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Longmen Grottoes

3/22/2019

If you look closely at the picture on the left, you can see the tiny people near the statues at the Longmen Grottoes, giving you a sense of the size of the largest of the buddhas. It's important to note, however, that as impressive as those buddhas look from across the lake (photo taken on left), there are some buddhas carved into these grottoes that are as short as an inch.

The grottoes are located in Luoyang, in central China and are one of the most impressive examples of Buddhist art in all of China. They are carved into a one kilometer stretch of limestone on the Yi River. There are approximately 1400 caves, the little holes in the limestone visible in the above pictures included. Inside and outside those caves reside approximately 100,000 statues.

The earliest of the statues was carved in 493 AD. Many of the statues were commissioned by emperors in memory of ancestors. Over the years, they were looted by foreign countries and warring states. In addition, wind and water erosion have worn away some of the statues. Over the past 60 years or so, the Chinese government has made a concerted effort to restore and protect the grottoes.

It is worth a visit to Luoyang to see the grottoes. Other attractions in the area include the Shaolin Temple and Song Mountain.

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Market Spices

3/15/2019

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On every trip to China, we visit a food market. The variety of fruits and vegetables is magnificent. The vendors set up the items in a colorful array of circles and lines. Purple eggplant. Orange carrots. Fuchsia dragonfruit.

I could mill around the produce for hours. I love listening to the vendors talking to one another. I watch as they pat each other on their backs, laugh and share a cup of tea. There is a sense of community that we don't find in our local supermarket.

There is another section in these markets that offers more than color: spices. They tickle my nostrils with the unfamiliar. The spices remind me of the meals I share with the people with whom I travel. They remind me of family dinners, even though I rarely make a stir fry.

On every trip to a market, I buy a bag or two of spices. They are never used to cook. In fact, they I don't think they have ever made it back to the U.S. I just like to buy them. I generally leave them in my hotel room before checking out of the hotel in the city or village in which they were purchased.

I buy them not for their future use, but for the present moment. Even if I did not speak the language, the transaction would still make an impression that shapes the way I see the world. The smelling of the spices. The smile of the vendor, noticing my appreciation. The offer of a sample taste. The unusual flavor as it hits my taste buds. Pointing at a small bag. The scooping of the spice. The trade of spice for money. The bag in hand as I walk away. No words required.

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Lijiang

3/8/2019

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Lijiang is an ancient town in Yunnan Province, in the southwest of China. The streams that run through the old town are bordered by cobblestone streets and made all the more beautiful by the 800 year old bridges. As with most well-preserved towns, Lijiang is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Home to many ethnic minorities over the years, such as Naxi and Bai, the area is filled with spectacular natural scenery. The most impressive is Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. Outside the Andes, the mountain is the most southerly snow-capped mountain in the Northern Hemisphere. The highest point is about 18,000 feet. There are some brave climbers who hike to the summit, and others, like yours truly, take a cable car. The views are breathtaking.

One of my favorite parks in China is Black Dragon Pool Park. The mountain is in the background, with greenery, pagodas and bridges. The park is peaceful and quiet, especially in the morning. There are myriad trails around the park, including some that allow travelers to walk up a short distance for views of the surrounding area.

Travelers could spend days walking around Lijiang old town, but it's fun to travel outside to other villages. Baisha village is a Naxi community. The village boasts murals that are over 1,000 years old. Indeed they are beautiful and impressive. Just as impressive, however, is the way that the locals still live, as if time has frozen.

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Nian, the New Year Monster

3/1/2019

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The legend of Chinese New Year revolves around a monster named Nian. Nian means "year." Once each year, Nian would emerge from hiding and devour the people of the villages. In order to save their children, parents would give their children money at night, so that they might bribe the monster to spare them, thus the tradition of giving money.

Over the years, the villagers became aware of the beasts' fear of the color red. So every year, when Nian was to come out to feed, villagers would hang red lanterns and put up red decorations, thus the tradition of decorating with red and giving money in red envelopes.

The villagers also discovered that Nian was afraid of loud noises. In order to scare Nian away, the people lit firecrackers at night, to dissuade the monster from coming to their village, thus the tradition of lighting firecrackers on celebrations like Chinese New Year and weddings.

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Longmen Grottoes

Market Spices

Lijiang

Nian, the New Year Monster

Lauren Drazen

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