Hong Kong could be said to be a spoil of war, the First Opium War to be specific. In the eighteenth century the British discovered Chinese trade goods, particularly silk, porcelain, and tea. So the Chinese looked over British items for sale and found little to their taste. Gold was always welcome, but the British didn’t want to buy. They wanted to trade. Which left sandalwood, ginseng, and a few other items of interest.

The Chinese also confined the British to specific trading areas at specific times. The so-called Canton System restricted trade to thirteen authorized Chinese factors. Meanwhile, British traders discovered a new cash crop: opium. They grew it on their plantations in India and brought it to China. Soon the Chinese saw an outflow of silver to meet the ever growing demand for opium. Chinese officials banned opium imports. An armed altercation became inevitable.
In 1842 China signed the Treaty of Nanking which did a number of things, including the cession of Hong Kong island to the British. And that’s how modern Hong Kong was born as a British territory. In 1997 Britain returned Hong Kong to Chinese sovereignty, and the Chinese promised there would be “One China, Two Systems.” There’s been considerable media interest in how well it’s working twenty years later, but that’s someone else’s blog.

While in Hong Kong we stayed at the historic Peninsula Hotel on the Kowloon Peninsula across Victoria Harbor from Hong Kong. The hotel opened in 1928 to much fanfare. The building stood across from the quays where ocean liners off loaded their passengers and the Train Station where the Trans Siberian Railway made its last stop. It was, in a sense, a railway hotel, though one with a great deal of glamor termed the “Grande Dame of the Far East.” As these pictures demonstrate, Hong Kong has changed a bit since the Peninsula first opened its doors.

There’s a lot to see in Hong Kong. One of the more unexpected sites is the Man Mo Temple built in 1847. The Taoist temple is dedicated to two important gods. Man Tai, the god of literature, and Man Mo, the god of war. Students and scholars come for good fortune as do many others. The smell of incense is overpowering.

It was good to get back outside and make our way to the Peak Tram, a funicular railway that runs from Central Garden Road to Victoria Peak. There are six official stops along the way. Europeans began building homes on Victoria Peak in the nineteenth century. Compared to Hong Kong’s subtropical climate, Victoria Peak with an elevation of 1,811 feet, was temperate. Original residents commuted in sedan chairs.

Peak Tram opened in 1888. The tram covers a short distance of 0.87 miles, much of it straight up. After the tram opened, more Europeans began moving into the area. By 1926 more people had cars, so prisoners built the road. Between 1904 and 1930 no Chinese were allowed to live on Victoria Peak.

The primary draw to Victoria Peak is the panoramic view of Victoria Harbor and the Kowloon Peninsula.

The name Aberdeen sounds like Scotland. Far from it. The area was named after 4th Earl of Aberdeen, but its residents were the Tanka people, fisher-folk who lived on their boats. Today the area is famous for its floating “village,” though many former residents have moved onto land. I saw more yachts than “houseboats,” but the fishing boats are still there, along with floating facilities to service them.

The popular attraction is to take a sampan ride through the Aberdeen harbor area. Among other sights is the Jumbo Floating Restaurant which is designed as a floating palace from Imperial China. Opened in 1976, it’s the largest floating restaurant in the world, and can hold 2,000 patrons. It’s quite a sight to see.

If you’d like a better sense of what Peak Tram and Victoria Peak are like, check out the video below.

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Illustration of Tartar bowman in the Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons.

Photo of Hong Kong from the Peak between 1938 and 1945 in the Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons.

Photo of Peninsula Hotel by Navin Shetty Brahmavar, Creative Commons Attribution. Wikimedia Commons.

All Other Photos by Author.

For more information:

The Peak Tram

Peninsula Hotel.

“The Opium War (or how Hong Kong began).” South China Morning Post. July 24, 2011.

The post Hong Kong – Last Stop on My China Tour first appeared on Sandra Wagner-Wright.

Zhujiajiao is slightly less than thirty miles from Shanghai, but it feels worlds away. The village is a typical water town established under the Ming Dynasty. Once a mercantile center for textiles and rice, Zhujiajiao now welcomes tourists to its canals and traditional shopping area.

Typical activities are strolling along the half mile Great North Street and taking a sampan ride along the waterways.

Great North Street is the best preserved street in Zhujiajiao, still bustling with craft and food shops. It’s a pleasant stroll with shade trees and picture post card views across the canal. Crafts include masks, bells, and flutes.

