Posts Tagged yangtze river
Three Gorges Travel Tips
Posted by act2009 in Yangtze Travel Tips on July 14th, 2009
Geography
The Three Gorges area in Yangtze River is one of the world’s largest canyons with magnificent landscape of waters and mountains. It is also known as one of China’s top 10 scenic spots, various sightseeing spots, magnificent rivers, towering mountains and natural attractions famed at home and abroad are available across the Three Gorges area, where starting from Baidi Town, Fengjie County in Chongqing to Yichang, Hubei Province.
Three Gorges area is the essence of the Yangtze River scenery and the gem of mountains and rivers in China. The grandness of Qutang Gorge, the enchantment of Wu Gorge and the steepness of Xiling Gorge, and more flaring small attractions such as Daling River, Shennong Stream, Xiang Stream and so on in Three Gorges area will draw your eyes and soul tightly. In terms of geography, the Three Gorges area starts from Yichang city, Hubei Province, however in convention especially in tourism and cruises, Wuhan is considered as the starting point of the Three Gorges area.
Cultural History
The cliffs, hills, water and forest in the Three Gorges Area in Yangtze River had given a great inspiration to Li Po, China’s world-renowned poet from the Tang Dynasty. He left us a splendid poem on landscape of the Three Gorges area with a picturesque image to our generation. The Three Gorges area becomes the romantic and fairy place for living and travel. In the depiction of Qu Yuan, the Three Gorges area is a heavenly place filled with diversity of herbs and rare plants, which just can be seen exclusively in Heaven. The splendid culture of the Three Kingdoms, exquisite monuments and magnificent landscapes constitute this world-famous gold line for touring, it is also known as the first choice in sightseeing tour at home and abroad.
In your travel to the Three Gorges area from Yichang to Chongqing, you could experience the nether world, earthly world and heavenly world in a very short period. The well-famed Fengdu Ghost Town, the stone inscription of Ghost King and the attractive scenery let you learn much of China’s culture from the underworld. The earliest water-inspection station of ancient China in Fuling. The Will of Liu Bei (famous Emperor in Three Kingdoms Period of China) in Baidi Town, Zhangfei Temple (one renowned general in Shu State in the Three Kingdoms Period, and he was sworn brother of Shu’s Emperor Liu Bei) in Yunyang. The Eight-Diagram Tactics made by Zhuge Liang (the smartest Taoist and Confucian in ancient China).
Three Gorges area is also the home to China’s most famous and patriotic poet, Qu Yuan and Wang Zhaojun, one of four most beautiful women in China’s history. The “hanging coffins” on the cliffs is an enigma, the Goddess Peak is romantic and mysterious. More and more amazing discoveries and attractions hiding in the itinerary of Three Gorges area will surprise and excite you too much.
Folk Customs
The majority of people here are Han and Tujia nationalities. They both keep the strong local customs. The dragon-boat racing formally held in Three Gorges area annually is for memorizing patriot Qu Yuan. The special bamboo produces backpack-baskets. The wedding ceremony of Tujia ethnic group is particularly interesting that will make your Three Gorges unforgettable. Chinese sturgeon, a kind of rare fish in the world, can also be seen here. It is not surprise to see there are many trees or bamboos surrounding a house, because it may mean that there is a beautiful unmarried girl in this family. The Three Gorges folk songs are easy listening.
Climate
The average annual temperature in the Three Gorges area is 18.4 degrees Celsius. In January, the average temperature is 7.1 degrees Celsius and the mean temperature in July, 29.3 degrees Celsius, very hot and humid. The annual average rainfall is about 1,400mm in Three Gorges area and mostly fallen in July and August. These climatic features are not much different from the Sichuan Basin, the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. However, because the deepness in valleys, the time of sunshine is short. In winter, the sunshine available is merely 2 or 3 hours at midday and only 5 or 6 hours in summer.
Transportation
Onboard a cruise vessel may be the best choice for a Three Gorges tour. By water from Wuhan to Chongqing via Three Gorges area, i.e., the upstream, is quite time-consuming, but visitors will have sufficient time to see the landscape on both sides of Yangtze River, and the cost is low and acceptable. If you are planning to visit Three Gorges in a reverse direction, from Chongqing to Wuhan, it will quite fast and the landscapes on both sides of Yangtze are all available, too. However, if you like to tour by bus, train or plane, the attractions in the Three Gorges area are difficult to be seen.
