[Visited April 2017]

I spent 3 days exploring all inscribed components during a 4-day Qingming holiday weekend. My visit was possibly a few days before Juha’s and I concur to his impressions on the review below. As he had excellently written about the components he visited, I will focus mine on the others in a lengthy review.

SHAOLIN TEMPLE COMPLEX

Shaolin Temple is the birthplace of Kung Fu. Visiting it was worth the hype and hassle. Yes, it is crowded and considering I went on a public holiday, it was really ”people mountain people sea” type of place. The payoff is not solely on the exceptionality of the built heritage. After all, when you’re templed out, seeing one you’ve seen them all. Rather, it is on the overall experience, especially on the little surprises, that I was rewarded.

Within the Shaolin Temple scenic area are Kung Fu academies offering short or long term courses. If martial art is not your forte, you can just delight on watching the students/kids practice. Morning is best to see them doing exercises - it is not for show but as part of the school schedule. It is an amazing sight viewing them in rows with synchronised movement and dexterity. 

As expected Shaolin Temple Kernel Complex is the most crowded. Notable relics are the mural depicting the Shaolin tradition and a bronze monk statue. Deeper into the compound are places of solitude where I was rewarded with a man practicing Kung Fu (in photo). It was exhilarating, I was the only spectator as he gracefully tumbled and danced. 

Not far from the temple is the Pagoda Forest, which served as burial grounds for monks over the centuries. The high concentration of pagoda in relatively compact area provides a pleasant stroll with a backdrop of Songshan. Climbing up the mountain and halfway to the peak is the Chuzu Temple. As one of the oldest wooden structure in China, the passage of time is evident on the temple and its compound. There is a somber atmosphere with a smell of old wood and you might hear a creak or two upon stepping in.

HAN QUE GATES

Que gates are free-standing ceremonial gate towers serving as the boundaries of palaces and temple premises. Of the 34 extant Han Que Gates, three are in Dengfeng and provide a symbolic link to the mountain worship of this “center of heaven and earth”: one for Shaoshi peak, one for Taishi peak and one for the Qimu Stone. The center is believed to be Shaoshi and Taishi peaks.

There is not much to see on the gates themselves, as unfortunately, they’re inside a shed which were all closed during my visit. Of notable interest is the area of Qimu Que. Behind the gate is a hiking path to the Qimu - a legendary rock that is cracked open with a baby inside named Qi (Qimu = mother of Qi). This component gives a semblance of “mythic origin”. Nowadays, there is indeed a huge rock cut in half but everyone is free to climb - so most likely a modern version and not the stone of legend or even its basis.

GAOCHENG OBSERVATORY

Undoubtedly the best component of the series. ICOMOS evaluation singled out this monument to possess an OUV on its own. It bears testimony to the long Chinese tradition and contribution to astronomy. It’s relation to “centre of heaven and earth” theme is on the notion that precise astronomical observations can only be done at the center. Indeed, the measurements taken here have high precision and not far off from those taken using modern tech.

Of the several instruments within the complex, the most imposing and grand is the Star Observatory itself. This building is a marvel of human ingenuity by giving precise measurements of tropical year without the use of modern gadgets. Made of bricks and stone, it is a 28-foot platform with a 98-foot stone sundial perpendicular to it. The gnomon used for shadow measurements is placed across a groove at the top of the platform. In 1944, Japanese troops bombarded it and destroyed the rooms at the top of the platform (now restored). Two cannonball holes at the eastern wall of the platform serves as a reminder of that event.

As an astronomy buff, I would like to see this site inscribed on its own but most likely it won’t happen.  China can however make a serial site of ancient Chinese observatories. This site, the equally important Beijing Ancient Observatory and the much older Taosi observatory included. Certainly, they can make an OUV case for the long Chinese astronomical tradition and important contributions.

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I really enjoyed exploring Dengfeng. Each site is well signposted with clear explanation of what they are and how they contribute to the theme. There’s also a plaque at each site showing its location relative to the purported center of heaven and earth. As for transportation, only the Shaolin Temple and Zhongyue Temple are directly connected by tourist buses as of my visit. Going to the other sites involves taking a cab as public transport is challenging without Mandarin knowledge.

Another pleasant surprise for this trip is that my hotel offered a complementary Kung Fu show. Students from one of the Kung Fu schools performed for an hour. I was like a kid, wide-eyed enjoying the performance.