China Cultural Chronicles October 30, 2012
- Smok'n - Carbonized Sheep's Head
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I'm not sure why they cook it this way, but they were very industrious in their work.
- Cherry and I
- A la cola
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- 阿里北线
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- on the road
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- Sichuan spicy Rabbit
- East is Red-Orange
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Asia's longest river, the Yangtze, or Drichu in Tibetan, which runs through the city in south-western China, turned a bright shade of orange-red on September 6, 2012. Although the cause is yet to be determined, officials investigate the cause of the colouring. The Yangtze flows for 6,418 kilometres from the glaciers on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in Qinghai eastward across southwest, central and eastern China before emptying into the East China Sea at Shanghai. (Photo/China Foto Press/Barcroft Medi) [Monday, September 10, 2012, dailymail.co.uk]
- Detian Waterfall 13 - Guangxi, China
- Full body-length prostration, Tibet 2012
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Like to see the pictures as LARGE as your screen? Just click on this Slideshow : www.flickr.com/photos/reurinkjan/sets/72157630983897338/s...
This is very hard to do, more so for this woman of age, normally she walks with stick who she drags on a rope behind her during the prostration.
The actual prostration is performed by dropping the body forward and stretching it full length on the floor, the arms outstretched in front.... Again, with hands in the lotus bud mudra, bend your arms back and touch your hands to the top of your head (forehead touching the ground), a gesture that acknowledges the blessing flowing from Guru Rinpoche. Then stretch your arms out once more and push yourself up.... Bring your hands into the lotus bud mudra for the third time and touch your heart in a gesture of reverence. Then, walk forward in body length, with a smooth motion, bring your hands to your crown and perform the next prostration...........
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prostration_(Buddhism) - Full body-length prostration, Tibet 2012
reurinkjan has added a photo to the pool:
Like to see the pictures as LARGE as your screen? Just click on this Slideshow : www.flickr.com/photos/reurinkjan/sets/72157630983897338/s...
This is very hard to do, more so for this woman of age, normally she walks with stick who she drags on a rope behind her during the prostration.
The actual prostration is performed by dropping the body forward and stretching it full length on the floor, the arms outstretched in front.... Again, with hands in the lotus bud mudra, bend your arms back and touch your hands to the top of your head (forehead touching the ground), a gesture that acknowledges the blessing flowing from Guru Rinpoche. Then stretch your arms out once more and push yourself up.... Bring your hands into the lotus bud mudra for the third time and touch your heart in a gesture of reverence. Then, walk forward in body length, with a smooth motion, bring your hands to your crown and perform the next prostration...........
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prostration_(Buddhism) - Faberge eggs come to roost in Shanghai
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下载安装Flash播放器The Trans-Siberian Train Faberge egg was made in 1900 for Czar Nicholas II as an Easter gift to his wife.
Treasures from the Kremlin Palace are on show in Shanghai, including four Faberge eggs.
The House of Faberge is a Russian jeweler founded by Gustav Faberge and carried on by his son, Peter Carl Faberge, in the mid 1800s.
The company is famous for its elaborate jewelry, especially the Faberge eggs created for the czars. This is the first time Faberge eggs have been exhibited in China.
The exhibition, titled World of Faberge, consists of more than 200 items, from the Kremlin Museum of Moscow and Fersman Mineralogical Museum of Russia.
House of Faberge created approximately 50 jewel-crusted Easter eggs for two czars, Alexander III and Nicolas II, and 42 of them have survived.
Kremlin Palace has 10 of the imperial Faberge eggs, which are the highlight of its collection, according to Elena Gagarina, general director of Kremlin Museum of Moscow.
Besides four of the imperial Faberge eggs, the exhibition presents a wide range of Faberge creations, from fine jewelry to ceremonial costumes, from religious icons to sculptures and royal house ware.
The four eggs on display are The Memory of Azov, featuring a miniature replica of the namesake Russian cruiser; The Trans-Siberian Train consisting of a five-carriage train with clockwork locomotive; The Moscow Kremlin in the shape of the Cathedral of the Assumption in Moscow; and the last Faberge egg, Constellation, which depicted the 12 signs of the zodiac, but was never finished because of the Russian revolution.
The Trans-Siberian Train was made in 1900 for Czar Nicholas II as an Easter gift to his wife. The egg has a surface of onyx, silver and gold, and decoration of enamel. Hidden inside is the surprise: a miniature train with vivid details. The five carriages were labeled with such names as "ladies only" and "prayer-room". A key can be inserted in the locomotive, to wind it up and make the train run.
Shanghai Museum made a huge effort to ensure the treasures are well presented.
"We had special glass cases designed for the eggs so that visitors can appreciate the treasured pieces from any angle," says Chen Xiejun, director of Shanghai Museum.
The exhibition is one of the major programs celebrating the 60th anniversary of Shanghai Museum. Shanghai people typically admire Russian culture and art, Chen says.
