ChinaDaily[970824-8]

[Chinese News]

China Daily

97 / 08 / 24 /

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1. Remote region hides lost world of mystery
2. Travel Notes (Page 5, Date: 08/23/97)
3. What's on (Page 6, Date: 08/23/97)
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Remote region hides lost world of mystery

PERHAPS no travelers' guidebook has ever mentioned Deqin, a remote and
mysterious area in the northwest corner of Yunnan Province.

For outsiders, Deqin remains a kind of primitive lost world.

I felt my pulse quicken with excitement as I approached the
snow-capped mountains, deep valleys and virgin forest of this
little-known place. My imagination filled with the prospect of exotic
plants and strange new animals, and peoples whose way of life was so
different from my own.

Baima Snow Mountains

Deqin belongs to the Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Yunnan
Province. It borders Sichuan Province to the east and the Tibetan
Autonomous Region to the west.

Deqin is home to the regions of Baima Snow Mountains and Meili Snow
Mountains, whose peaks tower 6,000 metres above sea level. Knife-edge
mountain ranges running side by side for hundreds of miles bring
Asia's three great rivers -- the Nujiang, the Lancang and the Jinsha
(the upper reaches of the Yangtze) -- to within 74 kilometres of one
another.

The altitude rises from 1,700 metres to more than 6,000 metres in the
county. At one point I was sweating in a T-shirt on the floor of the
Jinsha River valley, when only four hours later I had stood shivering
in my sweater at the entrance of the pass leading into Baima Snow
Mountains.

Baima Snow Mountains were listed in 1983 as a national nature reserve.
The site is an important sanctuary for rare animals and vegetation. It
is also the major habitat of one of the nation's Class-I endangered
species -- the Yunnan Snub-nosed Monkey, of which there are estimated
to be less than 1,000 in the wild.

Overall, the climate of the region is temperate. However, its
geography produces strikingly different habitats. Dry chaparral near
the river's edge at 2,000 metres gives way to oak and pine forests
between 3,500 and 4,000 metres. Cool, moist fir forests take over
between 4,000 and 4,600 metres. Higher up, alpine meadows dominate the
mountain sides.

Ancient Trade Route

After two days' bus ride from Kunming, I finally arrived at Deqin's
main town.

Shengping, the capital of the county, is a very small town squeezed
into a narrow valley between towering mountains. A single main street
runs through the town.

Located between the ancient Dali Kingdom (the city of Dali in Yunnan
Province today) and the Tufan Kingdom (today's Tibet Autonomous
Region), Deqin was once an important stop along the ancient Changma
Road, along which tea and horse traders had travelled since the time
of the Tang Dynasty ( 618-907).

Today, Shengping has lost its former prosperity. There are only a
handful of restaurants and shops left on its single street.

Meili Snow Mountains

The next morning I set off at 5 to watch the Meili Snow Mountains at
sunrise.

In Tibetan culture the 13 peaks of Meili Snow Mountains, all of which
are 6,000 metres above the sea level, are worshipped as images of the
divine.

Kargabo, at 6,740 metres, is the highest peak among the 13 and the
highest in Yunnan Province.

Kargabo, meaning "god of snow mountains" in the Tibetan language, is
said to be shaped in the form of a prince riding on a white horse and
carrying a sword.

To the east of Kargabo stands a lone, slim and sharp peak. Locals
called it Meizimu, meaning "goddess of snow mountains." It is said
that Meizimu is the wife of Kargabo.

According to the local religion, no logging or hunting is allowed on
the sacred peaks.

Every autumn believers from Tibet Autonomous Region, and Qinghai,
Sichuan and Yunnan provinces come to worship the Meili Snow Mountains.
They walk around the mountains and pray.

Along the path are many Mani piles. These are stones inscribed with
prayers. Around the Mani piles often fly coloured flags. The flags are
of five colours, representing the basic elements of nature: blue
represents the sky; white represents clouds; red represents fire;
yellow represents the earth; and green represents forests and rivers.

The Mani piles and flags are actually symbolic prayer ceremonies. It
is said that each time the flag flies the prayers are conveyed to the
gods.

