Trip across Jilin
There's no problem remembering the name of Jilin, the city, since it's the only city in the country that shares a name with the province where it's found. .
Hey take a look at these 鈥 old-style shoes. They're very strong, made of the hide of some kind of ox. These are what people used to wear when they walked in the forest; water proof, old-fashioned Gortex. And this also keeps you warm. Made of very good wool.
Wen Temple in Jilin City is a must-see for any visitor, if you have the time. It was built in honour of the great philosopher and teacher, Confucius. Such temples used to be a common sight in China; that is, you could find one in every major town or city in the country. First built over a hundred years ago, this temple in Jilin was one of the five largest Wen temples in the country.
In 1976, a special visitor came to the city of Jilin and never left. Eventually, a museum was built to commemorate this visit.
Can you guess who the visitor was? A shooting star.
This is where we are, on the Songhua River, in the museum. Up north, this is where the meteorite landed. At three o鈥檆lock in the afternoon, on March 8, 1976, the meteorite came out of the northeast and exploded 18 kilometers above the ground, shattering into countless pieces that covered an area of square kilometres. The most amazing thing is that not a single person or animal was hurt.
This is the largest piece that was gathered from that visit. When it hit the ground, the meteorite opened up a pit six metres deep. The rock is estimated to weigh 1,775 kilograms, or over 1.7 tons, making it the largest rock meteorite the world has ever known. In total, more than a hundred pieces have been collected and are kept in the museum.
When we think of the universe and its many unsolved mysteries, we are only too aware of just how small and insignificant we really are. In recent times, cameras have captured many shooting stars. Some of them have landed on the earth, bringing us important information and messages from the vastness that surrounds us. They are made up of elements and structures that are unknown on earth. It's estimated that the meteorite that visited Jilin was part of a planet that was 4.6 billion years old. It came from an asteroid belt that used to lie between Jupiter and Mars. At the museum you can see meteorite samples from all over the world.
It feels smooth, and at the same time grainy. See the concave surface here; it was formed when the rock passed through the atmosphere. And when you come to think about it, I am actually, literally, touching a star.
However, there are times when man-made beauty can rival that of nature. The Songhua River, where it runs through Jilin, is the backdrop to many major events that take place in the city. Each year, to celebrate the Jilin Ice and Snow Festival, a grand firework display is held along the river. Despite the deadly cold of the night, the magnificent lighting-up of the night sky brings visitors to the city from near and far.
