... she'll run around the country checking sites off of her "Monument list!"
Perhaps it won't come as a surprise to you that my Chinese "to-do" list is comprised of various Buddhist grottos, museums, imperial complexes, museums, tombs, and... oh yes, museums. For this reason, I'm not everyone's favorite travel buddy. That being said, if you're looking for an art historical whirlwind tour of China, let me know. I might be available.
One of the top places on said monument list is the Longmen Grottos. When one of my Vassar classmates decided to come visit, I was able to convince her to join me on my Wei-Sui-Tang Monumental Buddhist Sculptural Quest. No, I didn't even have to twist her arm. This art-tastic pilgrimage turned into a small tour of Henan Province, which then evolved into a full-fledged research trip. Thanks to my very gracious and accommodating contacts, I've been put in touch with different staff members at Kaifeng, Luoyang, and Henan museums, and will even be attending an exhibition opening? Or so I've been told.
Unsurprisingly, I'm both very excited and nervous. I'm assembling research on each of the museums, and reading up on the cities and their histories. I've charged my camera batteries, picked up a digital recorder for the interviews, and prepared/translated a series of questions.
I'm playing with the big boys now, so wish me luck! Updates and photos to follow--prepare yourself for some nerdy goodness.
wow you've done all that since the last time we talked!? sounds amazing!best of luck and have fun with your research!
ReplyDeletei'll obviously will be wanting to hear all about it!