Chinese wisdom “He who knows, does not speak, he who speaks does not know” ~ Lao Tsu
This is a Guest Post kind courtesy Sanjay who recently did a brief stint in China. He was lucky to attend the famous annual Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival and has shared with us some amazing pictures. China is indeed a country whose progress and development stuns the world.
Harbin is the capital and largest city in Northeast China, as well as the tenth most populated city in the People’s Republic of China. Harbin serves as a key political, economic, scientific, and cultural and communications hub in Northeast China.
It is known for its bitterly cold winters and is often called the “Ice City.” Harbin is notable for its beautiful ice sculptures in winter and its Russian legacy, and it still plays an important part in Sino-Russian trade today. Harbin is also considered as China’s fashion capital since new designs from Paris and Moscow reached here first before arriving in Shanghai.
The structures are made from huge blocks of ice cut from the nearby Songhua River. Artists create over 2,000 ice and snow sculptures within two weeks, including a 48-metre-tall “Crystal Castle”.
The wintry wonderland (-16C) theme park draws crowds from across China as well as from overseas each year with its unique sculptures, which are illuminated with multicolored electric lights encased in translucent ice. Visitors often stand in awe of the monumental ice and snow sculptures. (Information sourced from the Wiki)
Breath of Joy 
Wow! amazing photos. 🙂
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Lovely Pics… 😉
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Thanks pal 😉
Your blog url does not show-up on clicking on your name??? 😦
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Love the ice sculptures..it’s like a beautiful snowy, glassy kingdom…far, far away in a magical land!
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Glad that you liked it too 🙂
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breathtaking =) I lOve the first picture it’s like a bewitched city =)
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Oh yes it does look like a bewitched city.
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I meant the second picture =) I’m not good at counting 😦
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Aha yes I understand. But me too am no ‘number cruncher’ 🙂
Regards.
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AMAZING!
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Welcome Maggie and thanks for the appreciation 🙂
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I have nominated you for the Super Sweet Blogging Award!
http://touchofinsanity.wordpress.com/2013/06/07/super-sweet-blogging-award/
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Its very kind of you to nominate me for this lovely award. I am late in acknowledging as my blog seems to have a problem.
Thank you again. Best regards.
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wow the shots are stunning Dilip
wish you a lovely day 🙂
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Thank you Soma. Its so kind of you. Cheers 🙂
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Wow, really amazing Dilip!
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Glad you liked the pictures. Best regards.
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🙂
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colorful and interesting! Cool post!
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Wow!!! These sculptures are amazing. Great Great pictures. Beautiful!
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Thanks for appreciating 🙂
Cheers
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My dearest friend, I have awarded you the Best Moment Award! Congratulations! Please visit this link: transcendingbordersblog.wordpress.com/2013/06/01/best-moment-award-5/
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Most gracious of you dear Tazein. I will try and keep doing my best 🙂
Yes I will get to the link posted.
Be well and happy.
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Absolutely amazing sculptures Dilip .. And I am always amazed at how throughout each culture Art shines forth .. We Humans love to have the freedom to create.. and yet so many sad stories emanate from this wonderful great country..
Thank you so much for sharing.. 🙂
Sue
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That’ a beautiful comment. Yes China has achieved a lot but there are issues which continue to intrigue the world.
With many good wishes.
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Really beautiful.
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Thanks Mala 🙂
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Thank you so much for sharing these amazing photos. I love the lights in the sculptures, just beautiful. 🙂
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Nice of you to appreciate. Thanks.
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awesome,
🙂
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Thank you 🙂
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Wow, those are some incredible ice sculptures. I had never even heard of Harbin!
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I am happy you liked them Binky. Even I did not know of Harbin before I got the pictures.
Thanks 🙂
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Hi Binky some problem I am unable to reach your blog? 😦 Hope I can rectify the problem.
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Sorry about that, Dilip. I believe I am using too much of the server resources and the webhost is throttling my website.
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I am so glad to receive your reply. Maybe the problem is at my end as I had tried to fiddle on unsubscribing some spammers 😦
Thanks anyways 🙂
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Wow!! Love the flutist best
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True the sculptors have captured the flutist’s expression beautifully.
Thank you!
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Dear Sir,
I guess there is an Indian version of this in every language – ‘those who have SEEN, do not speak; those who speak have not SEEN’….
