground. Behind it is the 375 meters long and 40 meters wide pathway with 392 steps leading up the hill to the formal gate hall. Inside is a pavilion which houses Dr. Sun’s memorial tablet; a huge stone steel about six meters high. On the upper part is four Chinese characters written by Dr. Sun himself ‘Tian Xia Wei Gong’ meaning ‘the nation is people’s nation and everyone shall serve the nation selflessly.’ At the end of the steps is the main memorial hall where the coffin chamber is located. Its ceiling is tiled with the flag of the Kuomintang. This was out of my attention however as I was too busy admiring the beautiful coffin where Dr. Sun was laid to rest. The sarcophagus topped with the statue of the president lying in state, is made of white marble. I circled the tomb in silence like other visitors, to pay a tribute to the leader who had brought China to the new era.
The Confucius Temple Market
Confucius, China’s legendary philosopher has passed away. Today’s people, especially the Nanjingers, associate his name with one thing: shopping!
I could make neither head nor tail when I was told that the next stop on the tour was the Confucius Temple Market. I thought I was going to be taken to a ‘real’ temple.
Confucius Temple or ‘Fuzi Miao’ in Chinese is located in the southern Nanjing. This is a great place to be on weekends and holidays. The main street, which is close to the traffic, is dominated by clothing shops and restaurant. The stalls in its alleyways sell stuffed animals, CDs, and even more clothes. Food sellers also line up offering various kinds of Chinese delicacies; from jellyfish dumplings, stuffed buns, to the attractive ice-glazed fruit satays.
However, the temple itself is the quietest place in the neighborhood. Constructed in 1034 during the Song dynasty, it used to serve to complete the Jiangnan Examination School where imperial examinations were administered. Some statues of the students stand at the entrance, maybe as a reminder that it was once an academic center.
The Longest City Wall
Defense was an important matter to the Chinese empire. The Ming dynasty paid great attention to this aspect, especially with Nanjing’s status as the then imperial capital.
The first Ming emperor Zhu Yuangzhang (1368-1398) built a wall which is now known as the Zhonghua Gate or the City Gate of Nanjing. Originally called the ‘Gate of Gathering Treasures’, it carries a legend from the time of its creation. Legend said that when the emperor had the gate built, the ground kept sinking and made the structure collapsed again and again. It stood firm only when a treasure bowl was buried under the gate. The defense structure was renamed Zhonghua Gate in 1931, during a ceremony to commemorate the 1911 revolution, like the name of the Republic of China in pinyin, ‘Zhonghua Minguo’.
The wall was built to defend the city from attack. There are thirteen gates and the grandest is a complex structure composed of close courtyards and for arched doors serve as the entrance. Two double-paneled wooden doors with additional stone doors are set behind. If the enemy broke through the wooden door, they could be separated and trapped in the closed yards upon dropping the stone doors.
Inside the complex, I saw some tunnels. They were used to store a large quantity of food and weapons and could hold approximately 3000 soldiers. Wide and steep ramps were built on the east and west side to allow people to carry materials upward. The view from the top was quite magnificent; the ancient castle of the city gate combined with modern buildings.
Pride of the Chinese
I wondered what made a bridge so special that it is included in a tour itinerary. That was my thoughts about the Yangzi River Bridge.
The answer was right there on the bridge itself. It is a mega construction, a striking example of post-revolutionary art and engineering structures, stretching 1.5 kilometers long. As a double-decker, it has a dual function of highway and railway, and is listed on the Guinness Book of World Records.
The bridge is the pride of the Chinese and has a special meaning both technologically and politically. After the 1949 Revolution, China worked closely with the late Soviet Union, which provided many technical advisors and engineers, to construct the bridge. However, when the relation between the two countries broke up in the early 1960s, the USSR pulled all of its engineers home. Before leaving, they bet they bet that China would not be able to finish the bridge without their help. The Soviets lost their bet; Chinese engineers managed overcome the challenge and finished the construction in 1968.
The fascinating architectural decoration evokes the enthusiasm and patriotism of the 1960s in China. It is a symbol of the power of the revolutionary masses. Chairman Mao Zedong’s slogan is written in huge red characters on one of the eastern buttresses which read ‘The people-only the people-are the driving force behind world’s history’. The huge piers are capped with towers topped by giant glass sculptures representing red flags, the flag of the republic, surging forward.
Apart from its political significance, the bridge gave the first direct rail link between Beijing and Shanghai. In the past, trains had to be ferried across the river and it took two hours. Today it only takes about two minutes to cross along the lower deck.
To access the bridge I went through the Great Bridge Park, under and around the span of the southern bank. An elevator took me to the upper deck, where I could see the river.
A gallery is set up on one of the piers. It is a large room displaying beautiful color painted crystal balls. They are unique because painted in the inside, and besides, they come on different sizes. They are sold at the price range of between 400 to 1000 yuan and the money goes to finance the maintenance of the bridge.
These are possible thanks to Master Guo Luan, a native Nanjing who used to be a school teacher but later quit his job and dedicate himself to help maintaining the bridge by painting crystal balls. All of the crystal balls sold at the gallery are his work of art. His masterpiece is a large crystal balls with the picture of the Forbidden City, too bad it is not for sale.
The master was there at the gallery during my visit, but he was working on a painting and did not want to be disturbed. As I walked along the gallery I saw two interesting pictures. One is portraying the master showing how to paint a crystal ball to his students, and the other is small crystal bottles with pictures of presidents and world celebrities such as the late Princess Diana, the former Singapore prime minister Lee Kuan Yew, the former Russian prime minister Boris Yeltsin, and the US president George W. Bush.
Two days were not enough to see the entire city.
This city is located in the lower Yangtzi River drainage basin and the Yangtzi River Delta economic zone. It has always been one of China’s most important cities. Apart from having been the capital for six dynasties and of the Republic of China, it has also served as a national hub of education, research, transportation, and tourism throughout history. It is the second largest commercial center in East China after Shanghai. As the capital of Jiangsu province, Nanjing (literally means ‘the southern capital’) has a prominent place in Chinese history and culture.
The National Hero
He was Dr. Sun Yat Sen, the first president of the Republic of China. One of the organizers who created a modern country, he staged a revolution and in 1911 overthrew the Qing, the last imperial dynasty and ended the two thousand years of the feudal monarchy system.
Dr. Sun passed away of liver cancer on March 12th, 1925. He was buried in Nanjing, in Zhongsan Ling or the Grand Tomb located in Zijin Mountain on the outskirt of the city.
A question aroused on why this location was chosen despite the fact that the former president was born in Guangdong province, died in Beijing, and only stayed in Nanjing for a short time. In March 1912 when he was the provisional president of then the Republic of China, once he went hunting to the mountain. As he gazed at the winding Qinhuai River followed by green mountains behind, Ming dynasty tomb to the left, and Linggu Valley to the right, he smiled and said to his close attendants, “The day I die, I wish to be buried here.” Perhaps that is the answer.
To honor the ‘Father of the Republic of China’, a grand mausoleum was created. The impressive memorial was constructed from 1926 to 1929, covers an area of 80.000 square meters. It is considered the ‘Holy Land’ for the Chinese, both home and abroad.
After his death, Dr. Sun’s coffin was temporarily put in the Fragrant Mountain’s Temple of Azure Clouds while the mausoleum was being built on the southern slope of Zijin Mountain, according to his will. It is designed in the shape of an alarm bell, reflecting the doctor’s idea of ‘evoking the mass people to build the Republic of China.’ A granite memorial archway or the ‘paifang’ leads to the mausoleum’s ground. Behind it is the 375 meters long and 40 meters wide pathway with 392 steps leading up the hill to the formal gate hall. Inside is a pavilion which houses Dr. Sun’s memorial tablet; a huge stone steel about six meters high. On the upper part is four Chinese characters written by Dr. Sun himself ‘Tian Xia Wei Gong’ meaning ‘the nation is people’s nation and everyone shall serve the nation selflessly.’ At the end of the steps is the main memorial hall where the coffin chamber is located. Its ceiling is tiled with the flag of the Kuomintang. This was out of my attention however as I was too busy admiring the beautiful coffin where Dr. Sun was laid to rest. The sarcophagus topped with the statue of the president lying in state, is made of white marble. I circled the tomb in silence like other visitors, to pay a tribute to the leader who had brought China to the new era.
The Confucius Temple Market
Confucius, China’s legendary philosopher has passed away. Today’s people, especially the Nanjingers, associate his name with one thing: shopping!
I could make neither head nor tail when I was told that the next stop on the tour was the Confucius Temple Market. I thought I was going to be taken to a ‘real’ temple.
Confucius Temple or ‘Fuzi Miao’ in Chinese is located in the southern Nanjing. This is a great place to be on weekends and holidays. The main street, which is close to the traffic, is dominated by clothing shops and restaurant. The stalls in its alleyways sell stuffed animals, CDs, and even more clothes. Food sellers also line up offering various kinds of Chinese delicacies; from jellyfish dumplings, stuffed buns, to the attractive ice-glazed fruit satays.
However, the temple itself is the quietest place in the neighborhood. Constructed in 1034 during the Song dynasty, it used to serve to complete the Jiangnan Examination School where imperial examinations were administered. Some statues of the students stand at the entrance, maybe as a reminder that it was once an academic center.
The Longest City Wall
Defense was an important matter to the Chinese empire. The Ming dynasty paid great attention to this aspect, especially with Nanjing’s status as the then imperial capital.
The first Ming emperor Zhu Yuangzhang (1368-1398) built a wall which is now known as the Zhonghua Gate or the City Gate of Nanjing. Originally called the ‘Gate of Gathering Treasures’, it carries a legend from the time of its creation. Legend said that when the emperor had the gate built, the ground kept sinking and made the structure collapsed again and again. It stood firm only when a treasure bowl was buried under the gate. The defense structure was renamed Zhonghua Gate in 1931, during a ceremony to commemorate the 1911 revolution, like the name of the Republic of China in pinyin, ‘Zhonghua Minguo’.
The wall was built to defend the city from attack. There are thirteen gates and the grandest is a complex structure composed of close courtyards and for arched doors serve as the entrance. Two double-paneled wooden doors with additional stone doors are set behind. If the enemy broke through the wooden door, they could be separated and trapped in the closed yards upon dropping the stone doors.
