<$BlogRSDUrl$>

Reflections on a Wandering Life.....

Thursday, February 26, 2009

The Village in Winter 

For some reason, the village at the foot of the mountain reminds me of Akita. Especially in winter. And especially on a cloudy day. Beijing doesn't have as many cloudy days as Akita, because it is drier. But a cloudy day in winter really takes me back.

I have been spending a lot of time here, recently, because I am taking a leave of absence this semester. It's not far--about an hour out of town on the 331. But an hour is an hour, so I am thinking of getting some kind of room so that I can stay out here at least a couple nights a week.

We took a hike up to the old temple ruins this afternoon. Michael told me the temple was destroyed by the Red Guards during the Cultural Revolution. I don't know enough about the area--but I am sure I will sooner or later. I suppose any deterioration would easily be attributed to the Cultural Revolution, because so many temples and religious sites were destroyed during those days. But as crazy as those kids were, it would seem highly improbable that an old place like this so close to Beijing could escape their rage. At any rate, there does seem to be a fair amount of deliberate damage.

This page is powered by Blogger. Isn't yours?