The Chinese outlook on life drawn from the experiences and changing forces of nature, expresses understandings in the form of two opposite yet attractive forces which while polemical are never in contradiction – the Yang and Yin.
These two opposing forces actually work in integrated interaction as two parts of a reciprocal hole. So from the persistence of their dual nature, we find merging of the two forces arising emotions of non-duality, harmony and compromise.
Each has a reciprocal dot of the other within. So each is linked to the other one, because of the necessity for polar forces to be joined with the magnetic energy which arises when force of change is kinetic that makes diametrically opposite notions of ourselves ultimately whole.
West Lake in Hangzhou during springtime is serene reflecting sky and colors of flower petals floating in early morning mist against a feeling of awakening. No wonder the Chinese saying, “Above is heaven, below is Suzhou and Hangzhou.”
Amidst morning mist evaporating against the earliest rays of light, fishermen on bamboo rafts use birds to catch fish, an ancient art and tradition that testifies to this marvelous karsts topography that has inspired Chinese philosophy, brush paintings and imagination over millennium.
In the “North Sea” lake stands the White Dagoba of Eternal Peace Temple in majestic Behai Park, a symbol of social harmony in the center of Beijing. The park, once imperial gardens during the Yuan Dynasty (1206-1368) is sanctuary to sacred Buddhist temples and majestic gardens built during the Qing Dynasty (1616-1911).
Zhongnanhai meaning Central and South Seas are names of two Qing imperial garden lakes which today is the central nerve center of the Chinese government. Offices of the State Council and the CPC Central Committee are within this pristine garden complex behind ancient vermillion walls.
Yangtze River is like a great dragon rambling across the nation’s great industrial and commercial centers such as Shanghai, where the river empties into the sea.
The National Center for the Performing Arts surrounded by a vast pool of water rises like a bubble, is one of the marvelous examples of modern cutting edge architecture nestled between both ancient and post-liberation architecture within the center of Beijing. Its fascinating glass design defies rationality of the eye by creating a spectacular grandeur with changing seasons and patterns of sunlight.
Olympic Glass Cube swimming arena represents the new innovative architectural design which has changed the face of Beijing, China’s capital, in the massive infrastructure investment preparations for hosting the 2008 Olympics.
Swimming has become nationally popular sport as people not only return to the water as a traditional pastime but moreover with exhilaration of the 2008 Olympic competitions, increasingly more people, young and old, are joining the swimming frenzy.
The source of China’s mighty Yangtze River is in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau where the river at its source is called the Jinsha Jiang or Gold Sands River that flows parallel to the Nujiang and Lancang which become the – and Mekong rivers as they flow to South and Southeast Asia. Glaciers in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau are source of water to half of Asia. This delicate biological system is essential to mankind. The Yangtze River flows from its glacial source in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau to Shanghai where industrial might and commercial consumption and values of monetized society contrast with the peaceful and natural lives of people in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.
The Golden Lake of Taining County in Fujian Province is a vestige and sanctuary of ancient Chinese culture amidst the greenery and blue of natural surroundings. Its heritage and beauty have preserved the area which is a rarity.
Commercial life merges with leisure on a pleasure boat in Tianjin’s Tanggu Port where a student from Peking University together with classmates enjoys the breeze and sunshine during a weekend outing.
Hainan’s Sanya Beach is breezy and sunny, a pristine natural vista from which one can read a book, watch the waves, and just dream.