were in a state of disrepair -- the local government lacks the funds to provide proper maintenance. But due to the limited efforts they have made, we can still see the original towers today. A long wide street leads through the center of the town to the west gate, with some simple and crude one-storey houses situated along both sides. Because Spring Festival was soon to arrive and people had left to visit their families, there were few people in the town, and we noticed a feeling of dreariness.

 

Our visit took us to Longwang Temple, a traditional site for sacrifices to a mythical dragon; Guanyin Temple where people made the sacrifice to Kwan-yin; Caishen Temple where people pray for wealth and good luck; Guangong Temple which commemorates a general named Guanyu; and Yongning Temple where people pray for peace and prosperity. The oldest building dates back more than 800 years. We felt the excitement of discovery when we spotted exquisite frescos throughout most of the temples. I can appreciate how those frescos are treasures of the ancient Chinese civilization of the Ming and Qing Dynasties. I was sad that most of them were not well protected, and some of them were severely damaged.
 
In the 26th year of Emperor Guangxu's reign in the Qing Dynasty (1900 AD), when the Eight Power Allied Forces attacked Beijing, the emperor and his mother, the empress dowager Cixi, decided to escape to Xian, a city in the centre of China. On their way, they had to stop continually to rest, and Jimingyi Town was one of their resting points. Their temporary palace was a traditional Chinese rectangular courtyard belonging to Mr. He, the richest landlord in Jimingyi Town. Cixi stayed in the west room, while the emperor Guangxu slept in the east room, and the owner Mr. He was in the south room. In fact, according to Chinese tradition, the best room of a courtyard enclosure is the south room, but they made this altered arrangement for the sake of safety. Today, the west room where Cixi stayed is still in its original state, but the south and east rooms have been rebuilt. This historic house should be maintained as a cultural relic, but sadly it lacks protection.

 

The most entertaining part of my tour was watching a stilt-walkers performance and a Yangko performance, which is a traditional dance from northern China. It was clear to me that everyone who watched the performance was as impressed as I was. The drumbeat was loud and deep, making my heart throb in response. The movements of the performers were wild and exaggerated. The men danced high in the air on stilts, and the women strutted with the beat of the drums. All of the audiences were moved by the bold and unstrained spirit of the northern Chinese people.

After the wonderful dance, we continued our tour towards the west gate of Jimingyi Town. Like the east gate, it is flanked by the high city wall and a tower, but this one was without steps up to the top. To my surprise, I suddenly recognized the sight from a scene in the film A Chinese Odyssey which was shot here. Gazing at the desolate gate, I marveled at the archaic civilization of China.

Our visit lasted only a few hours, and it was a pity that we didn't have time to climb the adjacent Jiming Mountain. As this traditional Chinese postal station is a valuable relic of history, I believe it makes a wonderful day trip destination from Beijing. However, because of its free entrance and the lack of protection, the ancient architecture of Jimingyi is suffering the effects of time and disrepair. So I'd like to appeal to everyone's conscience to help protect this archaic cultural treasure and save the remarkably-intact Jimingyi from future man-made damages.

 

Contact the author at lffbb@263.net