October - December 2010
Chinese Odyssey
Thousands of years of wandering through the darkness of history, thousands of years to discover and build progress, thousands of years to strengthen civilization. China - the oldest continuous civilization in the world - has opened its doors more widely in these modern times. Civilization that living in tight isolation, while struggling with the turmoil of history, never stopped its efforts to progress and build a state that is all that was under Heaven - the Middle Kingdom. Travelling through modern China, it is impossible not to feel the breath of this oldest civilization's legacy, consistently amazing with its momentum, its duration, and amazing diversity of 56 nationalities. And often difficult to understand from a Eurocentric point of view.
A series of photographic exhibitions under the joint title "Chinese Odyssey" presents selected images of contemporary China.
Yunnan (to the South of the Clouds) - a land rich in beauty of landscapes, extraordinary culture and smile of the inhabitants. Lijiang is certainly the jewel of this land. Full of charm and unique atmosphere, the city is located at an altitude of 2400 m a.s.l. among thirteenpeaks, the most impressive of which - Yulongxue Shan 玉龙 雪山 (Snow Jade Mountain) reaches 5,596 m a.s.l., and on clear days admires its reflection in the waters of Heilongtan (Black Dragon Pond). And this charm and atmosphere are undoubtedly created by the mysterious Naxi people. Faithful to their traditions, they awaken the imagination of visitors with their unusual habits. In many Naxi families the matriarchal system still reigns, they are probably the last in the world to use picture language, and they remain faithful to their religion Dongba. Equally unusual is the architecture of the Naxi people. There is nothing in the whole China like the old city of Lijiang - Dayan. In Dayan there is no orderly road and street network, nor a high city wall that is typical of old Chinese cities. It's full of beautiful old houses renovated after the tragic earthquake of 1996, cobbled winding streets and countless channels originating in the Yuhe River (Jade), with 354 little bridges built over it. All this creates a magical atmosphere, especially after dark. The old town of Lijiang becomes particularly festive during local holidays, e.g. the Torch Holiday, celebrated by 6,200 families - 26,000 inhabitants living there. All this certainly contributed to Lijiang gaining its post on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Lijiang - the Jewel of Yunnan - lying by the ancient Horse and Tea Caravan Route, discovered to the world only 86 years ago by the American Joseph Rock and Russian-born Peter Goullart, constantly surprises and delights newcomers.
Krzysztof Muskalski
The "Chinese Odyssey" series:
1. Lijiang - The Jewel of Yunnan
