Lina in China

The earthquacke of Mai 2008 in the Sichuan province of China also partly destroyed the famous Qiqushan-Temple on the Qiqushan mountain in Zitong, Sichuan, China.

The temple of Zitong is in the official list of China’s historical monuments in Sichuan. During the earthquacke in Mai 2008 in the Mianyang are of the Sichuan province of China Zitong was badly hit by the earthquacke. Some halls of the Qiqushan-Temple got partly destroyed by the earthquacke.

In September 2008 when I visited the temple on Mt. Qiqu (Qiqushan) much repair was taking place. But in some halls rubble of ancient stones from collapsed ancient stone walls could still be seen.

Wooden hall of the Kuixing God, not destroyed

The Hall of the Kuixing God is very famous and ancient. It is three stories high and was build on 46 wooden pillars. It is 33 meters high.

The Kuixing god is the god of students and pupils in the Buddhist belief. Even today school students still go to pray in the Hall of the Kuixing God before exams. This historic room was luckily survived the earthquake almost undamaged. This is probably due to the fact that it was build in the historical way as a wooden structure. Wood proved to be more flexible when hit by an earthquake then stone.

Zitong temple earthquacke destruction

The Qiqushan-Temple lies in an ancient Cypress wood containing more then 20 000 ancient cypresses. The temple was build during the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties. It contains 23 halls covering more then 13 000 square meters.

1996 the Qiqushan-Temple was asses to the list of Chinese national important historical sites.

During the earthquake several of the halls got partly destroyed. When we visited the temple repair had began but in places walls had collapsed stone railings broken and only the most ancient wooden halls had survived almost undamaged.

Today we went to the Panda Research Base in Chengdu. In order to get there we had to take a bus from Chengdu Centre for about 30 minutes.

Once we arrived for a log time we saw no life Giant Panda but pictures instead: Pictures of Panda Babies and Panda Mothers, of newborn Pandas and old Pandas. Every picture came with some facts written in Chinese and English, some facts about the Giant Panda whose natural habitat is around Chengdu in Sichuan, were even written in Japanese.

Then we came in a room with some video installations and some signs telling about the history of the Panda Research Base in Chengdu. It was founded in 1987. But since I was there with Xiaoping, his wife, her parents and aunt and his daughter we were hurrying along and I had no opportunity to read the rest of the story.

Giant Panda Feeding lazylz on Bamboo

Then we finally saw the first real life Panda. It was lazily feeding on Bamboo. But no matter what a Panda does somehow it is always sweet. Here I was also taught what to call a Panda in Chinese: “Chengma” and to make it sweet for the little daughter of Xiaobing we called Chengma Mi Miiiii….

Then we wandered on. The next life we saw some goldfish. Wherever in China there are Goldfish in a lake or pond you can see people see feeding them. Feeding Goldfish seems to be as irresistible to the Chinese like feeding ducks to us.

We came onto some bamboo woods and for me the Panda Research Base was the first time I wandered through a free land bamboo wood. One time I sneaked of the main path to stand between and under the bamboo. It was almost dark between the bamboo stalks and I could here strange sounds, maybe made by insects.

Sichuan has also very big butterflies. They are so big I thought at first that they are small birds. I also saw many other strange insects in the Panda Research Base.

Then we found some more Pandas, I believe they where the young adult Pandas. Berlin used to have one Panda and now has two. But I have never ever seen the Berlin Pandas do anything but eat and sleep, eat and sleep. Maybe these Pandas in Chengdu were more agile since they were young.

The two young Pandas where playing with each other, climbing up and down the Panda Playground, yes these Panda bears were even running. I did not know that a Panda can climb and run and all…

Unfortunately it began to rain now. So we stayed under a tree. The Chengdu family I was in the Panda Research Base with probably assumed it would be a short rain. But rain kept falling and so we covered our heads with plastic bags. Xiaoming even took his whole shirt of to cover his little baby daughter. Chinese men are so caring with there children like I have never seen in Germans.

So anyway we ran for shelter into a nice restaurant. After we had eaten we headed home.