more than numbers
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Two zero zero eight.
It’s the year of the Olympics alright. Most radio and TV stations have been broadcasting a daily countdown for the last couple of months now: “just a friendly reminder: the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games are XXX days ahead!”
One thing is for sure though – China would always win gold when it comes to fireworks:
Seriously, anything I’ve seen in Europe or the States is child-play against this madness. And New Year’s Eve isn’t even a prime time of fireworks over here.
I took a leisure day and a walk around Wang Family Courtyard ็ๅฎถๅคง้ข, another merchant’s private estate from Qing-dynasty, much like Chang Family Mansion (sheepolution) and Qiao Family Courtyard (camel #4).
This time I did something different though: I paid extra money and hired a guide, which proved to be a very good idea. There are so many details to be missed out on otherwise:
After the downfall of the Wang-family and the proclamation of the People’s Republic, farmers had been living on these premises up until the mid-nineties.
They had been using the very same buildings and furniture passed on from centuries ago:
Several families would share a courtyard as if it was just a regular settlement.
…only much more beautiful and refined:
From what my guide told me, the remaining parts of Wang Family Courtyard are only about 25% of the original size.
To me, two things still remain unimaginable:
1) the amount of destruction that all these places have suffered.
2) the massive size and and the awe-abiding grace and tastefulness of these architectural monuments.
I stayed for a long time:
Looks pretty, doesn’t it.
This is not about photography; finding an angle, pressing a few buttons.
Really, the beauty is all there in that breath-taking moment:
…
One thing I often get over here is: “Germany? Good! Strong economy!”
But there are just some things money can’t buy.
TTL
้ทๅ ๅ ๆฒน~~
ๆฐๅนดๅฟซไน
John
ahhhh, beautiful moment there! photography is all about the moment, for sure, and that one looks like a book cover! well done!! and thank you for sharing all these great images with us!
David lee
I just heard from your friend(Marcal,I am not sure his name,he is in danmare now,a tall and handsome guy,always wear hat, if you play warcraft, he is just like deadking, if he has a white hair ๐ about your GREAT PROJECt, I am a chinese student, I will pay attention about you everyday if I have time, and I will told my friends about your footprint.
take care buddy, and follow though
Christoph
TTL: ไฝ ไนๆฏๅ๏ผtalking!
John: There's a proverb in Chinese, it goes ็ญ้จๅผๆง – "messing with the axe in front of Master Ban's house". Master Ban was a carpenter with such legendary skills that once a wooden bird even took off to fly – or so the saying goes. Anyways this proverb reminds me I shouldn't brag about my mediocre skills in front of more talented and experienced guys like you, John!
David lee: I have a friend who looks like a character called "deadking" – really? Hahaha, that's hilarious! Anyways, thanks for your support, David!
Freya
ๆๅปๅนดๆๅป่ฟ็ๅฎถๅคง้ข๏ผ่ฟๅนด็ๆถๅ๏ผๆฐๆฐ็นๅซๅฅฝ๏ผ๏ผ
ๅ ถๅฎ็ๅฎถๅคง้ขๅไนๅฎถๅคง้ขๅฏนๆฏ่ตทๆฅ้ๅธธๆๆๆ๏ผ๏ผ
็ๅฎถๆฏๅๅฎ็๏ผๆ็ง“ไธ่ฌ็ไธๅ๏ผๅฏๆ่ฏปไนฆ้ซ”็ๆ่งใๆๅพๅคๅฐ็้ๅก๏ผ้ฝๅจๅฏๆ“ๅฐไพฏๆๅฐ”๏ผ็ดๅญๅ่ๅทข็็ณ้๏ผ๏ผ“้ฒค้ฑผ่ทณ้พ้จ”ใ
่ไนๅฎถๆฏๅ็ๆ็๏ผ้ๅกไผ่ฎฉไบบ่งๅพlack of taste๏ผไฝๅ ถๅฎๆฏๅฆๅคไธ็งๅฏๆๆ่ ่ฟฝๆฑใๆฟๅฑ็ๅ ฅๅฃไผๆ่ก่่ค็ๆตฎ้๏ผๅฏๆ“ๅคๅญๅค็ฆ”ใๆ็ๆฟ้ดๅขๅฃ็ๅๅบฆ่ถ ่ฟไธ็ฑณ๏ผ่ฑกๅพ็ๆฎทๅฎ็ๅฎถๅบใ
ๅฌๅฌ๏ผไฝ ็ไธญๆๅบ่ฏฅ้ๅธธไธ้็ๅง~~~
Christoph
ๅฅฝๅไฝ ่ฟ่ฎไบ่งฃๅ๏ผ
ๆๅฐไธๆ่ฟไบ๏ผไธ่ฟๆไน่งๅพ็ๅฎถๆป่ฆๆฏไนๅฎถๆๆๆ๏ผๅชๆฏไนๅฎถๅ ไธบๅจ้ฃๆไบไธไบ็ตๅฝฑๆไปฅๆฏ่พๆๅ๏ผๅฏนๅง๏ผ
้ฃไฝ ๆๆฒกๆๅป่ฟๅธธๅฎถๅบๅญ๏ผๅฅฝๅคง๏ผไนๅพๆๆๆ๏ผ
Freya
ๅฆๅฆๅฆ๏ผๅๅ๏ผๆพๅๅ่ฅฟๅฎ็ๆถๅๅฏไปฅๅป็ไธไธใไธ่ฟๆฏๅ ไธบ็ไบใไนๅฎถๅคง้ขใ้ฃๆฌไนฆๆๅพๅๆฌข้ฃไธชๅฐๆน็ใ
Christoph
ๅข๏ผๅฏน๏ผไปไปฌๅฅฝๅไนๆ่ฟ็ต่งๅง๏ผไฝ ็่ฟๅ๏ผๆไนๆ ท๏ผ
Meagan
Absolutely beautiful photographs. Theyโre quite breathtaking. And the architecture is gorgeous! Such fine detail and so smooth!! I can only imagine how awe-inspiring they are to see in person.