Streets of Linfen

Rem Sapozhnikov / April 2014

I memorized Linfen with its horrible drivers and my constant difficulties in crossing wide roads in the city center. Until then, I thought that the worst drivers in China live in Kaili. Now the drivers from Linfen take the first prize. I met none of the underground or the overground walkways. Crossing a road at a light, I kept expecting a car, a bike, a scooter or a bus jumping out on me at any moment from the left, from the right, from my back or from my front. Any vehicle usually jumped out from the most unexpected side. I repeat that the problem was only in the central streets of the city. I watched one of the intersections and found out that local pedestrians suffer from their drivers in exactly the same way.

The Drum Tower in Linfen is the second highest in China. Its height is about 44 meters. It is a bit lower than that one in Beijing. The first tower was built on this place around 1000 years ago. It was rebuilt many times throughout its existence.

The wooden part of the tower was assembled without the use of nails.

Sculptural composition "Three sources of culture" (三源文化纪念碑 - Sān yuán wénhuà jìniànbēi).
Keeping in mind the names of three books I will try to read into the three sources the author of the sculpture was thinking about. 1. The humankind was born in these places. 2. The Chinese Civilization has risen on these lands. 3. The decayed State of Jin became a source of three new kingdoms – Wei, Zhao and Han.

If you have another opinion, about what are these three sources, write me an email.