Pictures of China

[Randy W]

A once famous martial artist who taught thousands of students now bides his time at a hilltop temple that dates back to the Ming Dynasty, writing poems by the kilo.

from National Geographic Magazine on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/NGM/posts/pfbid0D5CvCBXsV3SDGtCj82qf9FSfBD7jWRrcmBNws8b4Bz8Qh6yWtvKaguCeu2NWD1FSl

At a remote temple in China, a Kung Fu master keeps the past alive
Uncle Yu—a once famous martial artist who taught thousands of students—now bides his time at a hilltop temple in Sichuan, writing poems by the kilo.

Wu De Temple, dating from the Ming Dynasty, offers shelter to several aging tea pickers and a martial artist.

Quote

 

A Thousand mountains will greet my departing friend,
When the spring teas blossom again.
With such breadth and wisdom,
Serenely picking tea—
Through morning mists
Or crimson evening clouds—
His solitary journey is my envy . . .
— "The Day I Saw Lu Yu off to Pick Tea," by Huangfu Zeng, eighth century

We slogged up the steep hill. My friend Yang Wendou carried the broadsword.

The hill was corduroyed in green hedgerows of Camilla sinesis, the tree first domesticated to please the palates of tea drinkers some 3,000 years ago. The sword belonged to Yu Chengzhang. Uncle Yu was a martial artist and poet who wrote poems by the kilo.

“I write several poems when I awake,” he said at the hilltop temple. “I do this every day.”

The temple’s name was Wu De. Uncle Yu composed his stanzas there with a cheap pen on sheets of plain white paper. He stacked these papers in a dim hermit’s quarters. Altogether his poetry weighed, by his estimate, about a quarter of a ton.

“You appeared my dreams,” Uncle Yu told me the next morning. “You were meeting an 80-year-old woman. So I wrote a poem about it.”

He read the poem out loud. It was done in classical style, in four-line stanzas with five to seven syllables. It told of clouds blowing about in the south and women pickers bent in the tea gardens singing. I couldn’t follow it, to be honest. Then he changed into a yellow Kung Fu suit and gave a martial arts demonstration.

What can I say about how Uncle Yu moved?

He was a man in his 70s. Once, he’d been very famous. He was the best Kung Fu master in Ya’an, the nearby city in western Sichuan, where he’d taught thousands of students. By the 20th movement, he was sweating. By the 30th, I could hear him wheeze. But the clouds still moved about in him. So did some faint echo of a song, rising and falling as his slippered feet scuffed across the clay of the temple courtyard. Watching him stirred the sorts of feelings you might get holding a river-smoothed cobble. That weight of long vanished power. Of repetition distilled into stillness.

 

 

Edited December 3, 2022 by Randy W (see edit history)

[Randy W]

#YiyangFengyu #Bridge in #Sanjiang Dong Autonomous County, #Liuzhou City, south #China's #Guangxi, has been completed and opened to traffic, which not only facilitates people's travel but also becomes a new local #landscape. #Construction

from T-Time HK on Facebook 
https://www.facebook.com/hongkongteatime/posts/pfbid0BMHAMybBsHyArLvg6mM6W62UGukqTKbAxuaNZhWsqKK5qMGRvxduVUfUimBFCqeRl

 

 

[Randy W]

#Winter #snow has arrived as promised in Bajiaozhai Scenic Area (桂林资源八角寨) in #Guilin. 
If you miss the autumn, see you in winter. 
The snow in the subtropical region is waiting for you to enjoy.

from Discover Guangxi China on Facebook 
https://www.facebook.com/DiscoverGuangxi/videos/590930946368463/

 

[Randy W]

The Dunhuang Academy, which oversees the famous Mogao Grottoes and other sites, said that more than 6,500 high-definition digital collections of murals, manuscripts, and scrolls from six historical caves can now be browsed and downloaded on its digital library.

Read more: http://ow.ly/Mlnv50LZccz

from the Sixth Tone on Facebook 
https://www.facebook.com/sixthtone/posts/pfbid0Povfrunhc7xM8nfbge4eckC4pALYekHiTVDUhbFAFaFmt6MchEEKE6A4e9N3Zk1Cl

Collections From China’s Famed Grottoes Move to Blockchain Database
The public can access more than 6,500 digital collections of artworks from the Dunhuang and other places.