Inside the complex, I saw some tunnels. They were used to store a large quantity of food and weapons and could hold approximately 3000 soldiers. Wide and steep ramps were built on the east and west side to allow people to carry materials upward. The view from the top was quite magnificent; the ancient castle of the city gate combined with modern buildings.
Pride of the Chinese
I wondered what made a bridge so special that it is included in a tour itinerary. That was my thoughts about the Yangzi River Bridge.
The answer was right there on the bridge itself. It is a mega construction, a striking example of post-revolutionary art and engineering structures, stretching 1.5 kilometers long. As a double-decker, it has a dual function of highway and railway, and is listed on the Guinness Book of World Records.
The bridge is the pride of the Chinese and has a special meaning both technologically and politically. After the 1949 Revolution, China worked closely with the late Soviet Union, which provided many technical advisors and engineers, to construct the bridge. However, when the relation between the two countries broke up in the early 1960s, the USSR pulled all of its engineers home. Before leaving, they bet they bet that China would not be able to finish the bridge without their help. The Soviets lost their bet; Chinese engineers managed overcome the challenge and finished the construction in 1968.
The fascinating architectural decoration evokes the enthusiasm and patriotism of the 1960s in China. It is a symbol of the power of the revolutionary masses. Chairman Mao Zedong’s slogan is written in huge red characters on one of the eastern buttresses which read ‘The people-only the people-are the driving force behind world’s history’. The huge piers are capped with towers topped by giant glass sculptures representing red flags, the flag of the republic, surging forward.
Apart from its political significance, the bridge gave the first direct rail link between Beijing and Shanghai. In the past, trains had to be ferried across the river and it took two hours. Today it only takes about two minutes to cross along the lower deck.
To access the bridge I went through the Great Bridge Park, under and around the span of the southern bank. An elevator took me to the upper deck, where I could see the river.
A gallery is set up on one of the piers. It is a large room displaying beautiful color painted crystal balls. They are unique because painted in the inside, and besides, they come on different sizes. They are sold at the price range of between 400 to 1000 yuan and the money goes to finance the maintenance of the bridge.
These are possible thanks to Master Guo Luan, a native Nanjing who used to be a school teacher but later quit his job and dedicate himself to help maintaining the bridge by painting crystal balls. All of the crystal balls sold at the gallery are his work of art. His masterpiece is a large crystal balls with the picture of the Forbidden City, too bad it is not for sale.
The master was there at the gallery during my visit, but he was working on a painting and did not want to be disturbed. As I walked along the gallery I saw two interesting pictures. One is portraying the master showing how to paint a crystal ball to his students, and the other is small crystal bottles with pictures of presidents and world celebrities such as the late Princess Diana, the former Singapore prime minister Lee Kuan Yew, the former Russian prime minister Boris Yeltsin, and the US president George W. Bush.
Two days were not enough to see the entire city.
Tracing the Imperial Glory
This August, the world’s eyes will turn to Beijing, as the Chinese capital will host the 2008 Summer Olympics. For those who have a chance to go there, you will not only watch the biggest sport event in the world, but also be reminded of the country’s long history.
The 1987 Oscar winning movie ‘The Last Emperor’ by Bernardo Bertolucci shows the inside of the Chinese Imperial Palace, also known as the Forbidden City. The movie was in fact shot on the spot, and tells the story of the last Qing dynasty emperor, Pu Yi. For centuries China was ruled by emperors from 37 dynasties. The Ming and the Qing are the most well known.
Traces of the Chinese imperial glory can be found everywhere in Beijing; the majestic Imperial Palace, the beautiful summer palace, the sacred Temple of Heaven, the magnificent Ming Dynasty Tombs, and of course, the Great Wall.
Beijing became the capital of China for the first time when the Kubilai Khan established the Yuan dynasty. Then, the Ming dynasty emperor Yongle, known as the architect of Beijing, began a massive rebuilding of the city, including the Temple of Heaven and the Imperial Palace, which took 14 years to complete. He also built the walls complete with looming watchtowers to protect the city from enemies.
The Manchus overthrew the Ming dynasty in 1644 and established the Qing dynasty. During their reign, the Imperial Palace was expanded, and several pleasure palaces were built on the outskirts.
In the House of the Emperors
To reach the Forbidden City, the house of Chinese emperors, I had to go through the Tian’anmen Square, the largest public square in the world, covering 1000 hectares. There are two buildings in between a central path which leads to the Imperial Palace.
The Forbidden City is the largest palace complex in the world, with 9.999 rooms. It is so huge! Its Outer Court was designed to accommodate 90.000 people during ceremonies. There are three main halls; the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the Hall of Central Harmony, and the Hall of Preserving Harmony.
The Hall of Supreme Harmony, the grandest of the three, stands in the center. This is where important ceremonies were held, including the emperor’s birthday. Inside is the famous Dragon Throne. Behind it is the Hall of Central Harmony, where the emperor dressed for functions. The last building is the Hall of Preserving Harmony, where the emperor would change into full ceremonial dress before granting the title of the empress and the crown prince.
Then I went to the Inner Court, where the emperor lived with his two empresses and concubines, served by thousands of palace maids and eunuchs. The main entrance is the Gate of Heavenly Purity which was built like a mansion. Since the reign of emperor Kang Xi (1662-1722) the emperor sometimes gave audience to government officials at this gate. The most important building however, is the Palace of Heavenly Purity which mainly served as the living quarters of the emperors who occasionally also attended state affairs here. This is the place where a dead emperor was laid in state. The empresses during Ming and Qing times lived in the Palace of Earthly Tranquility. The bridal chamber is located to the east of its main hall; the emperor and empress spent two nights here after the wedding. Its decoration is the same as used at the wedding of emperor Guangxu (1871-1908) of the Qing dynasty. The Qing (1644-1911) was the last dynasty to rule China, founded by the Manchu clan Aisin-Gioro. Guangxu was the 11th emperor out of twelve.
At the back of the palace is the Imperial Garden. It was built in 1417 and is the oldest garden in Beijing, covering an area of 1.3 hectares. The main scenic spot here is the Hill of Collecting Excellence with the Pavilion of Lasting Splendor. Ancient cypress trees, some of them about 400 years old, stand in front.
The emperor, empresses, and concubines sometimes came here to worship the cowherd star and the girl weaver star on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month. This shows that religion is an important part of life for the imperial court. The emperor was regarded as the ‘son of heaven’ who administered earthly matters on behalf of the heavenly authority. To show respect for this higher authority, sacrifices to heaven were extremely important. A temple was built for these ceremonies, mostly comprising of prayers for good harvest.
At the Garden of Nurtured Harmony
The Summer Palace started its life as the Garden of Clear Ripples (Qingyi Yuan) in 1750) during the 15th year of the reign of Emperor Qianlong (1736-1795). It is dominated by the 60-meters-high Longevity Hill and Kunming Lake, which was created by extending an existing body of water to imitate the famous West Lake in Hangzhou.
The palace complex suffered two major attacks – during the Anglo-French allied invasion in 1860 and again during the Boxer Rebellion by western allied powers in 1900. But the garden survived and was rebuilt dutifully in 1886 and 1902.
At the front yard, I saw some bronze statues of interesting creatures, among them are the phoenix, the crane, and the Qilin. The phoenix is the symbol of the empress. The crane is the symbol of longevity. The Qilin is a mythical creature which is said to bring good omens. Legend told that this beast punish the wicked and takes the head of a dragon, the antlers of a deer, the skin and scales of a fish, the hooves of an ox, and the tail of a lion.
The beautiful surrounding view can be seen as I walked down the Long corridor, a 700 meters corridor that runs across the south shore of the lake. From a distance I could see the Temple of Buddihist Virtue. The combination of the lake and the temple was such a breathtaking view and I’m sure anyone will be amazed as I was.
The Summer Palace is closely linked to Empress Dowager Cixi from the Qing dynasty. She was a concubine of Xianfeng (1850-1861) and the only concubine who gave birth to a son therefore her rank was raised five times. When the emperor died, she became the empress dowager and ruled the country on behalf of her son emperor Tongzhi, who then died at the age of 19. So she installed her nephew, Guangxu as the emperor and he ascended the throne at the age of four. She however, continued ruling the country from behind the curtain and made the emperor her puppet. Before her death, she appointed the three-year-old Pu Yi to succeed Guangxu.
This palace is where the emperors of China went to escape the heat of Beijing in summer. This is also where Cixi spent most of her time during her life. However, a tragedy happened here. Emperor Guangxu, trying to break free from his aunt’s control, launched reform movement in 1898. Cixi found out and didn’t like it, as she was highly conservative. So she put Guangxu under house arrest in the Hall of Jade Ripples. He remained there until his death in 1908 at the age of 37, allegedly poisoned by the empress dowager herself, who died a day later. This is just one of the stories from behind the walls of the Summer Palace, passed on from one generation to the next.
Praying for Good Harvest
Sacrifices and rituals are important parts of life to the imperial court. Therefore they needed a place to do these and it is the Temple of Heaven. Built during the reign of the emperor Yongle (1402-1424), the third Ming emperor, it took 14 years to complete.
The Temple of Heaven was registered on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1998. According to the Chinese news office Xinhua, it underwent a 47 million yuan ($5.9 million) face-lift in preparation for the summer Olympics. The restoration began in early 2005 and was completed in May 1st, 2006.
The first building I saw upon entering the temple was the Hall of Prayers for Good Harvest, standing 39 meters tall, supported by 28 wooden pillars and topped by three conical roofs covered with blue jade tiles. Inside, the Altar of Heaven, where the emperor would offer sacrifice to Heaven on the day of the Winter Solstice every year, a ceremony to thank Heaven and hope everything would be good in future.
Another important building is the Imperial Vault of Heaven, which looks like a blue umbrella with a gold head when it is viewed from a distance. It is smaller than the Hall of Prayers for Good Harvest and used to store tables for ceremonies.
The Echo Wall is a very interesting thing to see. It is a circular brick wall surrounding the Imperial Vault which has the acoustical ability that enables two people standing on the opposite side to hear each other in whisper.
I saw some people praying at the altars on the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest. I hope the Heaven will hear their prayers.