Interesting aromas also abound. One local street food delight is zongzi, the bamboo leaves surrounding a pork filling. Can’t tell you how it tastes, but it’s very popular.

My favorite part of the visit was viewing Zhujiajiao from a sampan. Watching the boatman reminded of the gondoliers of Venice.

Among the sights is Fangsheng Bridge, also known as ‘Fish Setting Free’ Bridge, one of thirty-six stone bridges spanning the waterways. Built in 1751 during the Ming Dynasty, the Fangsheng Bridge is the longest, largest, and tallest of the bridges. It also features the famous Dragon Gate Stone with eight coiling dragons surrounding a single shining pearl representing wealth.

Buddhism exerts a strong influence here, and Fangsheng Bridge is famous for the practice of freeing the fish by releasing them back into the water. The person returning the fish receives a blessing. Of course, there’s nothing to prevent the fish being caught and released again and again.

I enjoyed Zhujiajiao, though like many places we saw, the authorities had made it too perfect. But it was a beautiful, and we enjoyed being out of the city. I’ve added a CNN travel video so you can see more of Zhujiajiao.

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Photos by Author. All Rights Reserved.

For More Information:

Zhujiajiao Ancient Town. Travel China Guide.

The post ZHUJIAJIAO – THE VENICE OF SHANGHAI first appeared on Sandra Wagner-Wright.

This museum is unusual, because in order to protect the artifacts the exhibits are underground and beneath a special type of glass imported from Czechoslovakia. Pottery figures, about one-tenth of actual life-size, depict court life, complete with warriors, palace maids, and livestock. After the majesty of Xi’an’s terra-cotta warriors, the figures resemble dolls.

SHANGHAI

If you want ancient history, go to Xi’an.

If you want the last 500 years, go to Beijing.

If you want commerce, go to Shanghai.

– Anonymous

Shanghai greets the future with open arms. The city was one of five treaty ports opened after China’s defeat in the First Opium War, and quickly became a commercial center. In 1846 the British established an area called the Bund, a word they brought with them from India meaning an embankment or low track. After reinforcing the riversides and paving a street, the British built rows of commercial buildings.

One of the best known of these is the original headquarters of HSBC – the Hongkong and Shanghai Bank. Built in 1923, it was the largest bank building in the Far East of that time. And its global size was second only to the Bank of Scotland.

Two bronze lions flank the entry doors. One lion roars to symbolize protection; the other sits calmly as a sign of security.

Today the original lions are in the Shanghai Museum. The Shanghai Pudong Development Bank which currently occupies the building replaced them with replicas in 1997. One story says the original bronze lions had to be moved to protect them from the many people who rubbed their noses for luck – and the current lions do sport shiny noses.

Inside the bank are eight striking mosaic murals. No pictures allowed, which is a great shame, because the frescos are incredible. The ceiling dome has frescos with the twelve zodiac signs, the sun, and the moon. Below are eight murals depiciting HSBC’s branches at the time: Shanghai, Hong Kong, Tokyo, London, New York City, Bangkok, Paris, and Calcutta. Each fresco had a image symbolizing the city. This photo is in the public domain.

During the Cultural Revolution, the murals were covered to protect them from destruction. People forgot about them until the Shanghai Pudong Development Bank conducted renovations in 1997.

Back outside, the Bund Bull, unveiled in 2010 faces the river to bring good fortune and wealth to the city.

OLD TOWN

Shanghai’s traditional urban core is called Old Town, or more colloquially, China Town. After the foreign concession districts were built, this area continued to be the Chinese administrative center.

YU GARDEN

One of the more famous sights within Old Town is the Yu Garden, completed in 1557 by Pan Yundan to honor his parents. Today this Garden of Happiness is in the middle of the Yuyan Tourist Mart, a bustling shopping area.

A well-known restaurant is Lu Bo Lang, known for its dumplings and one of the few restaurants still owned by the government.

From the back of Lu Bo Lang’s business card:
Smelling the Fragrance I stop
At the Famous Restaurant
And all tacsted [sic] by the flavor I park my car
At the Lu Bo Lang

I truly enjoyed Chinese food. To my delight, we tasted regional and ethnic specialties. Others in the group became tired of Chinese food, and I understand this often happens. Lucky for them, you can find those famous Golden Arches and even Starbucks.

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Sign up for Sandra’s Newsletter and get “Out-Takes from Rama’s Labyrinth.” The newsletter comes out every Monday with a blog preview & any relevant book announcements. You can unsubscribe at any time. Your contact information won’t be given out. Sign up today for free “Out-Takes from Rama’s Labyrinth.”

