道别广州

Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, called the Stone House in Chinese

On my last Sunday in Guangzhou (May 31st), I went to the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, called the Stone House in Chinese.  The gates around the cathedral were locked and the guards weren't letting anyone in, but I explained I was Catholic and they let me approach (yet not still not enter) the cathedral.  Exploring buildings around the cathedral I accidentally ended up wandering into the middle of some type of very lively Christian service full of Africans.

The Chinese government places severe restrictions on the free practice of religion, both by direct persecution of believers and by creating state commissions that nominally exist to serve various faith groups, including Protestant "三自爱国教会" Three-Self Patriotic Church, "天主教爱国会" Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association, and "中国侰斯兰教协会" Islamic Association of China.  In reality, these are puppet institutions that exist to enable the government to control and manipulate religious practice while maintaining a facade of freedom and tolerance.  Their leadership is mostly hand-picked Party loyalists, and their open elevation of allegiance to the state above other commitments undercuts any claim they make to adhere to orthodox religious principles, at least in the eyes of most believers.  Judaism actually benefits greatly from not having any official state recognition or "sponsorship" in China, so synagogues are more or less free to offer services without direct state oversight, on the condition that no local Chinese be permitted to participate.  (My source for this was the director of our language program in Beijing).  Currently, the government is also trying to prevent Muslims in the Xinjiang region from fasting in observance of Ramadan, and forcing Muslim restaurants to remain open throughout the lunar month.

A statue of Jesus with a very Asian facial structure within the Sacred Heart compound

'Bright Filial Piety Temple' is the oldest Buddhist temple in Guangzhou, dating back to the 4th century.

There is a legend that Guangzhou was once a region in famine, but the farmers were rescued by five goats sent from the heavens bearing stalks of grain in their mouths.  This huge statue in Yuexie Park depicts the legend.

The vast Yuexiu Park, which has miles of trails some of which seem like stone paths climbing through a rainforest.

Lake within Yuexiu Park

Orchid Garden Park

Crossing into Shamian Island, home of the Swan Lake Hotel

Plaza of the Chen Clan Ancestral Hall

Chen Clan Ancestral Hall

The Canton Tower

One of the great things about China is that if it's remotely sunny outside I can walk around under the shade of my umbrella and be in the vast majority.  Chinese people, mostly women, are obsessive about protecting their skin because they consider white/pale skin to be the beauty standard.  This results in incessant comments on my paleness.  The other night I was in the elevator when an old lady got on and exclaimed at how white I was!  She then had us compare arms to marvel at the difference in skin tone.  In Chinese there is the phrase "白富美" which literally means white rich beautiful, and is used regularly to refer to the ideal woman as a marriage prospect.

I was followed around daily by this adorable baby girl when I was renting a room with her family.  Baby talk is a legitimate realm of linguistic study, and I've gotten to hear plenty.  I've found the most pronounced characteristic in Chinese is the duplication of words.  I love hearing kids speak foreign languages, although unfortunately she only understood Cantonese.  She was cared for by her grandparents during the day; any other form of childcare is foreign to Chinese people, as are nursing homes.