30 March 2013
More brides
Todays walk took me along the water to peoples square and the three gorges museum. Using my Chinese language skills, I quickly worked out this was simply called san xia, and could recognise the signs, because I like to think I am clever.
The sun was blazing and it felt hot, yet the locals still get around in pleather jackets and g-star raw jeans. It must get really hot here in summer, Chongqing is known as one of the three furnaces of China along with Nanjing and I forget the other.
The museum itself is an impressive building, more so because its opposite the great hall of the people. Chongqing was briefly the capital when Japan invaded, and hence the museum also has a section on how Japanese people immediately rape everyone when ever they have the opportunity. Much like the memorial in Nanjing I went to but missing many of the more graphic photos.
There is a 360 degree movie experience about the building of the damn, however the damn thing was not scheduled again until the mid afternoon so I would miss out. A shame because other than the movie theres not much damn stuff to see about the damn other than some relics they managed to dig up and move before they flooded the entire region with water 100 metres deep.
The first photo today isnt a construction photo. Its not a panda either. Its the number 3 most seen site in this part of China. Brides having their photos taken.
The three gorges museum, made to look like a damn.
The great hall of the people. Hastily constructed when Chongqing briefly became the capital.
It had no public admittance, so I am not sure if its still the municipal parliament. I think Chongqing was the capital only very briefly, hence the construction was probably completed sometime after the capital was moved back to.... ? Nanjing? Wikipedia time later.
One of the many things controversally removed from the three gorges area. There was a series of photos about an ancient road which had inscriptions on the stones which is now at the bottom of the lake. However its still a road as they built something like an aquarium over it and you can walk under the water along an ancient road.
Inside the museum.
Photo of a photo. This is in the 1890's I think. Note the tip there is where I was last night.
If you were a lady of the ruling class, you would be carried around in one of these. Sparing you the horrors of the streets.
A wall sculpture depicting the horrors inflicted by Japan.
Now from the expected to the bizzarre. A large chunk of the museum space is devoted to an exhibition about modern Wales. Yes the Wales which belongs to England and is ruled by Prince Charles where they speak the hobbit language and everyones drunk.
I dont know why this was in the museum, it was mainly tv's showing rugby from Cardiff stadium, a couple of flags, the name of the train station thats ridiculously long and thats about it.
For the journey back to my hotel, even though it was only an hours walk, I decided to take the monorail that goes along the cliff face. It was exciting.