Living and Touring in China: Beijing: Hubei: HongHu: Chibi: 3 Gorges: Wuhan
Chibi City (Puqi) Hubei Province China.
(This file compliments the story and photographs found in my column at Magic City Morning News Some of the photographs are duplicated here to provide a larger and better view than are possible at Magic City. Photographs there are a maximum of 400 pix wide.)
My Thanks To Father Timothy of Di Mao De Catholic Church - Puqi
This file commences with PERSONAL PHOTOGRAPHS provided by Father Timothy of Di Mao De Catholic in PuQi (Chibi City). The priests were wonderfully kind in offering me these photographs, and while they said there was no need to return them, it has always been my desire to do so. I finally gave them to a student from Puqi (Chibi City) to deliver for me. Hope he Got them!
Father Tian and Father Timothy:
I wrote at Magic City that I did not get a photograph of Father Tian, but amongst Timothy's photographs I came across one of he and Tian, and have taken one frame out of it so that I can introduce you to him. He is the priest on the left.
The following 3 frames (6 photographs) were provided by Father Timothy so that you may have some insight into the realities of Catholicism in China.
This is the original 'pose' photograph I took of Father Joseph which was not included at Magic City.
This is a larger version of the photograph at Magic City showing Father Joseph and Father Timothy on the front steps of the Church.
This photograph was taken in the side street off the main road to Hong Hu, at that point where the bus turns to go down to the Barge Crossing. It is of the corner house (shop in front) and shows that there is a canal running under the building. It is here to give you a better 'behind the scenes' perspective of how people live.
This is a larger version of the Pagoda on the hill beside the bridge at PuQi over which we travelled to get to the Catholic Church.
This is one view from the Bridge. It was a very hazy day and this is a 'zoom' photograph showing the shrine on the hill as you enter town.
Another shot taken from the bridge.
A different view from the bridge (up which boys were climbing from the river).
The next 4 photographs are of the interior of the Roman Catholic Church at PuQi (Chibi City).
Bible Study in progress
Exterior of Di Mao De Catholic Church Chibi
This is a photograph of myself standing at the lookout at the Museum park at Chibi town (not PuQi). It shows me pointing to the Barge Landing on the Hong Hu side of the Yangtze River. Xin Di where I live and Teach is only 20 minutes drive from the barge crossing by the main road, and about 10 minutes via the levee road.
The lookout area is a nice place to relax and take shelter from the hot summer sun. There were 4 young guys hanging around up there, one of which turned out to be a former student of mine. I had taken a group shot as I approached them (turned out blury), and as this guy was fooling around I zoomed in the camera. He walked straight toward me and I clicked the camera right in his face, never expecting the photo to turn out. Personally I think it is the best photo I have ever taken and look forward to finding an opportunity to give him a copy.
This was taken inside the museum and is a collection of 'scrolls' or records or whatever, presented in the traditional form of writing on bamboo slats.
This is a sign at the museum and is reproduced here in a larger format for you to read.
Here I am standing on the bridge leading to a pagoda in a little lake at the now demolished monastery. The Museum admittance entitles you to enter two other areas further into the township. There is not much left at this particular spot these days.
These next two shots were taken at the corner store in Chibi town after we had finished with the museum tour. We had an hour to wait, and this gave the townsfolk the opportunity to gather around. At one point in time, we were surrounded by 36 people, but I must point out that people kept leaving and being replaced by others.
In this second photo, which was taken inside the shop, I had actually chased the girls from outside, into one section of the shop (the home) and into the shop proper just to get their photographs.
I hope you have enjoyed these extra photographs.
This is a young man at Chibi Town Museum park. I was holding the camera as I was walking toward him and his friends and I zoomed in, and didn't actually expect to get a photo. I was just fooling around. This shot however is in my modest opinion, Amazing. Best Wishes to the young man. I hope he comes across this photo some day.
This following photograph I include because it I took it as a joke, without even knowing what it would capture. There were hundreds of people swimming about in their undies and also naked. Two of these boys were obviously naked.
I zoomed up the camera, and called down to the boys, indicating that I had a camera. They indicated for me to take a photo. I did so. As my viewer on the camera no longer works, I had to wait until I got home and put the photographs on the computer, to see what I had.
I couldn't see the boy in the bottom left corner frame, relieving himself. I thought it was hilarious.
Nudity in China (funny enough) is common. I recently discovered that there are no laws in China banning it. There was an article in the newspaper telling how, after 40 years of this one group of men, swimming naked in the river every friday afternoon, some local women have finally complained. Result: No Law! No Charges!
R.P.BenDedek is from Brisbane Australia and is the author of 'The King's Calendar: The Secret of Qumran' at http://www.kingscalendar.com His academic articles set forth Apologetics for and results of his discovery of an "artificial chronological scheme" running through the Bible, Josephus, the Damascus Documents of the Dead Sea Scrolls, and Seder Olam Rabbah.
He writes photographic 'Stories from China' and social editorial commentaries, both at KingsCalendar, and as a contributing newspaper columnist. He currently teaches Conversational English in China and in addition to his English Lessons at KingsCalendar, he has created specific sites for Students of English.
