Sometimes it’s fun to find or make connections on your travel journeys. I’ve written about adding “travel connections” to your journeys in a previous post on 2/22/12. Connections can add an interesting and deeper layer of meaning to travels.
Recently, as I was doing a bit of advanced research for an upcoming trip to China, I discovered a interesting “connection” – China Art in Kansas City. Kansas City is fortunate to have a world class art museum – The Nelson – Atkins Museum of Art ( http://www.nelson-atkins.org/ ) They have an outstanding Chinese Collection including several galleries which, as luck would have it, which have recently been totally renovated.
Now I have to admit, I am really not into Chinese art all that much. It’s interesting – but to my totally untrained eye – it all sort of looks the same. (I can almost hear the gasps from all you Chinese art lovers out there – sorry. ) So I really can’t appreciate some of the fine pieces that the Nelson has in it’s collection. But there is one feature that, for some reason, caught my attention.
One of the galleries is presented as a Chinese Temple. In the ceiling they have installed a “Coffered Vault with Carved Dragons” which is actually a section of ceiling from the Zhihua Temple (circa 1444) which is located in Beijing, China. It was apparently purchased long ago and acquired by curators at the Nelson. The Temple still exists in China but the original ceiling is in Kansas City. On my recent visit to the Nelson they confirmed that Chinese representatives have actually come to Kansas City and made high resolution digital images of the ceiling which they have now printed full size and have installed in the original temple in Beijing.
I think that’s a rather interesting travel connection. I have put a visit to the Zhihua Temple on my list of “must dos” for Beijing. Then I will have seen not only the original ceiling – but also it’s original location.
Do you have any interesting travel connections you have made? Care to share? Write to me with a comment.
Get Connected …………… Enjoy The Adventure!
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