My journey in Hangzhou (杭州)
Posté par ITgium le 18 décembre 2013
A jùn mǎ 俊 马 tale 故事 (François de la Chevalerie)
I should like to pay an admiring and affectionate tribute to Hangzhou and its citizens.
The Hangzhou hidden secret
Ten years ago, I met the remarkable Israel Esptein (伊斯雷尔) who was during half the XX century an active comrades-in arms of the China Defense League, which had been established by Soong Ching-ling (宋庆龄).
By then, an extremely old man towards the end of his life.
At that time, I had a poor, cursory and insubstantial knowledge of China.
I was all ears in front of this man who personified the companionship between foresighted foreigners and forward-looking Chinese men and women.
I asked him cautiously.
- What way should I take in order to understand China? Is it somewhere a hidden secret to catch ?
He remained silent for a moment.
- If you want to capture the spirit of this country, he whispers in a slow voice. You must go to Hangzhou! Hangzhou, the home of Bai Juyi (白居易). At midnight, precisely at midnight, take a walk along the lake. Alone, with your sole energy. Be brave, young fellow! Then, when you will reach the Yadi Bridge, stop there, breath deeply, shrug a little, nodding your head slightly. Then as you feel better close your eyes and turn your attention inward.
Then, the old man became strangely silent. Nearly approaching one hundred years old, I couldn’t decently ask him an explanation.
One decade later, I was invited and welcomed by the honorable Federation of Literary And Art Circles led by Mrs. Chen Yihui.
Since so many years, Mrs. Chen brought so many strengths and qualities to the table: intelligence, passion and warmth, a deep understanding and appreciation of the lifelong history of Hangzhou.
All around her, beautiful and smiling people, creative and skilled
Among them, Mrs. Chen Fenghua (陈风华), Mrs Shao Yixia (邵毅霞), M. Qi Xiaoguan (戚晓光) and Mrs Mandong (曼东).
How gladly I wanted to speak to them, because I felt my urge and strong will to get to know about the Hangzhou cultural life.
Each of them presented their activities, their colorful eyes feeding with love for their city.
I saw instantly in a their eyes the concern of the people who care about the past, the present, the future.
The beauty of a person must be seen from in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides.
So abruptly, I turned shy.
They went right ahead, proclaiming their enthusiastically belief of the culture, their will of pooling their energy.
As Aristotle said once: The energy of the mind is the essence of life.
Walking in Hangzhou
Built along the banks of the Xī Hú (西湖), this beautiful city with its two thousand year-old culture reflects all artistic styles and developments through its fine monuments.
It is being said that Hangzhou is a home to all the beautiful people in the world who can afford to get a walk.
Recently built, the museum brings together a number of collections of pieces of the traditional and local art. The museum is also home to open workshops where artist, using their impressive skills, work their art, copper, bronze, calligraphy, painting.
There I remembered this quote from Albert Einstein: ”True art is characterized by an irresistible urge in the creative artist”.
Later, we came to visit the house of the outstanding Master Zhu Bingren (朱炳仁) a powerful descendant of a long line of bronze craftsmen.
Zhu Bingren’s exquisite skills were passed down from his ancestors.
As the modern time went on, he uses his skills in the combining of modern technology and traditional know how, building a whole variety of art made and preserved for future generations.
In that way, he contributes in the spreading of the Chinese soft power, make known to the world how Chinese creativeness is great.
No great artist ever sees things as they really are. If he did, he would cease to be an artist.
That’s the Zhu Bingren thinking.
On the afternoon, we went to the Hangzhou Library Citizen Center (市民中心) where we were warmly welcomed by the Director, a beautiful and well minded woman.
The culture is a key of everything, she said as an introduction to this beautifully designed building with spacious layouts, tastefully furnished.
She is very respectful of the readers even is some of them were mostly sleepy.
- Let them take a rest. They need to put in dreams what they have just read, she said.
At the end of this visit, we sat on the garden.
For the years to come, this picture has the potential to go down in history as a turning point of a new companionship between the western and the Chinese mind as Israel Epstein had encouraged me to do so.
For unknown reason, I guess that one of the people present in this photo will become well known in the years to come.
Then, we went at Xixi National Wetland Park (西溪国家湿地公园), breathing deeply amid persimmon, bamboo, maple and hibiscus.
Breathing and laughing
Laughter and songs of joy, spreading a spirit of genuine universal brotherhood far above the barriers that rise between the cultural gaps.
The night comes
Alone, now.
Loneliness adds beauty to life. It puts a special burn on sunsets and makes night air smell better.
Midnight approaching, I went discretely away by a back door.
My meeting date with the unknown.
What is the secret that was hidden since before the ages in Hangzhou?
I walked fairly rapidly through the Hangzhou cities, quicker than my own shadow!
I was alone, extremely alone.
All great and precious things are lonely.
Nobody at the horizon, not even a whisper.
Cold and rain have been driven the people away.
Reaching the Yadi bridge, I stand there, breathing deeply, waiting for the miracle.
Endless time, Confronting the fate.
Suddenly a voice was heard like a roll of thunder.
« Move ahead with trust on the road of peace » the one said.
Suddenly appeared an image of the whole Chinese history.
A fraction of second, a hundredth of seconds, may be even a thousandth, but it is time.
That this little time that we need to become aware of things, history and culture, past, present and future.
Our responsibilities.
Our future.
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