China Guide 2008

Heritage: Wulingyuan Scenic and Historic Interest Area

With primeval forests, rocky crags and rushing streams, Zhangjiajie is a sublimely beautiful place to explore nature’s bounty. Be sure to bring lots of film and a good pair of shoes.

Stashed away in a remote northwestern corner of Hunan Province, bordering Guizhou and Chongqing, is the Wulingyuan Scenic Reserve (wǔlíngyuán fēngjǐngqū 武陵源风景区), better known as Zhangjiajie. Wisely set aside in 1982 as one of China’s first nature reserves, Wulingyuan protects an astounding variety of flora, fauna and minority tribes. The area has been given a UNESCO World Heritage listing, so extensive protection is in place, such as a complete fire ban (including smoking), conveniently placed rubbish bins and flagged erosion-resistance paths.

The reserve is home to three of China’s minority groups, the Tujia, Miao, and Bai who continue to carry on their traditional ways. In Zhangjiajie Village (zhāngjiājiè cūn 张家界村), there is a Museum of Tujia Culture (tǔjiā wénhuà bówùguǎn 土家文化博物馆) focusing on traditional handicrafts. Traditional song and dance performances are held here and are a great way to get a taste of the local color. This is not simply a show to make the tourists happy, but is a family run center with aims of cultural preservation. The Tujia are suspected by some to be the last remaining descendants of western China’s mysterious prehistoric Ba Kingdom. (more…)

Heritage: The Ancient Building Complex in Wudang Shan

A legendary mountain, immortalized in countless sword-fighting novels, Wudang Shan has been the cradle of Taoism for over 1,000 years.

The Wudang Mountain range joins the Qinling Mountains in the west and Shennongjia in the south. Wudang Shan itself is situated in Danjiangkou in Hubei Province, not far from Wuhan and comprises of 72 peaks, 36 cliffs and 24 valleys. Its main peak, called Heavenly Pillar Peak (tiānzhù fēng 天柱峰) stands at a statuesque 1,612m and together with the other mist-shrouded peaks, creates a spectacular vision. However physically daunting Wudang Shan may seem, its natural beauty and exquisite architecture, its rich history mixed with Taoist culture and lore, makes it a worthwhile detour from Wuhan.

Hugging the terrain of Wudang Shan are pockets of architectural delights. Whether atop precipitous peaks, reclining on sloping terraces or tucked into ravines and caves, these exquisite pagodas, nunneries, prayer halls and cave temples have drawn pilgrims and tourists for centuries.

The oldest temple on Wudang Shan is the Five Dragon Ancestral Temple (wǔlóng gōng 五龙宫) which dates back to the 7th century AD. Like this temple, the 72 temples, 39 bridges, 36 nunneries and 12 pavilions on Wudang Shan reflect some of the best architectural styles of the Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties. (more…)

Rounding hairpin turns on a winding mountain road, the Shaolin temple’s surrounding scenery is as rugged as the legendary fighting-monks themselves.

Both domestic and foreign travelers come from far and wide to the small village nestled away in Henan Province’s Song Shan (sōng shān 嵩山), roughly an hour’s drive from Luoyang or Zhengzhou, to visit the fabled birthplace of one of the world’s most famous martial arts movements.

But Shaolin Temple is more than that – thousands visit every year to pray and pay their respects at one of China’s oldest Buddhist temples. The temple is believed to have been founded in the AD 495 by Indian monk Ba Tuo on land given by the Northern Wei emperor for monks to focus on the disciplines of their faith.

In AD 527, Bodhidharma (Dá Mó达摩) visited and founded what became the Chan (Zen in Japanese) sect. According to popular lore, Bodhidharma crossed the Yellow River on a single reed then spent nine years meditating in a cave before entering the temple grounds. His shadow can still be seen in a nearby cave to this day, aptly named Bodhidharma’s Cave (Dá Mó dòng 达摩洞). (more…)

Heritage: Longmen Caves

Grandiose caves filled with immense Buddhas decorated with intricate designs are a testament to the skill and wealth of the people who inhabited Luoyang and their devotion to Buddhism.

Luoyang, once the capital of 13 dynasties, does not offer many historical reminders that it’s more than 5,000 years old. Once the center of Chinese power and culture Luoyang is now best used as a base to explore the Longmen Caves (lóngmén shíkū龙门石窟), 12km from the city.

Originating from India, Buddhist cave carvings commemorate Sakyamuni, who used to teach his students in caves. Cave carvings became one of India’s great artistic heritages and spread throughout Asia along with Buddhism, the Longmen Caves have been selected as an UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Sites. (more…)

On the southern bank of the Yellow River, the ancient city of Kaifeng has withstood natural disasters, invasions and time.

Since 361 BC Kaifeng’s city walls have shielded early kingdoms and dynasties from northern invaders. The city’s fortunes reached a zenith during the cosmopolitan Song dynasty – this period distinguished Kaifeng as one of China’s most historically important cities.

For 168 years, the Eastern Capital, as Kaifeng was then known, flourished as a political, economic and cultural hub of the Middle Kingdom. Its streets bustled with people, animals and lively commerce. Resplendent temples and synagogues drew crowds of the faithful. Through its gilded city gates, camel caravans and Silk Road merchants sauntered in with bags full of goods.

Culture blossomed through poetry, calli-graphy, philosophy and the arts. Ceramic art reached its peak; no subsequent dynasty was able to replicate the exquisitely refined work of the Song ceramic masters. Today, only few pieces of priceless porcelain from the famous Guan Kiln (guānyáo 官窑) exists. (more…)