The Legend of Yellow and Yangtze Rivers Origin
Posted by act2009 in Yangtze Folk Legends on July 7th, 2009
In remote antiquity, twin brothers – the Green Dragon and the Yellow Dragon – were living inside Green Creek Cave just located by the side of Xumi Mountain (须弥山). They detested evils and often fought with Wang and Liang (魍 and 魉), the two fierce devils resided along the East China Sea.
One year, a great drought occurred on earth and everything complained to the Heaven. The Buddha knew the twin dragon brothers knew clearly all about the righteousness on earth; therefore, He dispatched the two to save the world.
It did not take long time, the twins learnt that Wang and Liang were demons who were doing evils to people. They descended and distributed their sons and grandsons to set fire on the planet and implanted a kind of “hellish fire” in human’s heart. People who had this illness would do bad things and cause troubles to each other. They provoked chaos to the cool and happy world. However, because the charm of the active fire made many people had followed and worshipped it.
For world peace and righteousness, the Green and Yellow Dragons decided to eliminate the evils. The twins disguised themselves as monks. They went to the people’s residences and tried to cure the evils inside them.
Because of the pestilence inflicted by Wang and Liang, most of the people on the planet suffered a disease called Yan (魇), which, the symptom was that a person would relieve or feel better for a while after he or she did some dirty tricks or evil behavior to others. The monk “doctors” gave people vermilions, pearls and seaweeds to take as remedy, also the taught them to say and repeat a curse to expel the devilish sickness. After using this set of therapy, many patients resumed their goodness and eliminated their ailments. The rehabilitated people told others about the effectiveness of the therapy and so many patients would follow. Three months later, tens of thousands people resumed their normal life by taking the therapy. People talked to each other that it was the merit of the two supernatural beings!
Wang and Liang learnt that someone who knew their evil spells they sent their best generals, crocodile and toad, to the earth and investigate the facts behind. The tricky and wicked toad persuaded the simple-minded but cruel crocodile to disguise itself to become two patients, asking for treatment, mixing among the crowd and living in the place where the two monks resided. The toad, which had practiced magic spells for more than a thousand years and great spiritual power, could see the holy lights emitted from the two monks. It knew that they were quite powerful. However, it told the crocodile that they were just the lesser gods, they were unimportant, the crocodile should rest and the toad could catch the two lesser gods for its masters. The crocodile was very angry that it thought the toad would attain the whole merit! At this stage, it became the native God. He opened his chopper-like mouth with teeth and marched straightforward to the monks.
The two monks had already known the two evil spirits would come. They were calm. When one of the monks saw the crocodile was coming straight-ahead, he took a small dragon ball, aimed at the monster and tripped it on the floor. The crocodile realized the situation was unfavorable it managed to escape. However, the other monk used his hand to grasp its head, which was then broken. The crocodile had died. The toad hurried back to the East China Sea, telling Wang and Liang that the enemies were the Green and Yellow Dragons.
Wang and Liang were extremely angry. They sent evil troops of about 50,000 to challenge the Green and Yellow Dragons. The twin brothers told the people who had been cured staying at their homes and not to go out. They lined up in the heaven and prepared to fight with the devils. Both dragons cast their spells trying to beat the evil forces. It lasted for seven days and seven nights. The two devils realized that lost had been very heavy, but did not accept their defeat. They negotiated and a wicked idea appeared – they would cast evil spells to collect dedicated followers as their soldiers, they arranged and divided them into two gigantic, long snakes – one in the south and another in the north, stretching from east to west, looking like two long strips of fire, wanting to burn out the Chinese soil. They were moving to central China. The places they passed had become charred land. They wanted to destroy the Dragons and kill the cured people.
The Green and Yellow Dragons had been struggling very hard for days. They were very tired. However, when they saw Wang and Liang attempted to kill all the people they had cured, they decided to save them. The twins ignored all the dangers, they changed themselves to two grand and cold rivers of their corresponding colors. They moved to the fire snakes, forced them to retreat and when they were contacting them, the whole-hearted followers were swirled into the river and died. The twin brothers expelled the devil snakes about 500 kilometers from their original positions before the fighting, which lasted three days and three nights. They pressed the devils under them and eventually the snakes were seriously hurt and buried underground. And the waters to which the dragons made had become the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers.
