The Red Chamber of Wuchang

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My short secondary trip was not the last time I got a chance to walk around Wuhan. This third trip was to give me a chance to actually see the other attractions in the city. My first two visits had centered mostly on the Guan Gu area (Optic Valley area) where the Grand Ocean Mall and the Style Streets were found. I had been planning to visit Yellow Crane Tower but, like most of my adventurous walks, I ended up getting side tracked by a different sight. Along the long path from the closest metro station to Yellow Crane Tower, I ended up cutting through a park which was a memorial site that housed the Red Chamber of Wuchang. This was another monument for the 1911 Revolution of Sun Yat-sen that lead to the beginning changes toward modern China. Red Chamber is also seen as the gate to the Republic of China which is also the terminal point of the Chinese Feudal Era.

Your tour starts at the wrought iron gates where the flags of the ones that took control during these events forming the Republic of China. A courtyard of green grass, wide stone pathways, and large trees gives a wonderful contrasts to the red brick and red tiled structures crowning this place. Once inside the west wing starting point (as dictated by the arrows), you get to see the photos of all the famous guests that have passed through the doors of this historical and cultural site. It also includes writings of many know Chinese writers showing the wonderful skills of calligraphy which has been predominant in China. As you exit the end of the west wing, you finally see the exhibition hall set at the back of the central building of the Red Chamber. The stark grey bricks gives it a feeling of this building being out place here even while maintain the same clean architectural styles of the other three builds of Red Chamber.

Your next stop as you follow the signposts, is a walk within the central building. Each room has been returned to the original look it had back in 1911 including vintage maps and furnishings. Photos of the major players within the tumultuous time period which started China down the path to the China that exists now. The balconies that run along the front of the building allows you to see the green courtyard and the simple protective wall made of the same red bricks, wrought iron fence, and grey cement (mortar) base. At this moment, the curiosity took me and I decided not to follow the arrows into the east wing but hazarded a visit of the exhibition.

This grey brick building was a bit of an oddity to me after seeing all the antique internal style of 2 of the 3 red bricked buildings. The small inner courtyard was simple but just as beautiful as the front courtyard of the Red Chamber. Within the rooms, you find a more detailed description of the what started the Wuchang Uprising, the 1911 Revolt, and what followed to create a Republic. With actual documents, maps, and photos, you marched slowly along the timeline of events. The aftermath showed a progress in the culture and arts that where the typical strengths of China. Arts, fine porcelain, literature, rail travel, and architecture was returned to the forefront of craftsman quality after the dust cloud had settled. But this was still just one small step closer to the China people know today.

The east wing held something different, an exhibit of sculpted and polished amber. Everything from simple etching to complex statuettes, could be seen at this exhibit showing the craftsmanship from the past into the present artists. With this last touch of art, my day had vanished while exploring this place. A few more pictures in Shouyi Square right before the gates of the Red Chamber of Wuchang showing the bronze statue of Sun Yat-sen and the Statues of the Three Martyrs. I returned to the metro station as the weather had turned into a soft drizzle like tears for those that had been lost during this period that began the great change. It was a longer walk back but my high spirits kept me moving forward to return to my hotel after a stop at a restaurant for a quick meal. Yellow Crane Tower would have to wait for another day but this had been a good day of exploring.

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