Roof of HSBC in the public domain. Wikimedia Commons.

All other photos by Author. All Rights Reserved.

For More Information:

Yangling Mausoleum of Han Dynasty (Hanyangling). Travel China Guide

Hanyangling Tomb Museum. China Odyssey Tours

The Bund, Shanghai. Travel China Guide.

Yuyuan Garden. Travel China Guide.

The post From Ancient Han to Bustling Shanghai first appeared on Sandra Wagner-Wright.

In March 1974 peasants from Xiyang Village were sinking a well in an area south of their village. At the depth of 4.5 meters they encountered shards of pottery, bronze triggers and arrowheads, and a brick-paved floor. They reported their discovery to the Cultural Centre of Lintong County. The archeological team identified the pottery as connected to larger figures, and the bronze triggers to be crossbow triggers. Specimens went to the Cultural Relics Administration of Shaanxi Province.

Our guide reported that local authorities kept the discovery secret, but the news came out when a reporter based in Beijing returned home to visit his wife. At that time couples were often separated by work assignments. The reporter’s wife worked for the local government. It was he who made the report to Beijing. I don’t know if this is a true story, but I’m pretty sure a discovery of this magnitude wouldn’t remain secret for long.

The central government built an exhibition hall to cover what is called Pit 1, an area of 2,000 square meters. Excavations began after its completion in 1978. Thus far about 1,000 soldiers and horses have been excavated and cleaned. An additional 5,000 are being processed. The army is placed in a rectangular formation facing east. The first three rows each have 210 warriors. These are followed by marching soldiers and horses drawing war chariots.

EMPEROR QIN SHIH HUANG

Emperor Qin Shih Huang assumed the throne in 259 BCE at about the age of 13. He immediately began constructing his tomb and the army that would defend him in the afterlife. Qin Shih Huang is also known as the First Emperor. From his base in the small state of Qin he unified China through force of arms and internal reforms, created one Chinese script, unified currency, standardized weights and measures, and even decreed uniform axle widths to make the roads less rutted. Qin Shih Huang is also credited with the Great Wall, though it was more a policy of joining existing walls. A fact that doesn’t make the process any less brutal.

In 210 BCE the emperor unexpectedly died during a tour of Eastern China. A power struggle ensued as did local rebellions. Though his tomb remains intact and is yet to be opened, marauding forces plundered Qin Shih Huang’s army, taking their weapons. Raging fires, probably deliberately set, weakened the support pillars for wooden ceilings over the troops which then crashed into the clay figures.

The soldiers became frozen in time, preserved in the dry underground environment. So dry, that when they were first discovered, the men still had their painted surfaces. Unfortunately, the more humid air at the surface caused much of the paint to disappear. Excavation stopped until a way could be found to preserve the color.

Archeologists have discovered over 600 pits, but only the Pits 1, 2, and 3 have yielded terra cotta treasure. The first pit is the most dramatic, yielding over 8 wooden war chariots, about 1,000 warriors and horses, and 30,000 bronze weapons. Excavations continue.

Pit 3 contained a wooden chariot and 72 warriors and horses. Excavation at Pit 2 reveals more about how construction may have looked. The wooden ceilings are still in place, covered with soil.

The privilege of seeing the Terra Cotta Warriors in person is one I’ll not soon forget. Though the viewing platform for Pit 1 is above the exhibition, it still felt as if I could reach out my hand and touch history.

Though there is an element of molds for the bodies, each face has individual features; each hair style is unique. The individuality of each soldier is unexpected. These aren’t people usually depicted, yet here they are. History come to life.

Qin Shih Huang wasn’t a benevolent ruler. He crushed is opponents and cared little for those who labored on his projects. Ironically, it is those very craftsmen who are immortalized. It’s their faces we see as we look across this bridge into history.

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Illustration of Qin Shih Huang. Public Domain. Wikimedia Commons.

All other photos by Author. All Rights Reserved.

Qin Shi Huang Terracotta Warriors & Horses Museum. China’s Museum.

Arthur Lubow. “Terra Cotta Soldiers on the March.” Smithsonian Magazine. July 2009.

Yuan Zhongyi. The Terra-cotta Army of Emperor Qin Shih Huang. 1993.

The post Terra-Cotta Warriors at Xi’an first appeared on Sandra Wagner-Wright.

