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2013Chengdu Travel Diary | Jinli-06
Look Up For Beauty – Jinli, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
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In Jinli, one of the aspect that truly impress me is their amazingly architectural design work. The design is so detail and so through that they did not forget even the most unnoticeable area. It’s not hard to understand what I mean, when you visit Jinli, just look up.
Normally, rooftop is the most unnoticeable part of an area. That’s why, in most places, the design of the rooftop is nothing to be impress about. Not too many designer will put too much effort into it. However, in Jinli, the rooftop in most buildings are where you can find amazing art and design. Every single pieces of bricks and tiles are work or art and worthy to be called cultural products.
Raise your head, you will feel the history in the air, accompany with the surrounding bamboos and old trees, one can’t help but to want to sight some poems. I think, people from the past in this area must also live in such a poetic and picturesque environment, that’s must be why they were able to create so many of the famous poems that survive till today.
Since I am in such a poetic environment, how can I not come up with a couple poems of my own? Alright, here we go:”Bamboo . . . Bamboo . . . cough . . . cough . . .“ Alright then, let’s not waste anymore time on this since there are still a lot of exploring ahead of us . . . Don’t look at me like that, come on, let’s go, move on . . .
See, I am not kidding, every single brick, every single tile, are fill with artistic and cultural essence, they reflected on the long history and cultural evolvement of China.
Rooftop is normally the most ignorable place, no one really pay attention to them, but they have protected the people living under it night and day. Forever protecting them from rain and wind and they will never ask for anything back. Maybe, once in a long while, when an unknowing person look up and nod, offer an acknowledgement of gratitude to their service, that is enough to make everything worthwhile.
The roof know us best. Since we were kid, they know everything that happened in the house. All the grief and sadness we try to hide, they know. All the crying and laughter, they heard, they share our every happiness and sadness quietly.
One day, all the children will grow, and will leave the house to chase their dream and ambition. And they will one day return, when they are tired and old and needed the comfort of the past. Laying once again in the familiar yard, watching neighboring kids growing up and leave, while slowly aging and waiting for the end of days.
The roof, forever silence, watching the people below come and go, watching the world changes from generation to generation, without asking for anything back, they continue on safeguarding. Until one day, when they finally crumble, become a part of the surrounding soil, the only thing still left to tell the story, are the couple pebbles that has not been completely engulf by history yet.
The writing above is a bit sentimental. Perhaps it is because I have thought of all of my days away from home, perhaps I have thought of my slowly aging family, or perhaps I have thought of where I will go and where I will end up.
/Lumaca Moderno
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*Jinli is a popular tourist spot in Chengdu, Sichuan, China