Today, the Chinese nation is still multiplying by the feeding of the two great rivers.
The Legend of Goddess Peak
Posted by act2009 in Yangtze Folk Legends on July 6th, 2009
The Legend of Goddess Peak is so popular in Wushan Mountain of Yangtze River. Once upon the time, Goddess Yao Ji (瑶姬) was the twenty-third daughter of Holy Mother of Western Heaven. She had been living in Yaochi Palace. She learnt theurgy from San Yuan Fairy and became a teacher to young fairy boys and girls. She was then called Madam Yun Hua. However, Yao Ji was actually did not like the lonely life at the fairy palace because she was very active in her nature. One day, she left her palace with her maidservants to tour around the East China Sea. When she saw the gusty winds and pounding waves, which had given people devastating natural disasters, she left the sea and went westwards. She was so happy to see the life of the people on earth, which was unknown to her. By her surprise, she saw twelve fierce dragons in the heaven above Wushan. They were playing winds and waves, which harmed people so much. Yao Ji was so angry that she decided to get rid of these devils. She pressed on the cloud and used one of her fingers to point, then the sky thundered and the earth was shaking. Until calm, the twelve fierce dragons were dead and their bodies had become twelve big mountains, which blocked the Wu Gorge of Yangtze River. The river water was flowing west to Sichuan area, where became an ocean of fresh water.
Xia Yu (夏禹, or 大禹, Da Yu) was a legendary hero of flood elimination in ancient China. He came to flood-battered Sichuan from Yellow River in northern China. However, it was very difficult to drive the floodwater out in such an area with high mountains and fierce flowing river by the traditional method of moving mountains. When Xia Yu was feeling very frustrated, Goddess Yao Ji was moved by his endeavoring spirit, she asked six servants to practice theurgy, helping Xia Yu to dredge the waterway of Yangtze River’s Three Gorges. This made the water could flow east to the East China Sea smoothly.
Xia Yu knew that Goddess Yao Ji helped him, so he climbed up to the top of Wushan Mountain to acknowledge her. When he came to the top, he just saw a beautiful stone column stood. However, not long later, the column changed to a wisp of blue smoke, which went slowly up into the heaven and became grey clouds. The sky rained. Dragons, phoenixes and cranes were flying amongst the hills and valleys at the scene. Xia Yu was wondering why such an amazing scene seen. Suddenly, the beautiful Goddess Yao Ji appeared in front of him and said, “You have great merits in eliminating the flood, but you also have to know the changing principles of things in heaven and on the earth.” She gave him a book about flood elimination.
Although the great flood was over, Goddess Yao Ji was still standing on the top of Wushan Mountain. She would still guide to ships and boats, keep fierce animals away, give rains to farmlands and provide medicine to heal illnesses. Year after year, she has already forgotten the Western Heaven, even herself. She became the Goddess Peak, which is loved by all. Her servants also became peaks, like barriers or guards, defending her forever.
The Legend of Baidi (White Emperor)
Posted by act2009 in Yangtze Folk Legends on July 6th, 2009
It has a true and interesting story behind Baidi town, near Qutang Gorge of the Three Gorges. In 25 AD, China was in the age of political chaos. Peasant army overthrew the Western Han Dynasty, but a new regime had not been established yet. A local military general, Gongsun Shu (公孙述) sundered some part of southwest China, waiting for political situation change.
It was said that one night Gongsun had a dream, a man told him “You can be an emperor reigning for twelve years”. When he woke up, he felt very mysterious. While he was walking in his courtyard in the morning on the following day, he saw white smoke wafted from the well. It looked like a flying dragon that flied up in the sky. Gongsun Shu thought that it was a good omen for him to be an emperor. Therefore, Gongsun held a ceremony, enthroned himself the emperor and called Baidi, literally “White Emperor”. He christened city established at the mouth of Qutang Gorge “Baidi City” and deployed troops.
