The Heroes Of Kaifeng (開封) and Zhengzhou (鄭州)
Posted On Wednesday, September 16, 2009 at at 2:21 AM by Alvin
We started our visit to this relaxing city by spending a chilled-out morning in the Kaifeng (開封) Millennium City Park (清明上河園 ); essentially a large open-space garden modelled on the famed painting by the Song artist 張擇端. The famous painting depicted life in the 1,000 A.D. Song Dynasty capital Kaifeng (宋朝 開封) and the Millennium City Park did a reasonable job in make-belief by re-creating such settings and we felt we were characters "inside" this famous painting !
The city of Kaifeng (開封) had been an ancient capital of China for seven dynasties; in particular the Song Dynasty (宋朝 - circa 1,000 A.D.) where China peaked and ebbed in its governing powers and foreign influence - this dynasty was at once flourishing and prosperous as it was feeble and corrupt. Through these tumultuous times, came two heroes praised and revered; and folklores guaranteed their immortality for generations till this very day - 包公 and 岳飛.
包公 was essentially in his days, a judge and he was known for his impartiality, selflessness and fearlessness. 岳飛 was known for his loyalty to his country and military brilliance and the injustice and ultimate death he suffered at the hands of corrupt hangers-on to the Song Emperors. We felt a sense of honour to be visiting the shrines and temples (包公祠 and 朱仙鎮岳飛廟) dedicated to these two long-ago giants.
On a completely different timeline and perspectives, we visited the 2.7 Memorial Tower (二七纪念塔) in Zhengzhou (鄭州) during our last part of this journey. The tower commemorated the bloody suppression of the railways (Jing -Han Railway linking Beijing and Wuhan that passed through Zhengzhou) strike that took place in 1923, February the Seventh. On this day, mass protests broke out against inhumane working conditions and Imperial-influenced injustice and inequality and that led to many brutal deaths and injuries. This strike and incident and these heroes who stood up, provided the added impetus that led ultimately to the founding of the Communist (and liberated) China as we know it today. Our hats off to these heroes.
The city of Kaifeng (開封) had been an ancient capital of China for seven dynasties; in particular the Song Dynasty (宋朝 - circa 1,000 A.D.) where China peaked and ebbed in its governing powers and foreign influence - this dynasty was at once flourishing and prosperous as it was feeble and corrupt. Through these tumultuous times, came two heroes praised and revered; and folklores guaranteed their immortality for generations till this very day - 包公 and 岳飛.
包公 was essentially in his days, a judge and he was known for his impartiality, selflessness and fearlessness. 岳飛 was known for his loyalty to his country and military brilliance and the injustice and ultimate death he suffered at the hands of corrupt hangers-on to the Song Emperors. We felt a sense of honour to be visiting the shrines and temples (包公祠 and 朱仙鎮岳飛廟) dedicated to these two long-ago giants.
On a completely different timeline and perspectives, we visited the 2.7 Memorial Tower (二七纪念塔) in Zhengzhou (鄭州) during our last part of this journey. The tower commemorated the bloody suppression of the railways (Jing -Han Railway linking Beijing and Wuhan that passed through Zhengzhou) strike that took place in 1923, February the Seventh. On this day, mass protests broke out against inhumane working conditions and Imperial-influenced injustice and inequality and that led to many brutal deaths and injuries. This strike and incident and these heroes who stood up, provided the added impetus that led ultimately to the founding of the Communist (and liberated) China as we know it today. Our hats off to these heroes.
