For the last 2 1/2 years as I have traveled on the school bus between our campus's I have looked out the window and noticed this pavilion and rather large column. Kind of figured it might be a memorial to something but have never found it on my walkabouts or found out what it actually was. Curiosity was getting the better of me....

On my last days off I decided enough was enough and I was going to hunt this place down. After getting out my map of the city and finding its general location I then determined which Metro station to get off at and begin my wanderings. WELL at least my sense of direction was spot on and after getting off the Metro and finding the right exit I wandered in the general direction of where I though I had seen the pavilion......about 15 minutes later I found it!!! Yeah the blonde is not so blond after all :)

When Chinese people decide to make a memorial, they don't screw around...this place is BIG. Big area, Big statues, Big memorial....This is fair enough, considering the reasons this place exists. Yuhuatai is a massive memorial park, in a nutshell, because this area became a mass execution ground during the anti-communist revolution starting in 1927 and going through on and off till 1949. It is said over 100,000 communists and those suspected of communism were killed here just in the early years.

As as aside this place is also known as the Rain Flower Terrace, since the Southern Dynasties, when a legendary monk, Yunguang, preached the doctrines of Buddhism here. The monk was so eloquent that the heavenly God was moved by his preaching and rain flowers like a shower, hence the name "Rain Flower Terrace". There is a Rain Stone Museum which collects and researches Rainy Agate. It has five sections: Entity, Intention, Pleasure, Leisure, and Road of Stone Derivation. are a multitude of stalls selling Rain Flower Stones and Rain Flower Tea in recognition of this part of history…or to make a quick buck….depending on your outlook!!!

There's a lot to see, especially if you're interested in Chinese political history - this place is ALL about politics, propaganda and Chinese patriotism. It's known as a national base for patriotic education. There's even a museum seemingly dedicated to Chinese party members through history...I'm not entirely sure, because there's a sign in Chinese, English, Japanese and Korean telling you that you can't come in unless you're Chinese. So guess I couldn't look in there!?!

There's also the Mao Zedong (Chairman Mao) exhibition hall, which is everything and anything Mao but not a word in English. This place is strange to say the least but hey the Chinese love this guy. You can get your photo taken with a life-sized bronze statue of Mao for 25 yuan. You can also leave a cigarette for him by placing it on a table in front of him - it sounds odd, but people are doing it. You can also buy anything Mao - statues, posters, trinkets, books, DVDs, hats....well, as I said anything basically.

There is a mass tomb commemorating the Revolutionary Martyrs and other tombs of notable people in Chinese history....that is of importance if you know your revolutionary history which of course I don't. But i was amazed to find tombs dotted all throughout the scenic area.

There's also an eternal flame on top of the hill that was only made for the PRC's 60th anniversary. It stands at the base of the massive column which is what I have been able to see form the school bus of years!! And as you walk around and take in the scale of this whole place, you walk towards the "Memorial of Revolutionary Martyrs", which is a massive exhibition building, telling of the lives of those killed for their communist involvements and beliefs here on this mountain. Most of it is on Chinese but there is a brief introduction in English at the beginning of each section so you get the general idea of what happened when in the eyes of the communists.

There are also a number of pavilions, temples and pagodas including Gaozuo temple, Yuhua pavilion and several other of which I could not name....my knowledge of Chinese characters only stretches so far!!! Interspersed with all this history there are amusements for kids....park area for relaxation....and of course the many kiosks selling all kinds of tourist trash. In fact I was amazed at just how big the area was and at certain times as I wandered through bushland and gardens I could forget I was in the middle of a large city for a moment or two.....this reflection was bought to a sharp halt as a group of army helicopters flew overhead breaking the silence that had momentarily surrounded me.

As with many modern historical sites in China, the interpretation of events is just as worthy to note as the events themselves. You must always be fully aware that you are getting the sanitised communist viewpoint of events that occurred. April 4 and 5 are the memorial days for the martyrs and the occasion is marked by official ceremonies within the memorial so best avoided on those days

What started out as a venture to find a few monuments turned into an enjoyable day in a full on scenic oasis in the middle of the city.....still..... It’s so strange that a mass execution ground has become a world-class park. Oh Well as we say TIC- This Is China!!

Bye for now. xxx