Archive January 29, 2020

Hongya Cave has a history of over 2,300 years. It was a military fortress from the ancient Ba State (1046 B.C. – 256 B.C) to the Ming and Qing Dynasties (1368 – 1911), and was also the site of the earliest and most developed pier of ancient China. The site now houses a large-scale stilt house complex built alongside a steep cliff on the bank of Jialing River. It has become a popular destination for visitors to experience Bayu culture – a Chinese ethnic culture, gaze over the river, and taste delicious food. The stunning night view is a highlight and should not be missed.

Hongyadong is an 11-storey, 75 meters (245 feet) stilt house abutting a steep cliff. It is popular with tourists because it has a similar appearance to a building in Spirited Away – a masterpiece of a famous Japanese cartoonist, Hayao Miyazaki. It is incredible that the 1st floor and the 11th floor are accessible by two different roads. Visitors can take an elevator to each level where various bars, café and restaurants are arranged. Visitors can also see the symbolic Hongya Dripping on the 2nd floor, which is a small waterfall cascading down the cliff-face. It is regarded as one of the 12 Bayu Sites.

Red cliff hole night scene is a highlight of chongqing, but also a feature of chongqing. At dusk, warm lights illuminate the stilted building. Combined with its reflection on the water, the shimmering complex floats like a dreamy pavilion amid the towering skyscrapers surrounding it. Visitors can view the amazing night view from different angles. In Exotic Balcony Street, visitors can buy exotic garnitures and handiwork and also have coffee and hamburgers there. There is also a ship-like pirate-theme bar with half of a ship’s hull suspended from the ceiling. As well, visitors can overlook the stilt house and Jialing River from the balcony.

Dazu stone carvings include all the cliffs in dazu county. The stone carvings collected have beishan, baoding mountain, nanshan mountain, shimen mountain, shizhong mountain, etc., the highest artistic attainments, the most exquisite skills.

Dazu county is located in the southeast of sichuan province. It is 168 miles from chengdu and 104 miles from chongqing. Covering 540 square miles (about 1,400 square kilometers), the county has a history of more than 1,200 years since it was founded in 758 during the tang dynasty (618-907).

Dazu stone carvings were first built in 650 during the tang dynasty and continued into the Ming dynasty (1368-1644) and qing dynasty (1616-1911). It is as famous as the mogao grottoes in dunhuang, gansu province. The stone carvings in these places are famous at home and abroad. Among the stone carvings, there are more than 50,000 statues and over 100,000 inscriptions. In this group of stone carvings, buddhist statues dominate, and Taoist and Confucian stone statues can also be seen.

It is 1.2 miles (about 2 kilometers ) away from the northwest of Dazu County. Figures in this part are something like ‘an Assembly of Oriental Beauties’, since it enjoys good preservation and elaborate craftsmanship. Tourists can see the graceful statue of Samantabhadra Bodhisattva, crowned as ‘the Oriental Venus’. Rock carvings in this part reveal the common Buddhist faith. Standing here for a while, one may feel that it is really a Buddhist palace.

Apart 12 miles (about 20 kilometers) from the eastern part of Dazu County, Shimenshan Rock Carving combines Buddhist and Taoist statues, but the later one predominates. In addition to these stone figures, there are also some inscriptions and remarks beside the figures. Representaion of some gods’ figures are lifelike and vivid. For example, outside the niche of the Great Jade Emperor stands the statuary of Shun Feng Er, a favorable god having clairaudience. It looks as if he is looking into the distance. Besides, there is a figure of Qian Li Yan, a god that can see things happening in a thousand miles’ distance. It looks as if he is listening attentively.

Many statues show the Buddhist and the Confucius doctrines, particularly the filial piety. In 1999, Dazu Rock Carvings were ranked as a World Cultural Heritage Site. Every year many thousands of tourists from home and abroad pay a visit to Dazu to appreciate the rock carvings.

Tulin, located in Duzhuang Township, Datong County, consists of hundreds of soil pillars and walls tens to more than ten meters high. It is called Shibangou by local people. Under different illuminations, they show wonderful changes: sometimes they shine with gold, sometimes they are red like fire, sometimes they are abyss, sometimes they are white like frost fields. Like Yuanmou in Yunnan and Alizada in Tibet, precious geological relics and magical workmanship show the desolate and solemn beauty of the Loess Plateau.The “soil forest” refers to the landscape consisting of protrusive loess and grit sediment due to crustal movement as well as wind and water erosion.

When visitors enter this place, it is difficult to understand that they are still on the Mars and still in the magic field. This is the Datong Soil Forest. The locals are called “Stone Trench” and it is the only known soil forest attraction in North China. Looking at it, the strangeness of the forest is dazzling, like an old castle rather than an old castle, like a sculpture and not a sculpture. Under different sunlight, the forest has different styles, or glittering, or red like a flame, and it is magnificent, which is favored by many photographers. Different from the stone forest, the earth forest changes with time and under the shape of wind and rain. However, the charm of the whole earth forest still does not affect its aesthetic sense. The local people call the earth forest “Shibangou”.

