Vignettes of the World
I’d be willing to offer a bag of gold in exchange for just one look at the ancient city of Khiva. This Central Asian saying speaks amply to Khiva’s historic status as one of the most beautiful and storied cities along the ancient silk road …
At the roadside restaurant, where most tourists stopped for their meals in a vast stretch of no man’s land, we had a much-needed Lachman in hot soup. I also had the opportunity to put on whatever pieces of clothing that I had with me to …
The Karakalpakstan State Museum of the Arts was named after Savitsky as the Savitsky Art Museum. Located in Nukus, which is the capital for the semiautonomous region of the Republic of Karakalpakstan, the Savitsky Art Museum is simply known as the Nukus Museum of Art. It is a crown jewel of the Republic of Karakalpakstan, although in a different way from the Chilpik Kala that we discussed in the last entry. The museum boasts being “the Louvre in the sands,” as having one of the largest collections of Russian Avant Garde and Central Asian applied art.
Having visited this museum, I would say it was slightly exaggerated to call it “the Louvre in the sands,” as its scale is not comparable to the Louvre. However, it does present a rich collection of interesting paintings in the Central Asian themes, and for that I was surely very thankful. We found it eye opening to see some of the works of Uzbekistan, created both by local artists and overseas (mostly Russian) artists.
Igor Vitalievich Savitsky (1915-1984) was the founder of the Nukus Museum of Art. His dedicated work in this region of Uzbekistan has both inspired him to create his own and enabled him to collect an enormous number of locally created artworks, which formed the foundation of this museum.
Igor Vitalievich Savitsky was part of the Khorezm Archaeological — Ethnographic Expedition of 1950, the work of which had resulted in the excavation of Khorezm era artefacts and the discovery of ancient fortresses in this part of Uzbekistan, as well as parts of modern-day Turkmenistan. This expedition was headed by the renowned Soviet scientist Sergei Tolstov. Igor Savistky served as an artist in this expedition. It was during this expedition that Igor Savitsky began collecting the works of art by local artists through his own independent study.
It was Igor Savitsky’s initiative to found the Nukus Museum of Art in 1966. During the Museum’s earlier years, it was the hub for relatively unknown artists to explore their creativity, especially in Avant Garde artworks. Because this part of Uzbekistan was off bounds to foreigners then, the Soviets left the museum alone. As such, a lot of the forward-thinking artists that were dubbed dissidents in the Soviet regime found refuge here in this art museum. Over the years, Savitsky has also kept his collection secret. It was only upon his death in 1984 that the well-preserved artworks of a whole Soviet era met the light of the day.
The Nukus Museum of Art thus stands tall in the history of Uzbekistan (and the former Soviet Union) as the stalwart for artistic expression. Its exhibitions speak amply to that historical role.
I was particularly drawn to the exhibition of both Russian and local artists showing their appreciation of the landscapes of Uzbekistan. Needless to say, there were a number of artworks that were inspired by the Aral Sea, which was once the very lifeline for the Karakalpakstan people. The exhibition The Memory of Water showcases the artworks of eight artists living in different times during the 20th century. On their canvas they find expressions of beauty as they were inspired by the Amu Darya River or the Aral Sea.
This exhibition was the perfect prelude to our visit of the Aral Sea itself in Muynak, where we would see the extreme desertification that had shrunk the sea surface to 1/10 its original size as compared to the 1960s. The paintings are the literal memories of the beauty and abundance that the Aral Sea once was.
The artwork that features Uzbekistan was very engaging, and they were the works of both Uzbek local artists and Russian artists, showing the myriad colors, textures and aspects of life in Uzbekistan.
I highly recommend a visit to the Nukus Museum of Art to see the artwork of this particular region in Uzbekistan. It is a rare chance to look into life in Karakalpakstan that had but altogether disappeared due to the desertification of the Aral Sea.
English descriptions are available at the Nukus Museum of Art throughout the exhibitions.
Advantour.com, Savitsky Art Museum, Nukus.
Visitworldheritage.com, Nukus Museum of Art.
Descriptions on site at the Nukus Museum of Art.
The train headed west toward Khiva. As it turned out, the desert climate of Bukhara would pale in comparison to that of Khiva. When we left the train station, we were greeted with a frigidity for which I was completely unprepared. We went from 38 …
I stumbled upon Oi! one day when I was heading over on foot to Tin Hau from North Point. I was first drawn to the beautiful red brick structure and stopped in for a look. There was staff at the help desk there and I …
After the Gankeng Ancient Hakka Townlet and the Dapeng Fortress, the only ancient city left to visit in Shenzhen is the Nantou Ancient City.
