まゆの部屋

Suzhou 2

At first I'll sing the first verse from Suzhou Serenade .

君がみ胸に　抱かれて聞くは

夢の舟歌　鳥の歌

水の蘇州の　花散る春を

惜しむか　柳がすすり泣く

I went to China with my friends last March.

I was very glad to visit Hanshan Temple as I like Suzhou Serenade very
much.

Yoshiko Yamaguchi, Li Xianglan sang this song. She was believed to be
Japanese Chinese. The communist Chinese banned Chinese people from singing
this song because the man in the song was taken to mean a Japanese soldier.

Hamako Watanabe sang this song in 1940. This song is very popular among
elder people in Japan. Last year young people heard this song in a TV
commercial for oolong tea.

This song is so lovely and romantic that we can imagine how nice Suzhou is.

People call Suzhou " Venice of the East " or " The paradise on earth "
because of it's beautiful scenery and mild climate.

Encircled by the Grand Canal , Suzhou has its unique scenery of
crisscrossing water ways and streets lined with houses and stone bridges.
It is a place where people go to relax, to enjoy family life away from
the cities.

I met a couple who are Japanese high school teachers . They wanted to
visit Hanshan Temple to get an ink rubbing of a poem written by Zhang Ji .
Zhang Ji was famous for this poem only . Little is known his other poems.

I learned this poem when I was a high school girl. I thought Chinese people

love trees, moonlight and hearing the sound of the bell as much as
Japanese.

I'll read Zhang Ji's poem.

A Night Mooring Near Maple Bridge

Moon sets, crows cry and frost fills all the sky;

By maples and boat lights, I sleepless lie.

Outside Suzhou Hanshan Temple is in sight;

its ringing bells reach my boat at midnight.

If the moon sets, it will be very dark outside. Do you feel comfortable when
you are in the dark without moonlight ? "Moon sets " means "moon is moving "
for Chinese people.

Zhang Ji had failed an employment examination for government officials in
the capital of China and was on his way home. He was very depressed when he

was in Suzhou . He saw the moonlight and heard the sound of the bell and felt
relaxed.

He was very moved . That's why he could write a great poem.

I was also moved in China visiting traditional gardens and meeting Chinese
people who were very kind to us.

When do you feel relaxed ?

I feel relaxed when I travel with my friends without having to do any house works. We
are not young but we were like young girls chatting in a loud voice here
and there in China.

I have some pictures I took in China . This is a picture of Hanshan Temple .
It is just like a Japanese temple.

This is a famous poem written by Zhang Ji. It is in a glass box. We can't get ink rubbings by ourselves. We have to buy them.

This is a stone bridge near Hanshan Temple . It is the actual bridge in Zhang
Ji's poem named Maple Bridge .

We visited Tiger Hill . It is known for this tall , leaning Pagoda. Our tour guide told us it is a good spot to take pictures . He took our picture. Our smiling faces are more beautuful than flowers,aren't they?

I felt relaxed seeing my friends' cheerful smiling faces while I took these
pictures.

I feel relaxed when I sing a romantic song,too.

髪に飾ろか　接吻しよか

君が手折し　桃の花

涙ぐむような　朧の月に

鐘が鳴ります　寒山寺

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