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China: Hefei: The Town of Just Justice Pao
Published: 4.1.2014
The train, although it made us very, very tired. It took us safe right into Hefei, the capital and largest city in Anhui province.
Mentally, we were ready for the next subtropical city, but it was quite unbearable heat. Far more resentful for us was the fact that we were looking a half day for a bus station, which should indeed be huge, but it seemed that none of those whom we tried to ask if somebody even tried to get to Hefei in bus. After a few circles around looking for the station we began worrying that we will be stuck in Hefei. Eventually, we found out that tickets should be bought on the day of departure. So we were in no need to worry.
Reassured by this idea, we relaxed on the rest of the day. We planned a trip for the following day. Our goal was to reach Park of Justice Pao (Kung Pao-yuan). This park is dedicated, as its name suggests, to justice Paoa. He was born in Hefei during the rule of Northern Sung Dynasty (960-1127). Judge Pao was known for his incorruptibility and ingenuity with which addressed various court cases. Stories recounting his wit and sense of justice we can read and translated into Czech.
First we saw the whole area from bird’s perspective from the pavilion "refreshing wind" (Qing-feng-ke), the height of which consisted of 42 m (9 floors). All of this we then saw from the close. The tourists were most attracted to the tomb of Pao himself, illuminated by a mysterious light, and was more pronounced than the tombs of other members of his family. We were interested in the exposition, which is worth seeing. If one does not understand stories written in Chinese, he can make it up from was figurines which illustrate some of the stories. Interesting were also the Three axes Justice Pao : ax decorated with a dog's head for common criminals, ax decorated with tiger head for civil servants and finally ax with a lion's head, designed for offenders from the ranks of the royal family.
Satisfied with tours in the park of justice Pao, we prepared ourselves that evening for the next day. We were going to a place where trains do not go, which really means something in China. Usually that there are huge mountains or there is a town so small that it has to get by with bus trasnportation. In Shousien was an option number two. It was simply a dump, but something we are after all the big cities looking for. As evidence that many foreigners do not go here, even at the local anxiously called local watch to register us.
We liked Shousien. So we were looking forward for other experiences...
Text/photo: Hana Bašová
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