Guangzhou & Chengdu 

cctv.com 04-14-2005 15:05

I’m at the third International Tea Festival in Guangzhou. There are hundreds and hundreds of tables where you can try tea. I’m trying a cup of High Mountain tea from Taiwan apparently. Let’s give it a try.

This is Guangzhou, one of the main cities in the South of China. There are countless travel exhibitions here, like the "Tea Tasting Convention of Ten Thousand People".

Most overseas Chinese people have a common cultural background, the Lingnan Culture. Guangzhou is its birthplace.

Shamian is an island beside the Zhu River. In 1861 it became the first foreign settlement in China. The colonialists were here for many years and the buildings show a variety of styles of European Architecture.

Guangzhou is a neighbor of Hong Kong. It represents the developed cities of China. It’s been called Flower City and Business City. It’s the birthplace of the Silk Road from the sea and was at the forefront of China's reform. Its richest resorts absorb many tourists. Today, as it is so near to Hong Kong, business tours are fast developing.

The most beautiful place in Guangzhou City is the crystal waterfall at Landscape Square, near the east railway station. Enjoying the beautiful scenery and receiving the warm welcome of the Guangzhou people, sometimes I feel like a film star.

With a history of open trade, dating back 2000 years to the Tang dynasty, Guangzhou is an important business city. Beijing Road has kept its name as the key road from the Tang Dynasty until today. It’s the most prosperous business street. The Up and Down Nine Pedestrian Street has more than 300 shops, with 600,000 visitors daily.

This pedestrian street combines the architecture, catering culture and customs of Lingnan Culture.

Due to its unique location the commerce of Guangzhou has boomed from ancient times. Giving it a long history and fine traditions.

Many people from Xiguan are business people. The ancient Xiguan Grant House is made of brick and wood, with stone as the groundsill. Its style is traditional. Xiguan beauties were well renowned as they spoke English, ate western food and played piano just like European ladies.

This European-style building belonged to a businessman. He was an agent for a British company.

Guangzhou’s culture has features of Lingnan culture. Cantonese drama, Cantonese music, Lingnan School of painting, Lingnan Architecture, Lingnan Garden and Lingnan Technics are samples of Lingnan culture.

An exhibit of Xi’an pottery warrior and horse figures is held at the museum of South Yue King Tomb. I came here to find the origin of Lingnan culture. This tomb belongs to the second king of South Yue Kingdom. In 1983, a gold stamp and a jade stamp were unearthed here, proving the identity of the host.

15 people were buried alive with this king, including four concubines and seven servants. A room in the east wing holds banquet wares, including bronze chime bells, stone chime bells, wine containers and a chessboard for six people. The unearthing of a Persian silver box and African elephant teeth shows that there was trade with Persia and Africa more than 2000 years ago.

This gold stamp is the first one discovered that belonged to a king. During the Han Dynasty, some nobles’shrouds were made of jade. They were threaded using gold, silver or bronze. A silk jade shroud was first found at this tomb.

There are more than 500 bronze wares in this tomb. These important relics are of various sizes and types and made use of fine techniques.

Based on Cantonese cuisine, Guangzhou’s food is popular around the country and even overseas. Though China is a developing country, the catering culture is higher than in many developed countries. Where there are Chinese, there are Cantonese; where there are Cantonese, there is Cantonese cuisine.

Some famous restaurants in Guangzhou are open 24-hours for social gatherings. Don’t people have fixed meal times?

The building that houses the Panxi Restaurant is the biggest garden restaurant in China. It covers more than 12000 sq meters, with four main sections: kitchen, hall, hill and pond and yard. Let’s look at how to make a famous Guangzhou dish.

Zhujiang River is the mother river of Guangzhou. The torrent of Zhujiang River is just like the eternal vital life force of Guangzhou. The colorful neon lights glitter across the river and the lights from the buildings reflect the modern Lingnan Culture. The bridge is just like a jewel rainbow. With its colorful lights and shining boat the river reminds me of the River Seine.

Guangzhou is in the south of China and has a long coastline. It was the first city to be affected by overseas cultures. Besides the charming beach, it also has the glamour of foreign countries. Guangzhou has the richest night-life of any city that I’ve visited in China.

Potted landscape is popular in Guangzhou and planting it is a part of local life.

Queen Elizabeth II visited Guangzhou in 1986. A potted landscape with a tree that was over 60 years old was given to her.

Located above the Tropic of Cancer, Guangzhou has a monsoon climate. Flowers bloom in all seasons, hence one of the nicknames of the city: the city of flowers. Fang village is the export base for flowers. The Guangzhou flower expo park is located in the southwest of Fang village.

Humen is the birthplace of the Anglo-Chinese Opium War. A huge Kwan-yin Statue gazes at it intently.

The starting point of the Silk Road from the sea of China is at Guangzhou.

They tell me that Guangzhou is the south gate of China; is this the South gate of Guangzhou?

Guangzhou’s acrobatics have boomed over the last 80 years due to a higher level and quality of performances. Its features have softened to graceful and diverse actions. It’s won a lot prizes at home and abroad.

