tragedy

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I’m still not well. Always a bit dizzy.

Maybe I should have stayed in bed yesterday.

Well, I didn’t.

This is the drum tower in Huozhou anyways, one of two main tourist attractions this place has to offer:

drum tower of Huozhou

The other one is Huozhoushu 霍州署, a large Ming-dynasty administrative complex:

Huozhoushu

Looks nice, doesn’t it? There are only four of these that can be found in China today. One of the other three is the Forbidden City in Beijing.

But alas!

The greatest part of this monument has been totally destroyed:

Huozhoushu construction

Again, the so-called “Cultural Revolution” has fed upon this, demolishing ancient structures and erecting new ones in their place:

within Huozhoushu

Now the “new” buildings are rotting away themselves:

destruction in Huozhoushu

Fortunately though, there seems to be a plan:

construction plan

The current administration is getting ready to swing the wrecking ball again, this time to get rid of what remains of the new buildings.

The plan is to restore the original structures. Rebuild from scratch, that is.

Some nice old things seem to have survived, though:

porcelain

When the big picture looks just so grim and devastating…

door

…it is really relieving to know that now, 30 years after the merciless destruction, minds and hearts seem to have changed:

object from the Ming dynasty

That being said…

…not everything that is old is necessarily good.

There was also small a picture exhibition about the various kinds of tortures and punishments in ancient China:

torture illustrations

I ran into some kids who were playing with a fat cat on the premises:

children in Huozhou

The two really brought some lightness and innocence to this site of tragedy.

We walked around taking pictures together, then I left and went to the supermarket to buy some chocolate.

The dizzy feeling was still there.

It seemed like the whole town was staring at me, and I could hear it everywhere: “A foreigner, a foreigner! 老外,老外!”

I tried to make myself invisible.

But of course I failed.



  • Bast

    dicker, hast du fieber?? das hört sich ja nach verfolgungswahn an. hoff du kommst bald wieder gut drauf und dann will ich snot als soundtrack sehen und ein fettes stück rote linie auf der alten google map – muhahaha !!!!

    Reply

  • David lee

    maybe you really need have a rest, and cock ginger with Coca cola, it is good for you cold, if you believe it, you can ask some local people, maybe they could know it, or just cock ginger with water and suger. bless

    Reply

  • Christoph

    Bast: Ja, keine Ahnung, Fieber wohl nicht. Gib mir noch nen Tag, dass ich diesen dicken Kopf loswerde, dann geht's weiter.
    Mit Snot!
    David Lee: No cooking here, man. Just medication and a rest. I know what you mean, though, I've tried that before.

    Reply

  • Freya

    I haven't been to 霍州 but it seems to be a great place, at least from your picuture. Many places in China are called 重点文物保护单位. Some places of interest and heritage are so lucky to be protected by local governments and benefit from good economy and policy.But…others are just like 霍州属.

    Reply

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