"Carl Faberge was not only a merchant and craftsman, but also an artist of originality," says the curator of the Kremlin Museum, Tatiana Muntian. "We've chosen the most representative pieces for audiences in Shanghai, as this is our first exhibition in China."
Kremlin Museum of Moscow has the largest collection of imperial Faberge eggs, and all but one of those on exhibition in Shanghai are from its collection.
The unfinished Constellation comes from Fersman Mineralogical Museum. Carl's son managed to secure the unfinished egg and later donated it to the museum, according to Victor Garanin, director of Fersman Mineralogical Museum.
Most of the other eggs are scattered in various museums in the United States, and three of them belong to the British Queen Elizabeth II.
- Horses on high
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下载安装Flash播放器The Hequ horse is one of China's largest indigenous breeds and is prized for its riding, racing and drafting abilities.
Bred on grasslands by the Yellow River, they are one of the largest of China's indigenous horses. Alexis Hooi rides the prized Hequ horse deep in the Tibetan highland area of Gansu province.
My heart beats faster as my breath gets shorter. The scenery around me whizzes past into a blur and adds to the dizziness. I am nearly 4,000 meters above sea level and suffering from a mild case of altitude sickness. But I am also on a high riding the legendary Hequ steed, one of China's few indigenous horses, through the expansive alpine grasslands of Maqu county, deep in the Gannan Tibet autonomous prefecture of Gansu province.
The Tibetan herdsmen laugh as I gallop through their flocks of sheep and yak. "Slow down and be careful of those marmot holes!" one of them shouts to me.
The herdsmen are justifiably proud of their horses and watch out for them constantly.
Their Hequ horses spring from the area that borders Qinghai, Gansu and Sichuan provinces near the "first major bend" of the mighty Yellow River.
At heights of more than 13 hands or 1.32 meters, the Hequ horse is one of China's largest indigenous breeds and is prized for its riding, racing and drafting abilities.
The Hequ ranks high among other native Chinese horses such as the Inner Mongolian breeds, Kazak mounts from the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region and those from Yunnan province down south.
Sonam Dongtso, secretary of the Party committee of Nyima township under Maqu county, waxes lyrical about the Hequ's strengths and how they are part of the area's bounty.
"Tibetan culture and history is rich here and the Hequ horse is deeply embedded in our customs and practices. Our environment is very pure and that naturally gives rise to such a magnificent breed," he says.
Maqu recently held its sixth annual horse race at its Gesar Horse Racing Center, attracting up to 200,000 spectators and participants.
More than 600 horses from the region and beyond ran for prize money of more than 1 million yuan ($159,900). Riders and their mounts competed in events ranging from 1-km sprints to endurance races of up to 10 km in the five-day extravaganza.
"The horse race has become one of our major draws. It has been very successful and has attracted a lot of attention. It's also one of the best ways to showcase the Hequ horse and how proud we are of them," Sonam says.
Tibetan treats and specialties come mainly in the form of dairy and meat products.
But the annual derby in mid-August is not enough to satiate local equestrian interest - the county's open fields just outside the racing center, surrounded by equally verdant mountain ranges on the horizon, also play host to weekend summer races under clear blue skies.
Herdsmen enter their fastest horses, while visitors are also able to eat, drink and shop at a bazaar offering Tibetan treats and specialties like tsampa flour puddings and momo dumplings, as well as ethnic clothes, jewelry, saddlery and religious items.
For those who want to delve deeper into Tibetan culture and religion, there is the monastery of Langmusi, about two hours' drive from Maqu.
This idyllic village sits on the border of Sichuan and Gansu, amid lush prairies and snowy mountain peaks. Below the hills, Tibetan monks, residents and visitors stroll through Langmusi's winding streets and take turns spinning the rows of prayer wheels around the village to the rush of the White Dragon River.
Ngok Detsa, a herdsman who offers horse treks to travelers in the warmer months, says the village is getting more popular and crowded. But his horses, many of Hequ stock, will give visitors a chance to escape to the beautiful countryside just outside Langmusi.
"We have some of the best horses and scenery in the country. You have to ride and see for yourself," he says.
It is an offer too good to miss. As expected, his horses navigate effortlessly through the criss-crossing streams and rocky mountain paths. They break into a gallop just as easily when stretches of open grassland appear round the corner.
A few herdsmen like Ngok offer stays in their white, angular Tibetan tents on the grasslands where guests can try their hand at making the local cheese or yogurt from goat or yak milk, after an exhilarating day's ride.
Those looking for something more challenging can attempt to befriend the other trusted companion of the herders, the Tibetan mastiff, which are valued for their ferocity against livestock threats like wolves.
But it is still the horse that takes top spot in these parts.
"This is a beautiful place, but life high up here amid the mountains can also be harsh. Our horses are our transport. They help us herd and do a lot of the manual work. They entertain and race for us," Ngok says.
"They are our closest friends."
- Shuanglong Lake in Xuan'en County, Hubei
- Autumn scenery of Jiajinshan National Forest Park
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