day 59: 霍州 (huozhou) = 0km

I’m still not well. Always a bit dizzy.

Maybe I should have stayed in bed yesterday.

Well, I didn’t.

This is the drum tower (鼓楼) in 霍州 (huozhou) anyways, one of two main tourist attractions this place has to offer:

The other one is 霍州署 (huozhoushu), a large Ming-dynasty (明 1368-1644) administrative complex:

Looks nice, doesn’t it? There are only four of these that can be found in China today. One of the other three is the Forbidden City in Beijing.

But alas!

The greatest part of this monument has been totally destroyed:

Again, the so-called “Cultural Revolution” has fed upon this, demolishing ancient structures and erecting new ones in their place:

Now the “new” buildings are rotting away themselves:

Fortunately though, there seems to be a plan:

The current administration is getting ready to swing the wrecking ball again, this time to get rid of what remains of the new buildings.

The plan is to restore the original structures. Rebuild from scratch, that is.

Some nice old things seem to have survived, though:

When the big picture looks just so grim and devastating…

…it is really relieving to know that now, 30 years after the merciless destruction, minds and hearts seem to have changed:

That being said…

…not everything that is old is necessarily good.

There was also small a picture exhibition about the various kinds of tortures and punishments in ancient China:

I ran into some kids who were playing with a fat cat on the premises:

The two really brought some lightness and innocence to this site of tragedy.

We walked around taking pictures together, then I left and went to the supermarket to buy some chocolate.

The dizzy feeling was still there.

It seemed like the whole town was staring at me, and I could hear it everywhere: “老外，老外!” (“a foreigner, a foreigner!”)

I tried to make myself invisible.

But of course I failed.

Soundtrack: Massive Attack – “Teardrop”

—total: 856,8km