My China Musings

This blog is my thoughts on many things and about my adventures of living and traveling in China.

Foshan

Lunar New Year celebrations are all but over. Students are traveling back to their respective schools. People are going back to work. Life will settle down to normal, however normal is defined. In some ways, it is a relief.

A couple of friends and I traveled to Foshan, a city near Guangzhou. An old city, it was founded during the Northern Song Dynasty, back in the mid 1000's.  There is a lot to see in Foshan. We got a late start so we decided to only go to a couple places. We chose Zumiao Temple or Temple of the Ancestors. A big complex, it is now, more or less a museum,  as well as a working temple. Foshan is famous for it's porcelin and back during the emperor times, was known for it's artist guilds. Carvings and porcelin decorations around this temple are beautiful. I wish I could describe them all to you, but I could not even come close to telling you just how wonderful they are. . This picture of a lady dancer figurine is a small sample of what you can see. I think she is just great from her  smile to her very intricate dress.  Some of the carvings are huge panels showing panoramas of everyday life along with some of Buddhas or Taoist deities.   Foshan's city museum does care for this temple. The original temple burned down centuries ago and this version was built in the 1300s. Much of the architecture and decorations are from the 1300s. While the usual temple activities go on here, such as burning incense and prayers to Buddha, there are displays of traditional Chinese arts. Old or  ancient tablets of calligraphy are on display.  A couple are simply lists of names and the amount of money that he donated to the temple, but such beautiful writing. One display is a porcelin panel showing every emperor. Another one is musical instruments from everywhere in the world. Maybe the most beautiful is the exhibit of papercuts.  Papercuts are complete pictures cut from one piece of red paper.  Can you imagine pictures of animals or bridges, or anythng you can imagine made the way we made snowflakes as kids? Traditional Chinese Opera, Foshan version, is performed on an ancient stage. Lion dancers strut their stuff and wushu practioners show off their skills as part of the traditional arts shown there. You can easily spend a whole day taking in everything at this temple complex.

We, also, visted an old street. Buildings there are either very old or restored to look like it did in ancient times. Foshan is famous for it's porcelin as I mentioned before.  This old street is lined on both sides with shops selling everything made of porcelin.  Every price range is represented, too. 

We had a very interesting day. Come to China, and visit Foshan. I plan on going back to see some of the other ancient sites...so till next time.

posted by: CarolenChina at 14:38 | link | comments |
china, travel, history, calligraphy, living in china, guangdong, temples, buddha, traditions, foshan

More Lunar New Year Traditions

Lunar New Year celebrations are still going…people are visiting friends and family. This means lots of eating and drinking. People take each other gifts of big tins of cookies, candies and other sweets. Sometimes bottles of wine are given.  Individual gifts are not common as this seems to be a Western tradition. Maybe, Chinese are smarter than us, Westerners, in this regard. They don’t get caught up in trying to outdo each other by seeing who can buy the biggest gift. In Xiangfan, children are given new clothes and money. When a child reaches their twenties or gets married, the money stops.  In Guangzhou,  same traditions are followed, just a bit differently. Everyone gets new clothes, so that one starts out fresh. New shoes are a must for new steps to be taken. One should eat lettuce, to get money, apples for health and oranges for good luck. More food traditions exist, but I don’t remember all of them.  In Guangzhou, giving money is not limited to youth. Here, custom seems to be anyone younger than the giver as long as the receiver is not married. My friend, Zhao Hai, is in his early thirties, and his girlfriend, her late twenties. He was a little more than surprised when he was presented with red envelopes containing money along with his girlfriend. But, I think the biggest surprise was mine. I went to a family dinner with Zhao Hai and his girlfriend that her mother’s side was having.. His girlfriend’s ninety year old grandmother was there. She is something special. I am older than 30, much older. I have grandchildren. But I am single and have been more than 20 years. Can you imagine my shock as the grandmother handed me a red envelope containing money? I looked surprised, I am sure. I felt my face turn red. Mo Cong told me that I am younger than her grandmother and single, her grandmother should give me money. I had to laugh. For an instant, I knew and/or remembered what being a kid felt like. It was an incredible moment, just to be included in such a tradition. I will never forget the twinkling in the grandmother’s eyes. She may be ninety, but she is full of life. Till next time.

posted by: CarolenChina at 05:38 | link | comments (2) |
china, holiday, living in china, guangdong, traditions

