Hidden and little known places: China

Showing posts with label China. Show all posts

1/23/17

1,700 Year Old Silk Road Cemetery, China

A cemetery dating back around 1,700 years has been discovered in Kucha, a city in China.

The city played an important role along the Silk Road trade routes that connected China to the Roman Empire. Archaeologists have uncovered 10 tombs in the cemetery, seven of which are large structures made with bricks. This image shows a up-close view of a heavenly deer from the screen wall. The carved bricks were originally painted, but these decorations have since peeled off

Archaeologists uncovered 10 tombs in the cemetery, seven of which are large structures made with bricks. This image shows part of the cemetery facing north.

The cemetery was first found in July 2007 and was excavated by the Xinjiang Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, with assistance from local authorities.

1/21/17

Longmen Grottoes, China

photo credit: Kevin Poh

The Longmen Grottoes or Longmen Caves are one of the finest examples of Chinese Buddhist art. Housing tens of thousands of statues of Buddha and his disciples, they are located 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) south of present-day Luòyáng in Hénán province, China. The images, many once painted, were carved as outside rock reliefs and inside artificial caves excavated from the limestone cliffs of the Xiangshan and Longmenshan mountains, running east and west. The Yi River flows northward between them and the area used to be called Yique. The alternative name of "Dragon's Gate Grottoes" derives from the resemblance of the two hills that check the flow of the Yi River to the typical "Chinese gate towers" that once marked the entrance to Luoyang from the south.

There are as many as 100,000 statues within the 2,345 caves, ranging from an 1 inch (25 mm) to 57 feet (17 m) in height. The area also contains nearly 2,500 stelae and inscriptions, whence the name “Forest of Ancient Stelae", as well as over sixty Buddhist pagodas. Situated in a scenic natural environment, the caves were dug from a 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) stretch of cliff running along both banks of the river. 30% date from the Northern Wei Dynasty and 60% from the Tang, caves from other periods accounting for less than 10% of the total.Starting with the Northern Wei Dynasty in 493 AD, patrons and donors included emperors, Wu Zetian of the Second Zhou Dynasty, members of the royal family, other rich families, generals, and religious groups.

photo credit: Anagoria

photo credit: kevinmcgill

photo credit: Charlie

In 2000 the site was inscribed upon the UNESCO World Heritage List as “an outstanding manifestation of human artistic creativity,” for its perfection of an art form, and for its encapsulation of the cultural sophistication of Tang China.

This complex is one of the three notable grottoes in China. The other two grottoes are the Yungang Caves near Datong in Shanxi Province, and the Mogao Caves near Dunhuang in Gansu Province in west China. The valley formed by the Yi River enclosed by two hills ranges of Xiangshan (to the east) and Longmenshan (to the west) hills have steep slopes on the western and eastern slopes along the river. Yi is a north flowing tributary of the Luo River. The grottoes are formed in 1 km of the stretch of this river and were carved on both banks, in limestone formations creating the Longmen Caves. Most of the work was done on the western bank, while the eastern bank caves, of smaller numbers, served as residences for the large groups of monks.

photo credit: Anagoria

Within the approximately 1,400 caves, there are 100,000 statues, some of which are only 1 inch (25 mm) high,while the largest Buddha statue is 57 feet (17 m) in height.There are also approximately 2500 stelae and 60 pagodas. The grottoes are located on both sides of the Yi River. Fifty large and medium-sized caves are seen on the west hill cliffs which are credited to the Northern, Sui, and Tang Dynasties, while the caves on the east hill were carved entirely during the Tang Dynasty.The plethora of caves, sculptures and pagodas in Longmen Grottoes depict a definite "progression in style" with the early caves being simple and well shaped with carvings of statues of Buddha and religious people. The change of style is more distinct in the Tang Dynastic periods which are “more complex and incorporate women and court figures as well”. The caves have been numbered sequentially from north to south along the west bank of the Yi River. Entry to the caves is from the northern end.

photo credit: Anagoria

photo credit: Anagoria

photo credit: severin.stalder

photo credit: G41rn8

photo credit: 山海风

12/8/16

Yangshan – Surreal Chinese Megalith

Yangshan in China can only be described as a megalithic mystery. There is nothing else like this in China it’s a total one off. Just look at this thing! It obviously had a working function. It was supposedly built in the 1400’s as a tomb but personally I suspect it’s much older. Although unique in China this megalith is reminiscent of the structures in Peru.

One stone is 17meters high, with a width of 29.5meters and a thickness of 12 meters, totally 16250 tons heavy. Another one is 51meters high, 14.2 wide, 4.5meters thick and 8799 tons heavy. The third stone is 10 meters high, 22meters wide, 10.3meters thick and 6118 tons heavy.

If we combine the three stones together, they will form a huge complete stele, which is 78meters, as high as a building of 28 storeys. And the weight of the huge stele is 31.167million kilograms, a rare stele and a marvelous spectacle in the world.