The artefacts excavated in Nantou suggests the existence of settlement as far back as the Three Kingdoms period, some 1800 years ago. The city that has continued to this day was built in the 27th year of the Hongwu reign (1394) in Ming dynasty. The Nantou Ancient City was part of the efforts by China’s imperial government to ramp up maritime defense in Shenzhen during the Ming and Qing dynasties. Nantou served as one of the 24 defense outposts along the mountain ridges of Lingnan (southern China), and the Dapeng Fortress was another one of the 24. Of these defense outposts, only Nantou and Dapeng have survived the passage of time.
During the Wanli reign of the Ming Dynasty, Nantou was the seat of administration of the Xinan County. There is significance in this fact because Hong Kong itself was considered part of Xinan County during much of the imperial times. Therefore Hong Kong is featured in quite a number of historical exhibits in Nantou.
During the early Qing dynasty, many Hakka people settled down in this part of Shenzhen. Due to its coastal location, Nantou’s people engaged in all sorts of maritime trade, including fishing, oyster harvesting and salt drying. When Canton became the only trading port with foreigners in China during the Qing dynasty, Nantou experienced a flourishing development of trade, owing to the rise of the Thirteen Factories in Guangzhou.
It was with excitement that I arrived at the South Gate of the Nantou Ancient Town. Yet there were ways in which it surprised me in a not-so-pleasant way.
As compared to the Gankeng Hakka Townlet, which was mostly a migrants’ settlement for three hundred years, the Nantou Ancient Town exhibited a lot more modern elements in its restoration. Its whole character was more modern than it was “ancient.” I felt like I was simply walking inside a leisure area with some ancient characteristics. The same comparison goes with its historic counterpart, the Dapeng Fortress, which stood within a clear, enclosed boundary with mostly ancient structures throughout the area.
Photo: The plaque at the watchtower of the South Gate says “Lingnan Stronghold,” a testament to one of Nantou’s original role as a city of defense in China’s imperial times.
The South Gate (Old Gate) of Nantou was built during the early Ming dynasty and it did undergo restoration during the Ming and Qing dynasties. Lying at its foundation are granite slabs. There are brick layers covering the granite base. A brick structure on the second story served as the watchtower. Lying next to the wall is a ruins.
The Xinan County was severed from the administrative jurisdiction of Dongguan in the first year of the Wanli reign (1573) in Ming dynasty. At the time of establishment, Xinan, with its Chinese characters meaning “new” and “secure,” bore the good will of the government as its name means “replacing the old with the new and turning the crisis into safety.” During the Ming and Qing dynasties, due to its role as an administrative seat of the government with a defensive purpose, the Xinan County Government Office was an extensive structure with 5 halls on its main axis and flanking courtyards on both sides. Now only the eastern courtyard has been preserved and it is open for touring.
In the 8th year of the Kangxi reign (1699), the coastal eviction edict issued by the Qing government was finally lifted. The displaced people formerly living in the coastal areas of southern China (pretty much all of Shenzhen and Hong Kong) could return to their hometowns. The Baode Ancestral Hall, meaning “Gratitude Temple,” was built in honor of the Inspector General of Guangdong, Wang Lairen, and the Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi Provinces, Zhou Youde. The people wanted to thank them for putting forth a formal request to the Qing government to approve a rebuilding of the Xinan County.
At the Wen Tianxiang Ancestral Hall, Wen Tianxiang is celebrated for his patriotism to the Song dynasty. In Chinese history he was hailed as a national hero, who refused to capitulate to a new dynastic power and died as a result. His descendants had settled down all throughout southern China, and built this ancestral hall in his memory in Nantou. The first restoration of the ancestral hall took place in the 12th year of the Jiaqing reign (1807).
The first exhibition that we came across was a digital rendition of a part of Nantou’s history, entitled Nantou 1820. It showcases a history of thriving commercial life in Nantou. The exhibition is held at the Nantou Digital Pavilion on Zhongshan Nanjie (Zhongshan South Street), and prebooking is required (you may do your prebooking right at the spot with your phone).
We then came upon another exhibition of ancient maps, although they are likely all repicas. Out of the exhibitions that we have seen in Nantou, that was perhaps the most interesting. We saw how historically Shenzhen and its municipalities are reflected and represented in the maps. The exhibition is on Zhongshan Xijie (Zhongshan West Street).
