Month: October 2017

Alishan National Forest an area of approximately 415 square kilometers  is located in Chiayi County.  It is a resort and tourist area with good quality of mountain trail for hiking.  Excellent quality of fresh air with fragrance from the famous cypresses known for this area.  It is said that the fragrance has a calming effect on the nerves that it would settle the mind during the day and promote sleep during the night.  I think I can attest to that.

Alishan’s climate is versatile, it can change momentary so a light rain proof jacket is recommended.  It is because of this versatility, one can see a massive amount of drifting clouds, layer upon layer ever-changing making lots of wonderful picturesque scene of nature. 

In addition, there are a lot of beautiful rare birds acclimatized to this area which makes Alishan a good place for bird watching as well.

In the summer, Alishan has cherry blossoms along with many wild beautiful flowers making Alishan one of the top choice for photographers.   But most people come here to be infused in the cypress forest air.

It was during the Japanese occupation of Taiwan that mass logging for the precious cypress in Alishan started.  The Japanese build a railway just for moving the logs down the mountain.  It was estimated 300,000 yellow cypress was cut down.  Therefore there is no yellow cypress in Alishan over 100 years old.

Alishan Sacred Red Cypress about 2300 years old

2300 yrs. old Red Cypress , 45 meters tall, circumference is 12.3 meters

Any giant trees that are left are all of the red cypress variety.  The yellow cypress was chosen over the red cypress is because the yellow cypress is solid while the red cypress has cracks inside making it not as solid and prone for disease cause by bacteria and mold.  I guess sometimes imperfection is an advantage.  One can see a lot of cypress grew out of the dead cypress and they call these second generation cypress.  Each one of these second generation cypress has a unique form which is open for imaginations.

Yellow cypress tree trunk

Red cypress tree trunk

The Alishan Forest train left by the Japanese would take you up the mountain to greet the sun in the morning.  If your lucky, you will be able to see the sunset from the top of your hotel.  They can be both exuberant and  beautiful.

We made a stop at Fenqihu (奮起湖) , an old town midway up Alishan where workers use to replenish their supplies.  Due to the destruction by typhoons, these days, this is the last stop for trains going up Alishan.  There is a museum of old trains for visitors in town.  However, we stopped for the famous old railroad lunch box.

owner since 1957

famous railroad lunch

Along the way down Alishan, another good place to stretch your legs is Chukou Village.  You will appreciate the stop due to the winding road of the mountain which was finished in 1980

On the north cliff of Wuzhou Mountain of Datong is Yungang Grottoes.  For 1 kilometer along the mountain were 53 caves and about 51,000 sandstone statues.  The Grottoes were started around 450 AD during the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-354).  The sculptures were heavily influenced by the Indian Buddhist art incorporated with the Chinese culture and the social features of that time. Not all caves were open to the public.  While we were there, a number of caves were closed for restorations.

The entrance park designed in accordance to the artwork found on the cave walls of Yungang Grottoes.

auspicious stupa along the way

close caption of stupa pillar

emperor and male courtier going to the temple

Empresss and female courtier procession

This is cave #20.  Although this giant Sakyamuni Buddha is exposed outside for all to see, it was once inside a cave when it was first built like the other caves with windows and entrance way.   Due to the window opening damaged the structure’s support stone over the doorway, the front of the cave collapsed shortly after it was built.  But, there is always a silver lining to this calamity, this Giant White Buddha exposed became the main feature of Yungang Grottoes.

The big Sakyamuni Buddha, a perfect person.  One can see the influence of Indian Buddhist art here. Notice the intricate carvings behind the Buddha.

Cave 1 and 2, which are dual caves in stupa form.  In the middle of the Cave #1 is the stupa like column of 5.75 meters in height.

Around the cave were more carvings depicting the Buddha stories and other Buddhas.

Interconnected cave #2 also has a square stupa like column support of approximately 6 meters high.

Surrounding it were also more Buddha stories and Buddha carvings.

