WhenforeignersmaketheirlistsofwhattoseeanddoinChina,it’satoughcall.Withhistoricaloverloadrifeinthemiddlekingdom,ancientsitesandtreasuresarevirtuallyadimeadozen.AndthenthereisXi’an.
Possessingahistoricalpedigreethatdefiesdescription,thereismuchunderfootinXi’an.StandinghighupinthemassivedowntownBellTowertryingtomakesenseofitallonadustyevening,Itriedtoimaginethecityinitsformerincarnations,acitythatoncecompetedwithancientRomeandConstantinopleintheByzantineEmpireastheworld’ssuprememetropolis.
Providingabackdroptomymusingswasanover-enthusiastictouristwhopoundedawayonthelargebellonthetower’stopfloor,exhortingthegodstoshowerhimwithgoodfortune.Stretchingoutfromeachmajorpointofthecompass,amainroaddisappearedintothehorizon.Fourarterialroutes,onetowerhub–whatcouldbemorelogicalthancreatingeasyaccessonanaxis.
ForalltheplacesthosefourroadstakevisitorsandthesubsidiaryreasonspeoplevisitXi’an:thefingerofSakyamuni,thecitywall,andthefootofLishanMountain,we’reallreallyheretoseeonethingandonethingonly.EmperorQinShiHuang’s(FirstEmperoroftheQinDynasty,wholivedfrom259B.C.to210B.C.)preparationforhisjourneyintothenextworld.
Theystandinhonoroftheirdepartedemperor,nowmorethan2,000yearsafterhisdeath,brickredguardians,eachunique,eachsilent.TheTerracottaArmyhaschangedXi’anirreversibly.Discoveredbyfarmersin1974,thecavernousmainvaultishometomorethan6,000life-sizepotterywarriors,chariotsandhorsesarrangedasthemainforceinbattleformation.
Anothertwovastvaultsmakeuptheflankforceandmilitaryheadquarters.It’simpressive.UNESCOthoughtsotoo,namingitaWorldHeritageSitein1987.Today,ithasspawnedanindustrylikenootherandputXi’anfirmlyoneverytravelersmap.AsIwalkedoverthesizablegroundsaroundthevaults-Itriedtoblockouttheincessantblareoftourguidebullhornsandthejostleofendlesscrowds-andthoughtaboutwhatmuststillliebelowmyfeet.
MytourguidehadtoldmethatwhilethousandsofhistoricalsitesandtombshavebeenexcavatedaroundXi’an,manymoreremainunearthed.Citiesbuiltuponcitiesforover3,000yearsandthrough13dynastiesmeantwhatweareseeinghereisinallprobabilityjustasampleofamuchbiggerpicture.
WhenIlookatChineseculture,Ifindasimilarsituation,whereindividualsaregiventokeepalowprofile,andweonlygetglimpsesofthewhole.Thenotionofstayingamongthecrowdanddoingnothingtobenoticedgoesbackmillenniaandinasensecleverlyburiesmuchinboththeprocessofcommunicationandinconveyinganysignofsuccess.
TaoistfounderandinfluentialthinkerLaoTzuadvocatedtheearlyretirementofpeopleoncetheyhadachievedsuccess,markingasmoothtransitionfromfametoobscurity.AshewritesinTaoTeChing,orClassicoftheWayandVirtue,“TheTaothatcanbenamedisnottheTao.”Understandingthis,theinsightofexperiencescannotalwaysbeexpressed.Muchgoesleftunsaid.It’saconceptthatgivesway,inaphilosophicalsense,toakindofvaguenessthatcharacterizesmuchofChinesecultureandisepitomizedbyawell-knownlocalproverbthatsays,“Thebigtreeismoreeasilyblowndownbythewind.”
Goingaboutone’sdailyaffairsquietlyandnotattractingtoomuchattentionisprobablyagoodwaytoensureself-preservation,forwhateverreason,andtherearenodoubtmany.AnditisforthisreasononegetstheimpressionthatsomuchofChineseculturelivesundertheradar.
Whatweseeisatipoftheculturaliceberg,wherethingsareimpliedbutneverdirectlystatedandasmileora“maybe”isoftentheanswertoaquestion.Thesubtletiesofflowingwiththiswayofthinkingtakessometimetogetusedtoasaforeigner,wheresomuchofourthinkingisbasedon“yes”or“no”answers.
Therewillalwaysbemysteryinwhatwecannotseeandwhetherit’syettobediscoveredtreasuresorunfathomableculturalintricacies,inChinathereismuchthatremainsbelowthesurface.
**ThewriterisaSouthAfricanworkinginBeijing
**Commentsto
TaoistfounderandinfluentialthinkerLao-Tzuadvocatedtheearlyretirementofpeopleoncetheyhadachievedsuccess,markingasmoothtransitionfromfametoobscurity.