6 TUESDAY DECEMBER 22, 2009 ZHENGZHOU SPECIAL CHINA DAILY 7 Grand veneration ceremony in Xinzheng city of Henan province to mark the birthday of Emperor Huangdi. Martial arts and mysticism: Ancient grandeur, birth of a culture By Cui Wei ue of the emperor, the Huangdi impressive — wood and brick halls covering 100,000 sq m. latest theatrical export to Museum, the Huangdi Cultural carvings, elegant roof and Among its 11 main buildings, North America. the allure of Zhengzhou Corridor and a wall with 3,000 mural designs and an abun- the most famous and splendid An old tale told in contem- As one of the nation’s largest family names. dance of phoenix and dragon is Junji Hall that covers 920 sq porary style, “Shaolin in the provinces and a birthplace of Every year, thousands of sculptures. m at a height of 20 m. Wind” is a love tragedy. By Han Tianyang which still hangs on the Shan- lege has two of the oldest cypress Cultural tour Chinese culture, Henan offers a visitors including overseas Its wooden lattice windows The story tells how men Gate to this day. trees in China, dating back over As Zhengzhou has such a museum of nature and history Chinese come to Xinzheng to are particularly characteris- Shang Dynasty ruins Tianyuan and his sweetheart For most people, the Shaolin 4,000 years. proliferation of cultural relics, to tourists: attend a veneration ceremony tic, making it a bit easier to Located in downtown Zheng- Sushui are separated during As one of the ancient capital cities Temple is better known for its Kangbaiwan’s Mansions the local government has been to mark his birthday on the imagine the temple in all its zhou, the Shang Dynasty (16th- an invasion. Tianyuan is badly of China, Zhengzhou has a vast association with Chinese martial Kangbaiwan’s (Kang is the working hard to establish them Birthplace of Emperor third day of the third lunar old glory. The highlight of the 11th century BC) city ruins injured and nursed back to historical and cultural heritage. arts or kung fu, rather than for family name and “baiwan” as ideal attractions for contem- Huangdi month, which often falls in site is a statue of the City God cover 25 sq km. health by the monks of the With more than 2,000 historic its link to Chan Buddhism. Yet means millionaire) Mansions porary tourists. The following Emperor Huangdi is consid- spring. Chenghuang in the main hall Remnants of a 7-km-long Shaolin Temple. sites spread across the city, the the two are frequently combined. are located in Gongyi, 82 km are some of the projects that ered the ancestor of Chinese Archaeologists say Huangdi dressed in judicial costume. rampart from the ancient city Unbearable yearning for capital of the central province Practicing kung fu is a way of from Zhengzhou. The whole should be high on any visitor’s people. A large number of his- worship dates to the Spring and A Cultural Temple Fair has wall still visible today have his sweetheart, who is in the ChenghuangChenghuang TempleTemple of Henan has proved a hugely practicing Chan, many believe, manor house area consists of “must-see” list. torical accounts and unearthed Autumn Period (770-476 BC). been held in the temple every yielded a number of relics, hands of the enemy, compels alluring destination for both saying: ”Kung fu is the materi- 19 buildings, covering a total Huangdi’s Home Place relics demonstrate he was born The ceremony has nine Chinese Lunar New Year to including two rare square him work furiously to learn domestic and overseas tourists. alization of Chan, while Chan is space of 64,300 sq m. It is a Huangdi, also known as in Xinzheng city of Henan steps — observing silence, provide visitors and locals a copper pots used by the impe- martial arts. Years later, the the spirit of kung fu”. typical example of the feudalism the “Yellow Emperor”, was province, where he eventually fi ring guns, lighting incense chance to experience the folk rial court. lovers are reunited, but Sushui Martial Arts Many tourists are drawn to the stronghold architecture, common born in Zhengzhou. Huangdi established an empire. sticks, paying a courtesy to culture of central China. In 1955, archaeologists sacrifi ces herself in order to The most famous tourism at- temple by its great infl uence on on the Loess plateau in northern and another tribal ruler, Five thousand years ago the the ancestor, reading eulogies, found ruins of house founda- save Tianyuan from an enemy traction in Zhengzhou is its Shao- Buddhism and the martial arts, China, during the 17th and 18th Yandi, are believed to be the man who would become known lighting a sacred fi re, singing Zhongyue Temple tions, cellars, wells, ditches, weapon. lin Temple. It is a Buddhist temple including visits from a number centuries. Its stone, wood and co-founders of the Chinese as Emperor Huang, whose odes, dancing