My First Time Seeing Xian

China Proper Ink Jade Bowl, Purchased in Xian

不到長安﹐對中國歷史有不完全感。 今年11月隨著一個美國旅遊團﹐抵達關中﹐渭河平原﹐十一個王朝建都之地。 Without coming to Xian, you won’t gain a complete picture of Chinese history. In November of this year, we followed an American tour and arrived in Xian, in the Wei River prairie, this was the capital for 11 dynasties. Poem by Yuan Hao Wen: To be together until our hair is white on the love pair pond Without a word over sunset Drawing the picture of leaving the Qin River’s sight How many have ever been to Xian? 元好問﹕ 白頭生死鴛鴦浦。夕陽無語。 畫圖臨出秦川景，親到長安有幾人？

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By Free Mind

八百秦川.雲煙嫋嫋,京城紫陌﹐佩玉英騮﹐五陵少年今何在﹖

八百里秦川脈脈 關中大平原一如既往萬千年﹐長安古道伴西風﹐ 煙籠罩萬千風情

800 Li Qin River flowing Guang Zhong big prairie is just like 10 thousand years The Xian ancient path along the west wind Smoky with that classic poise Cloud and mist Capital with a purple path The clanking jade strong spirited horses riding Five imperial tombs estates, Where are the young handsome studied men? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