Visiting the Ming Emperors
The famous Ming dynasty ruled China from 1368 to 1644. There were sixteen emperors in the dynasty, but only thirteen are buried in the site known today as ‘Shisan Ling’ or the Thirteen Ming Dynasty Tombs.
They are located some fifty kilometers north of today’s Beijing, the site which was chosen by the third Ming emperor Yongle, when he moved the capital from Nanjing to Beijing. After the construction of the Forbidden City in 1420, he selected his burial site here and created his own mausoleum, Changling. It is said that sixteen concubines were buried alive with the emperor to accompany him to the ‘next world’. The practice was later abolished fortunately.
Dingling, which is about 27 meters deep underground, is the burial site of the thirteenth Ming emperor, the useless Wanli emperor, Zhu Yijun. He is said to be ‘useless’ because he left matters to corrupt officials and allowed the country to collapse into malaise and general suffering. The site took six years to finish, and when it was completed in 1581, Wanli gave a grand feast in his own funeral chamber, 38 years before his death.
The coffin of the emperor and his two empresses, along with more than 3000 artifacts are displayed in two small museums. Among them are eating utensils made of gold and silver, the emperor and empress’ ceremonial dresses, the crowns, armed suits, and swords.
A Wonder of the World
It is of course the Great Wall. One of the man’s greatest engineering achievements, it stretches along 5900 kilometers from the Bohai Gulf in the Yellow Sea to Jiayuguan in the green mountains of Giansu. That is perhaps why it was originally named ‘Changcheng’ or the Long Wall.
The wall was built to keep out the barbarian (the Huns) invaders from the north by Qin Shi Huang, the emperor from the Qin dynasty and the one who unified China. It was mainly using taipa, stones, and wood. However, during the Ming dynasty period, bricks were heavily used in many areas of the wall. Their size and weight made them easier to work with than earth and stone, so construction could be quickened. Additionally, bricks could bear more weight and endure better rammed earth. Stone can hold under its weight better than bricks, but is more difficult to use. Consequently, stone cut in rectangular shapes were used for the foundation, inner, and outer brims, and for the gateways of the wall.
About every 100 yards down the Great Wall, the workers were forced to build a watchtower 45 feet high to spot the enemies and light a signal fire to warn all the soldiers along the wall to prepare for an enemy attack. Those that had died were buried inside the wall. The wall was worked on throughout hundreds of years. Later on in the Ming Dynasty (about 1,000 years after Qin Shi Huang), the Ming emperor extended the wall’s plans to make it run to cover more of the provinces and to Juyongguan (gate to the famous Silk Road).
Much of the wall in northeast China today dates back to the Ming dynasty that paid great attention of it. They strengthen the wall’s construction by using bricks instead of rammed earth.
The Great Wall is said to be the only object on earth that can be seen from the moon. Richard Halliburton’s 1938 book Second Book of Marvel makes a similar claim, but it is not true. The belief has persisted however, assuming true urban legend status, sometimes even appearing in school textbooks. Arthur Waldron author or The Great Wall of China: From History to Myth, has speculated that the belief might go back to the fascination of ‘canals’ once believed to exist on Mars.
Whether the stories are true of not, the Great Wall continues to fascinate people and lure them to come and see this wonder of the word. There is a saying ‘He who has not ascended the Great Wall is not a true man.’
The 1987 Oscar winning movie ‘The Last Emperor’ by Bernardo Bertolucci shows the inside of the Chinese Imperial Palace, also known as the Forbidden City. The movie was in fact shot on the spot, and tells the story of the last Qing dynasty emperor, Pu Yi. For centuries China was ruled by emperors from 37 dynasties. The Ming and the Qing are the most well known.
Traces of the Chinese imperial glory can be found everywhere in Beijing; the majestic Imperial Palace, the beautiful summer palace, the sacred Temple of Heaven, the magnificent Ming Dynasty Tombs, and of course, the Great Wall.
Beijing became the capital of China for the first time when the Kubilai Khan established the Yuan dynasty. Then, the Ming dynasty emperor Yongle, known as the architect of Beijing, began a massive rebuilding of the city, including the Temple of Heaven and the Imperial Palace, which took 14 years to complete. He also built the walls complete with looming watchtowers to protect the city from enemies.
The Manchus overthrew the Ming dynasty in 1644 and established the Qing dynasty. During their reign, the Imperial Palace was expanded, and several pleasure palaces were built on the outskirts.
In the House of the Emperors
To reach the Forbidden City, the house of Chinese emperors, I had to go through the Tian’anmen Square, the largest public square in the world, covering 1000 hectares. There are two buildings in between a central path which leads to the Imperial Palace.
The Forbidden City is the largest palace complex in the world, with 9.999 rooms. It is so huge! Its Outer Court was designed to accommodate 90.000 people during ceremonies. There are three main halls; the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the Hall of Central Harmony, and the Hall of Preserving Harmony.
The Hall of Supreme Harmony, the grandest of the three, stands in the center. This is where important ceremonies were held, including the emperor’s birthday. Inside is the famous Dragon Throne. Behind it is the Hall of Central Harmony, where the emperor dressed for functions. The last building is the Hall of Preserving Harmony, where the emperor would change into full ceremonial dress before granting the title of the empress and the crown prince.
Then I went to the Inner Court, where the emperor lived with his two empresses and concubines, served by thousands of palace maids and eunuchs. The main entrance is the Gate of Heavenly Purity which was built like a mansion. Since the reign of emperor Kang Xi (1662-1722) the emperor sometimes gave audience to government officials at this gate. The most important building however, is the Palace of Heavenly Purity which mainly served as the living quarters of the emperors who occasionally also attended state affairs here. This is the place where a dead emperor was laid in state. The empresses during Ming and Qing times lived in the Palace of Earthly Tranquility. The bridal chamber is located to the east of its main hall; the emperor and empress spent two nights here after the wedding. Its decoration is the same as used at the wedding of emperor Guangxu (1871-1908) of the Qing dynasty. The Qing (1644-1911) was the last dynasty to rule China, founded by the Manchu clan Aisin-Gioro. Guangxu was the 11th emperor out of twelve.
At the back of the palace is the Imperial Garden. It was built in 1417 and is the oldest garden in Beijing, covering an area of 1.3 hectares. The main scenic spot here is the Hill of Collecting Excellence with the Pavilion of Lasting Splendor. Ancient cypress trees, some of them about 400 years old, stand in front.
The emperor, empresses, and concubines sometimes came here to worship the cowherd star and the girl weaver star on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month. This shows that religion is an important part of life for the imperial court. The emperor was regarded as the ‘son of heaven’ who administered earthly matters on behalf of the heavenly authority. To show respect for this higher authority, sacrifices to heaven were extremely important. A temple was built for these ceremonies, mostly comprising of prayers for good harvest.
At the Garden of Nurtured Harmony
The Summer Palace started its life as the Garden of Clear Ripples (Qingyi Yuan) in 1750) during the 15th year of the reign of Emperor Qianlong (1736-1795). It is dominated by the 60-meters-high Longevity Hill and Kunming Lake, which was created by extending an existing body of water to imitate the famous West Lake in Hangzhou.
The palace complex suffered two major attacks – during the Anglo-French allied invasion in 1860 and again during the Boxer Rebellion by western allied powers in 1900. But the garden survived and was rebuilt dutifully in 1886 and 1902.
At the front yard, I saw some bronze statues of interesting creatures, among them are the phoenix, the crane, and the Qilin. The phoenix is the symbol of the empress. The crane is the symbol of longevity. The Qilin is a mythical creature which is said to bring good omens. Legend told that this beast punish the wicked and takes the head of a dragon, the antlers of a deer, the skin and scales of a fish, the hooves of an ox, and the tail of a lion.
The beautiful surrounding view can be seen as I walked down the Long corridor, a 700 meters corridor that runs across the south shore of the lake. From a distance I could see the Temple of Buddihist Virtue. The combination of the lake and the temple was such a breathtaking view and I’m sure anyone will be amazed as I was.
The Summer Palace is closely linked to Empress Dowager Cixi from the Qing dynasty. She was a concubine of Xianfeng (1850-1861) and the only concubine who gave birth to a son therefore her rank was raised five times. When the emperor died, she became the empress dowager and ruled the country on behalf of her son emperor Tongzhi, who then died at the age of 19. So she installed her nephew, Guangxu as the emperor and he ascended the throne at the age of four. She however, continued ruling the country from behind the curtain and made the emperor her puppet. Before her death, she appointed the three-year-old Pu Yi to succeed Guangxu.
This palace is where the emperors of China went to escape the heat of Beijing in summer. This is also where Cixi spent most of her time during her life. However, a tragedy happened here. Emperor Guangxu, trying to break free from his aunt’s control, launched reform movement in 1898. Cixi found out and didn’t like it, as she was highly conservative. So she put Guangxu under house arrest in the Hall of Jade Ripples. He remained there until his death in 1908 at the age of 37, allegedly poisoned by the empress dowager herself, who died a day later. This is just one of the stories from behind the walls of the Summer Palace, passed on from one generation to the next.
Praying for Good Harvest
Sacrifices and rituals are important parts of life to the imperial court. Therefore they needed a place to do these and it is the Temple of Heaven. Built during the reign of the emperor Yongle (1402-1424), the third Ming emperor, it took 14 years to complete.
The Temple of Heaven was registered on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1998. According to the Chinese news office Xinhua, it underwent a 47 million yuan ($5.9 million) face-lift in preparation for the summer Olympics. The restoration began in early 2005 and was completed in May 1st, 2006.
The first building I saw upon entering the temple was the Hall of Prayers for Good Harvest, standing 39 meters tall, supported by 28 wooden pillars and topped by three conical roofs covered with blue jade tiles. Inside, the Altar of Heaven, where the emperor would offer sacrifice to Heaven on the day of the Winter Solstice every year, a ceremony to thank Heaven and hope everything would be good in future.
Another important building is the Imperial Vault of Heaven, which looks like a blue umbrella with a gold head when it is viewed from a distance. It is smaller than the Hall of Prayers for Good Harvest and used to store tables for ceremonies.
The Echo Wall is a very interesting thing to see. It is a circular brick wall surrounding the Imperial Vault which has the acoustical ability that enables two people standing on the opposite side to hear each other in whisper.
I saw some people praying at the altars on the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest. I hope the Heaven will hear their prayers.
