It was Christmas Day. The gradual falling of snow has turned a large part of Jilin white. Unlike the rain, the snow has a purity that elevates the spirit so though it felt cold, it was never a deterrence to venture out in the open. We were going to do some sightseeing in this city before moving to Changchun the next day.
We stopped by Songhua River, a long river that runs 1434 km through a major part of Jilin Province. It surprised me the snowflakes were even captured in our snapshots.
We have come to see a very old Catholic Church. Built between 1917-1926 by a French Missionary this church is also one of the oldest buildings in Jilin. It is an awesome church which stands majestically near The Songhua River albeit it looks a little out-of-place in a Chinese city.
Front facade of Jilin Catholic Church
A smaller building with a similar shape beside the church.
Songhua River has ceased to flow. I wonder what happened to all the fishes and creatures that swam below.
Every step we took left fresh footprints in the snow as though we were the first that have walked the path.
We didn't have much time in Jilin, just enough to visit a couple of city attractions.
Jilin was once a part of Manchuria. We went to a Manchu Folk Museum to see some cultural exhibits of the Manchu era. The museum is housed in a series of single storey buildings that surround an open courtyard.
A large number of school kids have crowded the museum leaving us with no peace that day.
We had glimpses of the Manchu lifestyle from some of the exhibits in this museum.
A few items displayed look familiar. We've probably seen them in Hong Kong made Chinese War Movies before.
Among the attractions we saw that day, the most captivating was the wintry scenery along our way. To me, it was a beauty unrivaled, an allure unmatched.
By 5pm the sky has turned dark. We have come to dine at Zi Guang Yuan Hotel.
We almost forgot it was Christmas Day until a waitress brought a headband with a Santa Claus on it. Instead of turkey and wine we had some Shaman cuisines and Chinese Tsingtao beer.
I used to think that an ideal Christmas setting is one celebrated in the midst of snow. Though there wasn't much of a celebration that day, the snowy Christmas in Jilin was a step closer to the ideal I've cherished for many years.
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1 comment :
Chinese culture sure is rich & intriguing. I have always loved the Chinese traditional costume, namely the mandarin collared dresses. You have put it well, wintry scenery : a beauty unrivaled, an allure unmatched. So captivating.
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