One of the good friends of Gongsun Shu, Ma Yuan, was a man of great ability. He heard about the good news of Gongsun, he hurried from far away to visit and wanted to aid him. By Ma’s surprise, Gongsun deliberately displayed arrogant attitude to his long time friend. He ordered subordinates to make civilian costume for him to attend a ceremony, which was grandiose with royal guards and imperial officials would cheer. Ma would be honored marquis by the emperor and commanded the army of the country. The guests who accompanied Ma Yuan were so happy and wanted to stay with him, but he said, “Now the world is very chaotic and who will be unifying the state has not been decided yet. Gongsun Shu does not know how to welcome talents humbly but just pay a lot of attention to tedious ceremonial details. He is a giant puppet indeed. How can he preserve true heroes besides him?” He made up his mind to leave.
Meanwhile, Liu Xiu had established the Eastern Han Dynasty in Luoyang of central China to unify the state. He wrote a letter to Gongsun Shu, told him to analyze the political situation and surrender. However, Gongsun Shu thought that he was the emperor that he could not surrender. He refused the advice from Liu. In 37 AD, Liu Xiu sent troops to attack Gongsun, who died during the fighting.
Gongsun Shu had been emperor for twelve years and eventually killed. However, before he enthroned, he had already ruled China’s southwest region for about 16 years. During his rule, it was quite stable and not affected by the fierce wars fought in middle China. When Gongsun Shu was an emperor, he developed agriculture and water conservancy, which were benefit to his subjects. Therefore, in memory of Gongsun, local people built Baidi Temple in Baidi City.
Yangtze River Geography – The Forming of the Mother River
Posted by act2009 in Yangtze Geography on July 3rd, 2009
Yangtze River is the longest river in China, also known as the Mother River of Chinese Nation. It originates at the southwest side of Geladandong Peak of Tanggula Mountain, Tibetan Plateau, China. Flowing down eastwards through the long and winding passage of Tibet, Qinghai, Yunnan, Sichuan, Chongqing, Hubei (passes through Wuhan), Hunan, Jiangxi, Anhui, Jiangsu (Nanjing), and finally Shanghai into the East China Sea; 6,300 kilometers, with its valley area takes up of over 1,800,000 square kilometers, one fifth of China’s total land area.
- Hohxil Mountain, Tibet
However, where the origin of the Yangtze River is, is quite controversial. There are two views held by some modern geographical experts. Yangtze River and Yellow River are originated from the same high mountain, that is, Bayan Har Shan (巴颜喀拉山) in Qinghai Province of western China; and Yangtze River from the southern foot of the mountain and Yellow River from the northern foot. Another saying is that Tibet’s Hohxil Mountain (可可西里山) is the origin of Yangtze River; and it is being divided into two branches of river – Muluwusu River (木鲁乌苏河) at the south and Chumaer River (楚玛尔河) at the north. Organized geographical investigation activities were engaged in summers of 1976 and 1978 by a team of scientists going to highlands, where regarded as the origins of rivers. The scientists found that the Yangtze River started from the area located between Kunlun and Tanggula Mountains, where they saw many rivers. The bigger rivers here are Chumaer, Tuotuo (沱沱河) and Dangqu (当曲河), of which Dangqu River is the biggest in the area with high flowing scale. However, by adopting the principle of “the origin of rivers is very far away”, they determined the origin of Yangtze River is in Tuotuo River, with Dangqu River and Chumaer River as southern and northern branch origin rivers respectively.
- The great turn of Yangtze River, Yunnan Province
The area is a highland that very cold and the air is quite thin. Over 40 peaks of more than 6,000 meters above sea level are seen. Annual precipitation is 200 to 400 millimeters of which mostly snowfall. The warmest month July, the daily average temperature is below 0 degree Celsius (32 degrees Fahrenheit), only above freezing point when the high sun radiation shines at noon. The melting snow and ice in glaciers on the plateau make many tiny streams, which are the first flows of Yangtze River.
Yangtze River has passed through many of the different kinds of geology, tectonic settings, and of course different elevations and climate zones. It absorbed many small rivers and tiny streams on its passage. It can be divided into three categories according to different water and topological conditions – upper, middle and lower reaches.