Visiting the Ming Emperors
The famous Ming dynasty ruled China from 1368 to 1644. There were sixteen emperors in the dynasty, but only thirteen are buried in the site known today as ‘Shisan Ling’ or the Thirteen Ming Dynasty Tombs.
They are located some fifty kilometers north of today’s Beijing, the site which was chosen by the third Ming emperor Yongle, when he moved the capital from Nanjing to Beijing. After the construction of the Forbidden City in 1420, he selected his burial site here and created his own mausoleum, Changling. It is said that sixteen concubines were buried alive with the emperor to accompany him to the ‘next world’. The practice was later abolished fortunately.
Dingling, which is about 27 meters deep underground, is the burial site of the thirteenth Ming emperor, the useless Wanli emperor, Zhu Yijun. He is said to be ‘useless’ because he left matters to corrupt officials and allowed the country to collapse into malaise and general suffering. The site took six years to finish, and when it was completed in 1581, Wanli gave a grand feast in his own funeral chamber, 38 years before his death.
The coffin of the emperor and his two empresses, along with more than 3000 artifacts are displayed in two small museums. Among them are eating utensils made of gold and silver, the emperor and empress’ ceremonial dresses, the crowns, armed suits, and swords.
A Wonder of the World
It is of course the Great Wall. One of the man’s greatest engineering achievements, it stretches along 5900 kilometers from the Bohai Gulf in the Yellow Sea to Jiayuguan in the green mountains of Giansu. That is perhaps why it was originally named ‘Changcheng’ or the Long Wall.
The wall was built to keep out the barbarian (the Huns) invaders from the north by Qin Shi Huang, the emperor from the Qin dynasty and the one who unified China. It was mainly using taipa, stones, and wood. However, during the Ming dynasty period, bricks were heavily used in many areas of the wall. Their size and weight made them easier to work with than earth and stone, so construction could be quickened. Additionally, bricks could bear more weight and endure better rammed earth. Stone can hold under its weight better than bricks, but is more difficult to use. Consequently, stone cut in rectangular shapes were used for the foundation, inner, and outer brims, and for the gateways of the wall.
About every 100 yards down the Great Wall, the workers were forced to build a watchtower 45 feet high to spot the enemies and light a signal fire to warn all the soldiers along the wall to prepare for an enemy attack. Those that had died were buried inside the wall. The wall was worked on throughout hundreds of years. Later on in the Ming Dynasty (about 1,000 years after Qin Shi Huang), the Ming emperor extended the wall’s plans to make it run to cover more of the provinces and to Juyongguan (gate to the famous Silk Road).
Much of the wall in northeast China today dates back to the Ming dynasty that paid great attention of it. They strengthen the wall’s construction by using bricks instead of rammed earth.
The Great Wall is said to be the only object on earth that can be seen from the moon. Richard Halliburton’s 1938 book Second Book of Marvel makes a similar claim, but it is not true. The belief has persisted however, assuming true urban legend status, sometimes even appearing in school textbooks. Arthur Waldron author or The Great Wall of China: From History to Myth, has speculated that the belief might go back to the fascination of ‘canals’ once believed to exist on Mars.
Whether the stories are true of not, the Great Wall continues to fascinate people and lure them to come and see this wonder of the word. There is a saying ‘He who has not ascended the Great Wall is not a true man.’
Saturday, March 29, 2008
China Travel Log
Prologue
“Seek knowledge, although you have to go to China.”
(A saying of Prophet Muhammad)
Inspired, I went to China for ten days, accompanied by my family: mom, a cousin, and three aunties. We were then joined by two other people from Medan. So there were eight of us.
These notes were taken during the plane and bus rides throughout the tour, aided by a China travel guide book, explanations form the tour guides, brochures from each site, and some information from the internet. They are talking about my experience and some historical background of the places I’ve visited.
AL
Beijing
I finally arrived in Beijing after more than 24 hours flight from Jakarta. The temperature was around minus four degrees Celsius and it was quite windy.
We were picked up by Tree, our Beijing guide. She then led us to the bus which would be our ride in the city, conducted by a soft-spoken plump driver called Mr. Wang.
The Temple of Heaven
From the airport, we went to the Temple of Heaven, which is located to the southeast of the Southern Gate of Beijing. Covering an area of 273 hectares, this temple is one of the best examples of religious architecture in China, with the history of 580 years. Its construction began in 1408 during the reign of Emperor Yongle and took fourteen years to complete. This is where the emperor or China, who considered himself as the 'son of heaven', went during the winter solstice to offer sacrifices and prayers for good harvest.
The temple is a large complex containing several buildings. First, there is the Hall of Abstinence, where the emperor spent a night preceding the ceremony. Then there is the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest stands 39 meters tall, supported by 28 wooden pillars, and topped by three conical roofs covered with blue jade tiles. The Hall of the Imperial Vault of Heaven, located in the center, stored ceremonial tables used in rituals. Echo Wall, the circular brick wall surrounding the Imperial Vault, has the acoustical ability that enables two people standing on the opposite side to hear each other in whisper. The circular mound of the Altar of Heaven to the south is where the emperor offered sacrifice and prayers. There are still other buildings, but I didn’t go to all of them.
While walking to the temple, I saw a lot of people at the front yard, most of whom were elderly. They were doing various things; some were practicing dancing movements using ribbons, some were playing music and singing, and others were playing ‘mahjong’ or Chinese chess. Tree said they have all retired and came to the temple to do activities to fill their time. So the temple also serves as an activity center. I think it’s a great idea.
Watching Chinese Acrobatic Show
After 1.5 hours at the Temple of Heaven, I went for dinner, then watched an acrobatic show. Chinese acrobatics can be called a national art. It’s one of the oldest performing arts, dating back between 475-221 BC. The ancient acrobatics stemmed from the people’s life and had a close link with their life and productive labor. Articles of daily use such as tables, chairs, jars, plates, and bowls, were used in their performance.
At present, there are over 120 acrobatics troupes above the country level. More than 12.000 people are involved in the performing. Chinese acrobatics has won acclaim and praise from audiences both home and abroad and Chinese acrobats won many gold medals in World Acrobatic Festivals in recent years. Cycling with Bowl Piling, Lion Dance, and Vocal Imitation are the most famous programs. New acrobatics items have been added to the high-altitude stunts, such as tuck dives, flying leaps, and throwing-and-catching.
The Tian’anmen Square
It took us about half an hour from the hotel to Tiananmen Square. This is one of the largest public squares in the world, covering 1000 hectares. It was a gathering place during the Ming and Qing dynasties. There are two buildings standing in between a central path that leads to the Forbidden City.
The square is the political heart of modern China. It was here that some major events in Chinese history took place. Beijing University students protested Japan’s demand on China in 1919 in this square. Chairman Mao Zedong announced the establishment of People’s Republic of China from the Gate of Heavenly Peace on the north of the square in 1949. Red Guards held huge rallies here during the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976). A million of people gathered here to mourn the passing of the communist leader Zhou Enlai. A massive anti-government student demonstration happened here in 1989.
Behind the square is the Mao Mausoleum. There laid the body of Chairman Mao in a crystal coffin draped with the red flag of the communist party. The coffin is placed in the Hall of Mourning. There were a huge number of people lined up to enter the mausoleum. I heard that it’s like that every day. A visit there takes just a few minutes as visitors are not allowed to stop inside.
The Forbidden City
From the Tian'anmen Square, I followed the central path and walked for three hours to reach the Forbidden City. Along the way, I was wondering why the place is called that way. Appearently, during the imperial era, common people were not allowed to enter this complex, which also served as the home of Chinese emperors.
The Forbidden City is the biggest palace complex in the world with 9.999 rooms. The number of room was chosen according to Feng Shui, because nine is considered a good number. It’s surrounded by walls which protected the palace from enemies.
Its outer courtyard was designed to accommodate 90.000 people during ceremonies. There are three main buildings here. In the center stands the Hall of Supreme Harmony where important ceremonies were held, including the emperor’s birthday. Behind this stand the Hall of Complete Harmony where the emperor dressed for functions. The last building is the Hall of Preserving Harmony. The Qing dynasty the emperor gave banquet in honor of Uygur and Mongol nobles here. From 1789 onwards the Civil Service Examination was held in this hall, with the supervision of the emperor.
Behind the three great halls of the outer court is an open ground running from the east to the west which serves as a demarcation line leading to the inner court. This is where the emperor lived with his empress and concubines, served by thousands of palace maids and eunuchs.
The main entrance to the inner court is the Gate of Heavenly Purity, which is built like a mansion. The most important building is the Palace of Heavenly Purity which served as the living quarter of the emperor during the Ming dynasty and during the reign of Sun Zhi and Kang Xi of the Qing dynasty.
Another important building is the Palace of Earthly Tranquility, which was the residence of the empress during the Ming and Qing times. The bridal chamber is where the emperor and empress would spend two nights after the wedding. It has preserved the same decoration as used at the wedding of Emperor Guang Xu, the 12th Qing emperor.
Included in the inner court are the bedrooms of the emperor and empress, also a special room where the emperor kept the collection of things made of jade, such as jade glasses and plates. Chinese emperors were really fond of jade. It was an interesting discovery, however I finally had to come to the end.
The last stop was the Imperial Garden. This garden was built in 1417 and is the oldest garden in Beijing. It occupies an area of 1.3 hectares at the northern end of the central axis of the former Imperial Palace. During the Qing dynasty, emperor, empress, and imperial concubines came here to worship the Cowherd Star and the Girl Weaver Star on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month. On the Mid-Autumn Festival, they came here to offer sacrifice to the moon and on the Double-Ninth Festival (the ninth day of the ninth lunar month) they came here to ascend the Hill of Collecting Excellence and to enjoy the scenic beauty within and outside the palace. On the hill stands the Pavilion of Imperial Landscape. The main scenic spot in the northwestern part is the Pavilion of Lasting Splendor. In front of it there are some ancient cypress trees which are over 400 years old.
Time seemed to pass very quickly, as I walked through the palace and admired its beauty. Before knowing it, I was already at the way out.
Hutongs
After the Forbidden City, I was taken to see the face of old Beijing, the hutongs.