 

Quote

 

The collection includes images from the Mogao Grottoes and five other nationally protected sites under the academy: Western Thousand-Buddha Grottoes, Yulin Caves, Maijishan Grottoes, Bingling Temple, and North Grotto Temple.

 . . .

The platform also uses blockchain technology to protect the intellectual property of the derivative artworks by keeping traceable records of ownership, creation, authorization, payments, and downloads, according to Tencent. In addition, all authorized use of the materials can be verified, while e-signature technology ensures the security of the agreement process.

 

It's unclear what purpose a "blockchain" would serve over a simple digital ledger tracking the "ownership, creation, authorization, payments, and downloads, according to Tencent. In addition, all authorized use of the materials can be verified, while e-signature technology ensures the security of the agreement process." Most online digital archives, whether controlled, pay-walled, or public access, do NOT use "blockchain" for this purpose.

In a related article,

Mogao Grottoes Call Overseas Relics Home, Electronically
Digital gallery of ancient Buddhist caves turns to Harvard University for missing piece.

This seems to simply be about digital sharing of images of museum pieces - this has nothing to do with blockchain technology.

[Randy W]

A yaodong or "house cave" is a particular form of earth shelter dwelling common in China's north. They are generally carved out of a hillside or excavated horizontally from a central "sunken courtyard".
#AmazingChina #north #cave

from iChongqing on Facebook 
https://www.facebook.com/iChongqing/videos/594354065790760/

A yaodong or "house cave" is a particular form of earth shelter dwelling common in the Loess Plateau in China's north. They are generally carved out of a hillside or excavated horizontally from a central "sunken courtyard

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yaodong

By Meier&Poehlmann - Own work, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=11875086

By Meier&Poehlmann - Own work, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=11875182

Edited December 12, 2022 by Randy W (see edit history)

[Randy W]

Waking up on the edge of a 326-meter-high #cliff in the early #morning, you must experience such a castle in the air.
📍The Cliff #Hotel built on the Mianhua #Sinkhole in Hechi, Guangxi(广西河池棉花天坑悬崖酒店).

from Discover Guangxi China on Facebook 
https://www.facebook.com/DiscoverGuangxi/posts/pfbid0XGcnqay5KfTopvAnQAwavK2qPyxQV49N2ccQGnKZUkJSDX9U29txt4DY4KruszVdl

 

[Randy W]

You must have seen the great photos of Hongya Cave in #Chongqing from the outside.
Well, it is as stunning from the inside as it is from the outside.
📷YadongXiaoHongShu/xucanzaipaizhao
#Chongqing #photograph

from iChongqing on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/iChongqing/photos/a.1152396818241348/2521123248035358

 

You must have seen the great photos of Hongya Cave in #Chongqing from the outside. Well, it is as stunning from the inside as it is from the outside. 📷YadongXiaoHongShu/xucanzaipaizhao #Chongqing #photograph

Posted by iChongqing on Monday, December 12, 2022

 

Hongya Cave (Hongyadong)

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.

 

Edited December 16, 2022 by Randy W (see edit history)

[Randy W]

My legs are shaking (not mine - this is from iChongqing) just watching this.
📍Wansheng District, Chongqing
#Chongqing #courage

from iChongqing on Facebook 
https://www.facebook.com/iChongqing/videos/847559193233070/

 

My legs are shaking just watching this. 📍Wansheng District, Chongqing #Chongqing #courage

Posted by iChongqing on Tuesday, December 20, 2022

 

[Randy W]

With more than a thousand years of history, Maijishan grotto are carved into the soft red sandstone cliff of a hill without the help of modern technology. How did they made that?!
📍Gansu Province, China
#AmazingChina #travel #grotto

from iChongqing on Facebook 
https://www.facebook.com/iChongqing/videos/1606175769826149/

 

With more than a thousand years of history, Maijishan grotto are carved into the soft red sandstone cliff of a hill without the help of modern technology. How did they made that?! 📍Gansu Province, China #AmazingChina #travel #grotto

Posted by iChongqing on Thursday, December 29, 2022

 

[Randy W]

Beijing’s #CentralAxis was determined based on the geographical conditions and layout of the city, and the entire city’s residential areas were distributed along intersecting north-south and east-west roads, like a chessboard. The layout remained the same in the Ming and Qing dynasties. In 1420, Emperor Yongle of the Ming Dynasty completed the construction of the imperial palace in Beijing, and then moved his capital to Beijing in the following year. The construction of the Ming capital, based on Dadu of the Yuan Dynasty, took 15 years. The renovation reflected the planning and designs of feudal emperors and laid the foundation for the scale and pattern of the old city of Beijing today.
http://china-pictorial.com.cn/central-axis--the-backbone-of-beijing?fbclid=IwAR1goiFZm9dCHWvvJhmdebqF3TiTxQauHPLpfuXPnc-AJmTfW8lPFkq349o