Many boys have a dream to travel around the world with a circus or puppet troupe. I consider my boy-hood dream at the Guangdong puppet-show.

Few cities have as many nice nicknames as Guangzhou: Flower City, Goat City and Sui City. Legend has it that in remote times， five celestial goats distributed the paddies to the people. Guangzhou has been the richest city of Lingnan since that time.

Chenjia Shrine is also called Chenshi College. It’s the shrine and the college for people from 72 counties of Guangdong province whose family name is Chen. Chenjia Shrine provides a fine display of stone, wood and tile carving; pottery, painted clay and ash sculpture and iron casting techniques.

Overlooking the city from Baiyuan Mountain, I think about what’s in store for me next. The crew has arranged for me to play golf when we finish filming in Guangzhou. My hobbies are golf and diving. I’m a qualified diver and have dived around the world since first qualifying in 1976. I’ve played golf for the last 12 years and had the privilege to hack around some of the world’s finest courses. My camera accompanies me so that I can record the experience.

The Guangzhou Tourism Bureau holds a reception for the French Airline. The new airport and new air route to France are discussed.

I’m often asked what is my favorite destination. The answer is a extensive: anywhere that has beaches, mountains, snow, deserts, rivers, canals, forests, crystal clear and warm water for diving, great golf courses, photogenic and friendly locals, good beer or wine, good cuisine, great bars or pubs, stunning sunrises and sunsets. Besides white snow, you can find all of these in Guangzhou.

Chengdu

The high Xiling snow mountain overlooks the Chengdu Plain. The director of Chengdu Tourism Bureau Ms. Yang tells me that Chengdu is known as "The Land of Abundance" - the same meaning as western "heaven" in my opinion.

It's really a different world. It's an amazing place that makes you think. What hides behind the ancient civilization? Why were so many elephant teeth excavated at Chengdu? Were the elephant and the panda neighbours in remote antiquity?

It’s the hometown of pandas. It has the richest snacks, the most magic art, the splendid Shu brocade and mystery that’s lasted for thousands of years. Natural and man-made sights make this a place worth visiting.

Chengdu plain flourishes due to the huge water conservation of the Dujiang Weir. When I arrive, I hear the sound of water.

The World Heritage Committee of UNESCO placed the Qingcheng Mountain & Dujiang Weir on the World Heritage List in 2000.

Dujiang Weir was built in the third century, when Li Bing was governor of the province. He and his son led the people in this project. It’s the oldest and the only irrigation project in the world that does not rely on an artificial diversion dam. Since its completion, it’s played an important role in the area and is a monument of Chinese culture.

The most important part of this weir is the headland, which consists of three parts: a water-dividing dyke, a spillway for discharging floodwater and silt, and a channel as a water inlet.

Taking into account the current and the terrain, Li Bing had the channel cut through rock. The channel is shaped like an inverted ladder, with its bottom 17m wide. It reaches 19m wide in the dry season and 23m wide in flood season. Since Li Bing’s time there has been a gravity irrigation system in place that makes the harvest on the Chengdu Plain abundant, despite drought or flood.

Dujiang Weir brings immense benefits to agriculture and people’s lives. The irrigated area is nearly 660000 hectares. Erwang Temple was built to commemorate Li Bing and his son. It’s totally in harmony with the mountain setting.　

Li Bing’s project was the origin of Chengdu culture, and it contributed to the unity of the first feudal empire, the Qin Empire. In this area, the relationship between humanity and nature shows that ethical concepts and scientific laws can work together.

We’ve just gotten on our way now from the Dujiangyan irrigation project and dam. I can’t believe the scale of it. It’s really something that you have to see; you have to walk all around it to gain the appreciation of how big it is. It dates back to the early time of the Great wall. The difference being that the Great wall no longer serves its purpose for what it is built, whereas the Dujiangyan Dam certainly does. It’s still used even to this day. Damn clever those ancient Chinese!

Without Dujiang Weir there would be no prosperity in Xishu. The prosperity is based on the diversity of species in the Minjiang River basin, and especially in the Dujiang Weir. Without this diversity the Dujiang Weir would have lost its use long ago. Mt. Qingcheng and the Dujiang Weir is a national tourist resort. The local economy has boomed and people are inspired to be creative. As it is a gift of nature the area needs the care of people. It’s something that should not be abused.

Mt. Qingcheng is the birthplace of Taoism. At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, Zhang Daoling, the founder of Taoism came here to preach. The area then developed to be the classical ground of Taoism. There’s a story that powder was accidentally invented by Taoists when they were making pills.

The diversity of species at Dujiang Weir and Mt. Qingcheng not only benefited the rise and development of Taoism, but also allowed the spread of ideas of the union between the natural world and humanity.

I’m going to explore the track of wild panda at Xiling - west of Chengdu.　

We reach the top in the deep of night. It’s covered with snow and people are in no mood to do anything. I joke with my colleagues that the coldness is the reason for the low reproduction rate of the panda.

The next day Xiling is covered with mist. The leaves are covered by thick frost. I don’t find any wild pandas but I find the bamboos they like to eat. Xiling Snow Mountain lies in Dayi county, Sichuan province. Its peak, Daxueshan, is over 500m high and is covered with snow all year round. It’s the highest in Chengdu. Here you find primeval forests, sheer precipices, vast varieties of flowers and rare birds. You can enjoy the alpine weather and the wonderful sights.

