1. 9/10/16
a. Early morning, hit the
Dazu carvings! Two-hour ride. My bowels are struggling, so the squat toilet
with no toilet paper in an otherwise very respectable bathroom is a bit of a
challenge. (Did I mention, the bathroom in Xin’s house has a toilet basin set
directly into the floor?! This is called a squat toilet; they are common in
China even where ordinary toilets would be just as easy to implement.)
b. But the carvings are
staggeringly cool and beautiful. This is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Carvings
go back ~1500 years, mostly Buddhist, but also do homage to Confucian and
Taoist ideas. Apparently some Buddhist branches have the concept of Hell—18
levels of it! Hoocoodanode? Xin translates what a tour guide is telling us,
which is super nice and helpful.
c. There is a striking room
cut into the rock where the light falls from the window on a disciple or
Bodhisattva kneeling before two Buddhas (enlightened people, in my very crude
simplification of my very crude understanding). Reminds me of Baroque paintings
and chiaroscuro.
d. There is also a painting
of a herdsman with an ox? that reminds me strongly of my History of Cows class.
It exemplifies the “bring your cattle to heel, so bring your mind and society
to civilization and virtue” theme we studied over and over in the class.
e. Take two loops around
the trail with the carvings.
f. Drive back, try to find
a restaurant for lunch, fail. Go straight home for dinner.
g. After dinner, consider
walking to sports store to get the pennies I had seen there the first day in
CQ. Somehow it gets embroiled so Xin’s dad is driving me and Xin. Don’t want to
impose, hustle to get pennies, they’re out so I end up getting a bunch of
bright yellow athletic tees on clearance. Should work. Stressful and sweaty
process for all of us I think.
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