Chapter 897 - 629: Introduction
"Mr. Lu Ruian, while food is indeed one of Qingyun City's biggest specialties, our scenery is just as good."
"As for safety, you really don't need to worry. As your Tour Guide, I'll definitely make sure you're safe."
Seeing what Lu Ruian was thinking, Xia Liang said, "And you're flying back in a couple of days. If you miss this chance, who knows when you'll be able to come to our Dragon Country again."
Lu Ruian was silent for a while. In his heart he also felt Xia Liang had a point—since he was already here, it would be a pity not to go see the night view.
Besides, he was very curious what the night view of Dragon Country actually looked like.
"Mr. Xia Liang, could we go back to the hotel first? I want to grab something."
Lu Ruian asked.
"Uh... sure."
Xia Liang nodded. Was this little foreigner really going back to get his stun baton?
Soon the two of them were back at the hotel. Xia Liang waited in the car for a bit, and then Lu Ruian came out again.
"Mr. Lu Ruian, you really don't need to worry about safety."
Seeing the bulge at the other man's crotch, Xia Liang didn't know whether to laugh or cry. The little foreigner really had gone to fetch his stun baton.
"Better to be careful. If we really do run into danger, at least we'll have a chance to fight back."
Lu Ruian, however, looked completely serious. Thinking of how he'd been robbed in his own country and even had his underwear pulled off, he still felt he needed a stun baton for self-defense.
Seeing that the little foreigner was insistent, Xia Liang didn't say anything more and started the car, driving out.
The closest spot for night-time fun to where they were was Qingyun Evernight City!
It takes Tang-style elements as its main thread, features experiential consumption, and strives to build a one-stop consumer paradise integrating shopping, dining, entertainment, leisure, tourism, and business. It's also one of the top three cultural pedestrian commercial streets in Dragon Country.
"Mr. Lu Ruian, we're here. This is the night view we're visiting tonight—Qingyun Evernight City!"
After finding a parking spot and stopping the car, Xia Liang got out as well and looked at Lu Ruian with a smile.
"Th-this..."
Looking at the scene in front of him, Lu Ruian was completely stunned.
In his memory, nighttime was quiet and dangerous. In his country, you could hardly see anyone on the streets at night, and even if there were people, they rushed by in a hurry.
But when he saw the sight before him, his mind totally short-circuited. This was night in Dragon Country?
He'd seen huge crowds before—for example during protests in his country, and in the last couple of days the food street had looked like this too.
But compared with what was in front of him, those were nothing.
People!
Everywhere he looked, it was all people. The noisy, bustling sounds went on and on, yet even so, everything was extremely orderly.
Everyone was flowing along in the same direction, their faces lit by the surrounding lights, beaming with bright smiles, peacefully enjoying the night. The atmosphere was very harmonious.
"Mr. Xia Liang, this is what nights in Dragon Country are like?"
Lu Ruian swallowed, still finding it hard to believe. He just couldn't imagine how nights in Dragon Country could be so loud yet harmonious.
Whereas nights in his own country were like a dead pond—utterly silent. If there was a sound now and then, it usually meant someone was being robbed.
"Mr. Lu Ruian, this really is what our Dragon Country nights are like. Honestly, it's only when night falls that life for us Dragon Country people really begins. Most people are busy working during the day."
Xia Liang said with a smile.
He could see that the scene in front of them had shocked Lu Ruian. To say nothing of him—even Xia Liang himself had been startled the first time he came here.
"Mr. Lu Ruian, next we'll go in and enjoy Dragon Country's night together. But before that, could you maybe leave the stun baton in the car?"
Xia Liang went on.
The guy had the stun baton on him, and there were so many people here—what if he accidentally zapped someone?
"Huh? Oh, oh, okay."
Snapping back to himself a little, Lu Ruian hurriedly took out the stun baton and left it in the car, then followed behind Xia Liang in a daze as they walked inside.
"Mr. Lu Ruian, up ahead is the central axis scenic boulevard of Qingyun Evernight City. Along this boulevard there are nine themed groups of sculptures, including 'Prosperous-Era Emperors', historical figures, heroic stories, and classic artworks. They give a three-dimensional display of Qingyun's top status in religion, literature, art, and science and technology, highlighting the air of a great nation. In addition, there are four major cultural venues: Qingyun Concert Hall, Sanqin Grand Theater, Qingyun Art Gallery, and Qujiang Pacific Cinema. Up ahead is the Zhenguan Monument, which is the landmark sculpture of Qingyun Evernight City, consisting of a mounted statue of Emperor of Qingyun Li Shimin. The figure in the middle sits astride a tall steed, tugging the reins as if about to rein in the horse. The bronze-cast statue is Li Shimin himself. On the front of the monument are engraved the four large characters 'Zhenguan Governance', and on the back are inscribed several hundred characters listing the key political figures of the Zhenguan era..."
Walking down the boulevard, Xia Liang began explaining things to Lu Ruian.
Looking at the stone monument in the distance and Li Shimin astride his horse, Lu Ruian took a deep breath. For some reason, he felt a strong sense of pressure.
It was as if he saw a valiant man commanding thousands of troops charging toward him.
Standing to the side, watching, Lu Ruian was so stunned he couldn't get a word out. He was already overwhelmed by everything in front of him, while Xia Liang kept on introducing things.
"Over there is the Empress Dowager's Procession Sculpture. The one in the center being surrounded is the only female Emperor in our Dragon Country's history, Empress Wu Zetian. This set of statues uses the Imperial Consort's Procession Painting by Tang Dynasty court-lady painter Zhang Xuan as its blueprint. These sculptures link Zhenguan Square and Kaiyuan Square—above inheriting the rise of Zhenguan, below opening the flourishing Kaiyuan era. From here, heading south, are the Tang Historical Culture Relief Columns, twenty-four in total. They adopt the dougong bracket style from Tang Dynasty architecture and present forty-eight important cultural events from the Tang Dynasty—such as Qujiang banquets, the Silk Road, and Lantern Festival night-viewing—through reliefs. Key figures from each event are shown in the round as freestanding statues. This fully reflects the vigorous rise and prosperity of Qingyun culture..."
Xia Liang spoke eloquently, while Lu Ruian just stared blankly at the places he pointed to.
Even some passersby—probably tourists from other cities—also stopped to listen to Xia Liang's explanation, making the surroundings even livelier.
Then Xia Liang continued walking inward, and Lu Ruian hurried to follow. The tourists who'd been listening next to them also fell in behind, so a group that had started as just two people suddenly became a bit of a crowd.
As for these tourists, Xia Liang didn't mind at all. He was explaining things for Lu Ruian anyway, and the guy would only catch the surface at best, completely unable to really understand the Tang culture of Dragon Country.
By contrast, these tourists were themselves Dragon Country people, and it was much easier for them to understand his explanations.
After introducing everyone to some of the other buildings, the group soon arrived at Kaiyuan Square!