FENGDU

Just before noon, we reached the Fengdu, a "special" place in China that dates back more than 2,300 years. It is located on the northern bank of the Yangtze River, about a hundred miles downstream from Chongqing. Although the rising waters of the Yangtze caused by the Three Gorges Dam have already resulted in the Fengdu's population being relocated on the south side of the Yangtze and all it buildings torn down (left below), the Victoria Queen tied up to the dock where the original town was situated. Now there is only a single flight of stairs connected to ships by means of a pontoon bridge. Where homes, commercial buildings, and warehouses once stood, the people of Fengdu have built a two mile long, 40-yard wide dike. This dike will protect the area's major scenic spots, including Mingshan and Shuangguishan mountains and will prevent soil erosion that could create serious geological problems in the Ghost City.

Fengdu city and waterfront , circa 2001.

Only the stairway remains of the city's original warehouse and docking area..

A huge dike has been built to control the river and prevent bank erosion.

The main activity of the day planned for the Victoria Queen's passengers was a shore excursion to "old" Fengdu and Mt. Mingshan. Known as the "Ghost City" to the Chinese. This now-deserted city is one of the most popular shore excursion sites on the Yangtze, attracting more than a million tourists a year! Even though the original city has been engulfed by the Yangtze River, more than 90 percent of the its scenic spots remain intact, due to their high location.

The town first got its reputation as China's"Ghost City" in the Han Dynasty when two officials from the imperial court--- Wang Fangping and Yin Changsheng--- got fed up with the political life in the court and retreated to Mt. Mingshan study Taoist teachings, consider the yin and yang of life, and carry out "self-cultivation." When combined, their surnames Yin and Wang, sound very much like "King of Hell" in Chinese and as the two men became more and more famous people began to call Fengdu the "Ghost City" which was, of course, ruled over by the king. (The stone carving of the Ghost King, incidentally, appears in the Guinness Book of Records which says it is the largest single stone sculpture in the world .)

Taoists believe Yin and Yang are the two opposing, but complementary, forces found in all things in the universe.

As was the case just about wherever we went in China, joining the group ashore would mean a lot of climbing of stairs and Joan decided to pass on the opportunity. However, since he was curious after reading about the place before we left Portland, Ralph wanted to see the multi-level shrine built into the side of Mt. Mingshan and, in addition, get a clearer view of the famous Ghost Sculpture that was dimly visible through the smog from the ship.

After climbing a long set of stairs (above) leading upward from the river to point beyond its highest flood level, our group passed by the dozens of "stairway vendors" and boarded a rickety bus for a short ride to the base of Mt. Mingshan where we found a long row of small sidewalk shops offering all sorts of things--- cheap ghost-themed souvenirs, food, articles of clothing, etc. Our goal for the afternoon was to ascend to the top of the mountain, stopping at various levels to look at the shrines and "judgment stations." While some of the Victoria Queen passengers decided to climb all the way, all of our Gold One group (none of whom ignored the safety notice below) opted to get tickets and ride a chair-lift to the halfway point.

Lacking a "partner," Ralph, being an "old man" (as per sign) and therefore unable to ride the chair lift alone, found himself paired with Wie, our tour leader. As a result, he got a lot of information about Fengdu, Mt. Mingshan, and Taoism that the others probably missed. For example, Wie pointed out that "Hell" doesn't hold the same meaning for Taoists as it does for Christians. While Christians regard Hell as a dead end where "evildoers" (ala George Bush) are condemned to burn for all eternity, Taoists see Hell as a kind of temporary camp that souls go to at times during their almost eternal cycle of birth, life, death, and reincarnation. The "good" pass through the ten “courts” of Hell and its eighteen "levels" and get to Nirvana, the ineffable ultimate in which a soul has attained complete joy, wisdom, and compassion. Evildoers, such as thieves, deceivers, and drunks, first get the"rewards" they have earned--- such as being burned by fire, boiled in hot water, or having their tongues cut out--- but are then send back to try another life. (The Taoist God of Hell, is not evil like the Christian Satan, but merely serves as an administrator who gets the the task of reforming evildoers started. The Mt. Mingshan temple(s) are filled with images connect to these courts and levels.

Other parts of the extended temple included chambers where incense was being burned, small chapel-like rooms peopled prayed to Buddha, and even areas where souvenirs--- both cheap and pricey--- were sold. After some negotiation, Ralph wound up buying a colorful "ghost mask," one of hundreds Mr. Lie Wu Feng, an old local artist/craftsman , had on display and that were being sold by the women in his family. One very interesting parts of the temple tour was the Nothing Can be Done Bridge that offers walkers three alternatives--- take the left walkway for health, the center one (for couples) to assure eternal companionship, or the right one if wealth is your fondest desire.

To most of the group, however, the main attraction was the temple, itself--- temples, really, since there were some structures in the overall complex. We had the chance to inspect them "up close and personal" and see graceful lines and exotic decorations of these outstanding examples of traditional Chinese architecture.