Dali (Yunnan Province), one of the most attractive cities in China, has been drawing millions of visitors from around the world for many years. It is famous for four scenes- the wind in Xiàguān, the flowers in Shàngguān, the snow on Mt. Cāngshān, and the moon over Ĕrhăi Lake, which is also known as “dà lĭ sì jué”. Their popularity is not only based on the charming sceneries themselves, but also partly formed by the magic stories behind them. This time we are just focusing on the fantastic legends.
The cool and strong wind can be experienced effortlessly the moment you arrive in the city. The wind mainly blows from the southwest due to a natural bridge. There are several legends about the wind. One of them goes like this. A long time ago, the princess of Nanzhao kingdom fell in love with a hunter; but their love was strongly opposed by her father, the King. He ordered the enchanter in Luóquán temple to banish the hunter to the bottom of the Ĕrhăi Lake. In order to save her lover, the princess borrowed 6 bottles of wind from Guānyīn, the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy, to blow dry the water in Ĕrhăi Lake. Worrying about her lover, she ran in a hurry. Accidentally, she fell down on the ground and broke 5 of them when she reached the natural bridge. From that time until now, gales still howl all year round.
The flowers in Shàngguān
People living in Shangguan have a special penchant for cultivating flowers. It is said that there were a couple living in Shàngguān. Every time when the husband went to the mountain to chop wood, he would share his meal with an old man dwelling there. Once his wife suffered from a difficult birth, the old man gave him a bead and asked his wife to put it into her mouth. But, his wife dropped the bead on the ground by accident. At that time, the bead changed into a beautiful tree. The flower on the tree was as big as a water lily, and the aroma could be smelt as far away as ten kilometres. This news was heard by the emperor. He wanted to take the tree as his own. So, he then sent his solders there and forced the couple to hand over the tree. The couple could barely stand the oppression from the bureaucracy. They eventually cut down this tree with great sorrow. This flower was later confirmed as the Michelia floribunda.
The snow on Mt. Cāngshān
No matter how hot it is, the snow covering on the top of the Mt. Cangshan never melts away. The white and bright snow is often considered as the top of the four famous scenes. Legend has it that in ancient times, an influx of plague devils crashed into a village and spread diseases. The locals were entangled with their miserable lives. To save the villagers from the devils, a brother and sister went to learn the magic skills from Guānyīn. When they got back, they ousted the plague devils from the village and cooped them up at the top of Mt. Cāngshān. The plague devils were frozen to death. The sister became the Goddess of snow later and stayed there to keep the plague devils from returning.
The moon over Ĕrhăi Lake
It is charming to go boating on Erhai Lake on a clear night. People can greedily enjoy the moon and stars mirrored on the lake. As for the moon, the locals said that a princess living in the heaven palace was attracted by the people’s life on the ground and therefore she came down to a village and tied the knot with a fisherman. So that the locals could be well-fed and well-clothed, she placed her magic mirror at the bottom of Ĕrhăi Lake. The bright light reflected the shoals of fish so fishermen could easily catch them with their nets. Later, the mirror turned into the golden moon on the lake.
Tags: cangshan, dali, erhai, guanyin, nanzhao, shangguan, xiaguan, yunnan
Posted in legend, travel by Adrian, August 18, 2008 9:09 pm | Comments (0)
In December 1997 Lijiang in Yunnan Province and Pingyao in Shanxi Province were both designated as World Culture Heritage sites by UNESCO. They became world heritage sites at the same time but they both have their own unique charm.
Old Town of Lijiang
Lijiang is an old town which was built about 800 years ago in the northwestern part of Yunnan Province. Local Naxi people have kept their culture and traditions. In 2003, Naxi Dongba Literature Manuscript was recommended for inclusion in the Memory of the World Register in 2003.
Snow-capped mountains, ancient architecture and streetscapes, canals and waterways, the Naxi people and their distinct culture have attracted hundreds and thousands of tourists from all around the world. The most popular scenic spots and tourist attractions in and around Lijiang are Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, the Old Man Peak, the Black Dragon Pool, the Jade Peak Monastery and the Tiger Leaping Gorge. There are also some wonderful sites slightly further away from Lijiang, some of which can be reached by cycling or hiking.
Ancient City of Ping Yao
Pingyao in Shanxi Province, located on the trade route between Beijing and Xi’an, is famous for its ancient city wall and folk architecture. It was established in the Ming Dynasty and has been left almost untouched.
Ancient narrow, small temples and courtyard houses offer a unique architectural style and show the town planning of imperial China. Pingyao was also known as a merchant centre and is where China’s earliest banks set up. These institutions in Pingyao were the first in China to use cheques. In the 19th century the city became the financial centre of the Qing government.
To see a full list of World Heritage sites in China please click here.
Chinese Pinyin: Pi Ying, literally translation: Leather Silhouette
You may have heard of the Chinese traditional handcraft of paper-cutting and you may have even watched Chinese local operas. What I am going to talk about is an ancient dramatic art form that combines these two significant Chinese elements. This is known as Chinese Shadow Show.
Shadow Show, also called “Shadow Play,” has a history of more than 1,000 years. It uses light to cast the shadow of leather-cut figures (Piying) on a white curtain. Its repertoire and tunes are interrelated with local operas. The artisan operates the Piying while singing. Under the influence of different regions, many styles of Shadow Show have appeared, mostly in northwest of China.
The most popular material of such leather puppets is donkey skin. The images painted on the Piying are usually figures coming from historical plays or myths. Despite its differences in style from diverse areas in China, Piying has the following characteristics in common: highly precise carving, simple shapes and exaggerated decorative patterns. These together form an artistic charm.
It is not difficult to find these shadow puppets to bring home from China as souvenirs. Many shops have Piying on sale which have already been framed. However it is also possible to find the original Piying and move them around into your chosen position for framing.
