The Pearl River

The Pearl River flows 1,500 miles from the south China plateau eastward to the South China Sea. It is one of the most beautiful rivers in China, with foliage flourishing on its banks all year round.


In the evening, the lights on both sides of the river glow so splendidly that they brighten half the night sky. Legend has it that over two thousand years ago a celestial pearl was lost in the river and, since then, the river has been shining with radiant lights at night. People named it the “Pearl River.”

At its bank stands one of China’s most dazzling cities – Guangzhou, like a brilliant pearl shining on the river.

小桥流水

Copyright (c) 2007 Helen Wang

The photo reminds me of a famous Chinese poem: "A little bridge over brimming water, and there is a hidden home...." Since the "home" is not seen in the picture, I named it "A Little Bridge over Brimming Water."

这张照片使我想起一首词： “小桥流水人家” 。而这里，“人家” 却不所见。 所以，且命名为“小桥流水” 。我忘了和它对的一句，有谁能知道，望告！

My Hometown Hangzhou

My hometown Hangzhou is known as "paradise on earth." An ancient Chinese saying says: “Above there is heaven; below there is Hangzhou.”

Anyone who has visited Hangzhou is impressed by its scenic beauty. A mirror-like lake, called West Lake, is nested in lush hills, like jade carved into green velvet. Along the lake are peach and willow trees, wavering and whispering in gentle breeze.

In the springtime, when the peach trees are blossoming with pink and white flowers in between the green willows, West Lake looks like a cheerful bride ready to wed. A pagoda, named Precious Stone Pagoda, stands on the top of the hills at the north side of the lake, as if a faithful guard watching out for his bride.

Hangzhou is also a historical city. It served as the capital of China in Song Dynasty (960-1279). In the 13th century, Marco Polo traveled to Hangzhou – the center of trade and culture during that time, and wrote elaborately in his journals about West Lake. He considered Hangzhou as “the most beautiful and splendid city in the world.”

Throughout history, Hangzhou has inspired poets, artists, philosophers and politicians. Many of them had left mesmerizing poems about West Lake. A classical poem by Su Shi, a renowned poet in Song Dynasty, says it all:

The brimming waves delight the eyes on sunny days;
The dimming hills present rare views in raining haze.
If comparing The West Lake to the Beauty of West Shi,
It becomes her to be adorned in either ways.

Today, Hangzhou has renewed itself into a center for technology and entrepreneurship. With a population of seven million, Hangzhou accounted for 20 percent of the province’s GDP, 30 percent of its imports and 17 percent of foreign investment.

A recent survey by Forbes reveals that Hangzhou scored the highest on the list of “the top ten best places for business,” before Shanghai and Beijing.

It is a base for global manufacturers such as Motorola, Siemens, and Toshiba. It has several of the most successful homegrown companies – the biggest auto parts maker Wan-Xiang, soft drinks group Wahaha, and Internet company Alibaba.

Celebrating the True Spirit of Christmas

A few years ago, my husband and I went to China to visit my parents. It was in early November, Hangzhou just began to get chilly, and the beautiful West Lake was covered with heavy clouds as if wearing a grey veil.

As we checked in to Shangri-la Hotel, my husband was surprised to see a huge Christmas tree, decorated with dazzling lights and sparkling adornments, in the mid of the lobby. He looked around quickly to make sure we were actually in China, and then murmured to me jokingly: “Isn’t this the ‘communist China’?”

For westerners, it may seem bizarre that celebrating Christmas has become so popular in China while most Chinese don’t believe in Christianity. In the West, even though Christmas has grown out of its original purpose as a Christian holiday to honor the birth of Christ, it still has its religious connotation. For example, my Jewish friends don’t celebrate Christmas. I believe most Muslins don’t celebrate Christmas either.

However, for Chinese, particularly among young people, celebrating Christmas is considered a fashionable thing to do rather than anything that has to do with religion. They see it as a sign of “being modern,” which struck me as an irony for a two thousand years old tradition. For them, Christmas is a time to have colorful decoration, to exchange gifts, and to relax and have fun with friends. As my mother put it: “oh, those foreign holidays – they are for the young people!”

The commercial part of Christmas may have played a big role in China too. Few children can resist the story of Santa Claus who is riding with reindeers in a sleigh to deliver their presents from the sky! My little niece, who was 7 years old at the time, was very excited about Christmas: “I want to have my stockings ready so that Santa can leave me gifts!” I noticed she didn’t say Santa would come in from the chimney since Chinese live in condominiums where there are no chimneys.

This reminded me of my American nephew. In the United States, most kids start to figure out that there is no Santa Claus by the age of 7, either being told by older kids or from their own logic thinking. However, for children who have grown up with their hopes and dreams in the fantasy of Santa Claus, it’s hard for them to come to this realization. My nephew, for example, refused to believe what other kids had told him and relentlessly held on to the idea that Santa actually came down from the chimney of his house and brought him all the wonderful presents. Imagine how sad and confused he was when he finally realized all these were not true. Some kids may even feel deceived and wonder why their parents are part of the game.

Although Chinese adopt Christmas for a very different reason, it is an indication that Chinese people, especially the young people who represent the future, are embracing different cultures and traditions. The question is how long is too long before people start to reflect on the deeper meaning of Christmas. We don’t have to be Christian to appreciate Jesus Christ’s teaching. Even after two thousand years, His teaching on “love thy neighbors” still has the significance: today, we are living in a global village, and “thy neighbors” may be across the globe.

It is my hope that one day children like my Chinese niece and my American nephew, although oceans apart, will celebrate the true spirit of Christmas together!

Li River

Guiling, China
Copyright (c) 2005 Helen Wang

Chinese saying says, “桂林山水甲天下." - that means "Guilin's mountains and waters are the best under the heaven." See for yourself!

lifestyle, travel, nature, China, Lijiang