To do that, I had to take a pedicab. Hutongs are narrow streets or alleys, which only existed in Beijing. They are formed by siheyuan or traditional courtyard residences. Many neighborhoods were formed by joining one siheyuan to another to form a hutong, the joining one hutong to another.
Hutongs have a long history. During China’s dynastic period, emperors planned the city of Beijing and arranged the residential areas according to the etiquette system of the Zhou dynasty (1027-256 BC). At the center was the Forbidden City surrounded in concentric circles by the Inner City and the Outer City. Citizens of higher social status were permitted to live closer to the center of the circles. Aristocrats such as high-ranking officials and wealthy merchants lived to the east and west to the imperial palace. Their siheyuan often featured beautifully carved and painted roof beams and pillars and carefully landscaped gardens. The hutongs they formed were orderly, lined by spacious homes and walled gardens. Farther from the palace, and to its north and were the commoners; merchants, artisans, and laborers. Their siheyuan were far smaller in scale and simpler in design and decoration, and the hutongs were narrower.
There are more than twenty hutongs in Beijing. The narrowest is Qian Shi Hutong (Money Market Hutong), measuring about 30 to 40 meters (32 to 44 yards), located in Zhubao Shi Street outside the Front Gate. The narrowest part is merely 40 centimeters (16 inches) wide, so when two people meet, they must turn sideways to pass each other. The longest one is Dong Jiaomin Hutong, with a total length of 6.5 kilometers (4 miles), lying between Chang'an Avenue and East Street and West Street of the Front Gate. The shortest one is Guantong Hutong measuring about 30 meters (33 yards).
The hutongs I visited was the one farther from the palace. As the pedicab went along the narrow alleys, I couldn’t help wondering how people could live there. The houses were small, maybe only 2 x 3 meters, only fit for one person. There was one which only consisted of only one bedroom. There was no electricity; the lighting came from oil lamps.
Hutong's residence must live a simple life. Despite the changes happening around the city, time seems to stand still here. Vendors sell baozi or steamed meat buns on the street, next to horse carts piled high with watermelons. Peddlers push carts down the street, shouting to announce their presence. Some chant rhymes to advertise their wares, the others make a particular sound that residence immediately associate with a certain product. Small children crowd around a hawker with dozens of small woven basket no larger than a plum, inside which are crickets.
However since the mid of the 20th century, the number of Beijing’s hutongs has dropped dramatically as they are demolished to make way for new roads and buildings. More recently, some hutongs have been designated as protected areas in an attempt to preserve this aspect of Chinese cultural history.
The Summer Palace
This was my next stop after the hutongs. This palace is a complex of buildings and gardens dates back 800 years when the first emperor of the Jin dynasty built the Gold Mountain Palace on the site now known as Longevity Hill. It was damaged by the Anglo-French troops during the second Opium War and burned down by Western soldiers in retaliation of the Boxer Rebellion in 1900 but was restored in 1903. The corridor is covered with wood and it is 700 meters long, a walkway that runs to the south shore of the lake with auspicious symbols and landscape paintings on the beams.
This palace was where Chinese emperors retreated during the summer to escape Beijing's heat. Starting its life as the Garden of Clear Ripples (Qingyi Yuan) in 1750, in the fifteenth year of Emperor Qianlong, it then served as a summer resort of Empress Dowager Cixi of the Qing dynasty. It is said that the empress dowager took thirty millions tael of silver, which was originally designated for the Chinese navy (Beiyang fleet), to reconstruct and enlarge the palace.
The Summer Palace is mainly dominated by Longevity Hill (60 meters high) and the Kunming Lake. It covers an expanse of 2.9 square kilometers, three quarters of which is water. The central Kunming Lake covering 2.2 square kilometers was entirely man made and the excavated soil was used to build Longevity Hill. In its compact 70,000 square meters of building space, one finds a variety of palaces, gardens, and other classical-style architectural structures.
Entering from the east gate, I arrived at the administrative area of the emperor and the first building I saw was the Hall of Benevolence and Longevity. Painted in red, this hall was where the empress dowager and his nephew, Emperor Guangxu ( 1875-1908) recieved guests. I saw some statues on its courtyard. The one that caught my attention was a bronze creature called the Qilin. This creature takes a dragon's head, lion's tail, dear' horn, and cattle's hoof. According to Chinese legend, it guards the palace against fire. Other creatures including the dragon, symbol of the emperor and the phoenix, symbol of the empress. Interestingly, the phoenix statue is at the center of the courtyard, while the dragon statue , contrary to tradition, lie on the side. This is because it was Empress Dowager Cixi, rather than the emperor, was the one who managed the state affairs. Therefore she was more centered. Those are just a few interesting facts about the Summer Palace.
The Freesky Pearl Factory
As early as 4000 years ago, Chinese people discovered a kind of delicate gem with soft brilliance when searching ocean for food. This is pearl. Since then, countless pearl jewelry and artwork have been created by talented Chinese people. Hence, pearl has been one of the important parts of Chinese culture. Therefore, visiting a pearl factory was listed on my tour's itinarary and Freesky Pearl Factory was the place.
Nowadays, with production volume of 96% of pearls sold worldwide, the industry would come to a standstill without pearls from China. China is, in fact, the main pearls exporting country to Japan. A large quantity of China’s pearls is used for Japanese pearl jewelry.
As an introduction, the factory workers showed me how to take pearls from an oyster. First, she cut the oyster using a big sharp knife. This killed the oyster and made me feel rather sad. Then she opened the shell and took pearls. There were about twelve pink pearls hidden within the oyster's meat. Finding them was quite a challenge.
We proceed to the gallery where pearl jewelries are displayed; rings, necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and pendants. It was just like any other jewelry store, the difference is, customers could bargain. My aunties wasted no time; they bargain so hard that they could get the lowest price at the sore. We left the factory with new beautiful pearl jeweleries.
The Tongrentang Hospital
Bargaining at the pearl factory was quite exhausting. That was why we were taken to a traditional Chinese medicine store called Tongrentang. Not just to have a look at it, but also to have some massage. Nice!
This hospital has a high reputation for as long as 300 years. It was first established by Yue Xianyang, who was an expert in distinguishing Chinese medical herbs and devoted all his lives to traditional Chinese medicine. In 1669 he made a decision to establish his own pharmacy to better serve his patients. That was when Tongrentang was born.
It is said that doctors from this hospital used to care for the emperors when they were ill. The hospital representative told us that if the doctors couldn’t cure the emperor, they would be killed. I can imagine how difficult and stressful being a doctor at that time.
Quanjude Restaurant
It was time for dinner so we went to the famous Quanjude restaurant. This restaurant was first established at 1864 during the Qing dynasty and serves the world-famous Peking Roast Duck.
The dish is prized for the thin, crispy skin with the authentic version serving mostly the skin and little meat, sliced in front of the diners by the cook. Ducks are bred specially for the dish, which after 65 days are slaughtered and seasoned before it is roasted in a closed oven or hung oven. The meat is eaten with pancakes, spring onions, and hoisin sauce. I think it was very delicious.
Other food included stir-fried vegetables, sweet and sour chicken, and soup. I like soup and I expected to have rich-flavored soup. Unfortunately what I got was less than I expected, as the soup was plain and tasteless. However, I still enjoyed my dinner.
The Great Wall
On my last day in Beijing, I visited one of the Seven Wonders of the World, the Great Wall of China. I arrived there after an hour drive. Looking at it, I couldn’t help wondering how the Chinese could build such huge wall stretching 5900 kilometers from the Bohai Gulf in the Yellow Sea to Jiayuguan in the mountains of Giansu province without using heavy equipments and advanced technology.
This wall was originally built to keep the barbarian invaders from the north. The Ming rulers paid great attention to this wall. Despite the dedication, the Manchu tribes who overthrew them poured through an opening of the wall at its eastern terminus in 1644 when the Ming general Wu Sangui defected to the Manchu’s side, leaving Shanhai pass unguarded. Now this wall is one of the major tourist attractions in China.
I was very happy to have climbed the wall. It was easy at first, the higher I climbed, the steeper the steps. Although I didn't make it to the top because we didn't have that much time and was running out of breath, I felt 'mighty' afterwards. There is a saying, 'he who hasn't ascended the Great Wall is not a true man'.
The Ming Tombs
From climbing the Great Wall, I visited the Ming Dynasty Tombs which is located at a distance of 50 km northwest of Beijing. It's an arc-shaped cluster of hills fronted by a small plain.
Here is where thirteen of sixteen Ming emperors are buried, along with their wives and concubines.However, only three sites are open to public. Changling, the burial site of the third Ming emperor Yongle is the most popular. It is said that sixteen concubines were buried alive with the emperor, a practice that was later banned in the Ming dynasty. A stone statue of the emperor stood in the middle of the hall. He was dressed in his imperial robe, looking mighty.
Another tomb is Dingling, the tomb of emperor Wanli, which took six years to complete. Rumor has it that the emperor gave a party in his own funeral chamber to mark its completion. His coffin and his two empresses' also more than 3000 artifacts are displayed in the tomb and two small museums. When I saw the artifacts, I was really amazed. They are made of the finest materials. Most of them, such as eating utensils are made of gold. The emperor and empress' robes are made of silk, embroidered with gold thread. Their crowns are made of gold I think, not really sure, all I remember is they were yellow. However, I can imagine how rich the emperors were and what kind of lifestyle they had.
The tombs are approached by the Sacred Way, an avenue which is lined with honor guards consisting of twelve pairs of statues, each carved from a single stone. And that was the last stop in Beijing.
Nanjing
I arrived in Nanjing at noon and continued the trip after picking up our Nanjing guide, a young man in his mid 30s named Fred.
As the trip began, Fred gave us an introduction about his hometown. He said that Nanjing is located on the southern bank of the Yangtzi River and it was once the capital during the Three Kingdoms period, the Song, Liang, and Tang dynasties. It served briefly as the capital during the Ming dynasty, but the capital was later moved to Beijing. Chiang Kaishek, the chairman of the Nationalist government, moved the capital here in 1928.In 1937, Japanese troops invaded the city, committing one of the worst slaughters in history known as the ‘Rape of Nanjing’, which left an estimated of 300.000 Chinese people killed. When the Communist party came to power in 1949, the capital once again moved to Beijing. As Fred ended his story, we arrived at the Mausoleum of Dr. Sun Yat Sen.