Nature’s ingenuity has created a strange and fascinating landscape of the soil forest. When visitors enter this place, it is difficult to understand that they are still on the Mars and still in the magic field. This is the Datong Soil Forest. The locals are called “Stone Trench” and it is the only known soil forest attraction in North China. Looking at it, the strangeness of the forest is dazzling, like an old castle rather than an old castle, like a sculpture and not a sculpture. Under different sunlight, the forest has different styles, or glittering, or red like a flame, and it is magnificent, which is favored by many photographers.

Located on the Banks of the jialing river, not far from its confluence with the Yangtze river, is an ancient village called ciqikou, formerly known as longyin. Located in the western city of chongqing, it covers an area of about 291.6 acres (1.2 square kilometers) and is 9 miles (14 kilometers) long.

Chongqing itself has undergone many changes over the centuries that are not reflected in ciqikou, so the village gives an impression of what chongqing was like in the distant past. This fact was recognized by the state council and became a protected cultural site in 1998.

The history of ciqi can be traced back to more than 1,700 years ago. During the Ming and qing dynasties (1368-1911), it was famous for producing porcelain. So far, more than 20 ancient kiln sites have been found there. Because of the importance of the porcelain industry, its name has been changed from long Yin to chi qi kou, which translates as porcelain village. In addition, the fact that the village is an important shipping depot explains why so many shops line the 12-lane route, paved with their flagstones, forming the main route. Here, you’ll find many outlets for crafts, groceries, and more, as well as watchmakers, photographic equipment, pharmacies, and enticing roasted nuts and seeds. As one might expect, there are also teahouses and restaurants catering to the many tourists who come to see a way of life that has been here for centuries.

Most of the houses on ciqikou street were built during the Ming and qing dynasties, when many of China’s architectural masterpieces were created. Most of the two – and three-story buildings are made of bamboo and wood. Black bricks and pillars set off the white walls, contrasting with cinnabar doors and latticed Windows. Black stone slabs and lanterns decorate the doors to complete the authentic and traditional exterior attributes. The quietly flowing jialing river, which has been the lifeblood of the village in people’s memory, flows past the village. Because it is the river that brings goods and people here, and local products to customers both at home and abroad.

Three of the village’s most striking attractions are the tea bar, the artist’s studio and the shu embroidery workshop. Surprisingly, there are more than 100 tea bars, each with its own unique characteristics. Here, friends like to chat or have meetings to discuss business. Therefore, the tea bar offers you the opportunity to meet the local people and familiarize you with the unique folk opera.

The studio, where you can see the work of local artists, will be very interesting. It is said that the more beautiful a place is, the more artists it attracts. You must be surprised by the quality and progress of the work on display, as many artists document the local scene with skill and dedication. With so many artists working in the magnetic seven, you’ll be spoilt when you’re looking for souvenirs to visit.

Since its establishment in 1929, Zhejiang Museum in Hangzhou has received donations of artifacts, paintings, porcelain and crafts from around 1,000 individuals.

According to the museum, public donations account for 45 percent of its collections, which have helped the museum’s development and protected cultural heritage in Zhejiang Province.

To pay respects to donors and celebrate the museum’s 90th anniversary, an ongoing exhibition at West Lake Gallery is displaying some of these donations through March 8.

For many in ancient China, getting a good night’s rest meant snuggling up with a ceramic pillow. During the Song Dynasty, ceramic pillows reached a new height of craftsmanship as artisans incorporated shapes and patterns into their pillow designs. The displayed pillow is monochromatic, reflecting a preference among literati for simply adorned porcelain goods. Without complicated patterns or color schemes to mask flaws, this lightly decorated pillow is an example of fine craftsmanship. Over the past decade, Zhejiang Museum has also received donations from intangible cultural heritage inheritors. At the exhibition, Shanghai Daily found works by masters Zhao Xixiang and Ji Xigui.

Among private donors, Hong Kong entrepreneurial couple Ronald Chao and his wife might be the most well-known. They donated 161 lacquered objects, valued at 167 million yuan (US$23.86 million) to the museum in 2012. The donation helped the museum fill a void in lacquer ware from the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), and enriched its collection from the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).

In ancient times, lacquer tree sap was used to varnish and protect daily necessities. Objects covered with lacquer were moisture-resistant, heat-resistant, corrosion-resistant, smooth and shiny. They gradually developed into a traditional craft. Chao’s ancestral home is in Zhejiang. The couple began collecting lacquer wares in the 1980s. Most were items used in imperial palaces, such as dining ware, bowls, vases and decorative objects. The exhibition showcases four pieces donated by the couple. Every piece is carved with sophisticated patterns.