- Jinsha Jiang, Sichuan, China
The upper reaches of Yangtze River are length 4,529 kilometers that takes up 72 percent of the river’s total length. The starting point is at the heart of the Tibetan Plateau, where the 4,000-meter-odd high altitude the river is shallow and wide. The width is 300 to 1,700 meters. Long, twisting and flowing very slowly with many small branch streams by the side of it. The section from Batang River to Yibin city in Sichuan Province is locally called Jinsha Jiang (River of Golden Sand) is another stage of changing topography. It is changing tremendously that the mountains are very high but the valleys are so deep. The river is flowing rapidly through the valleys. In Shigu (Stone Drum) in Yunnan Province, southwest China, Yangtze River is suddenly turns to northeast direction. The famous Hutiao (Jumping Tiger) Gorge is 35 kilometers away. The gorge is 16 kilometers long but the narrowest section is just 30 meters wide. After the Hutiao Gorge, the river will go into Yunnan-Guizhou Highlands and then to Sichuan Province. Traditionally Yangtze River (in Chinese: Changjiang, the Long River, literally) is the name used for the section at east of Yibin city. However, in Sichuan, Yibin to Yichang section is called Chuanjiang River (Sichuan River), 1,030 kilometers long. In the province, the riverbed is plain and the water is peaceful, because this is the Sichuan Basin. Going downward, the river will be wide and the water is flowing fast again. The upper reaches of Yangtze River ends in the Three Gorges Area.
- Three Gorges, Yangtze River
The 927-kilometer-long middle reaches start from Yichang, the Three Gorges. It is a plain area, too, the river is wide and the water is moving quite slowly. A certain part of it, which flows through Jingzhou (荆州) city near Wuhan, is called Jingjiang River (荆江). The water resources are so rich in the area that there are a lot of lakes along the valleys on two banks. The waters in lake and Yangtze River exchange one another. The giant water systems in Dongting Lake and Poyang Lake are linking to the great river, therefore the volume of discharge doubled.
Jingjiang River Dam, Yangtze River
The lower reaches are in eastern China, length of 844 kilometers. Yangtze River (扬子江, pronounced as Yang Zi Jiang), traditionally has been the name for the section in the cities of Yangzhou and Zhenjiang (where Yangtze is intersecting with Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal) in Jiangsu Province. It got the name because Yangzi Jin and Yangzi County, so westerners have been calling it the whole river “Yangtze” (the old spelling of Yangzi). The flowing volume in Jiangsu eastern area can reach 266,000 cubic meters per second, almost nine times the average rate in the rest of the river. However, in the Yangtze River Estuary, seawater will sometimes flow backward to the river mouth due to tidal waves of the East China Sea. This motion brings large amount of mud and sand to the riverbed. As time goes by, it forms many shoals or islands, of which the largest one is Chongming Island (崇明岛) in Shanghai.
- Chongming Island, Shanghai
Water is deep in the lower reaches and some part of the middle reaches, where large cruise vessels can sail through. Most part of Yangtze River is ice free, with the exception in high grounds on plateau, where without warm summer. Yangtze River provides adequate water source to irrigate the Chinese soil in the valley, feeding millions of Chinese people and giving abundant water energy.
Yangtze River History
Posted by act2009 in Yangtze River History on July 1st, 2009
Since the 20th century, it has been proven through archeological findings that the Yangtze River valley is the place of origin of the Chinese nation. It is also one of the origin places of Chinese culture.
More than 7,000 years before present, there had been rice cultivations in Yangtze River regions. And as the economic center had gradually moved southwards since the Sui Dynasty (about 1,400 years ago), the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River became financially developed areas. During Ming and Qing Dynasties, the regions had been the main areas of material contributions to the royal court in northern China.
The Yangtze River valley was the early man living and evolution venue traced back to 2 to 3 million years before present, i.e., the Paleolithic Age. Human fossils of different ages have been found during archeological excavation activities. In recent years, China found Wushan People (巫山人) who had been active here about two million years ago. In Yuanmo County, Yunnan Province (the upper reaches of Yangtze River), Yuanmo Man, or Yuanmo Ape, from about 1.7 million years before present, is the later stage of ape man. They are maybe earlier than the Peking Ape Man but they could use fire to cook and burn.