To a Tibetan, dying on the pilgrimage is the best ending to life, for
it means one will enter heaven.

Mingyong Glacier

After four hours of a bumpy bus ride we arrived at the bottom of the
Jinsha River Valley. From here we had to continue on foot and hired
some donkeys to carry our luggage.

We crossed the bridge over the Lancang River and had to struggle
zigzag-fashion up the steep slope on the other side. The path forced
us to proceed in single file. The slope had been seriously eroded and
was lined with broken stones.

After two hours' tiring and frightening walk, we were surprised to
find that we had come to a hidden Shangri-la.

Hidden by huge walnut trees and a green rice field was a village. The
only sound was the roaring of a faraway river.

We were greeted by barking dogs and curious stares from children, who
came rushing from all directions, and old people bathing in the sun. A
young man, who we later learned was the head of the village, invited
us to his home and asked someone to feed our donkeys.

Our host made us butter tea. He first put the tea, salt and butter
into a slim bucket, then mixed them using a stick. When the mixture
was ready, he poured it into a teapot and boiled it on the fire. Each
of us had a cup of the boiling butter tea. Almost immediately I felt
my thirst and hunger vanish.

At such high altitudes the body burns up energy very fast. The butter
tea is the best way to supplement physical strength. No wonder Tibetan
families always have a tea pot in the fire.

Saying goodbye to the hospitable villagers, we stepped forth on the
last leg of the march towards our destination -- the Taizi Temple by
the Mingyong Glacier.

Mingyong River springs from the melting water of the Mingyong Glacier.
Like a wild horse, the white river careens down the mountain into the
red Lancang River 2,800 metres below. The scene is spectacular.

Crossing the wild Mingyong River, we entered a virgin forest.

There was no path through the forest. Fortunately, the trees around us
gave us a sense of safety as we climbed the steep slope along the
Mingyong valley.

The forest survives thanks to the sacred mountain. It was very humid,
and the tops of the huge firs were invisible because of the mist.
There were many unusual plants. No scientific research has ever been
carried out here. The area's biodiversity remains unknown to the
outside world.

We felt colder and colder, and knew that we were approaching the
glacier.

Mingyong Glacier is world-famous for its location. At a latitude of 28
degrees north and an altitude of 2,700 metres above sea level,
Mingyong Glacier is the world's lowest-lying glacier, and also the
closest to the equator.

Evening had fallen when we arrived exhausted at the Taizi Temple.

Taizi Temple has only one hall. Lit by flickering candles, more than
40 lamas were still at their evening prayers.

After a simple dinner we rested in tents erected in the front of the
temple.

The next morning we were awaken by the prayers of the lamas. It seemed
that they pray from dawn to dusk. Local women brought them meals as
donations to the temple.

From the temple Kargabo Peak was hidden behind clouds. Through the
thick mist the glacier was faintly visible, like a silver chain
hanging down from the sky.

The temptation to stand on the glacier was irresistible. Although we
were aware of the potential dangers, we still climbed up onto it.

From far away the glacier had looked smooth and whole, but up close we
could see it was actually full of huge holes and cracks due to
thousands of years of freezing, melting, pressure and movement. I
dropped a stone in a crack and after quite a few seconds I heard the
sound, "Dong!"

Later we were told that while we were on the glacier there were two
thunderous avalanches further up the mountain. Fortunately they did
not cause any movement of the lower glacier, but we were still
frightened.

Deqin, a place of beauty, and mystery, still remains a riddle to the
outside world. Its beauty and mystery still await discovery.
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_Date: 08/23/97_
_Author: Shi Lihong_

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Travel Notes (Page 5, Date: 08/23/97)

Festival ends

THE Third Shanhaiguan Great Wall Festival at Shanhaiguan Pass in
Qinhuangdao at the eastern end the Great Wall ended this week.
Hundreds of tourists from home and more than 13 countries attended the
festival.

With a history of more than 3,000 years, Shanhaiguan owes its
historical importance to its strategic location. Three mountain ranges
join at Shanhaiguan Pass and end in a bluff at the Bohai Sea.

