Back to Boshan

Hazy day, so not very clear

[First published August 26, 2014] Zhangdian district, where we live, is as flat as a table. This makes it great for bike--riding. But you would never guess that just an hour away, there is a beautiful mountainous countryside, laced with winding roads where every curve brings fresh and beautiful vistas of terraced hillsides and greenery in to view. That's Boshan. 

I've been lucky enough to make two trips to beautiful Boshan, and recently I was able to show it off to Ross in our last little side trip before school starts up again. We were hosted by one of my colleagues from work, who is a native of the area. I can't say enough about the hospitality shown to us by my colleague and her family... 

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Boshan cuisine is famous, but let's leave that to another post. Let's start with the legend of the filial daughter-in-law, story that apparently dates back to more than 500 years BC.

A large and striking statue to her memory depicts her with a bucket and a yoke (a wooden pole that she had to wear across her shoulders while hauling water.) As explained to me, one of her daily tasks was to carry home water for the family. Like many Chinese wives, she lived with her in-laws. Her cruel mother-in-law gave her a bucket with a pointed bottom so that she couldn't set the heavy bucket down while making the long trip home. The Xiaofu River which flows through Boshan is named after her, that is, Xiaofu means "filial woman." 

There's more to the story, but I can't find a good translation of the tale in English on the internet. 

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You'll find very little in English about Boshan on the internet. We were the only foreigners we saw the whole time we were there.  

It was rather hazy and cloudy on the days we were there, so our pictures aren't as sharp as I would like. 

Near the statue we also toured an old residence with pomegranate trees in the courtyard and "moon" gates leading to the various gardens. 

Like other old-style houses the various rooms are separate buildings that surround a central courtyard or series of courtyards. So, the master of the house has his study, guests are entertained in the great hall, the lady of the house has her own wing, etc. . I just love the roofs.

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As we walked up these stairs to a weekly open-air curio market, we heard a man playing the erhu and a lady singing. At the market, we found a little homemade palm-sized carpenter's plane, which we bought for Ross's plane collection.  Next door to the curio market was a temple. 

I've decided I find the exteriors of temples lovely and charming, but the inside, where some big gaudily-painted statue sits in a glass case, is a real let down. I find nothing spiritual about these idols. They just look tacky to me.

The temple, like most everything in Boshan, is perched on the side of a hill. As we paused to admire the view and take a picture of the temple bell, I noticed some leftover or neglected little gods and goddesses sitting in the corner of the yard....

I was unimpressed by the big idols in the temple and even less awed when I saw idols placed at the back door like boxes of beer bottles. However, I've seen plenty of shrines in businesses and restaurants and private homes. Many Chinese people still feel that offering some food and pouring a drink to the gods couldn't hurt.  More Boshan adventures to follow.....