Xiling Snow-Mountain is in the perfect meteorological zone, allowing visitors to come in all seasons. In spring flowers blossom and alpine azalea woods bloom; in summer waterfalls appear; in autumn red leaves light your eyes; and in winter lovely snow attracts visitors from thousands of miles away. Xiling is really Southern China’s ideal place for taking holidays, summer touring or snow amusement.

Xiling Snow Mountain ski resort is the largest in China. Its altitude is 2200m - the same altitude as the Alps in Europe, and with similar snow quality.

Departing from the cold snow mountain we arrive at a restaurant that serves warm remedies. According to the restaurant you will be strong enough to fight a tiger in the spring if you take the correct medicines in autumn and winter. There are more than 20 kinds of medicine in the meal I have.

Embroidery and brocade lead the Chinese silk handicraft industry, and Chengdu is famous for this. It’s a folk technique that was handed down through the generations. In the 1950s, craftsmen got together to build Chengdu embroidery Factory. Embroidery techniques spread over the whole of Sichuan. By the end of the 1970s more than five thousand people wove embroidery in counties west of Sichuan.

There are about one thousand wild pandas and most of them are in Chengdu. But there are even less people who can weave Shu Brocade. Shu Brocade is a Chinese cultural relic due to its traditional techniques. Sichuan is the birthplace of the silk industry and is called the Ancient Silk Country. More than 4000 years ago, the Shushan people who lived in the valley of the upper Mijiang River started to raise silkworm. During the Warring States Period Shu Brocade was transported abroad; via the South Silk Road which starts from Chengdu and passes Yunnan, into Burma, India, Pakistan and to Central Asia. Chengdu was called Brocade City at that time and Shu Brocade was popular throughout the country. Though the techniques of Shu Brocade have developed, the scale of its manufacture is smaller than before. To retain the tradition the local government has built a Shujaing Brocade Institute to bring together and continue the unique techniques. They also use Shu Brocade to weave modern and ancient pictures.

The ancient streets of Chengdu are similar to the Hutongs of Beijing. The Sihuyuan of Beijing is shared by several families while Chengdu’s is owned by one family. Exploring Chengdu by bicycle has a certain bizarre interest.

Pandas are the symbol of peace and are a protected species. They live in Xichuan, Shanxi and Gansu provinces. Less than 1000 are wild. More than 80% of pandas are in Sichuan. I’m at the panda reproduction base in Chengdu. Pandas are reproduced by artificial insemination. The pandas are released into nature in the hope that they will reproduce naturally and continue the species.

Zhuge Liang is known even in the West. He is an example of Eastern wisdom. In the Wuhou Shrine at Chengdu, you can experience the traditional eastern culture and ethics.

With a prosperous economy, life in Chengdu was rich and easy, and the people were leisurely and graceful. But, with the development of modern Chinese economy, old Chengdu cowers in the shadow of the tall buildings. Chengdu wanders between present and past.

Like other female officials in China, Ms. Yang, the director of Chengdu Tourism Bureau, is extremely capable and very enterprising. I accept her invitation to visit a tea shop.

There are many places that imitate ancient industries. They cater for visitors but are also places that ensure that traditions are continued as authentically as possible. The show reaches its climax when the players suddenly turn hostile and spit fire. I enquire about the secret of the show and am told that it’s a second rate secret of the Business Department. I ask for details - they laugh at me.

The most famous foods in Chengdu are the hot chaff dishes and numerous snacks. The unique Chuan cuisine is a test to my appetite. Through the food I also experience the life of the Chengdu people.

The love of the chaff meal is not only due to cultural aspects but also to Sichuan’s location. Sichuan is surrounded by mountains and the climate is humid. The chaff dish can ease the harm of the humidity.

Living in the Land of Abundance, Chengdu people are used to the easy and simple life. You can eat anytime, anyplace you want. If you come from Europe you will experience a lot of food that’s beyond your imagination.

Chengdu is relaxed and full of surprises. Its history will shock and puzzle you.

The Sanxingdui is 40km from Chengdu. It’s the homeland of ancient Chengdu people. Why did it appear and disappear suddenly?

This statue is 2.62m high and weighs over 180kg. Who is he? What is he doing?

The Jinsha ruins tell us that Chengdu was the center of power. About 3000 years ago the city of Sanxing moved from Guanghan to Chengdu. They believe it belonged to one of the top rulers whose status was the same as that of the ruler of Sanxingdui.

Why it is called the Land of Abundance? In my opinion, its diversity has earned it this name. The diversity of its biology, geography and landforms, life style and culture.

My travels in China are over and I think I should tell you a secret: I've got a Chinese name given by my colleagues - it's Pi Ying Hua. Christmas is coming and I’l leave Chengdu. Chengdu is lit by colorful decorative lanterns. My mood is cheerful. Work has been completed successfully and the atmosphere in Chengdu is warm and friendly. But, I have to say Goodbye China.

Editor:Hu  Source:CCTV.com