A TRIP ROUTE
IT IS WORTH SEEING
Many monumental film productions are made in China, the theme of which is the turbulent history of the Middle Kingdom. Despite their high artistic value, they are difficult for Europeans to perceive due to cultural differences and poor knowledge of Chinese history. American productions, which attach more importance to fast-paced action, special effects and cast, are much nicer to watch. It is precisely this group that belongs to the third part of the movie "Mummy" entitled "The Tomb of the Dragon Emperor", which premiered in 2008. The uncomplicated plot, based on the proven scheme of the fight between good and evil, allows you to focus on expressive scenes of fights and chases as well as unexpected twists. Particularly exciting and memorable are the scenes shot in the tomb of Emperor Qin Shi surrounded by a terracotta army.INTERESTING FACTS
Michał Boym, a missionary, naturalist and cartographer, who lived in the 17th century, is considered to be one of the first European sinologists. He was born in Lviv and was the grandson of Jerzy Boim, who came to Poland from Hungary together with Stefan Batory. The future traveler entered the Jesuit Order in Krakow, and after being ordained a priest and receiving the blessing of Pope Urban VIII, he left for China. First he lectured at the Jesuit college in Macau, and later he carried out missionary work on the island of Hainan. In 1649, he was sent to the court of Emperor Yongli, the ruler of the Southern Ming Dynasty. At the time, China was in crisis, and the Manchu Qing rulers sought to conquer the entire country. The concept of gaining support from the rulers of the West for the Christian Ming court appeared at the Yongli court, and Boym became the emperor's envoy. His mission was unsuccessful because European rulers were not interested in Chinese politics. The Pole returned to China, but soon died during a trip to the Chinese province of Guangxi. Founded by his grandfather, the famous Boyms' Chapel is located in Lviv.INTERESTING STORIES
The city of Harbin, located in northeastern China, was founded in 1898 by a Pole, Eng. Adam Szydłowski during the construction of the East China Railway. At the end of the 19th century, engineers from Europe began to arrive in Manchuria, including Stanisław Kierbedź, the nephew of the creator of the famous bridge in Warsaw. The settlement was favored by the tolerant policy of the Russian a demarcated zone. Poles held not only key positions in the railway administration, but also ran mills, workshops, sawmills, furniture production and one of the largest cigarette factories in Asia. In 1903, a Polish Catholic parish was established, and in 1909 the construction of the church was completed. In 1907, the Gospoda Polska club was established, and eight years later, the Sienkiewicz, the only Polish secondary school in Asia. Poles also had magazines, sports, youth and charity clubs and a theater in Harbin. At the peak of the colony's development, in the years 1917–1920, it had a population of about 10,000. The seizure of power in the city by the Chinese communists in 1946 marked the end of the independence of the Polish colony in Manchuria. Some of them returned to Poland, others left for the USA, Australia and South America.IT IS WORTH KNOWING
In the past, relations between Poland and China were sporadic due to the lack of common interests and huge distances. Although already in the 17th century Polish missionaries appeared in the Middle Kingdom, but we can speak of mutual diplomatic relations only at the beginning of the 20th century. China recognized independent Poland on March 27, 1920. Polish consulates were established in Shanghai and Harbin, and in 1929 a legation to the government of the Republic of China in Nanjing. The situation between the two countries worsened as a result of Poland recognizing the state of Manchukuo in 1938. On July 5, 1945, the government of the Republic of China withdrew recognition for the Polish government-in-exile and recognized the Provisional Government of National Unity in Warsaw. However, many people know that it was probably thanks to China that we avoided the entry of Soviet troops into Poland in 1956. When Mao Zedong was informed of the intention of the Soviet military intervention on the Vistula River, he used the Polish crisis to manifest his country's superpower position to Moscow.UNUSUAL EVENTS
In the spring of 1989, demonstrations of students supported by Beijing workers began in Tiananmen Square. Demands were made to start political reforms, democratize public life and to crack down on growing corruption. Despite the fact that the new secretary general of the CCP, Zhao Ziyang, was ready to talk to the party, the option of resolving the matter by force, supported by the most orthodox politicians, won. A state of emergency was introduced in Beijing, and the 27th Army, which was pulled from the provinces, on the night of June 3-4, dispersed protesters using tanks and machine-gun fire, on the orders of the authorities. Most of the victims died during the fighting on Changan Jie Avenue adjacent to Tiananmen Square. According to official data, 241 people were killed during the protests, including soldiers, and 7,000 were injured. One of the most famous images documenting these events is a photograph taken by Jeff Widener of an unknown man referred to by the media as "Tank Man" who blocked the path of a column of tanks returning from an anti-demonstrator action on June 5. Widener was nominated for this performance in 1990 for the Pulitzer Prize.April 2016
When planning a trip to China, I also wanted to go to Tibet, but the administrative problems associated with the visit to this Autonomous Okrug meant that in the end I only visited the central part of the country. The decision turned out to be right, because the Middle Kingdom is so huge that it is practically impossible to see everything within 2 weeks.
