Beijing, Inner Mongolia and Ningbo 2017
October 8, 2017
Travels in Beijing, Inner Mongolia and Ningbo, 18 September to 7 October 2017, mostly looking at pagodas.
Photo via @BabelStone
Andrew West 魏安 @BabelStone September 18, 2017
Day 1: Beijing: Haotian pagoda 昊天塔 (Liao hollow brick pagoda); closed for renovations but still managed to take a few photos.
Andrew West 魏安 @BabelStone September 18, 2017
Day 1: Beijing: Pagoda of the Old Man of 10,000 pines 万松老人塔 (Yuan/Qing), an oasis of tranquillity and books in the heart of Beijing.
Andrew West 魏安 @BabelStone September 19, 2017
Kalaviṅka (妙音鳥) from the Yuan capital of Khanbaliq. Kalaviṅka sculptures like this are a particular feature of Tangut Buddhist art.
Andrew West 魏安 @BabelStone September 19, 2017
Day 1: Beijing: "A Panda" 阿潘达 and Sun Wukong at Xisi.
Andrew West 魏安 @BabelStone September 19, 2017
Day 2: Beijing: The white stupa of Miaoying Temple (妙應寺白塔), constructed under the supervision of Nepali architect Araniko in 1271.
Andrew West 魏安 @BabelStone September 19, 2017
Day 2: Baoding: Tangut dharani pillars dated 1502, and a 1350 stele commemorating the Yuan dynasty Tangut official Laosuo 老索 (1188–1260).
Andrew West 魏安 @BabelStone September 19, 2017
Day 2: Baoding: Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul.
Andrew West 魏安 @BabelStone September 21, 2017
Day 4 (am): Hohhot: Successful meeting to finalize the encoding of a set of 486 #Shuishu 水书characters, with @evertype and Shuishu experts.
Andrew West 魏安 @BabelStone September 21, 2017
Day 4 (pm): Hohhot: Successful meeting to progress encoding of set of 1,188 #NaxiDongba 纳西东巴characters, with @evertype and Naxi experts.
Andrew West 魏安 @BabelStone September 22, 2017
Hohhot meeting: Shuishu 水书 font developer Pān Zhèngbō 潘政波 with @BabelStone and me.
Andrew West 魏安 @BabelStone September 22, 2017
Day 5: Hohhot: The famous Liao dynasty White Pagoda (萬部華嚴經塔), with Khitan & Jurchen graffiti written somewhere on the dark corridor walls.
Andrew West 魏安 @BabelStone September 23, 2017
I went around the pagoda in the dark blindly taking photos of the walls — here's some Phags-pa (ꡌꡓ ꡉ = 寶塔)
Andrew West 魏安 @BabelStone September 23, 2017
And here are a couple of Syriac inscriptions by the Nestorian priest Särgis, with unencoded nišan sign at bottom of each.
Andrew West 魏安 @BabelStone September 25, 2017
Days 6-8: Hohhot: 3 days of intense meetings on fixing Unicode Mongolian encoding model — @lianghai and Prof. Choijinzhab in discussion
Andrew West 魏安 @BabelStone October 1, 2017
Day 7: Hohhot: Khitan small script epitaph for Xiao Dilu (d. 1114) on display at Inner Mongolia University Institute of Mongolian Studies
Andrew West 魏安 @BabelStone September 25, 2017
Day 8: Hohhot: Lunch with a Muya Bönpo lama showing us Ersu astrological books.
Andrew West 魏安 @BabelStone October 1, 2017
Day 8: Hohhot: 3-day conference on fixing Mongolian encoding model ends inconclusively
Andrew West 魏安 @BabelStone October 1, 2017
Day 10: Half-day trip to Inner Mongolia Museum, definitely to be recommended.
Andrew West 魏安 @BabelStone October 1, 2017
Nestorian tomb
Andrew West 魏安 @BabelStone October 1, 2017
Day 11: Hohhot: Escaping from 5 days of Mongolian banquets to a simple meal at the local coffee shop with @evertype
Andrew West 魏安 @BabelStone October 1, 2017
Days 12-13: 12½ hours on overnight train from Hohhot to Daban (Balin Youqi) with no seat (Friday before National Day holiday).
Andrew West 魏安 @BabelStone October 1, 2017
Day 13: Balin Youqi: The Liao dynasty White Pagoda (Shakyamuni Relics Pagoda) at the northwest corner of the Liao city of Qingzhou 慶州
Andrew West 魏安 @BabelStone October 1, 2017
Day 13: Balin Youqi: Jin dynasty earth wall north of Qingzhou marking the boundary of Jin territory (金界壕) [foreground is our road].
Andrew West 魏安 @BabelStone October 1, 2017
Day 13: Balin Youqi: Liao dynasty dharani pillar with Sanskrit (Lantsa) dharani found at the tomb of Emperor Xingzong.
