Silk Road Part III: a Glimpse of Tianshui

A Glimpse of Tianshui

I first read of the city of Tianshui in the epic novel San Guo Yan Yi. When the master strategist and my personal hero--Zhuge Liang--launched his northern campaigns nearly 2,000 years ago to advance on Wei territory, Tianshui figured prominently in his plans. And from Tianshui and the Shu army's siege of the city came Zhuge Liang's hand-picked protege Jiang Wei.

So when I first arrived in HuaiYa in early September and noticed that Tianshui was one of the cities within a weekend's grasp, I had decided I would one day make a trip of it... if for no other reason than just to bask in a city with history that stretches back to the soul-captivating history of the Three Kingdoms period. A Three Kingdoms pilgrimage to see the hometown of Jiang Wei!

When last week I discovered that I had a four-day weekend, I consulted the map of China to consider all places near and far. I was beginning to settle on Dunhuang in Gansu Province when one of my colleagues suggested that I visit MaijiShan... a "beautiful mountain." To be honest, I largely shrugged the idea off but decided to entertain the suggestion with a quick google search. When I read that MaijiShan is very near Tianshui, plans changed and quickly solidified... onward to Tianshui!

I don't know if Tianshui is mentioned in any of the travel guides to China. It certainly should be. The city center boasts a vibrant mix of modern and ancient culture--not quite on the scale and quality of Xi'an--but certainly approaching it. And like Xi'an, the attraction of the city is both within and without; there is in fact more to do outside the city than there is to do in the city. Tianshui is surrounded in all the cardinal directions by places of historical, cultural, and/or natural interest. To do the area justice, you should ideally plan to spend 3-7 days there. I gave myself less than 24 hours...

There are a few complaints, however, that I must lodge against Tianshui. Consider them as warnings.

1) The train station is quite far from the city. You must take a taxi or a bus to get to the city. It's a bit of a hassle and requires a minor expense of the wallet... be prepared for it. If you're in a hurry, take the taxi. If you have time to spare, wait for the bus (it's quite cheap).

2) The outskirts of Tianshui are a little forboding. They remind you that Gansu Province is in fact the second poorest province in China. Don't get off the bus or the taxi until you arrive in the part of the city that makes you feel a little bourgeoisie guilt!

Now, on to the city!

Temples abound

The bus let us off in Tianshui City center... right there... a temple. Temples everywhere. It seems many are free to enter. For the budget traveler, let Tianshui persuade you! The pictures below are from one of the temples. Notice how well-renovated it is. The woodwork is stunning. There are two 500+ year old trees in the courtyards of this temples... in China even the trees have a longer history than America!

FuXi Miao

Apparently FuXi Miao is a must-see place. Whereas I thought Jiang Wei was Tianshui's proudest hero, the people of Tianshui consider FuXi their most famous and favorite son. I arrived at FuXi Miao as the place was closing, so all I got was this picture.

Dream of Nan Zhai Zi Mansion

I also toured the household of a notable and wealthy family from the Ming and Qing Dynasties. I believe this place is called Nan Zhai Zi. It is truly a showcase of Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous from 600 years ago!!! Yet although this place is a museum, it was still also the home of a real family. That is the vibe of Nanhaizi. It is surreal to walk around this place and imagine how many generations of people lived here... memories of the joys and hardships of so many lives are lost to all the world save the walls of the Nanhaizi... the labyrinth of walls...

In truth, I enjoyed this place much more than I enjoyed the Forbidden City in Beijing. It is MUCH less crowded... less "gimicky"... no pestering peddlers... equally intricate yet much more intimate... more accessable... surpassingly revealing... you encounter a pleasant blend of the realism and romanticism of imperial China at Nan Zhai Zi.

Here are some photos:

a bedroom's inner chamber and bed

The "living room"

the critical corner of the kitchen.

looks like this kitchen was equipped to prepare for a large family!... the box to the right is the bellow for blowing fresh oxygen at the roaring fires

the mill

this device has not yet outlived its usefulness; I see people using a mill like this in my own town

a complex labyrinth of courtyards and narrow passageways... choose your path

The XiangQi Courtyard

From one courtyard to the next... this is the courtyard for leisure activities like XiangQi (Chinese Chess). From one season to the next... each courtyard was designed to come alive at a particular season. This courtyard presented the beauty of winter to the family each year. Now it provides for all the world. Apparently, this tree in blossom is so beautiful that winter is the season when most Tianshui residents visit Nanzhaizi... they come to see this special tree.

the spirit of autumn captured in the next courtyard

I could lose myself for an afternoon in admiration of this tree... and I suddenly feel a deep connection with the family who once lived here in the reflection of its splendor

From other places in the house, my eye returns to the autumn tree

The Drama Hall

The family Shadow-Puppet stage and performances went down in this room... I suppose we could say this was the widescreenTV equivalent of the Ming-era elite.

A special, second-story complex for the virgin brides

Both to protect her chastity and to give her final glimpses of the world beyond the walls of the household that will soon imprison her, the bride enjoys a room above the world.

her balcony view

The celler maze below
for cold storage? or for air-conditioning in the summer? a spiral staircase descends deep into the ground toward permanent winter

Goodbye Tianshui!