3 TRAVEL CHINAWATCH OCTOBER 28, 2011 CHIN A D A I L Y A trip back in time It is worth hopping off the Beijing-Shanghai high-speed railway to see the Great Sage’s hometown, and the trip back in time should be remembered with a literary souvenir, Pauline D Loh reports. n weekends, the Confucius Temple and the Kong Family Mansion in Qufu are packed with swarms of tourists in never-ending processions. Everywhere, the din from guides speaking through megaphones and the cacophony of chatter is ear-splitting. I can imagine Confucius holding his head in pain. On a July Oweekend after the opening of the high-speed railway linking Beijing and Shanghai, the city in Shandong province was experiencing a big increase in visitors. All the budget hotels were booked, or at least his head was given full burial and we ended up staying in the best honors by Cao Cao, his sworn enemy. suite of a three-star hotel — the only For history buffs, going to Qufu is room available if we wanted to remain like taking a walk through thousands within the city limits. of years to the beginning of China’s Its three-star ranking was, however, recorded history. debatable. But fortunately for this We soon became friends of the Sage’s UNESCO-listed World Cultural Heritage family. Our guide was his great-grand- city, the scenario is changing. Zhang Xin- son of the 72nd generation. The master jie, vice-director of the Qufu City Council craftsman who carved our Nishan rock publicity department, said international seals was also a 72nd generation great- hotel chains had moved in as soon as grandson. Qufu was confirmed as one of the stops In Qufu, nearly 60 percent of the pop- along the high-speed railway route. ulation has the surname Kong, after The Shangri-La group is building a their Great Sage Ancestor, Confucius. hotel, while another five-star establish- Nowhere is that more apparent than ment from Hong Kong has one on the in the sprawling Confucius family mau- drawing board. Also planned is a 5,000- soleum, where generations of Kongs are room budget hostel to cater to group buried. Even now, the various branches tours. of the family tree still command their The city has plenty to attract visitors. individual burial plots, and simple head- WEI FENG / foR CHINA DAILY Apart from the three main attractions — stones among tombs are eroded by age. Confucius is still remembered in rituals and ceremonies performed in the Confucian Forest in Qufu, Shandong province. the Confucius Mausoleum, his temple Exposure to the elements distinguishes and the Kong Family Mansion — Qufu the old and new. to Qufu City Council publicity depart- Nishan (Mud Mountain) is where Our seal-master was Kong Xianhai, is home to a host of historical celebri- A walk through the cemetery can ment. people say Confucius was born. As leg- an award-winning craftsman with a cal- ties, including China’s first deified king, reveal a lot about the family, but the It was the discovery of a seal-mak- end has it, his mother went into labor ligraphic style that would do his ances- Huang Di (the Yellow Emperor), and his slightly voyeuristic view may make a ing shop just outside the mausoleum while on the way home and gave birth tor proud. He chose a running script for son, Shao Hao. visitor uncomfortable. entrance that made my day. in a cave by the hillside. The place has my name, and said it suited the rather Shen Nong, the legendary farmer’s The Sage’s legacy lives on in the tour- Inside the rather dark shop, a small become a tourist attraction, of course, archaic characters. god and the first herbologist, reputedly ist attractions, a profusion of restau- treasure trove of little rocks and chops and the site of a Confucian studies cen- In the end, we bought seals for the started his agricultural experiments rants offering Confucian family cuisine, wait to be carved into personal seals, the ter. whole family, fitting souvenirs from the here. a huge liquor factory bearing the fam- mark of a Chinese scholar. We admired After you have chosen your piece of home of the Sage. Expatriates can also Guan Yu, the famed warrior of the ily name and countless descendants in a selection of brown Nishan rock seals, Nishan rock, you can choose the script ask for help in translating names, and Three Kingdoms (AD 220-280), was Shandong province, throughout China all with darker markings that suggested used to carve your name. If in doubt, here at least, they can be assured of a believed to be entombed here as well — and in another 118 countries, according shapes of pine trees and mountains. consult the