Sun Yat Sen’s Mausoleum
Dr. Sun Yat Sen (1866-1925) was considered the father of the People’s Republic of China. He was a great forerunner of the Chinese revolution, and under his leadership, the Chinese brought down the rule of the corrupt Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and ended the 2000 years feudal monarchy system, which led the Chinese to a new age. He passed away on the 12th of March 1925 and was burried in Nanjing, as he requested.
His mausoleum is located in the Zhong Mountain scenic area in the east suburb of the city.
Seventy six steps leading to the mausoleum, which are getting steeper and steeper on the way up. At the very top is a chamber where the coffin of Dr. Sun is placed, surrounded by a hemispherical tomb. His white marble statue rests atop the rectangle coffin, under which this historical giant forever sleeps. Visitors are not allowed to stay there for along time or take pictures, since the hero is important for the Chinese. I managed to climb up, as I was determined to see the coffin. Then I circled the tomb in silence, like other visitors, to pay tribute to the man who is considered as the 'father of the People's Republic of China'.
Zhonghua Gate (The City Gate of Nanjing)
Besides Sun Yat Sen's mausoleum, another historical site I visited was the Zhonghua Gate, or known as the City Gate. This gate used to serve as a guard tower, to prevent enemies from coming in. It consisted of four layers of towers and there are steps to go to the top. From the top we can see two different sides of Nanjing. The gate represents the ancient city, while it is surrounded by modern buildings. Along the stairs are statues of soldiers in armed suit holding tridents.
The gate is 14-21 m high; 14.5m thick at its base, and 4.9m thick at the top. The castle consists of thirteen gates altogether, making it the largest city gate on China. There is an interesting story behind the construction of this magnificent gate. Legend has it that when Zhu Yuanzhang, the first Ming dynasty emperor had the gate built, the ground kept sinking. This made the construction collapsed again and again. Only until a treasure bowl was buried beneath its ground that the gate was able to stand still. However, I think it is more because of the materials used to build it; massive bricks mortared together with special cement made of lime, sticky rice juice, and tung oil. Every brick underwent a strict quality check, ti ensure their quality. It is said that the brick makers were told to carve their names on their masterpieces and those names can be seen until today. I don't know for sure because I didn't pay attention to it and was unaware of the interesting fact. The gate was then renamed the Zhonghua Gate in 1931, in a ceremony to commemorate the 1911 revolution that gave birth to the Republic of China.
Walking inside the ancient city wall, I saw some tunnels. There are actually twenty seven of them, built to store food and weapons, as well as to hold up to 3000 soldiers. It was dim and damp inside; the only source of light came from torches set on each side of the wall. Wide and steep ramps were built to enable people to carry materials upwards. Climbing these ramps, I arrived at the top of the castle. The view from there was magnificent; the ancient city gate combined with modern buildings, representing the ancient and modern Nanjing.
The grandest of all the thirteen gates was built on the site of the previous gate, which was constructed during the Later Tang dynasty (932-936). It's an architecturally complexed structure composed of three closed courtyards and four arched doors. Double-paneled wooden doors with additional stone doors are set behind. This is one of the Chinese defense system. If enemies broke through the wooden doors, they could be trapped and separated in the courtyards upon dropping the stone doors. I could only see the wooden doors, and went through them on the way out, to continue my trip to the next destination: somewhere to go shopping!
The Confucius Night Market
Almost everybody is familiar with Confucius; the Chinese philosopher whose teachings still have a big impact on the Chinese until today. He put great emphasis on personal and governmental morality, correctness of social relationships, justice, and sincerity. Nobody would associate his name with shopping, neither did I. However, my view changed after I went to this place called the Confucius Temple Market.
This is an all-round whole sale center in which you can find everything Shops lined up selling socks, clothes, electronics, jewelries, you name it! Red lanterns were seen along the street. The price is also varied,but you can get very cheap ones if you bargain hard. A few tips: bargain up to 70% of the price, don't feel sorry for the seller, and use the 'walk away strategy' when you can't get the price you want; the seller usually comes after you and finally agree on your price.
As I walked around the market, I wondered where the actual 'temple' was. Although I never found it, as I were not taken there, I discovered that the place is actually used to worship Confucius. It was also where the imperial examination to select court officials were held. On its heyday, there were 20,644 examination cells, each only one square meter big. It is said that candidates spent nine days in the cell and used wooden desks as their bed at night. Only 20 of 20.000 of them passed the exam. However, now it is the quietest place in the neighborhood, seems to be 'forgotten'. It's too bad, because the place contains such interesting history.
The Yangtzi River Bridge
The next agenda was to visit the Yangtzi River Bridge which is 4.980 meters long, making it the longest bridge with the dual functions of highway and railway listed in the Guinness Book of World Records. It's also the first bridge in China solely designed and built by the Chinese. Constructed between 1960-1968, 280 million yuan was spent on this project. Its completion has reduced the river crossing time from about two hours by ferry to the course of only several minutes, which is much more convenient for communication between the two river banks.
I observed that the traffic was very busy, as my bus went along the bridge. Some boats were seen floating along the river. The bus then arrived on the south of the bridge where the entrance is located. I then took an elevator that brought me to the deck. From up there, I could view the 6,380 kilometers river, the third longest river in the world after the Nile and the Amazon.
Located on one of the decks is a gallery which sells crystal balls; large and small, painted from the inside with astonishing color combination. They are for sale but you really have to dig your pocket for them. The money is used to finance the maintenance of the bridge. The person behind all this is Guo Luan; a native Nanjing ex-school teacher who then learned to paint and dedicated himself so that the bridge can stand still until today. With a pretty crystal ball with my name carved on it, I left Nanjing and continued to Wuxi.
Wuxi
This next stop is one of the oldest cities in Yangtzi River delta. When the Grand Canal was dug, it pierced the city, which became the distribution center of grain from the rich Yangtzi River valley to the north. The Grand Canal was later declined; however Wuxi remained a trading center, thanks to the building of the railroad in the 20th century. It prospered as the silk industry took off. The popular site in this town is Lake Tai, just seven kilometers away. This lake is a part of one of the major attractions, where Chinese movies are made.
CCTV Movie Studio
This place can be compared to Hollywood, as this is where most of Chinese historical movies are made. I was very excited to be there as I'm a fan of Chinese kung fu movies which are set in ancient China.
CCTV Wuxi Movie/TV Base is the first large scaled base for movie and TV shooting and for tourism built in China. Constructed in 1987, it has been attracting nearly 100 TV/movie production units every year to shoot over 1000 movies and TV plays. At the same time over two million people have come here as tourists to explore the secrets of movie productions.
The studio has been the shooting location of some movies and TV plays such as Stories of Three Kingdoms, Water Margins, Emperor Ming Huang of Tang Dynasty, Yang, the Royal Concubine, Stories of the Da Ming Palace, A Haughty Smile at the Land of Heroes, etc. All the year round the scene zones have production units stationed and movie stars from Hong Kong. Taiwan, South Korea, Japan and Mainland China keep coming and going.
Occupying a total area of over 100 acres and water area of 3000 mu of Lake Taihu, its scene zones includes King of Wu Palace, Ganlu Temple, Han Tripod, Cao Cao’s Army Camp on Land and Waterside, all of which are in the Han Dynasty styles. Then there are the Royal Palace, Da Xian Guo Si Temple, and Purple Stone (Zishi) Street, Riverside Street On Qingming Day, camps and barracks of Water Margin etc, which show a distinct Song Dynasty Style. The Great Tang Dynasty style shows itself in the large scale ancient architecture group of the Royal Garden, Chenxian Pavilion, Hua Qing Pool, and the Tang Palaces. For Ming and Qing dynasties there are the 'Old Beijing's' siheyuan (a rectangular shaped residence house with courtyard in the middle)” and the 'Old Shanghai Street'. I found the sets were really amazing!
Besides movie sets, the studio also puts up over 20 eye-catching performances of cavalry combat, songs and dances, movie stunt etc. I was able to see one of them, 'Three Heroes Fighting Lu Bu'. It was really an eye-catching show and the combat scene was excellent; the heroes on horses, using swords, wearing armed suits and carrying flags. Great sound effects too, with the voices of cannons and galloping horses. Although I couldn’t understand what the narrator said, it was truly enjoyable.
Later on, I found out that the costumes worn by the actors on the show are rented and visitors can take pictures wearing them, by paying 30 yuan for three shots. Pay extra 20 yuan and you can take pictures with some studio employees as your 'supporting background'. Tempted, I went on and had my pictures taken wearing a beautiful pink robe and a heavy flowery crown. When I asked the tour guide what costume it was, she said that such costume used to be worn by imperial concubines. Oh man!
The Teapot Museum
This was where I went after taking off my concubine costume. The first thing I saw as I entered was a giant teapot of more than two meters high, making it the biggest teapot in the world It is believed that touching its middle will bring good fortune, touching the handle bring gambling luck, and touching the stout will bring fertility. It was taller than the famous Chinese basketball player Yao Ming. I don't know whether it was true. Then my group was given a warm welcome with a cup of tea and an introduction to the museum.
This place isn't actually a 'museum' generally. The teapots displayed here are for sale. That is if you are willing to spend your whole travel allowance. Prices are from 100 yuan for the 'normal' teapots to 500 yuan for those with better quality. If you want to buy the masterpieces, get ready to spend 1000 yuan or more.
Lake Tai
This lake is a popular scenic spots in Wuxi, known for its unique limestone formation. These 'Chinese scholar rock', named so because these rocks were appreciated by scholars from the Song dynasty (960-1279) onwards, are often used to decorate traditional Chinese gardens, especially those which can be found in Suzhou. To get the best view of the lake, I was taken to Xihui Park, which is located in the western end of the town. Covering an area of 45 square kilometers, this park comprises of tea houses, gardens, temples, and pagodas. This park is also known to be the 'outdoor museum of Wuxi', as it has lots of historical and cultural sites such as the Ta Bo memorial Hall which is built to honor the founder of Wuxi, the Imperial Steele Pavilion which has decorative ceilings and inscriptions written by the Qing emperor Qianlong (1736-1795).
As I walked around the park, I saw some beautiful plants, which I think only exist in China. I spotted pink seaweed-like flowers and others which are yellow-pink and shaped like a cauliflower. Very unusual yet they are beautiful. Then I headed off for Suzhou.