Shanhaiguan is best known for the gate which marks the beginning point
of the Great Wall which was built in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).
Shanhaiguan Pass has been given the name of First Pass Under Heaven.
From atop this gate the Great Wall can be seen snaking its way down
from the Yanshan Mountain to the west.

In 1961, Shanhaiguan was listed as a major historical and cultural
site under State protection. Shanhaiguan and Laolongtou Great Wall
were chosen as one of the 40 best scenic spots around the country in
1991. This year the place has been designated one of the 16 tourist
routes for Visit China '97.

In 1992 and 1993, Shanhaiguan successfully hosted Great Wall
festivals. The festival has merged tourism, cultural exchanges and
trade fairs.

Henan Museum

ZHENGZHOU -- Henan Museum, China's largest museum complex covering 10
hectares, is under construction in Zhengzhou, capital of Central
China's Henan Province.

The museum, which will cover 78,000 square metres and house a
collection of more 150,000 items, is scheduled to open in October.

The museum complex features state-of-the-art fire prevention, security
and relics protection systems.

The complex will be completed at a cost of 300 million yuan ($36
million). (CD-Xinhua)
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_Date: 08/23/97_
_Author: _

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What's on (Page 6, Date: 08/23/97)

SONG AND DANCE

Dance drama -- The National Dance Coof South Korea will perform on
August 23-24 to mark the fifth anniversary of the establishment of
diplomatic relations between China and the Republic of Korea.

Set up in 1962, the National Dance Co of South Korea aims to
revitalize the traditional dances of Korea and keep pace with the
fast-changing world. With 60-plus first-class artists, the art company
has done a good job in popularizing traditional Korean dances by
staging more than 50 performances and touring more than 60 countries.

It is the second time the art company performs in China. The programme
includes a group of traditional Korean dances and a dance drama
entitled "Portrait of a Sorcerers." The dance drama is adapted from
the novel of the same name written by Kim Dong-lee, a pioneer of
Korean short stories. The choreographer is Kook Soo-ho.

The activity is sponsored by the China Performing Arts Agency (CPAA)
and organized by the CPAA Cultural Entertainment Company. After the
Beijing performance, the National Dance Co of South Korea will tour
Shanghai and Changchun.

Time: 7:15 pm, August 23-24

Place: Poly Plaza International Theatre, 14 Dongzhimen Nandajie,
Dongcheng District

Telephone: 6405-5512, 6526-5087

Vietnamese songs and dances -- At the invitation of China's Ministry
of Culture, the Vietnamese State Art Troupe will present
song-and-dance performances on September 1-2 at the International
Theatre of Poly Plaza.

Set up in 1951, the art troupe has created a large number of songs and
dances in praise of heroism, patriotism and national spirit. It has
toured more than 50 countries introducing the folk arts of Viet Nam.

In Beijing, the Vietnamese artists will perform Vietnamese folk songs
and dances as well as some Chinese songs. After Beijing performances,
they will tour Changchun, Jilin and Yanji cities in Northeast China.
The activity is sponsored by the China Performing Art Agency and
organized by the CPAA Cultural Entertainment Company.

Time: 7:30 pm, September 1-2

Place: International Theatre of Poly Plaza

Telephone: 6405-5512

DRAMA

Short, short play -- Beijing's theatre-goers have entertained
themselves this summer by watching "short short plays."

After "Green House," a drama trilogy on urban life, "Romance of All
Seasons" will be performed by the Beijing People's Art Theatre. It
tells three love stories in three seasons. To cater to modern tastes,
the play borrows some techniques from film and TV series. Xia Yu, a
promising actor, will star in the play.

Time: August 23-24, 26-31

Place: Small theatre of Capital Theatre, 22 Wangfujing Dajie,
Dongcheng District

Telephone: 6525-0123

Original opera -- The Liyuan Theatre at Qianmen Hotel presents Peking
Opera in the original style. The theatre has revived the ambience of
old Beijing by setting up Ming-style tables so guests can sample
snacks during performances.

Performers are from the Beijing Peking Opera Theatre.

