BEIJING, Jan 5 : Pakistan, like China, has long history of civilization and with the continuous progress of the construction of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the two countries could link their people more closely by developing a cultural corridor.
“Pakistan, like China, has a long history of civilization. With the continuous progress of the construction of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, if we simultaneously develop an eternal Pak-China cultural corridor and learn from each other’s cultural traditions, we can link the people of the two nations more closely, thus building a community of common destiny between China and Pakistan.”ť
These views were expressed by Cheng Xizhong, Visiting Professor at Southwest University of Political Science and Law and enior Fellow of the Charhar Institute in an article published by China Economic Net (CEN) on Friday.
“As a famous city with thousands of years of history, Lahore has its own proud capital. It used to be the capital of the Mughal Dynasty. With hundreds of years of vicissitudes, it has accumulated a bright and profound cultural heritage, known as the “soul of Pakistan”.
A large number of elaborate architectures left by the Mughal Dynasty still show the splendid civilization of the past and fascinate visitors. The Badshahi Mosque is magnificent. Whenever anyone visit, it has a variety of majestic features, rendering the style of Islamic architecture incisively and vividly, the scholar said.
When people walked beside the majestic and magnificent Lahore Fort, they would feel that the ancient city wall stretches out, and every red brick and stone seems to be describing the history of time, he said.
On the moonlit night, when people sat by the fountain of the Shalimar Garden and look at the pavilions deliberately built with marble, they would see the scene of the multi-column fountains spewing green and white gemstones, and they would also sincerely sigh for the industrious wisdom and ingenuity of the ancient Pakistani working people.
Many celebrities who visited Lahore like to gather in tea-houses. They enjoyed chat, wrote and exchanged ideas there. Sometimes, a pot of tea could trigger a debate and enlighten a collision of thinking, he remarked.
When they were tired of walking in the street, they sat down in a teahouse, look at the pictures of cultural celebrities drinking tea on the walls of the teahouse, listen to the pleasant chat of the guests around them, and deeply feel the cultural influences of “tea and politics” with the elegant fragrance of tea.
Sometimes, a casual chat with a stranger can lead to an unknown past in Pakistan, or a touching story, which also adds a lot of color to life, he said.
To bid farewell to the elegant tea-house, people may turn their eyes to a bazaar, which offered a rich supply of different commodities. All kinds of clothing, jewelry and handicrafts are permeated with local ethnic customs, which can be enjoyed by outsiders for a long time.
Of course, there are also busy shopping malls in Lahore, but the good taste of life is often hidden in small shops in bazaars. Only after careful exploration, can find something satisfying. Walking in a bazaar, people keep quiet in the noise, and have a dialogue with your heart in the process of repeated selection and appreciation.
As night falls, the streets of Lahore are still full of traffic. The neon of the city is reflected in the moat of Lahore, and the ancient charm and modern flavor are suddenly integrated. The moat is like the Milky Way. The cultural image of Lahore turns into a little halo, just like a star, dotted with different artistic conceptions.
When they gaze at it, you can see the figure of the Mughal Dynasty, and the millennium time reappears vaguely, which makes people feel more and more the charm of Lahore and the mystery hidden in the history. Unconsciously, you are deeply intoxicated in the night.
Some people say that the unique temperament of Lahore is not as beautiful as the capital of Islamabad, nor as lively as the southern port city of Karachi, but it has the magic that can impact the soul. The encounter with Lahore is a special way of life, which makes people gradually enter the spiritual home that Pakistanis are proud of.
People here pay more attention to taste the ancient charm from the history, edify the temperament from the art, and explore the beauty from the details. No matter how impetuous and noisy the outside world is, people can live poetically in the cultural heritage, which is perhaps the most valuable and charming attraction in Lahore.”
