Israel Trip (1) ---- Tel Aviv

The Middle East, a distant and mysterious place, is also a place that people yearn for. I must say I've traveled to quite a few places and written many travel notes, but this travelogue has been quite difficult to produce. I remember when we arrived at Tel Aviv Airport in Israel, the first words our Israeli guide said to us were, 'Are you all brothers and sisters in the faith?' It was only when I came back and sorted through the travel notes that I deeply understood the meaning of those words. Because all the tourist attractions are related to religion and history; if you have no understanding of religion or history, you're just watching the spectacle.

At nearly midnight, we boarded a Turkish Airlines flight to Istanbul, feeling a bit uneasy because this trip was somewhat accidental. I had always longed to visit ancient Egypt, but when I searched online, I found that either the price or the timing wasn't right. By chance, I came across this four-country tour of Israel, Jordan, Palestine, and Egypt. The price and schedule were suitable, so I decisively booked it. After booking, I searched online and discovered that the Istanbul airport where we were to transfer had experienced a terrorist incident just last December. The Turkish Airlines plane was good, flying very smoothly. We arrived at Istanbul International Airport at 5 a.m. local time. The airport was huge, and it is said that many flights to Europe and Africa transit here. At this airport, we saw a group of people in robes walking and praying; judging by their attire, they were likely Muslims. This gave us our first taste of the strong religious atmosphere in the Middle East. After a short rest, we boarded another plane to Tel Aviv, Israel.

Around 8 a.m., we arrived at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv. Traveling to the Middle East is different from going to Europe or America. Every time we arrived at a destination, a group of people would greet us: first a company representative, then the assistant in charge of us, and then the guide and driver. Whether it was out of respect for Chinese people, or because these countries are not safe (though I actually felt it was safer than Europe or America), or because they had too many staff, I don't know. Anyway, as soon as we exited the airport, we saw several people in suits holding signs welcoming us, making us feel like VIPs.

Tel Aviv International Airport

The guide led us onto the bus, and we started the first day of our Middle East tour. This guide was a substitute and seemed to be a devout Christian, because her commentary that day was mostly preaching. But I was grateful to her; it was thanks to her first-day evangelism that we gained a general understanding of Israel and Christianity.

Tel Aviv is a beautiful coastal city on the Mediterranean Sea. As the saying goes, 'Jerusalem has walls, Tel Aviv has the sea.' It is also a city where modern skyscrapers coexist with ancient ruins.

Our first stop was Rabin Square, located in front of the municipal office building. Originally called Tel Aviv King's Square, it's actually not very large—it's quite small. It became famous because on November 4, 1995, former Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated here by the far-right Jewish extremist Amir. After Rabin's death, the Israeli government decided to rename Tel Aviv King's Square to Rabin Square. Although our beliefs differ, the words on Rabin's monument left a deep impression on me: 'Peace shall be his legacy.' People around the world should remember this Israeli prime minister who dedicated his life to peace in the troubled Middle East.

Rabin fell here

Peace is his legacy to the people of the world

At that moment, I noticed an escalator nearby, and everyone going up was passing through security. I thought it was some kind of memorial hall, but when I asked the guide, she said it was a supermarket. This was my first experience of how unique this country is. The following days of sightseeing made me understand what the guide meant by 'Israel's comprehensive security measures.'

Next, we went to the White City, a UNESCO World Heritage site. This area has the highest concentration of Bauhaus-style buildings. We don't know much about architecture, but we found this place somewhat run-down and messy, with walls full of graffiti and some shabby shops along the streets. It felt like a completely different world from the high-rises by the sea. But here you could also experience the leisurely life of locals. An elderly couple was chatting with a fruit shop owner; perhaps they didn't need to buy anything, but just came to this old city to reminisce about their youth spent here. Most of the Bauhaus buildings here were designed and built between the 1930s and 1950s by Jewish architects who had studied at the Bauhaus School in Dessau, Germany, during the pre-Nazi era. (Due to traffic congestion that day, we saw very little of the White City.)

