Yan Di Mausoleum

MY VISIT TO

THE MAUSOLEUM OF EMPEROR YAN 

Yandi Ling Park

JUNE 18TH, 2012

     Last week I ventured out into the unknown in search of the Mausoleum of Emperor Yan. I took the number 6 bus as recommended, but the bus seemed to travel in a direction unfamiliar to me. Finally it stopped, I was the only one on the bus and the bus driver waved at me yelling (I am sure he was saying 'get out' because his arms were waving me off the bus). So I got off the bus and walked a little bit into a neighborhood that looked a little more - let's say rustic - than my own neighborhood - which was not a really good sign. 

     I was a little apprehensive walking around this area and  decided to call it a day so I crossed the street to catch a bus back into town. Riding back to town on the number 2 bus I noticed a hidden side street with the sign 'Yandi Mausoleum' presented in an arch above the road. Immediately I exited the bus and started up the road leading to my destination.The road was long, winding and all uphill.  I walked up and around corners getting higher and higher with no end in sight. The scenery was breathtaking and I wished that I could spend my time in China in this place instead of where I am currently living. 

     When I stopped to take a picture a beautiful black bird (who had white at the tip of his tail, on the end of it's wings equipped with a red beak- very beautiful) became very curious and looked at me as if he was trying to figure out what I was. I couldn't figure out if this bird had never seen a person before or if he had never seen a white person (If I had to guess, I would say that this bird had never seen a white person), The look this bird gave me  was a feeling of friendly curiosity, almost welcoming). Soon he flew behind a tree, but felt compelled to peek at me, one more time - very cute. 

     I ventured up the hill and finally arrived at my destination. The Mausoleum is beautiful and haunting. The art work on the buildings is intricate and worthy of much appreciation and when I climbed up the stairs to the first building - a huge image of Emperor Yan was inside one of the buildings surrounded by pillows and incense. The size of the image was a little overwhelming and there was another in the courtyard as well as another in the worship center. The images were extraordinarily large and each one was larger than the one before. I went around to the back of the buildings to see never ending stairs ascending to the top of the mountain. I could see a monument on the top and later, one of my co-workers told me that at the top of the stairs - a box was buried with the Emperor's clothes inside. She told me that the people loved the Emperor so much that knowing that his clothes were buried there, gave them a feeling of closeness to their beloved Emperor. 

     This trip, I did not take the hike to the top of the stairs, but I will be sure to do it next time.Traveling down the mountain was a lot of fun although it was a little sad to have to leave this sacred place, it is comforting to know that I can always come back to visit and perhaps spend a little time meditating and imagining what a day in the life was like for the people of Baoji and for the Emperor. 

(The people of Baoji believe that they are descendants of the Emperor and once a year many Chinese make a pilgrimage to this sacred place to honor him).

Wendy