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Published: February 9th 2011
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Nanjing is definitely my favourite place in China. I could even see myself living here, quite happily if I needed to. It seems very small, but with lots of amenities. Apparently there are 10 million people living here, but it really doesn't seem that big. Perhaps it's because it's still Chinese New Year. I do like the pace though, it's so unhurried. And the people are really friendly. The public transport is cheap and clean and there are lots of communal outside spaces. In fact, several times I've actually forgotten that I'm in China.
Highlights include:
Day trip to Gaochun Old Street.
Shum's idea as she wanted to see something a bit more rural while she was here. She and I took the bus about an hour and half out of Nanjing to a smallish town called Gaochun. It very much reminded me of Tonglu, where we live, in terms of size, shops, appearance etc. It has a few very well preserved/restored 'old streets' with narrow lanes, grey walls and old fashioned shops. It was really interesting and very different for both of us. I was very pleased because my Chinese was good enough to get us
by, and negotiate a few bargains. We used a public toilet which not only had a shared trough instead of an individual toilet bowl, but no doors! Will definitely post a pic of this (althought not when it's in use!) when I get back. We also saw a very old man carving wood and loads of dried and fresh meat hanging up, including several pigs heads. Lunch was in a small restaurant open to the street, we tried a few dishes but it was all very similar to Tonglu food so not that tasty.
Friendly People
Almost without exception (and we won't dwell on those) the people in Nanjing have been lovely. The shopkeepers in Gaochun were great, giving us free food and lots of advice. Fellow bus passengers have helped us navigate the town, and a couple of friendly old guys were teaching Shum and Rachael Tai Chi in the park. One guy even chased after us on his bike after having given us directions, because he didn't think that they were clear enough and thought we might get lost. He helped us out again, then went on his way. Even when we got off the train
a guy helped us to find the taxi rank and then just disappeared into the crowd.
Hunan Road
I'm not sure what Hunan Road is like the rest of the year, but at Spring Festival it's a party! We went in the evening and it was beautifully lit up, putting George Square's Christmas lights to shame. As well as the lights, there were lots of market stalls, most featuring handcrafts and demonstrations. Rachael bought (and ate) and dragon made from spun sugar and I was really tempted by these little characters made from a prim/fimo like substance but resisted in the end because it probably would have been ruined on our travels. Very cool to watch them being made though. Was likewise enthralled by the people making glass ornaments, burning patterns into wood, drawing very lifelike portraits and paper cutting.
Xuanwu Lake
Bordered by a Ming dynasty wall, Xuanwu Lake is a beautiful park with lots to offer. Shum and Rach took a boat out while I took a long walk by myself. I thought I'd get lost, there are so many different paths to take. In the end I found the White Pagoda, various fountains,
some beautiful bridges and a stall selling sugar coated strawberries - happy days. The views from the wall and the lake itself were magnificent, and very much what I imagined China to be like - low mist hanging over dark green mountains with pagodas reflected in the grey water. The park was quite busy, but everyone was having a great time and there were enough hidden places to discover. I was sorely tempted to buy a kite as there were some magnificent ones flying but think I'll wait until I get back to Tonglu so someone can help me get started!
Jiming Temple
This is a 'working' Buddhist Temple that is only open to the public at certain times of year. It was sooo busy, but really interesting. People were putting coins everywhere, presumably for luck. They were trying to balance them in the grooves of the wall carvings and throwing them in pots fountains. Lots of people were waving incense and the place smelled gorgeous as a result. We decided to eat there because it was vegetarian and poor Shum has struggled a but since she got here, but I have to say the food was pretty
awful for me. All of it has fish so I ended up just with noodles and a grumpy face. Fantastic views though and, again, something very different for us to see.
Nanjing Massacre Memorial Museum
Without sounding too goulish, this was one of the main reasons I wanted to visit Nanjing. I am still a bit of a history geek and when we were researching cities to visit on our trip I read up about Nanjing's history and was intrigued. Not only is it the former capital of China with more then 6 Emperors calling it home, but it was the site of one of the most keenly felt instances in Chinese history. When I talk to my middle school students about other countries, they routinely say they hate Japan. Some of them don't know why, beyond "the war" but other cite the Nanjing Massacre as the main reason, referring to the 6 week period in 1937 after Japan captured the city and massacred around 300,000 soldiers and civilians, and raped thousands of women(including children and the elderly) not only with their bodies, but with bottles and bayonets.
My interest in places like this lies in the
stories they choose to tell and how they tell them, but more than that, the stories they don't tell. The Memorial itself is beautiful, symbolic and very peaceful, despite all the tourists milling about. The museum, on the other hand, is jingoistic and so full of propaganda it made my head hurt trying to figure it all out. It was really well done - free entry, detailed and easy to use audio tour (take note, Forbidden City!), a good mix of different exhibits but I left with a sense of unease about how many people would interpret the exhibition. One example sums it up really, Shum saw a little boy of about 5 or 6 looking at the pictures of the War Crimes Tribunal and he was looking at the picture of someone who had been released. His parent must have been telling him that the guy hadn't been charged, and the little boy spat on the picture.
This visit was thought provoking and moving throughout, and uncomfortable at times, but has really given me a lot to think about. I have since been most haunted by the story of Minne Vautrin, a American who stayed behind to look after
young Chinese refugees. When she returned to America a few years later she suffered from 'melancholia', probably as a result of all that's she'd seen, and committed suicide. In her suicide note she said that had she to live over, she would have still stayed in Nanjing to help those girls. I wonder if I would have been so brave...
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