The central idea being – ‘experience of the SELF’; or becoming ‘nothing’ – the ‘ultimate’ goal of being born – is a subjective reality to be experienced but not ‘described’.
At a more transactional level, it is similar to barking dogs do not bite or empty vessels make the most noise – indicating that knowledge when it is mature and is profoundly established in an individual he ‘LIVES’ it and doesn’t have the NEED to ‘SPEAK’ it…. and hence he DOES NOT SPEAK; while the one who has not experienced the knowledge will have no choice but to speak it, for it will not reflect or is yet to reflect in his behavior or the way he transacts with & in the world.
Perhaps that is also the reason why SIlence is Golden & Speech is Sliver….
Another view could be – anything revealed by an another through ‘speech’ is not going to be anywhere near revelation through experience and hence the knowledge is not complete so the knower who speaks does not really KNOW…. A simple example could be – we all think we know that change is the constant in life – yet every time there is a change are we embracing it with open arms ? so do we really KNOW?….
Hence our Masters had a constant refrain about not speaking & silence was the preferred mode of communicating without ‘barriers’, so beautifully captured by Adi Shankara in the Dakshinamoorthy Dhyana Shloka Verse 3 – ‘Guraustu Mounam Vyakhyaanam, Shishyastu Chinna Shamshaya!’ – The Guru’s Silent Discourse leaves no doubts in the minds of the disciples!!
Moral of the story – Convey through Silence or through ‘being it’ rather than ‘speaking it’; else we are guilty of ‘trading’ in ‘secondary know-how’ and being nowhere close to wisdom!
Cheers!
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Dear Sri,
Your explanations to the quote is perfect. The moral of the story – ‘Convey through Silence or through ‘being it’ rather than ‘speaking it’’; is so believable yet our clutter of speech goes on and on 😦
That is precisely why business negotiations the ‘Chinese’ remain mostly in silence thereby confounding the opposite party and stealing the advantage 🙂
Thanks dear friend and a big NAMASTE
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Reblogged this on ram0ram note book.
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Thank you sir I am honored. Kind regards.
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China as a country was said to be sleeping. Knowledgeable people like Churchill said, “let it sleep, because when it wakes up others will lose their sleep”
China has woken up and is acting with a purpose.USA is worried of economic challenges
in future. Chinese have dominated the Indian Ocean and Pacific.Grabbed land from neighbours like us and Soviet Union
Have we as Indians learned from them?? Or are we still at “bhai bhai” stage?? Don’t we know that they are in a better position on the geographical and other fronts? We were led astray by their toys which contained actual poison–
I dread to think ;Agreements do not hold ground.
WAKE UP INDIA WAKE UP
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Wow Suhas that’s a strong take on the China versus the world perspective. Yes the dragon has awakened and undoubtedly China is a great nation and a wise nation too.
We may recall the warm exchange we had when the Chinese premier visited India. It is the interest of nations to maintain a friendly entente instead of being on cross-purpose.
Thanks my friend I enjoyed your comment 🙂
Cheers!
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These sculptures do speak the language of self expression. RLS
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How true Roshan the sculptures do say a lot to the discerning.
Thanks for stopping by & regards.
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Terrific!
Regards!
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Thanks Amit I’m happy you liked the sculptures 🙂
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wow..amazing sculptures…
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So glad you liked them 🙂
Thanks Renu
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So amazingly beautiful!
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So glad you liked the pictures of the Ice Festival 🙂
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Thank you Dilip and Sanjay for taking us along. The sculptures look stunning!
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Wow Madhu a compliment from you means a lot. China is a country which has always fascinated me. Their silence and their wisdom has answers to many of life’s questions.
Yes I thank Sanjay too. 🙂
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Thank you and Sanjay for these amazing photos!
🙂
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🙂 kind of you Marina.
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Thanks to your friend , and you , I could see these lovely displays. China continues to amaze. Their dedication to achieve is impressive. Only disturbing thoughts are , about the human right violations, about the political need to expand , about suppression of freedom..
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Thank you for your free and frank insights. You are so right while one is awed by China’s progress and development in many sectors we also read of the instances of human rights violations and suppression of freedom.
Yet the world continues to watch China with intense curiosity both their positives and negatives. Only the future will tell whether the China model is sustainable and growth is inclusive.
Thank you.
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:-)))
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🙂 🙂
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