Moving around the country and sightseeing was a great challenge due to the language barrier. The Chinese are very kind to tourists, but few of them, usually only in large cities, speak English. On the other hand, I have often encountered disinterested help from complete strangers. Another thing that surprised me during the trip was the crowds swarming around every monument, temple or other interesting place. Unfortunately, sightseeing in the presence of hundreds or even thousands of Chinese is not a pleasure. Well, after all, these nearly one and a half billion people have to hang out somehow !The Great Wall
Visiting China and not taking a walk on the Great Wall is like being in Rome and not seeing the Pope. The Unesco World Heritage listed monument stretches for thousands of kilometers, but I only saw a small fragment in Badaling. During the construction of the fortifications, the natural defensive qualities of the mountain ridges were used, which makes the walls breathtaking views.
Beijing
I needed a few days to visit Beijing. The Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, traditional Hutongs or the Unesco-listed Temple of Heaven made a great impression on me, but the crowds of Chinese people roaming the streets made my head spin. Maybe that's why I liked the Qing Dynasty's Summer Palace the most - there were just a lot less visitors.
Ming Tombs
The mortuary complex of the Ming dynasty emperors on the UNESCO list was designed in such a way as to meet the requirements of feng shui. I was most impressed by the ceremonial Way of the Spirits, which is guarded by stone statues of people, animals and mythical creatures. However, the underground tomb of Emperor Wanli turned out to be of little interest.
Chengdu
Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan Province, is the least attractive city I have visited while traveling in China. I only went there because there is a Giant Panda Breeding Center in its suburbs. In Chengdu itself, which is always smoggy, there are few places of interest, and one of those few is the Taoist Qingyang Gong temple.
Panda Institute
The main goal of the Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding Center is to increase the population of these endangered animals. It's great fun to see a panda in its natural habitat. I got to the center in the early morning, thanks to which I saw the animals during their favorite activity - eating young bamboo shoots.
Budda from Leshan
The giant statue of the Big Buddha in Leshan measures over 70 meters and was carved in red sandstone. The entire temple complex is now on the Unesco List. I was very impressed with the sight of Dafo from the deck of the ship, but the biggest attraction was going down the steep Nine Turns Staircase leading to the statue's posture and seeing the eight-meter feet of the Buddha up close.
Xian
The city of Xian, thanks to its location on the eastern edge of the Silk Road, was a bustling metropolis attracting merchants, artists and representatives of various faiths. After the golden period, there are plenty of places worth seeing. The impressive city walls made the biggest impression on me. It turns out that the best way to visit the 14 km long fortifications is...by bike.
The Terracotta Army
The Unesco-listed Terracotta Army of Emperor Qin Shi is something completely unique. Seeing with your own eyes hundreds of life-size clay soldiers with clearly individualized facial features, appearing in full gear and lined up in battle formation is an amazing experience. Some figures, such as a kneeling archer or a high-ranking officer, are real masterpieces.
Longmen Caves
The Unesco-listed Longmen Caves near Luoyang fully deserve their fame. The grottoes carved out of the limestone rocks along the Yi He River hide over 14,000 different-sized buddhas, dating from the 5th to the 9th centuries. I liked the huge Buddha Vairochana statue, which is called the "Mona Liza of the East" because of a mysterious smile.
Shaolin Monastery
Although the Shaolin Monastery has been taken over by ubiquitous commercialism, it is still a pilgrimage destination for martial arts enthusiasts. I was also attracted by the magic of this place, which is on the Unesco World Heritage List. The monastery complex does not stand out with anything special, but I really liked the "Forest of Stupas", which is made up of pagodas in honor of distinguished monks.
Shanghai
A visit to Shanghai is like going into the future. It is especially visible while walking along the Bund riverside boulevard, which was the heart of the city even in colonial times. Buildings from the early 20th century contrast with the futuristic architecture of Pudong on the other side of the Huangpu River. It was an amazing experience for me to visit the Oriental Pearl TV tower, from where there is a breathtaking panorama of the city.
Suzhou
Suzhou is primarily canals, bridges, parks and coastal homes. Having one day off I decided to visit this city and I don't regret it at all. A boat ride on the canals, a stroll along the famous Shantang Street or a visit to a local market are events that will be remembered. However, the biggest attraction of Syzhou is the beautiful Garden of the Humble Administrator from the 16th century, which is on the Unesco List.