Andrew West 魏安 @BabelStone October 1, 2017
Day 13: Balin Youqi: Valley of the Tombs of the Kings (王坟沟) [Qingling 慶陵], a protected area not normally accessible to the general public.
Andrew West 魏安 @BabelStone October 1, 2017
Site of tombs of Emperors Shengzong (遼聖宗永慶陵) and Xingzong (遼興宗永興陵); tomb of Emperor Daozong (辽道宗永福陵) is a little way to the left.
Andrew West 魏安 @BabelStone October 1, 2017
Due to logistical problems (an impassable river for our car and our guide wanting to go home) we were unable to get any closer.
Andrew West 魏安 @BabelStone October 1, 2017
Day 14: Balin Zuoqi: The enigmatic Stone House 石房子 near the mausoleum of Emperor Taizu of Liao (遼太祖陵) [Abaoji, 872-926].
Andrew West 魏安 @BabelStone October 1, 2017
Due to logistical problems we were unable to walk up to the valley of Emperor Taizu's tomb, which is behind the large stone in the centre.
Andrew West 魏安 @BabelStone October 2, 2017
Day 14: Lindong: I revisit the hexagonal Liao dynasty North Pagoda, on top of a hill that overlooks the Liao Upper Capital.
Andrew West 魏安 @BabelStone October 2, 2017
What the Lindong North Pagoda looked like in the 1970s — I guess if it had not been thoroughly restored it would have collapsed by now.
Andrew West 魏安 @BabelStone October 2, 2017
The current situation of the Lindong North Pagoda, and the planned new park (which will still be surrounded by tall appartment blocks).
Andrew West 魏安 @BabelStone October 2, 2017
Demolition of old houses has already started; and a sign encouraging residents to sign an agreement and move out.
Andrew West 魏安 @BabelStone October 2, 2017
Construction of new high-rise buildings that will further obscure the view of the pagoda.
Andrew West 魏安 @BabelStone October 2, 2017
Day 14: Lindong: I revisit the Liao Upper Capital (遼上京) and see things I missed last year ("development" of the North Wall depicted).
Andrew West 魏安 @BabelStone October 2, 2017
Cross-section of the west wall of the Liao Upper Capital showing mud brick construction.
Andrew West 魏安 @BabelStone October 2, 2017
A turtle stele base on the empty expanse of the Liao Upper Capital — 2 fragments of a Khitan large script stele were found here in 1965.
Andrew West 魏安 @BabelStone October 2, 2017
Replica of Liao statue of Bodhisattva Guanyin that stood here until 2007 when it was removed to museum due to 2003 earthquake damage.
Andrew West 魏安 @BabelStone October 2, 2017
Her head was lost some time last century, and is reconstructed from early 20th-century Japanese photos.
Andrew West 魏安 @BabelStone October 2, 2017
Abandoned film set for 梦萦大辽 "Haunted by the Great Liao" (whatever that is, Baidu is no help).
Andrew West 魏安 @BabelStone October 2, 2017
One of two half stones lying in the middle of the Liao Upper Capital — Liao or modern ?
Andrew West 魏安 @BabelStone October 2, 2017
Day 14: Lindong: I revisit the Liao Upper Capital Museum (supposed Khitan seal script seal depicted — I am far from convinced).
Andrew West 魏安 @BabelStone October 2, 2017
Liao dynasty wooden burial chamber from a robbed aristocratic grave excavated in 2005 in a valley north-east of the Upper Capital.
Andrew West 魏安 @BabelStone October 2, 2017
Only when I get to Hohhot do I read that there is a Khitan large script inscription on the inner back wall (epic photo failure)
Andrew West 魏安 @BabelStone October 2, 2017
That must be the reason the doors were blocked with a No Photography sign that "someone" removed (but failed to realise why it was there!)
Andrew West 魏安 @BabelStone October 4, 2017
Day 15: Hohhot: I return early (skipping "Xanadu") so I can take more pictures of Hohhot Pagoda inscriptions (cursive Jurchen depicted)
Andrew West 魏安 @BabelStone October 5, 2017
Days 16-17: Hohhot to Ningbo by train, arriving late afternoon after almost 30 hours. Seems I'm missing out on all the fun here...
Andrew West 魏安 @BabelStone October 5, 2017
Day 18: Ningbo: Tianfeng Pagoda (天封塔), originally built during the reign of Empress Wu Zetian (695–696). Not really to my taste.
Andrew West 魏安 @BabelStone October 6, 2017
Day 19: Ningbo: Tianning Temple Pagoda (天寧寺塔) at 6:30 am on a dull day. Tang square brick pagoda built in 863. Now this one I do like.
Andrew West 魏安 @BabelStone October 6, 2017
The pagoda was restored in 1995, but unlike so many pagoda restorations the original brickwork was left intact where possible.
Andrew West 魏安 @BabelStone October 6, 2017
And the bricks used for the pagoda restoration have some nice touches about them.
Andrew West 魏安 @BabelStone October 7, 2017
Day 20: Beijing Airport: Leaving China for the land of Miffy.
