Garuda Indonesia Colours Magazine April 2018 | Page 93

Travel | Xi’an and Zhengzhou
1 The Shaolin Temple located at the southern
foot of Mount Song.
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1
5 Senses – Sound
CHINESE OPERA
There are numerous regional
branches of traditional Chinese opera,
including the well-known Yu opera in
Zhengzhou and the Qin opera in
Xi’an. They differ in terms of
costumes, make-up, songs and
choreography; however, what they
have in common is that both will
bring you a visual and historical feast.
Ada banyak opera tradisional di
Tiongkok, salah satunya adalah Opera
Yu yang terkenal di Zhengzhou dan
Opera Qin di Xi’an. Opera-opera
tersebut memiliki kostum, tata rias,
lagu dan koreografi yang berbeda.
Hanya satu persamaan mereka,
yaitu sama-sama memberikan
hiburan bernilai sejarah yang
memuaskan mata.
Shaolin Temple includes many attractions, such as the Hall
of Heavenly Kings, the Mahavira Hall, the Pagoda Forest
and the Dharma Cave.
noticeable here than in many other Chinese
cities. There is plenty of green space, tree-lined
streets and a logical arrangement to the city.
After checking in to a hotel near the railway
station, I headed to the city’s focal point, Erqi
Square, a bustling commercial district that
comes alive at night, when an entire market fills
the space with vendors and locals. A double
pagoda looming over the square turned out
to be a memorial tower, inside which the city’s
development can be traced by the exhibitions.
From the square, several main streets fan
out to different areas of the city.
Zhengzhou is relatively spread out, but most
sites are accessible by public bus. While it is not
really known as a tourist city, Zhengzhou is an
example of a remarkably fast-changing city in
China. The best-known tourist attraction is
Shaolin Temple, 66km east of downtown
Zhengzhou, which is not only the cradle of
Chinese Zen Buddhism but also the ancient
centre of Chinese Kung Fu.
On my way to the temple, I saw numerous
martial arts schools dotted on both sides
of the road. As we approached the Shanmen
Hall, we saw the tablet reading ‘Shaolin Temple’
hanging from its roof.
Shaolin Temple includes many attractions,
such as the Hall of Heavenly Kings, the
Mahavira Hall, the Pagoda Forest and the
Dharma Cave. However, what attracted me
most was the Martial Art Training Center,
which puts on a Shaolin kung fu show. As an
old saying goes: “Chinese kung fu crowns the
world and its source is the Shaolin Temple.”
While it is known far and wide as the main
temple of the Shaolin school of Buddhism,
it is also widely renowned in China and
elsewhere for its exquisite Shaolin kung fu.
The area’s perfect scenery makes it an ideal
place to practise kung fu; Shaolin monks
have been practising the art here for over
1,500 years. Dressed in their trademark
regalia, the monks swing into action and
electrify the mood of spectators during
their thrilling performances.
Though the modern-day cities of Xi’an and
Zhengzhou offer quite different experiences,
you can’t help but sense the history in these
two ancient capitals.