Flowers............!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Take a look at just a sample of what can be seen being sold in Southern China at the moment. Lunar New Year is just a couple of days away and everyone is scrambling to get things done. Food is being prepared, houses are being cleaned and decorated. As I mentioned before, flowers are the main decoration. I don’t think that I understood the scope of how many flowers are used. Everywhere one looks there are flowers. Every street corner, every doorway, every place you can imagine has flowers, plants, small orange laden trees, or all of the above. Blocks upon blocks of streets are turned into flower markets. You can purchase just about any flower you can imagine. I have seen orchids, roses, along with exotic plants but the main ones are peonies, mums, and orange trees. Every color in Mother Nature’s palette is seen. It is just a delight to walk around. Flowers are said to lift the spirits and they do. Coming from the West, I have a fondness for colored lights of the holidays. However, after seeing how beautiful it is using flowers and plants, I think flowers and plants win. I know this is short, but I wanted to show you just how gorgeous the decorations are. So till next time, Xin nian kuai le. (Happy New Year)

posted by: CarolenChina at 12:58 | link | comments |
china, travel, holiday, living in china

Calligraphy

As mentioned before,  in a couple of days it will be Lunar New Year's Eve.  THE biggest holiday in the Asian world. Traditionally, houses are cleaned and filled with flowers or plants. One of the many different traditions that is used in China is gluing of sayings around the door that are written on red paper.  Just about every street corner has someone selling colorful banners. Here in Shiqiao, a main street is closed off and filled with stalls selling every kind of red decoration you can think of.  It is like a giant street fair. This is the year of the pig. Vendors were selling different kinds of door pictures ranging from the symbol for wealth to pigs to China's mythological ghost buster.  Calligraphers were there, too. They will write whatever you want for a fee. And they make lots of money in the days before Lunar New Year's Eve. I saw a man, yesterday, lay down over 300 yuan. It was so crowded around that booth, one couldnt even watch the calligrapher write. Many of the people had money showing in their hands.

Calligraphy fascinates me. Chinese characters are very regimented. Lines are drawn in a particular order, top to bottom, left to right, inside to outside. (I think.) Calligraphy is done with a brush not a pen.  A writer dips the tip of a brush into ink, lifts his hand and lets it glide across the paper. Like magic, off the tip of the brush comes a beautiful figure. Brushes come in all sizes from very delicate to big, very big. Ink is a special ink, not the kind one uses in a fountain pen. Lines in a character are done by changes in the amount of  pressure on the brush. It looks so easy.  Just dip and write.  Looks are deceiving.  After taking lessons for almost a year, I can write, maybe 4 or 5 characters.  It seemed like it took forever for me to get just one line correct.

Calligraphy is one of those wonderful ancient arts that has been practiced for 2 or 3 millennia. I can watch my friend do calligraphy for hours. It's a way of meditating.  Even, I, the expat, enjoy sitting and painting those wonderful lines. Hours can just melt away. And no worries seem to pass through the mind, because all the attention is on the brush.

I will end this musing with "Happy Lunar New Year". Till next time.

posted by: CarolenChina at 20:59 | link | comments (2) |
calligraphy, holiday, living in china

Xinjiang Province

A very nice person, called, BallAndBiscuit, left me a wonderful compliment. I went to her blog site to tell her thank you, only to find more kind words. I am very humbled and grateful for what she said.  I read some of her blogs about China and found she had traveled in western China. I, too, traveled in Xinjiang Province, among other places and experienced many of the same things she did. Here lately, there seems to be these reports of terrorists out west. I, personally, dont believe them... but that is neither here nor there. I am not a political person. I do not like politics of my home country or the politics in China. I do not get involved with either. I know most of my friends were hoping that when President Hu came to office that there would be many changes. And for the most part they still want change in their country. They are proud of their China, just as I am proud of my America, or you are of your homeland. But getting back to Xinjiang Province, there is much going on there that does not make world news.  Uygher peoples are not treated very well by Beijing, but that never is  reported.  I was told, when I was planning on following the Silk Road, that I as an American would not be safe and my Chinese friend would not be well received. Nothing could have been farther from the truth. We traveled out west for forty-five days and never, ever met with any kind of hostility or resentment.We were very respectful of all the peoples we had interactions with and were richly rewarded. Once in Kashgar, we happened upon a wedding party of a Moslem couple and were invited to dance and take part. People were friendly and helpful. We made friends with bus drivers, fellow travelers, merchants, and plain every day peoples. We got to experience many kinds of cultures and foods. We saw special places and beauty beyond measure.  Reading BallandBiscuit's blogs brought back many wonderful memories. Maybe I will dig out some of my former writings about my and my friend's travels along the Silk Road.  I would suggest if you get the chance, come to China and follow it yourself and see what made Marco Polo so excited.  Till next time.