The first stop after our arrival was lunch at Haishige where we saw a noodle-making demonstration. The ‘Bang-Bang’ Noodle, also called the longevity noodle, is known for its thickness and length. The noodles are hand-pulled into one long noodle as a sign of good fortune. To cut or break the noodle is considered very bad luck. The name Bang-Bang is connected to the process of making the noodle as shown in this video I took. [By the way, this was the first time I used the video feature on my iPhone. About time, don’t you think?]

There is a saying in Xi’an that every man must be able to make his own noodles. If that’s the case, this young man should do very well.

XI’AN & THE SILK ROAD

Xi’an sat at the terminus of the Silk Road that stretched across Central Asia into Rome. Merchants arrived at the Western Gate of the city walls – still standing after all these years. In the modern age, many cities took down their walls to expand the city and roadways, but Xi’an was too poor. Now the only complete set of city walls left in China is at Xi’an.

Today the walls welcome tourists from China and abroad. They’re also a popular backdrop to wedding photos. These are often taken a year before the actual wedding. The brides wear red, an auspicious color of happiness and good luck.

Under the Tang and subsequent dynasties, foreigners weren’t allowed to reside inside the city. Diplomats and merchants, many of whom were Muslim, married and raised their families outside the walls. Today Xi’an has the largest Muslim population in China, descendants of the early merchants.

BEIYUANMEN MUSLIM MARKET

Beiyuanmen Muslim Market welcomes tourists and residents to its many shops, all owned by Muslims.

Xi’an is particularly noted for its walnuts. These were introduced to China during the Western Han Dynasty. The nut grown in nearby Shangluo is famous for its size, thin shell, and loose kernel.

THE GREAT MOSQUE

The Great Mosque of Xi’an also has its roots in the Silk Road. Founded in 742, the mosque combines Islamic and Chinese elements. The complex is aligned on an east-west axis facing Mecca. Most buildings were rebuilt in the 17th and 18th centuries.

The mosque is laid out like a traditional Chinese Temple with five successive courtyards of pavilions and pagodas on the long narrow site. The entire complex covers about 1.5 acres.

The first courtyard features a wooden arch almost 30 feet tall built in the 17th century.

The prayer hall is in the fourth courtyard and can accommodate over 1,000 people.

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All Photos by Author. All Rights Reserved.

Sign up for Sandra’s Newsletter and get “Out-Takes from Rama’s Labyrinth.” The newsletter comes out every Monday with a blog preview & any relevant book announcements. You can unsubscribe at any time. Your contact information won’t be given out. Sign up today for free “Out-Takes from Rama’s Labyrinth.”Great Mosque of Xi’an.

Great Mosque of Xi’an. Sacred Destinations

The post XI’AN: Noodles & History first appeared on Sandra Wagner-Wright.

Five days before the ceremony, priests checked the sacrificial livestock. Three days before, the emperor began his fast. On the last day, the livestock were slaughtered. The emperor made his prayer, performed rituals, and returned to the Palace of Abstinence to continue his fast. Ceremonies began the next day at fifteen minutes before sunrise.

In 1420 during the Ming Dynasty, Emperor Yongle built the present Temple of Heaven. The complex grew to cover over 674 acres. In 1918 the Republic of China National Assembly designated the area as a park for all the people.

The temple is round with a blue cover, to represent heaven’s blue skies. The square base symbolizes earth.

TIANTAN PARK

The six hundred year old garden surrounding the temple still has Cyprus trees from the original plantings. This red tagged tree is three hundred years old.

During the Cultural Revolution many trees were replaced with fruit trees. Cyprus, after all, has no use. Now Cyprus saplings replace the fruit trees.

Peonies are also present in profuse numbers. The flower symbolizes riches, prosperity and honor. Peonies and plum blossoms are often viewed as the floral symbols of China. In 1903 the Qing Dynasty declared the peony to be China’s national flower.

We visited Tiantan Park on a Saturday, so it was busy with families enjoying the surroundings. Most family groups had one set of grandparents; parents, and a young child. China’s infamous One Child Policy has been relaxed, but many couples prefer one child, or no children at all due to the expense of raising a family.

We passed an area where people had set out notices about eligible young relatives – a sort of informal matchmaking effort. The notice lists some of the young man or woman’s attributes and has a phone number for those who want to follow-up. A popular attribute for young men is possession of an apartment/condo. Living spaces in the city are rare and expensive. Some parents thought ahead and acquired the property while their son was still young.