Time: 7:30 pm, nightly

Place: Qianmen Hotel, 175 Yong'anlu, Xuanwu District

Telephone: 6301-6688 ext 8986

Beautiful comedy -- When two women who haven't seen each other for 20
years run into each other again, they have a lot to tell each other --
and the audience -- in the comedy "Women Are Beautiful."

One of the women has worked hard to become economically powerful,
while the other has turned herself into a modern intellectual. They
find their differences do not get in the way of their mutual
understanding.

The playwright, producer and director of the comedy are all young with
overseas professional study experience.

The drama premiered in May and created a sensation in the capital.

Time: 7:15 pm, August 29-September 9

Place: Capital Theatre, 22 Wangfujing Dajie, Dongcheng District

Telephone: 6525-0996

ACROBATICS

Joyful jugglers -- The China Acrobatic Troupe is juggling, cycling and
tumbling every night at Chaoyang Theatre.

The 46-year-old troupe, one of the best in the country, has toured
more than 60 countries and won awards in international competitions.

The company's repertoire includes tightrope walking, martial arts and
traditional Chinese magic tricks.

Acrobats juggle, cycle and tumble on the stage, winning praise from
audiences both at home and abroad.

Time: 7:15 pm, daily

Place: Chaoyang Theatre, 36 Dongsanhuan Beilu, Chaoyang District

Telephone: 6507-2421

EXHIBITIONS

Young artists -- Three young artists are presenting their contemporary
works at the Red Gate Gallery through August 28. They are Kang
Jianfei, Li Yanbo and Li Qiang.

A recent graduate from the Central Academy of Fine Art, Kang works in
the time-honoured woodcut tradition as well as making mixed media
abstract prints.

Harbin-born Li Yanbo will exhibit his mixed media paintings on paper,
a feature of which is the often quizzical juxtaposition of elements of
the symbolic with the banal.

Li Qiang's richly decorative abstract paintings in gold, red and black
provide a contrast of method and approach that typify the
individuality of each artist in the exhibition.

Time: 11 am-6 pm, through August 28

Place: Red Gate Gallery, Level 3, China World Hotel, 1 Jianguomenwai
Dajie

Telephone: 6505-2266 ext 6821 or 5729

Ink and oil -- The Wan Fung Art Gallery is displaying representative
works of 40 famous ink and oil painters, including Nan Haiyan, Lao Dao
and Ma Haifang.

The paintings on display include landscape, flower-and-bird and figure
paintings in different styles. They express the profound love of the
painters for nature and the human world.

Most of the paintings are fusing Western styles with oriental and
touch upon both ancient culture and real life.

Time: 9 am-4 pm, until August 31

Place: Wan Fung Art Gallery, 136 Nanchizi Dajie, Dongcheng District

Telephone: 6523-3774

Painting on porcelain -- A special exhibition is being held at the
Baihuarong Gallery inside the Bell Tower.

The show will feature some works of Yu Xiping, a ceramic artist from
Jingdezhen, capital of porcelain in China.

Yu will give lectures, showing how to paint on ceramic at the show.

Working as a ceramic artist since 1985, he has created many new
techniques in his painting and holds his solo shows in Beijing time
and again.

Time: 9 am-5 pm, until August 27

Place: Zhonglou Baihuarong Exhibition Hall, Zhonglouwan, Dongcheng
District

Telephone: 6401-2674

Oil painting show -- A two-man oil painting exhibition is held now at
Beijing International Art Palace.

Entitled "Passion of Home," the show will feature 60-plus works of
Xing Guozhen and Shen Jiguang which are full of artists' love for land
and home.

Graduated from the Central Academy of Fine Arts and Central Drama
Academy respectively in 1960s, Xing and Shen have devoted themselves
to exploration of oil painting.

Time: 9 am-8 pm, August 23-September 1

Place: Beijing International Art Palace, 48 Wangfujing Dajie,
Dongcheng District

Telephone: 6512-5063

Folk painting show -- Organized by the Yanhuang Art Museum and Baoding
Collecting Ass, a folk painting show is held from August 23 to
September 5.

