ChinaEncounters

Much more to come from Xian

On Wednesday evening last week I wrote that there would be much more to come from China Encounters time here in Xian. Well there is more to com, but it has been delayed. I was struggling with a streaming cold, and low grade fever for some days, and Anne from a low grade stomach disorder, which have slowed us down some and which meant that when we did get back from busy days  posting didn't happen.

There is certainly more to write on all we have seen. We have taken lots of photos and many of them are already available on our flickr site, Moreoever as we have sought to engage with the deep and rich history of this city,lots of thoughts have ben flowing. For now here are the pics:

Great Mosque, at the centre of a vibrant muslim community.

Big Wild Goose Pagoda reflects a very interesting period in the history of Buddhism in China.

Xian's city wall   and the Drum and Bell Tower in the city centre

Terracotta Warriors - one word sums them up, Amazing!

and to come:  The Forest of Steles and the Nestorian Stele, Dong Xin church and the Xian Bible College, the Silk Road and of course some general comment on the city. Also the results of tomorrow's last foray to the very early Christian Daqin Pagoda; the Louguan Temple, where Laotzi wrote the Tao te Ching, which is the heart of Taoism; and possibly some pics of the Qinling Mountains where apparently Giant Pandas live!

Anticipating tomorrow, I have looked forward much to this visit since we helped friends make the trip a couple of years ago. We reflected much on the arrival of gospel in the hands of the Church of the East (often erroneously called the Nestorians) in 635 when we saw the Nestorian Stele last Friday. What has struck though is the very fertile context at that time. Islam arrived in 651, via the same Silk Road. And at the Big Wild Goose Pagoda on Thursday I learnt of its founder, Xuan Zang, who travelled to India and brought back the Buddhist Sutras for the frst time in 646. While Buddhism had been in China since 120BC, the translation of the Sutras gave it much greater presence in China. All three foreign religions were welcomed and actively and engagingly hosted and facilitated by China's native Daoism.  Hence our attendance at a key Daoist location tomorrow.   

What was going on in the Tang Dynasty of the early 7th century? More anon.   

Muslim Quarter in Xian

DSC01186, originally uploaded by China Encounters.

China Encounters has come to the city of Xian for a week for a variety of things, to meet some people, but perhaps most interestingly to look at some fascinating things in the history of China. We have been many places in China but this is our frst time to Xian and we are really excited to see much of ancient China make some useful friends.

We arrived mid afternoon, and after settling took things easily with a walk.We are staying at the King Dynasty Hotel just outside the city wall by the gate on the NW corner. I normally try to note useful hotels so will do so in a day or so; certainly the location of this one is great!

We walked from the King Dynasty through the gate towards the north of Xian's western city wall, through the western part of the Muslim district, along the main eats west street to the centre of the city by the Drum and Bell Towers. We ate cheaply and easily of local muslim fare at at Kaiyuan Shopping Mall food court (7th floor), back through BeiyuanMen muslim shopping street and the central part of the Muslim Quarter. The walk was about 5 miles. The photo above is part of the set on Flickr  and the route of the walk is here on ChinaEncounters map of Xian.

Comments on Muslim Xian another time, but this walk was great introduction. Its certainly a very different culture to Nanjing.

Encouraging Reports on the Catholic Church

Shanghai Scrap and Shanghaiist are two China blogs I visit regularly. In the past few days both have covered an very encouraging story about the Catholic Church in China.  The Underground Grotto and the Papal Letter.  and A year after Pope's letter to Chinese Catholics, some positive developments.

They draw attention to a story in Union of Catholic Asian News: CHINA  Church Observers See Some Positive Results One Year After Pope's Letter. It reports the way that members of the official Catholic Churches in China, and so called "underground catholics" are beginning to talk together, work together and be reconciled. This was a result of the Pope's letter to Chinese Catholics just over a year ago which was very honouring of the official Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association and setting some guidleines in place that would allow the relationship to get closer.

The stories reported are interesting and encouraging. In the process it rather ruins the poular myths of the underground (unregistered) movement, noting for example that in Tianjin, where part of the the story is focused, they tend to be those who worship outside the Cathedral at Mary's grotto, and thus very publicly, rather than in the Cathedral. It describes close relationships, cross over of worshipper, and walls coming down.The same of course is true of the Protestant registered church in its relationship with the protestant "underground".

There are still stories that give concern; just a few days ago of two "illegal" Cathloic priests who have disappeared near Beijing. But even then there is often a story we do not hear, so lets listen rather than ve quick to jump to conclusions.

St Paul's Nanjing again.

DSC00951, originally uploaded by China Encounters.

We worshipped at St Paul's Nanjing again yesterday -- at their English service. (** below for details)  (The above picture was taken after the main Chinese service in the main sanctuary - these are just the stragglers praying, chatting etc. There are more pictures of St Paul's here.) Previous short report here.

This was the third Sunday we have attended ... [see extension below]

Field Museum's Chinese scroll of Madonna and Child shows Christianity's spread

Link: Field Museum's Chinese scroll of Madonna and Child shows Christianity's spread -- chicagotribune.com.

As a pair of conservators at the Field Museum slowly unrolled an ancient Chinese scroll, it dramatically revealed how far the Christian faith has traveled since that first Christmas in Bethlehem.

Though the delicate watercolor of a Madonna and Child is among oldest visual evidences of Christianity in the Far East, the museum had prosaically dubbed it "catalog number 116027." For decades, it sat in a dimly lit case, cracked and soiled. The details were hard to discern.  .....

How early is it. Opinions vary, but probably 15th century, reflecting earlier tradition.

Islam in China

Website on Islam in China

Link: Seek knowledge,even if it is in faraway China _Nabi Mohammed(s.a.w). IslamiChina Tours,your alladin's lamp in China..

and a blog  Islam in China   -- which is apparently unrelated to the website! Thanks for that info wang daiyu

From Russia with love

Link: Shanghaiist: From Russia with love.

the Mission Church sometimes referred to as Our Lady the Surety of Sinners. It once served Shanghai's White Russian population (around 25,000 strong at one point)

Religion in China | When opium can be benign

Link: Religion in China | When opium can be benign | Economist.com.

From The Economist print edition

China's Communist Party, reconsidering Marx's words, is starting to wonder whether there might not be a use for religion after all

Religious believers thrice the estimate

Link: Religious believers thrice the estimate.

This remarkable headline is from the China Daily, the main English medium paper in China and official mouthpiece of the Chinese government. 

Historic Shanghai church further ruined by fire

British Consulate compound, originally uploaded by China Encounters.

Link: Shanghaiist: Historic Shanghai church further ruined by fire.  The church in question is marked by (A) and stands on the south side of Suzhou River, and on the edge of the old British Consulate compound.

The picture was taken in October 2006 from the Shanghai Pearl Tower.  The old British consulate compund dates from the International sttlement days. (B) is the main building of the Consulate; (D) is the park that was reserved for foreign residents; and (E) the old IndoChina Bank (29 The Bund). After years of being closed off and unused (ignored becaused of all it represented?) the whole compiund is being redeveloped and renovated as a hotel complex (supposedly owned by the prestigious Singapore Raffles Hotel group).

The Old Union Church that stood at (A) was the oldest protestant church building in Shanghai. 

More pictures of the destroyed church