Another interesting familial factoid is the popularity of SUVs as a vehicle large enough to transport parents, grandparents, and the newest family member.

TA`I CHI

Our last activity at Tiantan Park was participatory. A demonstration followed by a lesson from a ta`i chi master. Everyone enjoyed watching. A few of us didn’t mind making a spectacle of ourselves. People close to our location also joined in. On any given day groups of people, mostly over the age of fifty, can be found practicing ta`i chi. Ta`i chi began as one of the martial arts, and is said to reverse the aging process. Like yoga, it builds balance & flexibility.

By now it was lunch time, and we proceeded to Lost Heaven, an acclaimed restaurant located in the building that once housed the U. S. Embassy. In 2016 Time Out Beijing named Lost Heaven as one of “38 Essential Beijing Restaurants.” Lost Heaven features Yunnan Folk Cuisine. Lunch was the first of many unique and delicious meals.

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Photos by Author. All Rights Reserved.

Sign up for Sandra’s Newsletter and get “Out-Takes from Rama’s Labyrinth.” The newsletter comes out every Monday with a blog preview & any relevant book announcements. You can unsubscribe at any time. Your contact information won’t be given out. Sign up today for free “Out-Takes from Rama’s Labyrinth.”

“38 Essential Beijing Restaurants.” Time Out Beijing.

Heaven Worship Culture. China Travel Guide

Top 10 Flowers in Chinese Culture

Tiantan park.com

Temple of Heaven. Unesco.

The post TIĀN TÁN: THE TEMPLE OF HEAVEN first appeared on Sandra Wagner-Wright.

I’ve been on the road again, this time on an elegant nine-person tour of China with A&K. We stopped at the major tourist destinations: Beijing, Xian, Shanghai, Guilin/Yangshuo, and Hong Kong. I saw and learned a great deal, despite the reality that tourists are directed only to the most noteworthy locations.

I expected to see people using bicycles as a major means of transportation. Not so. Cars and electric scooters dominate the cities, and it is said most people consider bicycles too dangerous to ride in the traffic. I expected to see a certain amount of urban litter. For the most part I encountered streets so clean I sometimes thought I was in Disneyland. But heck, I’m okay with clean, as my family will tell you.

This was a journey on my bucket list. For years, actually decades, I taught First Year students a course called World History, and one of my joys is to visit the places that captured my imagination semester after semester. The Great Wall of China, the terra cotta warriors, and the commerce of Shanghai and Hong Kong made China a place I wanted to visit.

In 1972 President Richard Nixon paid an official visit to Beijing, resulting in an iconic photo of the president and Mrs. Nixon on the Great Wall. It’s hard to realize what a momentous occasion that was. Certainly I never expected the opportunity to visit.

THE GREAT WALL AT MUTIANYU

We went to the section at Mutianyu, located slightly over 43 miles northeast of Beijing. This section is built mostly of granite. It’s about 25 feet high and 4 yards wide.

There are three ways up to the wall. Some people use the steps. There are about 4000 of these. The problem with this choice, in my opinion, is that by the time you get to the wall, you’ll be too tired to walk on it. [Not everyone, of course. Those who would delight in the steps might be interested in the Great Wall Marathon next week at the Huangyoguan section of the Wall in Tianjin Province.]

Option number 2 is a gondola. I would have liked that option. You can see from the picture that the group took option 3 — the chair lift. The lift is like chair lifts everywhere, just not my preference. There’s a fourth option for the return trip – a toboggan. No thanks. But I heard it’s fun.

What we call the Great Wall is actually several walls that were initially joined together by Emperor Qin Shin Huang (r.220-206 BCE). Qin’s wall is mostly gone. Most of the existing wall dates from the Ming dynasty (1368-1644). Total length of the wall is 13,170 miles.

Being on the Great Wall was an amazing experience. It was like being able to walk on history, to feel it in the granite, to see the sightlines watchmen viewed hundreds of years ago. On a clear day, it was amazing. On a cold, windy, frosty day it must have been agony. I’m sure the men assigned to the Great Wall ran the equivalent of a marathon most days — up and down and up again. It was as if I could reach through time.

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Travel Arrangements by A&K.

Photos:
The Nixons on the Great Wall of China. 1972. Public Domain. Wikimedia Commons.

All Other Photos by Author

Great Wall Marathon.

The post It Really is a Great Wall first appeared on Sandra Wagner-Wright.