There are more than 100 works dating back from Ming Dynasty to New
China and done by acclaimed artists such as Ji Xiaolan, Ding Foyan,
Huang Yi and Mei Qing.

Time: 9 am-4 pm, until September 5

Place: Yanhuang Art Museum, 9 Huizhonglu, Asian Games Village

Telephone: 6491-2902

Toy figures -- The gallery of Central Academy of Fine Arts will
display toy figurines made by artist Sun Shiyan from August 22-29.

The figurines are made of scrap such as used wrappers, eggshells, odd
bits of cloth, paper cups and packing boxes.

Sun is a graduate of the Central Academy of Fine Arts and a teacher
with the Art Department of the Harbin Normal University. She has long
cherished a deep love in creating paintings for children and toy
figurines and has turned waste materials abandoned by people in daily
life into art.

In 1995, Sun held her one-person show, first at her Alma Mater and
then later in the Shanghai Art Gallery.

Time: 9 am-4 pm, until August 29.

Place: Gallery of the Central Academy of Fine Arts, 5 Xiaowei Hutong,
Wangfujing, Dongcheng District

Telephone: 6528-4838

Better-equipped army -- An exhibition at the Military Museum of the
Chinese People's Revolution reveals the People's Liberation Army (PLA)
is now equipped with some new and modern weaponry.

The navy has established military systems capable of carrying out
mobile marine actions, naval base defence actions and sea-based
nuclear counter-attack actions. And mobile fleets boast growing power
in air defence, anti-submarine and anti-warship actions.

The air force now has various new types of fighters, transport planes
and support planes. Air-defence firepower can cover a range of heights
and distances, and a nationwide radar network has been set up.

The ground force also has better mobile action capability with an
effective assistance and equipment guarantee system. The strategic
missile forces use both conventional and nuclear missiles which cover
short, medium and long ranges.

Time: 9 am-4 pm, until August 31

Place: 9 Fuxinglu, Haidian District

Telephone: 6851-4441

Anti-Japanese history show -- Beijing Archives is holding an
exhibition of historical materials from the anti-Japanese war
(1937-45).

The exhibition, in four parts, vividly reflects the national salvation
movement of the Beijing people after the "September 18th Incident" of
1931, during the "July 7th Incident" of 1937, and in the course of the
anti-Japanese war. Many precious photos and documents are shown to the
public for the first time.

Time: 8 am-4 pm, until September 30

Place: Museum of the Chinese People's Resistance War Against Japan,
101 Chengneijie, Lugouqiao

Telephone: 6381-7485/3163

Ornamental stone -- The Six-Men Weird Stones from Southern China
Exhibition are on display at Tanghuawu (Tang Flower House) in
Zhongshan Park until September 10.

In recent years, people have named these grotesque-shaped stones
Strange Stones, Weird Stones, Beautiful Stones, Precious Stones and
Appreciated Stones. The stones are naturally formed from mineral
crystals. Because of the geology and their natural distribution, these
rocks cannot be duplicated.

The exhibition shows various kinds of stones including modelling
stones, veined stones, mineral stones and fossils.

There are about 2,000 stones in 30 categories shown in the exhibition.
Chrysanthemum stones, Taihu stones and pineapple-shaped stones are
among those that delight visitors.

Time: 9 am-4 pm, through September 10

Place: Tanghuawu, inside Zhongshan Park,

Telephone: 6605-4252

Photo show -- A photo exhibition by Wang Lu is now running at Yanhuang
Art Museum until August 31.

Wang, a 59-year-old photographer, is famous for her photos of ancient
relics in China, archaeological sites, cultural remains and ethnic
scenery and folklore in China.

There are more than 70 examples of her photos, only a small section of
Wang's numerous works. Wang seizes the transient characteristics of
ancient things and their properties. Her art is full of feeling.

Time: 9 am-4 pm, through September 6

Place: Yanhuang Art Museum, 9 Huizhonglu, Asian Games Village,
Chaoyang District

Telephone: 6491-0909, 6491-2902
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_Date: 08/23/97_
_Author: _

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