Twilight Time in Hong Kong

 (Note:  This picture may be enlarged by clicking on it using Control-click or right-click.)

In June of 1990 we stopped in Hong Kong on our way to Tianjin, China, where I would be teaching English to Chinese students.  One evening while we were in Hong Kong, we crossed the harbor on a Star Ferry at dusk.  That’s when I got this image of the Hong Kong waterfront against the glow of the sky.

 

Drawing from a Photo: Temple of Heaven

(This picture can be enlarged by clicking on it.)

I never had much artistic ability, although I have always admired people who could play a musical instrument or create beautiful art. So I became very intrigued when I learned how to create a line drawing from a photograph.

And I have now discovered a good use for this technique. Many of my slides are very old (like me) and don't always scan well. A slide of the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest in the Temple of Heaven just wouldn't scan to give me an acceptable -- the colors were 'muddy' and seemed to bleed. I was disappointed.

But I then found that I could make a black-and-white line drawing (above) that actually looked pretty good.

The picture above was scanned from a slide.

The Imperial Vault of Heaven

(This picture can be enlarged by clicking on it.)

The Imperial Vault of Heaven is one of the major buildings in The Temple of Heaven near Beijing, China. The vault was built to contain memorial tablets of the ancestors of the emperor. According the ancient Chinese religious belief, heaven is round, and so the major buildings in the Temple of Heaven are also round.

The picture above was scanned from a slide.

Drum Tower Ceiling

(This picture can be enlarged by clicking on it.)

A couple of weeks ago I posted a picture of the drum in the Drum Tower of Xian. One of the interesting things about the Drum Tower is that it was constructed without the use of nails. Another thing is that the interior is richly and intricately decorated. This is the ceiling over the drum in the tower.

The picture above was scanned from a slide.

Sound the Drum

(This picture can be enlarged by clicking on it.)

One of the attractions of Xian, the ancient capital of China, is the Drum Tower. The Drum Tower, built in 1384, housed a large drum which was sounded at sunset to signal the end of the day. A similar tower on the opposite side of the city square contained a bell which was struck at dawn to signal the start of the day.

The picture above was scanned from a slide.

The Mao Memorial

(This picture can be enlarged by clicking on it.)

The exterior of the Mao Memorial Hall in Tiananmen Square frankly reminds me of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D. C. This picture was taken in 1987, when the Mao Memorial was relatively new. You can see the Chinese citizens lined up at the main entrance. As foreign visitors we got to slip in the side entrance, bypassing the line.

The picture above was scanned from a slide.

A Day Care Outing

(This picture can be enlarged by clicking on it.)

I got this photo of a day care outing in Beijing during the summer of 1990. The children have spotted some foreigners getting off a bus, and I think they were as interested in us as we were in them.

The picture above was scanned from a slide.

The Great Wall

(This picture can be enlarged by clicking on it.)

If you've visited this site very often, you know that I thoroughly enjoyed my visits to the Great Wall. This picture was taken near Beijing when I first visited the wall in 1987.

The picture above was scanned from a slide.

Father and Son

(This picture can be enlarged by clicking on it.)

I snapped this picture of a Chinese father with his son in Tiananmen Square in 1990. Judging from the smile on his face, the boy was very happy to be on an outing with his father. And the father was obviously keeping a watchful eye on the enthusiastic boy.

The picture above was scanned from a slide.

Nine Dragon Screen

(This picture can be enlarged by clicking on it.)

The Nine Dragon Screen is the oldest and largest glazed screen in China. It was made over 600 years ago of 426 specially-designed glazed bricks and is about 149 feet long. It is in the Palace Museum (Forbidden City) in Beijing. The area in front of the screen was being renovated when this picture was taken.

The picture above was scanned from a slide.

The Interior of the Hall of Prayer

(This picture can be enlarged by clicking on it.)

Yesterday's post showed the exterior of the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest in the Temple of Heaven in Beijing. This picture, although not very good, shows a part of the interior.

There are 28 columns inside the hall, each made from a single tree trunk. The interior of the hall is unbelievably beautiful.

The picture above was scanned from a slide.

Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests

(This picture can be enlarged by clicking on it.)

The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests is an impressive three-tiered wooden structure that was built entirely without nails. Like all buildings in the Temple of Heaven it is round, like heaven in Chinese tradition.

The picture above was scanned from a slide.

Ruins of the Great Wall

(This picture can be enlarged by clicking on it.)

When I was back in China in 1990, I saw a section of the Great Wall that was in ruins. In many ways the ruins were as impressive as the restored sections of the wall.

The picture above was scanned from a slide and then converted to sepia.

The Gate of Heavenly Peace

(This picture can be enlarged by clicking on it.)

The Gate of Heavenly Peace is the entrance to the Forbidden City at Tiananmen Square in Beijing. This picture was shot in 1987.

The picture above was scanned from a slide.

The Echo Wall

(This picture can be enlarged by clicking on it.)

This young Chinese girl is listening to a whisper along the Echo Wall in the Temple of Heaven in Beijing, China. The Echo Wall is a circular wall surrounding the Imperial Vault of Heaven. It is approximately 12 feet tall and has a diameter of about 200 feet. It gets its name from its accoustical properties -- a whisper spoken on one side can be clearly heard on the other.

The picture above was scanned from a slide.

Chinese Architecture

(This picture can be enlarged by clicking on it.)

During my first trip to China I was absolutely fascinated by the traditional Chinese architecture (I still am). I took this picture of the roofline of the Friendship Hotel in Beijing in June, 1987.

The picture above was scanned from a slide.

Victoria Harbor

(This picture can be enlarged by clicking on it.)

Victoria Harbor, Hong Kong, is one of the world's biggest and busiest harbors. This picture was taken in 1987 from the Kowloon side of the harbor looking across to the Central District of Hong Kong Island on the opposite shore.

The picture above was scanned from a slide.

A Picture of Old China

(This picture can be enlarged by clicking on it.)

While taking us through the Temple of Heaven in Beijing in 1987, our host stopped this elderly gentleman to ask a question. The man struck me as a perfect example of 'old' China, so I quickly snapped his picture.

The picture above was scanned from a slide.

Ruins of a Watchtower

(This picture can be enlarged by clicking on it.)

I took this picture of the ruins of a watchtower on the Great Wall in 1987. At that time it was easy to see sections of the wall in ruins near many of the major tourist areas.

The picture above was scanned from a slide.

A Floating Restaurant

(This picture can be enlarged by clicking on it.)

This floating restaurant is located in Aberdeen, a fishing village on Hong Kong island. We passed this restaurant while on a boat tour of Aberdeen during a stop in Hong Kong on our way to China in 1987. Unfortunately, we did not have a chance to eat at this restaurant.

Betsy and I are taking off a couple of days off to enjoy Easter with family. I expect us to be out of pocket until Monday evening, so my next post will probably be Tuesday morning. But I hope all of you have a blessed and joyous Easter. I hope the weekend will bring all of you many happy memories.

The picture above was scanned from a slide.