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Dina Merhav

Chinese Experience Number 3

Apparently I was Chinese in another reincarnation. Perhaps that is the explanation for my yearning to go there time and time again. The first time was in 1992, on a comprehensive National Geographic tour. I fell in love with that far off land, especially with the south, with the city of Guilin and its environs. This is an entire karst area of mountains and hills of amazing shapes. These are reflected in the Li River, where fishermen sail in bamboo boats. It is a wonderful picturesque, pastoral scene.
I promised myself to return there, and indeed in 2003 I was accepted to the international sculpture symposium in neighboring Yuzi Paradise – 28 kilometers south of Guilin. This is an international sculpture park, the sculptures scattered over a magnificent landscape – on the one hand blending in with it, on the other differing from it. This was my China experience #2 (see the article), the result of which was two sculptures -- Bird of Paradise, now installed in Full Moon Park in Shanghai, and Fishing, located at the main entrance into Yuzi Paradise.

Several months ago I received an e-mail from Michael, a Chinese with I met in Yuzi Paradise, asking if he could represent me in China. I of course agreed, wanting to return there for a third time. Requests for proposals for outdoor sculptures for the Beijing 2008 Olympics had arrived. I sent several, and after some time the answer came back – congratulations! One of my proposals had been accepted and had even won a prize. I sent the model of Totem to Beijing.

After several weeks another e-mail arrived. “Maybe you’d like to submit another proposal for an exhibition in Zhengzhou?” My philosophy is -– cast your bread upon the waters. It’s always worthwhile submitting. So I sent several proposals -- new works that just now were on exhibit at the Man and the Living World Museum in Ramat Gan. Shortly thereafter I received a positive response. I was invited to be “a special invited guest”, all expenses, the trip, my stay there – on them. Of course I went.

 
I arrived in Beijing on the afternoon of May 31, 2006, with Michael coming to the airport to receive me. Beijing is a huge modern city, with skyscrapers, gray sky, surprisingly clean, home to 20 million people. The next day we went to City Hall, to the exhibition where my Totem was on display. The exhibit is a most impressive one, with 170 models of every conceivable style, selected from 2700 proposals that arrived from all over the world, and where exact and impressive execution is apparent in every one.
I of course hope that Totem will become a large outdoor sculpture in Beijing, and that will be my fourth trip to China. No decision has yet been made about it.
From there we walked to Tiananmen Square, the gigantic “gate of heavenly peace”, where on one side is situated the mausoleum where Mao is interred and on the other side the main entrance into the Forbidden City. A visit here is an extraordinary experience. This is a magnificent, spectacular complex, home to the emperors of ancient China, established by the Ming dynasty (1368-1644) and later by the Ching dynasty (1644-1911). This site is listed among the heritage sites of UNESCO. There are royal treasures in the palace, fascinating architecture and exhibits that tell the stories of the imperial family. The palace is called the Forbidden City because in the past entry into it was forbidden to all who were not members of the royal family.

 

On the next day sculptors from all over the world who had been invited to the exhibition gathered at the hotel, and in the evening there was a reception. Everything was magnificent, exciting and done with great generosity.

On the following day we flew to Zhengzhou. We toured the city and its wonderful gardens. This is a small city by Chinese standards – only 7 million inhabitants. A visit to the Henan Museum is an inspiring experience. There is an extensive exhibit of beautiful prehistoric artifacts and tools. It was chiefly the jugs and tools shaped like ancient animals that captured my heart – and of course the animals themselves.

From there we journeyed to the Yellow River. On the way we saw a huge sculpture, 40 meters height, of the figures of two Chinese emperors. Most impressive. Everything in China is huge, the dimensions almost beyond comprehension.

 

In the evening we saw an amazing audio-visual show. On the next day there was an impressive opening of the exhibition of all the invited artists. The building where the exhibition was shown is itself is called “The Umbrella”, as it resembles an umbrella. Special, novel architecture. The exhibition sprawls over several halls and stories in the building and is a truly unique experience.


The next two days were devoted to tour the area. The first was to the famous Shaolin Monastery, impressive buildings with amazing sculptures and wall paintings.

The next visit was to a school for the martial art, kongfu. We watched a kongfu performance by the students demonstrating their amazing abilities. Certainly an exciting experience.
On the next day we toured the Longman Caves. This is a multi-dimensional complex of scores of caves hewn into the mountain rock, in each appeared sculptures of the Buddha in different sizes, from several centimeters to 70 meters height. This is definitely a spiritual experience – to visit a place where countless hours of work were expended by men in carving and designing these wonderful sculptures.

Return to Beijing. In the afternoon we went to see a group of galleries situated in buildings that once were factories and industrial plants. A beautiful place with excellent galleries. Highest level of art works. This is indeed an inspiring place.

It is impossible to visit China without seeing the Great Wall, one of the wonders of the world. I think that it is impossible to express in words, and even in photographs the experience of the Wall. The endless ascent by steps at the beginning (it is also possible to go up by cable car), everything in a green landscape of dense vegetation, trees and surrounding mountains. Afterwards, a walk along a small part of the amazing wall, breathing in the ancient history along with the view. Perhaps it is the Great Wall of China, one of the most outstanding creations of humankind, that characterizes the size, the power, the variety and the great capability of China in every sphere of endeavor.

 

Dina Merhav, July 2006

 

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