Suzhou
The bus stopped at the Tiger Hill Park. At the entrance, I met the tour guide, Helen. She then led us to the park. She was excited to find out that we were from Indonesia and told me that she had been to Bali once. As we entered the park, she started to give an introduction about her hometown.
Suzhou is also called the ‘Venice of the East’ or the ‘Water City’ because there are a lot of canals and bridges. It has a history of 2500 years but it didn’t prosper until the construction of the Grand Canal during the Sui Dynasty (581-618).
By the 12th century, Suzhou became a noted producer of silk. The silk is made into products such as pillows, blankets, sheets, clothes, etc. Suzhou’s ladies are really good at sewing and they can make complicated embroidery patterns. Helen said that girls starts learning how to sew since they were young. It is now wonder that the city is well-known for its textile products.
Besides silk, this town has also long been known as a nice place of retirement for merchants, scholars, and high ranking officials. Because they have a lot of money, they can afford to by villas here. Along the street I saw some beautiful villas with large gardens.
The Tiger Hill
This park is the number one sightseeing location in Suzhou. It’s located on the west of the ancient city, and has the history of 2500 years.
The first thing I saw was a leaning pagoda. At first, I felt like looking at the twin of the Italian Pisa tower, and in fact, it is. It's the Yunyan Temple Pagoda, or known as the 'leaning tower of Suzhou' which has the history of over a thousand years, and therefore is the oldest pagoda in town. It's made of bricks with artificial wooden structures. This 47.5 meters tall tower also serves as Suzhou's national emblem. You can feel that it's leaning when you go inside by measuring the ceiling with your hand.
I was curious why this place is named the 'tiger' hill. Appearently it's named so because it looks like a crouching tiger. A legend says that a white tiger appeared on the hill to guard the tomb of King Helu, a ruler of the state of Wu (514-496 BC) in ancient China.
Because it's so unique, a Song dynasty poet named Su Dongpo said, 'It would be a pitty if you had been to Suzhou, but you didn't get to visit the Tiger Hill. '
Zhouzhuang (Water City)
This place shows why Suzhou is called ‘Venice of the East’. Upon entering, I saw a canal with some beautiful bridges. Tourists were riding gondolas rowed by some local people. The rowers were singing songs which lyrics praise the beauty of Suzhou.
Walking further, I arrived at an old house. In the past, it belonged to a millionaire. Now it's opened as a part of the tourist attractions. It's 1,800 square meters big and has over 70 rooms. The Ruojing River which flows through makes it a graceful residence. Inside is a peaceful courtyard and a pond, and also some noisy geese which scared me off.
The house was built by the Xu family which lived during the era of Emperor Zhengtong (1436-1449) of the Ming dynasty. Later it was bought by the Zhang family in the early Qing dynasty (1644-1911). I could tell that the owner was very rich. There's a wooden sedan chair which shows that the owner came from the higher class, as only the emperor could ride a sedan chair at that time. It has two meeting rooms; one for the ladies and one for the gentlemen. The kitchen is equipped with a rice grinder and some cooking utensils. At one side of the house, some dummies were sitting in the living room, playing some music and having fun. It displays how past Chinese millionares had a good time. How interesting to find out aboutb their lifestyle.
The Changlang Pavilion
Helen mentioned that lots of rich people choose to live in Suzhou. Therefore fancy houses can be seen around the city, including the Changlang Pavillion, which was constructed by the prominent northern Song poet Su Sunquin. The oldest among all the existing classical gardens in Suzhou, it was repaired several times during the Ming and Qing Dynasties, It features a range of man-made mountains covered with trees and bamboos and was reconstructed during the reign of Kangxi (1661-1722) of the Qing dynasty, Inside, there's a famous Chinese parallel couplet on the stone pillars which says ‘The freshening breeze and the bright moon are priceless. The near water and distant hills strike a sentimental note’. On November 2000, it was inscribed by UNESCO on the World Heritage List.
This pavilion is decorated by stones taken from Lake Tai. With a fish pond and bridges, the atmosphere was peaceful, perfect for a retreat.
Choyers – Suzhou’s no. 1 Silk Mill
As Suzhou is famous for silk, one of the agenda was visiting a silk factory. And that was Choyers, the number one silk mill in town. Built in 1926, its ‘WuAi’ mulberry silk clothes and quilts are the famous home and abroad. They have been exported to Southeast Asia, America, and Europe.
Upon entering, we were shown around the factory watched the process of making silk products. First, the cocoons are heated in very hot water and hanged to dry until the threads can be taken. Next the thread is taken as raw silk material and enlarged using semi-circle equipment according to the size wanted. Then they are made into various silk products such as quilts, blankets, clothes, etc. To make a bed sheet the silk has to be pulled and it takes four people to do it. It was a tough job!
As the others started to shop and bargain, I looked around 'inspecting' the products. Anything silk can be fund here: blankets, pillows, sheets, bed cover, clothes. I was interested in a pillow which was filled with cocoon's drops. A shop assistant told me that this pillow was good for those with insomnia. Because I didn't have such problem, I wasn't interested in buying. However, I believe that silk pillows does give better sleep, because the pillows in my hotel were made of silk and it was so comfortable that I was almost late the next morning. With more luggage than when we first arrive, the trip continued to Hangzhou.
Hangzhou
Hangzhou is a sub provincial city in the Yangtzi River delta, 180 kilometers southwest of Shanghai. It’s well known for its beautiful natural scenery with the West Lake as the most popular location. Marco Polo, who visited here in the 13th century and called it 'the most prosperous city in the world'. A popular saying said, ‘In Heaven there is Paradise, on Earth there are Hangzhou and Suzhou.”
The West Lake
We stopped at the entrance to the West Lake. On this freezing autumn day, we were going to cross the lake by boat. While freezing and shivering, I tried to focus on what the guide said about this lake. Didn't really work though! So I can only give little information.
There are several lakes in China called the 'West Lake', but this one in Hangzhou is the most famous. It's a fresh water lake located in the central of the city. Originally a shallow sea inlet, it's the laying down of silt at 5.68 square kilometers (about 1,404 acres) of water. The lake and its surroundings have all the elements of a traditional Chinese garden; water, stones, trees, plants, but on a grand scale. Its magnificent view made this lake a favorite place for imperial retreat in the past.
The Leifeng Pagoda
The boat stopped in the middle of the lake, to give visitors a chance to view a pagoda seen from the distance called the Leifeng Pagoda.
Constructed in 975 during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period at the order of King Qian Chu of the Wuyue Kingdom, this pagoda was built to celebrate the birth of the king's son who was born to Huang Fei, his favorite concubine. Also known as the Thunder Peak Pagoda, it was originally an octagonal five-storied tower made of bricks and wood. Its wooden elements was burned during the late Ming dynasty when the Japanese pirates attatcked Hangzhou. Later, due to superstitions that bricks from the tower could prevent illness and bring luck, people stole them and grinded them into powder. They probably drank it too. This caused the pagoda collapsed on the afternoon of September 25th, 1924. It was then rebuilt by the provincial and municipal government in October 1999. The original base is kept in good condition as well as the treasures discovered in an underrground chamber.
The Leifeng pagoda became one of the top ten sights of the West Lake, maybe because of The White Snake Legend, a Chinese story that began as oral traditions the written as compilations, also performed in the TV series, films, and Chinese operas. It's one of my favorite stories. Set in the Southern Song dynasty, the story basically tells about a young scholar named Xu Xian who falls in love with a woman named Bai Su Zhen, unaware that she is a white snake demon in human form. A monk called Fa Hai intervenes to safe the scholar's soul and arrests the white snake in a deep well at the Leifeng Pagoda. She is captivated for a few years. Meanwhile, her sister the green snake named Xiao Qing practices her magic, and when strong enough, she defeats Fa Hai, destroys the pagoda, and frees Bai. The White Snake then rejoins with her husband and they live happily ever after.
On the shore of the lake I saw a bridge. The guide said that it is called the Broken Bridge and still linked to the legend. It is said that Xu Xian first met Bai Su Zhen here. It was raining, and the scholar offered his umbrella to the white snake lady. This was also the place where they met again after going through a series of ups and downs; and the place where they said goodbye for the last time. The farewell made them very sad, like a saying 'the Broken Bridge is not broken but the heart is'. As the story ended, I arrived across the lake and continued on foot to the mausoleum of General Yue Fei.
Yue Fei Mausoleum
After a five-minutes walk, I entered the mausoleum which is located at the foot of Qixia Hill. At the Shrine of Remembrance, I saw a statue of the ancient Chinese hero, dressed in colorful armed suit, a long sword in his hand. His expression showed a great charisma, and I got the feeling that he was a great leader. Above him was a tablet with some Chinese characters that says 'huan wo he shan' which means 'give back my rivers and mountains' This slogan seemed to show that the brave general would do anything to defend his country. Looking to the left, I saw a painting on the wall depicting a woman painting some Chinese character to a young man's back. The woman was Yue Fei's mother and the young man was of course, the general. This scene was taken before Yue Fei went to war. The characters said ' jin zhong bao guo' meaning 'serve the country with utmost loyalty'. He did, and therefore, Yue Fei is considered a symbol of loyalty and bravery until today. The tombs are located on an open courtyard at the back. They are side by side; on the center is Yue Fei's, and on its right is his son's Yue Yun who had been a sidekick to his father on battles.
The general lived during the Song dynasty (960-1279) and was famous for his war against the Jurchen army of the Jin dynasty (1115-1234). Born from a humble farmer family, he had always wanted to join the army since young age. Later, he became a general, a battle commander who was respected by his men and feared by his enemies. A commander of the Jin army said 'It's easier to shake Mount Tain than defeating Yue Fei's troops.'
However, he didn't die on a battle, but on a conspiracy plotted by the Song prime minister Qin Gui. This is known as the 'eastern window plot'. One day after having Yue Fei, his son Yue Yun, and thier subordinate Zhang Xiang arrested, the prime minister and his wife Lady Wang was sitting by the 'eastern window' of their home, warming themselves by the fire. The prime minister had received calls from the people, to set Yue Fei free. He was worried because after two months of imprisonment, Yue Fei still didn't want to admit the false treason, and he would eventually have to release the prisoners.