One can see these art relics are heavily eroded by nature.  Yungang Grottoes are listed on the UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2001.

Cave #3 is the largest cave of Yungang Grottoes.  It is an unfinished cave which is lucky for us because it left indications of how they were made from the top first then continue down the cave.

Avlokitesvara Bodhisattva

Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva

Cave #5  and #6  are another dual cave and are one of the richest.  The cave entrance is covered with eaves which made it look like a temple from the outside.  We were told that originally, every cave entrance has these eaves built extended from the cave.  This one was reconstructed during the Qing Dynasty.

Inside the cave are covered with painted carvings.  In the center is a large column reaching 15 meters high into the ceiling.  Top of the caves were carvings of Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and celestial beings.  On the column were carved with stories of the life of Buddha Sakyamuni.  Around the bottom portion of the wall were carved with stories from the scriptures.  The painting was done many times over by each Dynasty so it would be hard to identify the original color scheme.

The lower level of the column depicting the life of Buddha Sakyamuni.

An elephant came to bring a child to the Queen

The Queen gave birth to the Prince who would become Buddha under a tree

An Elderly foretold the Royal couple that the prince would either be a great King or the wise teacher of all human kind.

Buddha came out the castle wall and saw the sick, aged, and death.

One needs to spend a lot more time to study these cave carvings.  These are only a minute few just to tickle your interest.

Cave #18

Cave #18

We can see from the outside through the window of Cave #18

You can see what a herculean effort would be required to maintain and restore these treasured relics.

The  Sakyamuni Pagoda of Fogong Temple (佛宮寺釋迦塔)

This wooden pagoda was built by Liao Emperor Daozong(遼道宗耶律洪基)  in around 1056 at his grandmother’s home town.  The pagoda sits on stone platform of 13 ft. and the pagoda itself is 207 ft tall.  Add together is 220 ft tall.  It is the oldest completely wooden pagoda in China, without even a nail, standing on its own for million years.  It has survived at least 7 earthquakes.  This octagonal pagoda appears to have 5 levels but it actually have 9 levels because hidden from outside view are four mezzanine levels.   Its structure is an architecture wonder worth further studies.

Many Buddha statues are in each level of the pagoda.  On the first floor, of course, is Buddha Sakyamuni sitting of the lotus.  The statue is 11 meters tall.

For the 20 centuries the Pagoda stands, it only required 10 minor repairs, but the last repair done in 1974 was more extensive than the previous due to the 200  more rounds of ammunition fired by the Japanese soldiers into the pagoda during the second Sino-Japanese War.  However, during this repair, ancient Liao’s Tripitaka, block printing and hand written scripts were found along with a Buddha tooth and other ancient relics.

Three female benefactors

Three male benefactors

The Ruins of the Great Wall

The Great Wall scatters in the northern region of Shanxi.  They were built as an important military outpost to prevent the nomads from the north from invading China in the south.  During the Waring States (475-221 BC), each kingdom built its own section of the wall until Qin Dynasty, it gets connected as a single  Great Wall.  further constructions and restorations made to the Great Wall were by all the subsequent dynasties that follows til finally its use became obsolete during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).  Due to its disuse, its been neglected.  The Wall has fallen by natural erosion and from World War II during the Japanese invasion.  The province of Shanxi is trying to preserve parts that is still relative standing but the project is massive.  We visited the Guangwu section of the Great Wall which showed the part of the wall that has not been recently repaired, revealing how it was originally built.

One can see the original building materials of the time.  It does not consist any metals, steels or any cement.  Only the local yellow mud grass and grains for the inner wall which they said were first steamed so it won’t decay or invade by insects.   The it was sealed with outer wall of stone and mud bricks also steamed before applied.  This section of the Great Wall is not far from Yanmenguan (雁門關).  Guangwu section is where the once famous Moon Gate stands but unfortunately it collapsed on the night of  Oct. 3rd, 2016.