posted by: CarolenChina at 10:03 | link | comments (1) |
china, travel, living in china, xinjiang province

Dancers

Here in Shiqiao, it is in the 80's F or 20s C, and it is in early February. Incredibly warm. Went out walking today and couldnt believe that this is not officially Spring.  Maybe the bottom will fall out of the thermometer, but for now, I am enjoying the pleasant warm without the humidity.  Wonderful weather makes going out early in the morning to do taiji much easier. Holiday season is here in China. The Lunar New Year is fast approaching. Many new faces can be seen at the stadium early  in the mornings. Many folks came home to be together for the occasion. I love going out early in the morning. Parly because I really like doing taiji and partly because I like to people watch.

A group of ladies meet every morning to do dances. They range in age, I  am guessing here, from 30 something to maybe 70 something. I watch them as I do my early morning laps before taiji. Some of these ladies are professional dancers or were.  Their movements are very graceful and professional looking. Some are trying very hard to keep up with the better dancers.  I watch faces. One lady, who I guess, must be in her forties, has this dreamy look about her. She is not a the best dancer I have ever seen, but she is there every morning. Her body has lost its youthful appearance. She has had children. And she has worked hard in her lifetime. Watching her expressions,  I  imagine her feeling herself back in her youth floating across the dance floor.  Another dancer is an older lady. She dyes her hair an auburn color, however, frequently her roots show and they are very silver.  There is a old saying that goes; "Just because there is snow on the roof, doesnt mean the fire is out in the furnance." Let me tell you, this lady's fire is still burning. Maybe, not as hot as years past, but she can move. She dances with more life than most people half her age. I imagine in her youth, she had more suitors than was allowed but probably, married the most handsome. Two ladies lead the group. One is a stout woman, but a very good dancer. The other is a very athletic looking person. She, I think, was a professional once upon a time. Her movements are very polished. This group of all different ages, bodies and abilities looks really pretty good when the music sounds and dancing begins. It matters not what the rest of us think, they feel beautiful for their hour or two together and that is all that matters.  Till next time.

posted by: CarolenChina at 09:14 | link | comments (1) |
china, exercise, , living in china

Sha Wan Village

One of the best things about living in China is being able to walk  back into history.  Near Guangzhou, Guangdong, China is a village that came into being during the Song Dynasty, around 800 years ago. Sha Wan is a place of living history as most of the original buildings are still being lived in. One of the building materials used was oyster shells. Walls of oyster shells are strong, beautiful, and still standing. Built in hutong manner, alleyways are barely wide enough for two people to pass each other. Passageways are paved with slabs of rock. In ancient times, richer parts of a village would have smoothed stone and the poorer areas, the rocks would be left rough. One can still see the rougher surfaced area but it doesn't have the same meaning today. Hutongs were traditionally built around wells. Sha Wan's well quit producing water about 20 years ago.  A river once flowed from the well to a small Buddhist temple on other side of the village. During Mao's time, the river was filled with rock and a road built. The temple is still there. It probably isn't the original temple, although it most likely built on that site. Even so, this temple is very old. A working temple, not many outsiders come here. No monks wander around, just local people taking care of business. Buddha isn't the usual looking Buddha. Maybe he is a little older than the one most commonly seen. Incense haze fills the rooms from many spirals of incense that smolder for a month hanging from the ceiling. Usual incense burners are filled with sticks of various sizes, sending their plumes of smoke skyward, too.

Next to the Buddist temple is the He Family Temple, the village's founding family.  It is a big complex.  Hand carved eaves and door frames add to the beauty of this place. Windows are latticed, casting gorgeous shadows. Ancient or old roofs in China are built with upturned eaves. Here in southern China, eaves are upturned, but carvings are different than those in Central or Northern China. Decorations on the roofs of this temple are carved with pictures of flowers, Phoenix birds and dragons.  Just about anywhere one looks is handiwork. Old hand plows and small boats are shown. Furniture that is considered antiques in any country can be seen and is still being used.  Property markers in the shape of reclining cows are on display from the Qing Dynasty along with pottery and brassware from older dynasties. This could be a museum in and of itself.

If you like ancient history or culture, come to China. You may just find it down the road. Till next time.

posted by: CarolenChina at 02:28 | link | comments |
china, travel, history, living in china, guangdong, temples, buddha, village, sha wan

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