and celebrating Located at the foot of Huang- and graves. Ornaments and Overcome with grief, Tianyu- built on the Songshan Mountain of celebrities, ranging from the brick carvings throughout the nation and civilization. The name was Xuanyuan, united the harmony between heaven, gai Peak in the Songshan tools made of bronze, stone, an leads the Shaolin monks in in Dengfeng, 70 km away from NBA star, Shaquille O’Neal, to mansion are of particular artis- local government has built a MonksMonks practicepractice kkungfuungfu atat thethe renownedrenowned ShaolinShaolin Temple.Temple. his kingdom with Yandi and earth and human beings. Mountains, Zhongyue Temple bone, shell and jade have also expelling the enemy. He then downtown Zhengzhou. The Shao- the former president of Russia, tic value. scenic shrine in Huangdi’s established Xinzheng as the The ceremony was listed as is one of the best-preserved an- been unearthed, as well as pot- dedicates himself to Buddhism lin temple was founded in 495 AD Vladimir Putin. Du Fu’s Home Place hometown, allowing Chinese capital of the empire. part of China’s intangible cul- cient sites at the fi ve most-im- tery and primitive porcelain. and the martial arts. by an emperor of the Northern The famous Tang Dynasty visitors to worship their His reign saw the creation tural heritage in 2008. portant mountains in China. The drama was inspired by Wei Dynasty (386–534) and was Historic spots poet, Du Fu, was born in Gongyi, ancestor. The shrine includes of Chinese characters, devel- Initially built in the Han ‘Shaolin in the Wind’ traditional Henan folk dances, intended to accommodate the In- In addition to the Shaolin an area under the direct jurisdic- five separate areas: Chinese opment of cloth weaving and Chenghuang Temple Dynasty (206BC-25AD) and A combination of martial folk songs and operas. dian dhyana master, Batuo, who Temple, Zhengzhou also has tion of Zhengzhou. The ancestral Surname Square, the ancestral boat making, and the inven- Chenghuang Temple, or rebuilt during the reign of arts, folk music and dance Visitors who want to take had traveled to China to teach many other historic sites, each hall of Du Fu was located here. hall of Huangdi, the birthplace tion of the compass. The Chi- the Temple of the City God, Emperor Qianlong (1736-1796) performed by monks from the in the sights of Henan will be Buddhism. representing different aspects Its actual date of construction is of Huangdi – Xuanyuan Mound, nese lunar calendar was also in downtown Zhengzhou of Qing Dynasty, the temple Shaolin Temple, birthplace of pleased with the province’s In 527 AD, the 28th patriarch of different times and cultural unknown and the hall has been an art exhibition zone and the used for the fi rst time, and the was built to consecrate gods has the same design and archi- kungfu, and the cream of the relatively mild climate. Its hot- of Buddhism Bodhidharma occurrences. The most highly restored many times since the treasure tripod zone. Neijing, the fi rst book about believed to be protecting the tectural style of the Forbidden Zhengzhou Song and Dance test month July has an average Shang Dynasty ruins arrived at the temple and intro- recommended are: days of the Qing Dynasty. Wen Temple traditional Chinese medicine, urban area and its people. City in Beijing. It has 400 Troupe, the play is China’s temperature of about 27 C. duced Chan Buddhism, which The Stellar Observatory Grotto Temple The Wen Temple, also known was written. Built during the Ming Dy- later became the dominant sect The stellar observatory is The Gongyi Grotto Temple as the Confucian Temple, was The advancements laid the nasty (1368-1644 AD), the in Chinese Buddhism. located in Dengfeng. About 700 was first established in the first built during the time of foundation for the prosperity of temple was a structure of During its history of more years ago, during the early days Northern Wei Dynasty. It the Eastern Han Dynasty. It Chinese civilization. Through imposing beauty with many than 1,500 years, the temple of the Yuan Dynasty (1271–1368), now comprises five caves, was originally a place where the following centuries, halls and grand gates. has been destroyed and rebuilt the famous astronomer and one shrine, 255 small alcoves, students studied the Confu- descendents have held com- The temple today has lost several times. Most of the cur- mathematician, Guo Shoujing, three large cliff-face Buddha cian classics. During the Ming memorative activities every much of its religious function rent buildings were constructed built the observatory. It is the statues, 7,743 Buddhist statues Dynasty, its name was changed year on his birthday to mark and become a place for exhibi- during the Ming and Qing oldest observatory in China and and more than 200 stone to Wen (Literacy) Temple.