A skull fossil of an ancient man from three to four million years before present was found in Yuanmo County in 1988. The anthropological findings have proven that Central Yunnan Plateau in the upper reaches of Yangtze River had been one of the places of man’s origin on our planet. After the discovery of million-year human tooth fossils in the middle and lower reaches of Yangtze River in 1975 and 1976, a complete skull fossil of “Southern Ape” (Australopithecine) had been found in the same area in 1988. It was much older that it is one or two million years before present. The skull has been regarded as belonging to Australopithecine, which is the ancestor of man, also known as the upright-stood man. Human fossils from the Stone Age have also been found in Anhui Province in the lower reaches of Yangtze River. These have been the best-preserved man relics discovery hitherto in China.
There are many stone relics from the Neolithic Age, about 8,000 years before present in the Yangtze River valley found. At that time, people used stonewares, made potteries and began to do textile work.
Except the Chengdu Plain in Sichuan Province, many ancient relics from the Neolithic Age, such old tombs, daily necessities, production and agricultural tools have been found in central and southwest China.
The Neolithic culture sequences in the lower reaches of Yangtze River consist of Hemudu, Majiahong (马家洪) and Liangzhu (良渚). The 7,000-year-old Hemudu (河姆渡) Cultural Site was discovery in 1973 in Yuyao (余姚) near Hangzhou Bay in eastern China. There are batches of paddy and their crop husks among the found 7,000 pieces of relics. This gives evidence that Hemudu is the very first place where man grasped the agricultural technique of cultivating rice in the world. Very old wooden architecture was found in Yuyao area too.
In 1950s, archeologists discovered relic sites from the Shang Dynasty three thousand years ago along the Yangtze River valley. Later, they found that Sichuan area had close cultural tie with Shang. In 1989, utensils made of bronze, jade and ceramic from the dynasty about 3,200 years ago were found in Jiangxi Province in southeast China.
Great deal of ancient architecture, old graves, stone carvings and statues as well as ancient kilns in the 2,000 years between the Zhou Dynasty and Qing Dynasty are located along the vast area of the Yangtze River valley. Different cultures in the region have tremendously developed and influenced one another. They have given today’s people invaluable material and spiritual heritage.
Zigui County
Posted by act2009 in Three Gorges on June 30th, 2009
Qu Yuan Temple, the symbol of Zigui County in Three Gorges Area
Zigui (秭归) is located near the west mouth of Xiling Gorge of the Three Gorges, in western Hubei Province. It is said that the foundation of ancient Zigui County was made of the boulder, and the city looks like a gourd, so it is also known as Stone city or Gourd city. Zigui is a time-honored ancient town. It was formally established to be a county in the Han Dynasty’s China. Zigui area is the cradle of Chu (or Shu) culture in the Three Kingdoms Period. At the end period of Chu State, the great patriotic poet of China, Qu Yuan (屈原, 340 BC – 278 BC), was born here. His thoughts and poems played a key role in China’s cultural history. In fact, the name of Zigui County was originated from the story of the famous poet. It is said that Qu Yuan was exiled by King of Chu State due to slander, and his elder sister intentionally came back to see him, generally in southern China, she was called by her little brother as Zizi (姊姊) in dialect of southern China, and “归” (Gui) meant “return” or “come back”, therefore this place was called Zigui. Qu Yuan Temple is a symbol of Zigui and it is one of the main tourist attractions.
Zigui is a main orange producing area in China
Having excellent natural environment, Zigui is the main producing region of oranges in Three Gorges area of China. Mineral resources are very rich too.
Zigui is in a depression area of mountains of Daba, Wushan and Bamian. Yangtze River is flowing through the center of the county after passing Badong County in Hubei. The Zigui section of the river is 64 kilometers and it divides the county into south and north parts, where quite mountainous with a basin-like area in the county’s center. Two peaks, east and west, are 1,920 meters and 2,057 meters above sea level respectively, and the lowest point is 40 meters.
Fengjie County
Posted by act2009 in Three Gorges on June 29th, 2009
Build up area of Fengjie County, Chongqing
The ancient and rich cultural Fengjie County (奉节县) is located in the east of the Chongqing City, bordering the Wushan County to the east and Hubei Province to the south. It has a history of about 2,400 years. The county takes up an area of 4099 sq. km, a mountainous region, which about 88 percent of land is high ground. The highest point in Fengjie County is 2123 meters above sea level while the lowest is the 86 meters, where it is the gap of the Qutang Gorge, before the construction of the Three Gorges Dam, to which the water will be storing up here.
