Amazing
China
Some things in China are curious. Others are truly amazing!
Brocade Institute
Nanjing has been the center of silk brocade weaving for
centuries. The emperors' robes and
those of other high officials came from here. The Nanjing Brocade Institute
continues to weave fabrics and reproductions in the traditional manner.
Brocade is a raised, double layer weaving technique woven on a
large, complex two person loom.
The lower person weaves the weft threads, both the pattern and the
background, and controls the warp threads for the background. The upper person
controls the warp threads for the pattern, using the column of white strings.
The upper person lifts the correct strings at the proper moment for the lower
person to weave the pattern weft.
Each of the looms at the Institute is a family operation.
Patterns are woven from the back side. Here a mirror has been placed so we can see the finished
work. There are no patterns
written down. All are produced
from memory.
City Park
We were delighted when we encountered a park -- roughly 2 blocks
by 2 blocks -- in downtown Shanghai.
After
Our delight changed to amazement when we read the following on the
park sign: "To build the park É we successfully moved out 4837 families,
pulling down 170600 sq. meters of construction to build 118555 sq. meters of
greenery."
Before
Trains
The trains are heavily used, and cheap! Even the expensive
foreigner's ticket to Nanjing is only $10 for the 3.5 hour trip; Chinese pay a
small fraction of that. An emptying train produces quite a crowd.
But when you get to Nanjing you find that they are rebuilding the
station and have taken down the old one. Passengers must walk through the mud
...
and wait for the taxi in a puddle.
But the new station will be great!
Artifacts
The Shanghai Museum displays amazing treasures. The bronze
collection alone is worth the trip to China. All of the pieces on display are
from 9th BC or older.
This rather pompous looking bird is a wine vessel.
But there is much, much more including this beautiful terra cotta
woman