experts. classical interpretation. winespecial View to a thrill Ripening respect for Changyu By Todd Balazovic With four chateaus — two By ERIK NILSSON is built spurts through the bedrock in in China and two overseas several spots, Baotu Spring is the most When Barack Obama in New Zealand and Canada To learn more about Confucius — famous of these once-fantastic foun- sipped wine at his Bei- — Changyu exports to more and climb one of the world’s greatest tains. jing State dinner last year, than 28 countries, though mountains to boot — head to Shandong Industrialization and overpopulation, observers could be forgiven it may be a while before its province. however, have absorbed much of Baotu for thinking he was savoring products are a common Shandong offers a week’s worth of Spring’s momentum and for most of a French vintage or even a sight on store shelves inter- wonderment that is refreshingly differ- the year, the spring gurgles rather than homegrown Californian shi- nationally. ent from the Chinese capital. Majestic gushes. raz. But that’s not because mountains and splashing springs make But a picturesque park built in the But the U.S. President the product can’t compete. the provincial capital, Jinan, a common style of southern China and a pair of was actually relishing a wine There’s simply not enough launching pad for excursions through- playful seals splashing in one of its pools produced in Yantai, China’s of it. out Shandong. make visiting Baotu Spring worthwhile. answer to the Napa Valley. “We just don’t make The urban sprawl of the city of 1.9 Nestled between the blue e n o u g h w i n e ,” s a i d million packs the cracks among Mount Jade Emperor’s Peak waters of Bohai Bay and the Changyu’s Chief Sommelier JU CHUANJIANG / CHINA DAILY Taishan’s foothills, creating a cityscape Thousands of years ago, Confucius sprawling mountain ranges Chris Coughlan. Changyu's new vineyard in Xinjiang Uygur Automous Region. in which craggy peaks compete with scaled Taishan and from its heights along Shandong province’s But plans to boost produc- shiny highrises for lordship over the sky- declared: “The world is small!” northern coast, Yantai is the tion are already in place as Changyu’s effort to grow grapes for wine production, line. Here are some highlights: Today, sun worshipers flock daily to nation’s winemaking center Changyu pushes to meet its own grapes for high-end an average family would Mount Taishan’s tallest summit, Jade and home to Changyu Pio- demand. wines began in 1892 when only bring in a maximum Qufu Emperor’s Peak, to see the sun rise and neer Wine Co., China’s oldest Three more chateaus and founder Zhang Bishi import- of 20,000 yuan ($2,941) As the hometown of Confucius and set from above the clouds. and largest vintner. a vast expansion in Xinjiang’s ed more than 500,000 a year. Mencius, Qufu’s main claim to fame is According to many ancient Chinese The city hosted the fifth fertile growing region are young vines from Europe. After grape cultivation having shaped two sages of the ages. creation myths, Taishan was the point Yantai International Wine planned. Today, modern grow- expanded to the village 10 Today, the tiny town of Qufu is essen- from which the world originated. Accord- Festival late September, “It will be one of the main ing techniques are closely years ago, some families tially a Confucius museum where visi- ing to the legends, every day began with offering Changyu the chance wine producing areas of the monitored to ensure the best are now able to earn up to tors can see the house he was raised, the sun rising from Taishan to start its to stand shoulder to shoul- world,” Coughlan said. quality, said Lei, a 50-year- 200,000 yuan a year. the graveyard where he was buried and westward journey across the world. der with some of the most old Yantai native. the temple built to honor him. Today, the mountain is still revered as a revered brands from across Developing the brand Lei and his team, all Wine culture The Confucius Temple houses several peak for Buddhism and as a Taoist god. the globe. Back in Yantai, Changyu contracted by Changyu, And if the thousands of pagoda-covered inscriptions, the only Those hoping for a journey of histori- More than 200 exhibi- is focused on developing it’s meticulously tend the vine- tourists visiting Changyu’s dragon-carved columns found outside cal proportions should follow the Impe- tors from top-wine produc- own brand, opting to focus yard perched on a range of Wine Museum each month of the Forbidden City during ancient rial Route up the mountainside.