The majestic Qiyao Mountain is divided by the great Yangtze River, so the famous Qutang Gorge is formed here. The farther from the river, the higher the elevation, and the craggy mountains and the big river make the scene so eye-catching. Fengjie’s climate is typically sub-tropical monsoon with high relative humidity and high summer temperature, but the higher the elevation, the lower the annual average temperature.
Fengjie County is also known as the Poem City. Many eminent Chinese poets, such as Wang Wei, Li Po, Du Fu, Bai Juyi, Su Shi (Su Dongpo), and Su Zhe had been there and they left many moving poems to chant the beautiful scenery of the county in Yangtze River.
Bonsai Garden
Posted by act2009 in Tourist Attractions on June 29th, 2009
Bonsai Garden
The Bonsai Garden in Jiangling of Jingzhou is a recreational park that has bonsai scenery and gardening artistry with easy access. The 25,000-square-meter bonsai garden is built by imitating the traditional Chinese style, which is combined the artistic layout of the China’s classical gardens in the south and the grand architecture of the royal courtyards in the north. The watery area of the garden occupies around 80 percent. Walking inside, you will see the excellent juxtaposition of large houses, small kiosks, tranquil corridors and rustic rockworks has made the scenes of the park related to one another. Crossing slowly the tiny stone bridge, listening to the flowing sound of the brooks and seeing the ancient architecture will make you feel you’re living in ancient China.
The delicate tree root carvings and the rough-looking stone bonsais are as if they are made by the Nature. They demonstrate the power of human artistry. The bonsai competition of Hubei Province and in the state’s contests have awarded the bonsai making masters.
Transportation
Take bus No. 18 in downtown Jingzhou as far as the Bonsai Garden directly.
Food
Nine-yellow Cake (九黄饼) is a traditional famous snack in Jiangling having over a thousand years’ history. In the past, people liked to bring this kind of dry cake for hiking and traveling far. The Nine-yellow Cake gets its name from Chinese saying, “the chrysanthemums are in pretty yellow in the Ninth Month of Lunar Calendar”. The ingredients for making the cake are choicest and demanding in technique. The outer layer is made of quality wheat flour with sesames and sugar. It should be quite crispy. The stuffing includes rose, sugar-preserved gourd, walnut pieces and some sweet fruits. Bake in medium fire and make it dry. The Nine-yellow Cake is so sweet with heavy stuffing, long storing period and easy to carry.
Shopping
Jiangling lacquerworks
Jiangling lacquerwork has been well developed in history. Today’s lacquerworks are made according to the excavated relics in tombs from Chu State over 2,500 years ago. Hanging Drums by Dragon and Phoenix, A Giant Bird Standing on the Back of a Small Tiger, The Lying Deer and Fast Galloping Horse and so on are of great cultural value.
Feather fan and paper fan are Chinese traditional handicrafts made from feathers of wild bird and paper respectively. There are feather fans of vividly colored, in different shapes and some have scenery painted on. Paper fans are also painted with animal images and natural landscape. In addition to their aesthetic value, the fans can be used for cooling yourself during hot weather.
The Stele Garden
Posted by act2009 in Tourist Attractions on June 26th, 2009
The Jiangling Stele Garden (江陵碑苑, Jiang Ling Bei Yuan) was found in 1992, located in Jingzhou, Hubei Province. It was built under the financial support of the Taiwanese Jiangling Citizens’ Association. The whole garden maintained the traditional architecture of China’s stele parks that is combined the imposing verve and elegant simplicity. The Stele Garden consists of 18 buildings, the Front Hall, the Stele Hall and the Stele Pavilion, to name a few.
The garden collects about 300 steles by past masters and modern artists in China, Japan, Singapore and the US. The most eminent ones are elegant writings by the founding father of modern China, Dr. Sun Yat-sen and the Chairman Mao Zedong. There are also many calligraphic steles of different styles in Chinese characters by some notable historical figures and men of letters. The Stele Garden has almost all the existing styles and fonts in Chinese calligraphy, it is an ideal venue for calligraphy lovers to see, learn and cultivate your soul.
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