我們到城南﹐鐘鼓樓附近﹐去吃餃子宴﹐絲竹交加﹐人聲喧騰﹐讓人縮短距離﹐讓我想起唐代的故事。 We went to the south gate. Near the bell and drum tower, we had a banquet of dumplings. With silk and bamboo instruments accompanying the meal, the fun open conversation enlightened and shortened the human distance. This reminds me a Tang legendary touching story. 滎陽鄭﹐有慕歌家世﹐乞食風情。 In Yingyang Principality, Henan, there was a Zheng Yuan gentleman. He had a coveted family heritage as local aristocrat, but he wound up as a beggar in Changan (Xian). In this very land, Tang Dynasty left us an embroidery quilt legend. It expressed the deep bond between the Henan and Xian. 在斯土﹐唐代留下來的繡襦記傳奇﹐令人感動的唐代鄭元﹐李亞仙故事﹐勾勒長安與河南的情感。 This aristocratic Henan man came to the capital to try to pass the examinations to become a government official. But he spent all his money on the prostitute called Li Yaxian. With his money gone, he worked as part of a funeral home’s music and crying team. His parents refused to help him. He finally ended up on the street in the cold winter. When he was about to perish forever, the prostitute came to his rescue with an embroidered silk quilt to wrap him and took him back to her courtyard and saved him. After he recuperated he passed the examination in the next spring, and became a high official. He gave her the title of fourth lady. So much is said about the Henan man and their character. They are both fragile and strong at times. They have money, but sometimes squander it and need assistance, so that they are saved just in time, and they have the wisdom so that they can become somebody. 河南男人﹐到京城投考﹐卻為女人一擲千金﹐浪子流落成為葬儀社的吹號及哭隊﹐後貧病交迫﹐奄奄一息﹐在街上﹐被名妓李亞仙用繡錦被裹起﹐送到院中﹐救活﹐調養將息﹐高考中第﹐封李亞仙為四夫人. In the night, we saw the Tang dance. It was quite a treat. But somehow, I thought it should have been better. 當晚即看了唐歌舞﹐一派富貴堂皇﹐精湛奔放的表演藝術. We visited the Xian jade handicraft art works. I bought an artistic ink jade bowl from a Henan artisan as a souvenir. 在西安工藝展覽館﹐買了河南出的價值不菲的墨玉碗﹐當作紀念. 熠熠流金泛著光, 很美的藝術品﹐有古典風味﹐讓人瑕想到葡萄美酒夜光杯﹐與黛玉的飄逸靈氣。 The jade vein has a classic air like the brush pen flowing in art. It reminds me of a Tang poem, “grapes fine wine sparkles in the night glass”, and the “Dream of the Red Mansion” main heroine Daiyu Dark jade’s transcendental spirit. 唐代詩人王翰的那首涼州曲 葡萄美酒夜光杯,欲飲琵琶馬上催,醉臥沙場君莫笑,古來征戰幾人回 秦時明月漢時關,萬里長征人未還,但使龍城飛將在,不教胡馬渡陰山 閨中少婦不知愁,春日凝妝上翠樓,忽見陌頭楊柳色,悔教夫婿覓封侯 Tang Dynasty Wang Han "Liang Zhou Song": Grape wine in the night sparkling glass When I about to drink but the Pi Pa on the horse is hurrying me to go Don't laugh seeing me Drunk on the battling sandy field Not many people return home ever since all of the ancient wars battles Qin Dynasty bright moon and the Han dynasty pass You went far on an expedition and have not yet returned Just to have the Dragon city flying general residing Not to let the Hu barbarian invaders passing the Yin Mountain In the depth of a woman's seclusion without knowing the worry She plans to go up her phoenix building Suddenly seeing the willow tender green on the crisscross footpaths between fields Only regret to have her husband to seek the duke and lord ship 為何我在西安哭泣﹖ 離開西安那一天﹐我在餐廳一角﹐垂淚﹐竟然如父親一樣﹐每當他離開時﹐大半生軍人的他﹐總會哭﹐而我如今如他一樣脆弱。 我哭又是人間一場浩劫﹐畢生無法與爺相見。父親的悲慘的靈魂﹐代表中原人的人道主義與情份﹐他與野蠻打了一場長征。皇天后土。人杰地靈。受摧殘的美麗文化。當西漢遷都由長安到洛陽時﹐駐守在漢宮外的銅人﹐都仿彿有眼淚泛光下淚。我哭一去不回的古文化﹐都散落在各地區﹐無法再重現本地風華﹐歷史政治重心。 Why did I cry in Xian? As I was leaving Xian, in the corner of the breakfast restaurant, my tears were starting to flow down. Just as my father, before when he left, most of his life in the military, he would cry. Now I’m just like him, with a tender heart. 歷史上﹐秦與楚之爭﹐但是許多楚國賢才來助秦崛起﹐如春秋的百里奚﹐戰國的商鞅﹐他們西度涵古關﹐潼關﹐而東望中原來時路﹐英雄不怕出生低﹐不論在秦國﹐在中國都長留青史﹐永垂不朽, In the history, Qin and Chu country always fought. But many Chu talents came to help the rise of the Qin Empire’s infrastructure. As Chunqiu, Spring and Autumn Era, PM Bai Li Xi and Warring States PM Shang Yang. They all came west to pass the Han Gu Gorge and the Tong Gorge, and they looked east at China Proper where they came from. Heroes are not afraid of lowly birth, no matter in Qin country, or China, they left immortal name for their great works and characters which are truly the treasures of the Chinese spirits. 西安是爺工作20年的地方﹐在醫學院為名醫服務眾生﹐黃埔軍校出身的父親﹐青年離鄉讀書﹐1937年﹐父親僅15歲﹐大好青年時光都獻給中國﹐南北征戰日本帝國侵略﹐1949內戰失敗﹐退守台灣﹐軍人生活困頓﹐唯一的堅持﹐是希望我們好好讀書﹐我考上東吳大學外語學院﹐本想當外交家﹐但外公去世﹐台灣狹義的局面﹐讓我無法回台﹐而在美國定居. Xian is where my grandfather worked for 20 years. He served in the medical school as a famous doctor. My father graduated from Whampoo Academy. He left his home at a young age as the war broke out in 1937, when he was merely 15. Most of his youth he dedicated to China. He fought Japanese invaders in China. After the Civil War of 1949, he followed Chiang Kai Shek to come to Taiwan. Military life was hard, his only insistence was to have us educated. I passed the college entrance examination to be the Suzhou University foreign language department. Originally, I wanted to be a diplomat, maybe an ambassador. But my maternal grandfather passed away, with an environment with many racial conflicts in Taiwan, I decided to live in America permanently. 但我從未忘記我的祖根﹐只是在美國並不能平步青雲﹐中國在1979年卡特建交後才普及開放﹐而無法即時回中國看望爺奶﹐成為終生抱恨. But I have never forgotten my roots. In America life was harder than I thought. China only had a wide opening after 1979 Carter’s establishing of formal relations with China. But it was too late to see my grandfather. 據我的堂妹說﹐爺卻是特別對女孩疼惜﹐與我的外公特別鍾愛我的母親一樣。 According to my cousin, grandfather favored the daughters; this is like my maternal grandfather loved my mother the most. 為何國共這場無人道的戰爭要發生﹖使骨肉分散無法團圓﹖ Did this war between communists and nationalists have to happen? 多少戰爭﹐爭執﹐到頭來﹐中原與長安仍然是一片真情﹐不滅的赤子之心.永在人們心頭上。 After all of the wars and conflicts, in the end, China Proper and Xian still very deep bond. A child’s pure heart is always on people’s minds when it comes to Xian and ancient China Proper.