As they were sitting, a servant girl came in with some fresh oranges. Lady Wang then came up with an idea to slip an execution note inside the skin of an orange and send it to the examining judge. This way, Yue Fei would be executed, even before the emperor himself gave an order to do so. Aided by his two men, Mo Qixie and Zhang Jun, Qin Gui carried on the plot and had the general executed on January 27th, 1142.
The traitors are represented by four kneeling bronze statues before the tombs. On the right are the prime minister and his wife, while those on the left are their subordinates. It is said that they used to be cursed and spat. But now they are preserved as historical relics. I was really excited to take pictures of them, but my camera stopped working. Probably because it was too cold, and the battery froze. So I could only took the pictures of the tombs in my mind, hoping someday I will be back.
The Lingyin Temple
Touring around China means visiting lots of temples. One of them was this temple called Lingyin in Hangzhou. In Chinese, the word 'ling' means retreat and 'yin' means soul. So 'lingyin' means soul retreat. It's one of the most famous Buddhist temple in China and considered as the leading institution for research related to the Chinese Buddhist culture. During its heyday, the temple had 1300 dormitory inhabited by more than 3000 monks.
I wondered where the actual temple was, as I didn't see any as. Instead, I was taken to a cave. According to the tour guide, this is a man-made cave. It's obvious, because nature wouldn't be able to make stone Buddha carvings found inside. The work was beautifully done, it really took my breath away. Underneath I saw some Chinese characters, which unfortunately I couldn't understand.
As I was walking to the Feilai Feng (Peak Flying from Afar), I saw a small leaning tower which turned out to be a pagoda. This pagoda doesn't serve just as a decoration as I suspected. It contained the ashes Huili, an Indian monk who found the temple in 328 AD. The Feilai Feng itself is named so because it's made of limestone and looks as if it was 'flying'. According to legend, this peak was originally from India, but it flew overnight to Hangzhou to demonstrate the power of the Buddhist law. Stone carvings on the lower left tells the story of the Monkey King, Journey to the West. Again, I was very impressed with how the carvings were done, as they are so beautiful!
I finally arrived at the 'actual' temple, the one with Buddha statues. There are so many halls, but only few I remembered. One of them was painted in red with two huge burners at its front. The smell from those burners struck my nose as I went up the steps to enter this building, which is called the Mahavira Hall or the Great Hall of the Great Sage. It stands 33.6 meters tall and inside is the statue of Sakyamuni. Sakyamuni actually was Siddharta Gautama, the spiritual leader from northern India who founded Buddhism. The statue is made of camphor wood and coated with gold. It's the largest wooden Buddhist statue in China. At the back is the statue of Guanyin, the Buddhist goddess associated with compassion, backed by a screen that features some 150 Buddhist personalities, including the pilgrims from the Journey to the West.
Another hall called the Hall of Medicine Buddha. This hall hosts the statue of Bhaisajya Guru or also known as the Healing Buddha. He was named so because he made and fulfill the 12 vows, two of which related to healing. He is attended by two Buddha statues on his left and right: surya prabha representing the sun and chandra praba representing the moon. The guide said that the sun and the moon symbolize yin and yang in Chinese medicine.
Those are the two halls I found most interesting. As I was walking out of the temple, I saw a complicated stone carving on the wall. It shaped like two animals together. The guide later told me that they were the dragon and the phoenix; symbols of Chinese emperor and empress. That was the end of my discovery about the Chinese Buddhist culture at the Lingyin Temple. I felt that I needed a cup of tea as a refreshment.
The Dragon Well
The next morning, I was taken to the southwest of the West Lake, to visit the world-famous Longjing Tea Plantation or the Dragon Well. Located on the mountainous area, this place reminded me of the similar plantations at Puncak, West Java. There, I often see tea farmers picking tea leaves, and I saw the same sight in Hangzhou. It reminded me of home somehow.
This place isn't only a plantation but also a museum where you can learn all about the Chinese tea culture. Upon arrival, my group and I were welcomed and given a cup of Longjing tea. It tasted stronger than the tea I normally drink in Indonesia. While sipping the tea, we were given some introductions about the famous well and its tea.
Day 8 Shanghai
Our Hangzhou guide, Eva, told me that Shanghai is the most modern and commercial city in China. When I arrived there, I believed in what she said. Modern buildings and apartments are lined up along the street. There are lots of banks and department stores which I hardly saw in other cities visited. These developments though, didn’t happen overnight.
Modern apartments in Shanghai
In the past, Shanghai was a walled fishing village near the mouth of the Yangtzi River. British, French, and American settlers teamed up with enterprising Chinese merchants to turn the city into a cosmopolitan center of commerce.
Shanghainese pride themselves as the most savvy and enterprising people in China. When the country opened its door to the outside world in the late 1970s, they lost no time in seeking to revive the city’s past glory. Shanghai underwent massive transformation, seemingly building overnight a lot of skyscrapers and highways. China’s first stock exchange opened here in 1990. A modern economic zone and a commercial center were built in Pudong, a land across the Huangpu River from The Bund that was once farm fields a little over a decade ago.
Busy traffic in Shanghai’s street
25. Nanshi (Old Shanghai)
We met our guide, Charlie, and he took us directly to Nanshi, or the old town of Shanghai. Before 1842, Shanghai was a walled town concentrated in this area. Unfortunately, the wall was put down in 1911. The center of the town was dominated then by Huxingting Teahouse, Yu Garden, and City God Temple. The mazes and alleyways are ideal places to experience old Shanghai. People are selling souvenirs along the alleyways. Because it’s a market, bargaining is possible. Shopping for souvenirs here is cheaper compared to the other cities.
Charlie said that only here we could find houses with traditional Chinese architecture. This is also the only place in Shanghai to buy souvenirs.
Nanshi (old Shanghai) the only reminder of the city’s past glory
Day 9 Shanghai
We left the hotel at 9.00. It was drizzling and the temperature was about seven degrees. We were going to The Bund and Huangpu River .
26. The Bund and The Huangpu River
We walked along The Bund to get to the port where a boat would take us on a cruise along the Huangpu River. This river is 110 meters long, runs from Lake Tai and empties into the Yangtzi River, some 28 kilometers downstream.
The Bund on a rainy day
From the boat I saw clearly the Oriental Pearl TV Tower, standing 468 meters tall. The Commercial Center building is really interesting because it’s shaped like the globe. Big companies such as LG, Nikon, and Nestle have their offices in this area.
The Oriental TV Tower and the Commercial Center building
Big enterprise offices
After the cruise, some people still wanted to go shopping, so Charlie took us to Nanjing Lu or Nanjing Road. Nanjing Lu is the most famous street in Shanghai. This street is popular among shoppers. Nanjingdong Lu (Nanjing Road East) is the liveliest section, begins at the Peace Hotel and passes many shops, modern boutiques, and large department stores. A large section of the street, from Chengdu Road down almost to The Bund has been turned into a bustling pedestrian mall lined up by interesting shops, department stores, and small restaurants. All kinds of stores can be found here; clothes shops, toy store, pearl stores, anything. It’s possible to bargain, but we had to argue hard with the shopkeepers.
Nanjing Road with all the shops
The last dinner in Shanghai was the best of all. The food was really tasty. The restaurant was unique I think. The guests are welcomed with music from drums and cymbals. The waiters and waitresses are wearing cheongsam, Chinese traditional costumes. There’s a stage where dancers and musicians give performance. Outside, there’s a little stall selling souvenirs.
That was the end of our days in Shanghai, and China. The next morning we would fly back to Singapore then Jakarta.
Epilogue
Travel experience can change a person; the way he/she look at life and the surroundings. This trip was truly enjoyable for me, as I am very interested in Chinese history and culture, therefore it was wonderful to discover interesting aspects of it. The experience of dressing up as an imperial concubine, climbing the Great Wall, watching an acrobatic show, saw the Temple of Heaven, met the Chinese, and seeing how China has developed, is unforgettable. I have discovered something that is interesting and worth exploring further. With its long history, China is really worth exploring. It is my wish that someday, I will go back there.
Bibliography
1. Travel Pack China by Paul Mooney. Periplus Editions, 2004
2. Guide to the Temple of Heaven
3. Guide to the Palace Museum second edition edited by Shi Yongnan, translated by Liu Zongren. Beijing: China Esperanto Press, 2000
4. Travel brochure: The Tiger Hill
5. Travel brochure: The Canglang Pavilion
6. Guide to Lingyin Temple
7. Wikipedia: The free encyclopedia (www.wikipedia.com)
8. Travel China Guide (www.travelchinaguide.com)
9. Peking Roast Duck picture www.chinaodyssey.com
10. Chinese teapots pictures www.indigo-tea.com, www.worlfolkart.com, www.magicketchup.com
Thank You Notes
It would be impossible for me to write this travel log if my cousin, Kak Anne, didn’t ask me to come along. Thank you so much, you were a wonderful room mate. I’m looking forward to travel with you again. Mom and Dad, thanks for helping me pack and prepare myself to face the cold weather. Tante Hok, Tante Yanita, and Tante Ninik, it was great to travel with you. Special thanks to Tante Yanita, for being my photographing friend and for sending me the beautiful pictures.
I would also like to thank Ester and Tante Minati. It was great meeting you and I’m glad that you were in our group. We wouldn’t have survived if you weren’t there to be our translators.
We had some wonderful tour guides: Tree in Beijing, Fred in Nanjing, Sharon in Wuxi, Helen in Suzhou, Eva in Hangzhou, and Charlie in Shanghai. Thank you all for guiding and being patient with us, especially when it comes to shopping time.
The packing began a month before departure and I must thank Ratimah for helping me pack and choose the clothes. Kak Prita, thank you for lending me your suitcase, it was big enough to fit all the clothes and souvenirs.
I had cold allergy before going, but thanks to doctor Setiyawan Jasadireja, I was able to survive Chinese weather without being sick. He was also the one who told me not to buy tea and I followed the advice.
When I said I was going to China, everybody in my office, EF Kebayoran has been very supportive. Thanks to Michael Walker and Cynthia for giving me the permission to go. Thanks to Judee, Dan, and Sobirin for being such great friends. David and Billy told me how to write a travel log, thanks so much. Nuni, your sweater helped me face the cold at The Great Wall.
I couldn’t have done it without you all.
AL
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