Finally, there is an exhibition showing the artefacts that were excavated in Nantou, mostly from the ancient graves. These exhibits show that there had been settlements here for thousands of years, way before the establishment of Nantou in Ming dynasty. I found the exhibits to be moderately interesting. This exhibition is held at the House of the Man’s (Wenshi Huazhai).
Note that the Museum of Nantou, like all others in China, are closed on Mondays.
All in all, the vibes there at Nantou were more modern than ancient. The experience at Nantou was not too bad if you care more about the leisurely aspects of touring an ancient city. It gets very crowded on the weekends as well, so do bear in mind.
Descriptions on site at the Nantou Ancient City.
Tin Hau is a haven of good food in Hong Kong. Restaurants serving Hong Kong’s favorite beef brisket noodles once sprawled in this area. The well-known one was Tai Lee. Now there are just about a couple of good ones, namely Sister Wah and Eight …
One Last Look at Xingping There was no need to get breakfast as eating breakfast is not my habit, but I was craving for one last good experience in Xingping. I would be leaving a little after lunch that day. At that hour of the …
At the hotel I inquired about a private car ride to take me to Xianggong Shan for sunrise viewing. After a day, I was told that there would be no one else to join me on this ride, and therefore I would be fully responsible for the RMB 180 yuan fee for the car and the driver. I was happy to pay that, although I already knew that the weather conditions would not be favorable.
Bright and early at 5:30am I waited outside of my hostel for the driver to arrive at 5:50am. Surely the drive came a little early at 5:45am. He first took me on to a rubber raft to cross the Li River, the pier of which lies right by the hostel. He parked his car at the other shore.
The way up Xianggong Shan is an easy 20 minute climb. The car park was at a high altitude already. Topping up with a 20 minute climb, I ended up at a very high vantage point to savor a 270-degree view of the karst peak clusters.
It was pitch dark when I made my way up. I quickly secured a viewing spot, as I was a little surprised how many people were doing the same as I did (and why did none of them join me and share my cost for the ride).
It takes little imagination for one to see how beautiful an experience it would have been had the sky been clear. At that viewing platform I could see quite clearly the town settlement that lies by the river and enveloped by an endless rolling of karst peaks. The fog did bring forth a somewhat melancholy vibe to the scenery, like a classic Chinese ink painting.
The day was not only gloomy, but with thick, heavy overcast that prevented the proper appearance of sun rays, let alone the sun itself. I was lucky enough to be able to observe a progression of light in my hour spent there at the peak. Perhaps a little surprisingly, I found the half hour before the sunrise to present more intriguing views of the scenery, when the lights of the underlying town settlement were still visible in pitch darkness.
I visited Guilin in January and so anyone doing a sunrise tour must bundle up with warm clothing. A down jacket, a scarf and perhaps a beanie would be necessary.
I have seen much of the three ancient towns of Huangyao, Yangshuo and Xingping on this trip. It is a good idea to share a few brief insights about these three towns.
Huangyao is the most friendly to tourists that look for heritage and learning. Throughout my stay at Huangyao, I saw clear signs explaining the history of old structures. In Xingping, the businesses were more catered to the interests of those tourists looking for leisure and relaxation. The restaurants there came with a much greater variety, the shopping was more diverse and interesting. In terms of heritage, there was not a focus in Xingping on imparting historical knowledge to the tourists, although the antique quality of the town’s character was clear and it was just as beautiful.
Of the three ancient towns, Xingping seemed to exhibit the most authenticity in terms of being a town with its own local life. Both Huangyao and Yangshuo strike me as locations that lived and breathed the economy of tourism. Xingping, however, seemed to show a life of its own besides the heavy tourist presence.
As to Yangshuo, I have passed the age when I could have liked it for the party atmosphere at night. The so-called heritage sites in Yangshuo are for show (meaning instagrammable pictures) only. But for tourists looking for a good time at hip bars with the latest dance music, Yangshuo certainly is the place to be. The food choices in Yangshuo were also more “local,” as compared to the wide selection of western styled foods in Xingping.
However, the river views of Yangshuo really does top all that of Guilin, as it claims itself to be. Seeing it is believing it.
Li River was always known and praised for its beauty. The Yellow Cloth Shoal, a scene of the karst peak clusters at the Li River, is featured on the RMB 20 yuan bank note. It brings the Li River to the fore of China’s national …