Central Axis: The Backbone of Beijing

TEXT BY ZHU ZUXI

DECEMBER 27, 2022

The old city of Beijing in the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties is a universally recognized masterpiece of urban planning and architecture. The Scroll on Beijing’s Spring was painted by Xu Yang in 1767. This painting, composed in a bird’s-eye view, presents the layout of old Beijing centered around the Forbidden City, with city walls, streets, residential buildings, and other structures in the peripheral areas, forming an orderly and indivisible whole. (Photo courtesy of the Palace Museum)

 

[Randy W]

Remembering a Golden Age: Shanghai at the Turn of the Century

(That would be THIS century)

Photographer Xu Haifeng captures the melancholic optimism of China’s commercial hub in the 1990s and 2000s.

Learn more: http://ow.ly/8wag50Mkz2q

from the Sixth Tone on Facebook 
https://www.facebook.com/sixthtone/posts/pfbid021m6Cr9cP2YnFob6rvZb85yVj9rPmUtkyhjLax7ZjB5qyNMrnHmV1XgDN9BrTGqpWl

 

 

[Randy W]

Zisha teapots are some of the first teapots ever made. The same techniques used in 14th-century China are used to make them today. A zisha teapot typically holds one cup of water and can cost between $150 and $90,000. So why are these teapots so expensive?

https://www.facebook.com/businessinsider/videos/2768041860163214/

 

Why Zisha Teapots Are So Expensive

Zisha teapots are some of the first teapots ever made. The same techniques used in 14th-century China are used to make them today. A zisha teapot typically holds one cup of water and can cost between $150 and $90,000. So why are these teapots so expensive?

Posted by Insider Business on Tuesday, January 11, 2022

 

Why Zisha Teapots Are So Expensive

Zisha teapots are some of the first teapots ever made. The same techniques used in 14th-century China are used to make them today. A zisha teapot typically holds one cup of water and can cost between $150 and $90,000. So why are these teapots so expensive?

Posted by Insider Business on Tuesday, January 11, 2022

 

Edited January 9, 2023 by Randy W (see edit history)

[Randy W]

How a Rare Tibetan Fiddle (Xianzi) Sounds and is Made

Best of Goldthread: Xianzi is a two-stringed instrument of Tibetan origin that’s not commonly seen outside of Yunnan, southwest China. We went to meet one of the last expert xianzi craftsmen.

from the SCMP on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/scmp/videos/683838303291914/

 

 

How a Rare Tibetan Fiddle (Xianzi) Sounds and is Made

Best of Goldthread: Xianzi is a two-stringed instrument of Tibetan origin that’s not commonly seen outside of Yunnan, southwest China. We went to meet one of the last expert xianzi craftsmen.

Posted by South China Morning Post on Monday, January 9, 2023

 

[Randy W]

【塔克拉玛干沙漠迎来降雪 白色沙海呈现别样梦幻色彩】
雪后的大沙漠有多美？…
[Taklimakan Desert ushered in snowfall, white sand sea presents a different kind of dreamy color]
How beautiful is the desert after snow? …

from China Xinhua News on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/XH.NewsAgency/videos/1196749994550142/

 

 

【塔克拉玛干沙漠迎来降雪 白色沙海呈现别样梦幻色彩】

雪后的大沙漠有多美？ 随着新一轮冷空气来袭，塔克拉玛干沙漠出现大范围降雪，银装素裹的白色沙海一改往日的金黄，呈现出别样的梦幻色彩。

Posted by China Xinhua News on Sunday, January 15, 2023

https://video.sina.cn/news/2023-01-16/detail-imyaishu8982470.d.html?vt=4

Edited January 16, 2023 by Randy W (see edit history)

[Randy W]

Apart from those skyscrapers and stunning night views, the old trails might be the city’s best-kept secrets waiting for you to explore.
📷XiaoHongShu/WALKERyisan
#Chongqing #night #trail #explore #nature

from iChongqing on Facebook 
https://www.facebook.com/iChongqing/photos/a.1152396818241348/2555059257975090