The guide said this is a Bauhaus-style building

A vendor talking to an elderly person

The full name of Tel Aviv is Tel Aviv–Jaffa, and Jaffa is one of the oldest cities in the world. This port city has existed since 2000 BC. After getting off the bus, the first thing we saw was the Church of St. Peter. In the past, pilgrims from Europe sailed to Israel and disembarked at Jaffa Port on their way to Jerusalem. Today, Jerusalem is about 90 kilometers from Jaffa, and it's hard to imagine how the faithful overcame countless difficulties under the scorching Middle Eastern sun to reach the holy city.

Here, the ancient church and the modern metropolis face each other across the sea, coexisting harmoniously. We followed the guide through the narrow, winding alleyways of the old city, all lined with houses built of yellow stone. The mottled walls tell 4,000 years of history. Suddenly, we saw a group of children gathered around a signpost. When we got closer, it turned out to be a statue of Napoleon. It is said that in the 16th century, Napoleon led his army to capture Jaffa, killing many residents. Now, he is made to point the way for tourists—perhaps as a form of atonement. At the end of the alley, there was a pretty little square. The mist from the fountain in the center brought a moment of cool relief under the scorching sun. On one side of the square stood a typical Mediterranean-style blue house, said to be a famous restaurant, but unfortunately we didn't have time to visit.

Ancient town and modern city facing the sea

Alleyways in the old city

Ancient cannon in the square

Historical sites, this way!

The legendary beautiful Mediterranean restaurant

If the Faith Gate and the Wishing Bridge in Old Jaffa were still understandable to us religious laypeople, everything on Mount Carmel required the guide's preaching to comprehend. Personally, I think this mountain is a holy mountain (it is still considered holy in Judaism, Christianity, and other faiths), because many prophets and kings in history built altars on Mount Carmel to worship various deities. It became famous because a dramatic contest between the true God and pagan gods took place here: Elijah, the prophet of Yahweh, challenged the prophets of Baal. When the incantations of Baal's prophets failed, Elijah prayed, and God sent fire from heaven to consume his burnt offering. Today, we visited the Stella Maris Monastery on Mount Carmel. I've visited many churches at various places, but this was my first time at a monastery. The monastery was beautiful, planted with various kinds of vegetation. These unknown plants thrived stubbornly in the hot, dry climate of the Middle East, much like the resilient Jewish people, who reestablished their country two thousand years after losing it. In the courtyard of the monastery stood a statue of Elijah, holding a sword in one hand and stepping on a prophet of Baal with his foot—a very heroic and mighty pose. Tourists of all ethnicities were busy taking photos under the statue. Religion knows no borders.

Various tropical plants in the monastery

I don't know what this one is called

The mighty statue of Elijah

Bird's-eye view from Mount Carmel

I remember reading about the Hanging Gardens of Babylon when I was young. That garden has been lost to the dust of history. But in Israel, after more than a hundred years and spending 250 million yuan, this historical wonder has been recreated in the beautiful coastal city of Haifa on the eastern Mediterranean. Actually, it's a shrine built on a mountainside, backed by Mount Carmel (known as the 'Mountain of God') and facing the azure Mediterranean Sea. Because the entire shrine is covered with vast lawns and colorful flowers, from a distance it looks like a garden floating in the air, hence it is also called the Universal House of Justice Garden. The garden has 19 terraces, rising layer upon layer. Looking up from the bottom, the shrine appears magnificent. Security checks were very strict before entering. Standing here and looking into the distance, you can see the entire Mediterranean coast, with white sails dotting the blue sea. The shrine's garden architecture is exquisite, with well-arranged terraces, spotless stone walls, and colorful flowers interspersed—a truly spectacular sight. However, once inside, we were somewhat disappointed because visitors are not allowed to descend to the lower platforms; you can only look down from the top, which felt not much different from viewing it from the street below.

Hanging Gardens from various angles

Around 4 p.m., due to traffic congestion, the guide said that if we rushed to the next attraction, it would already be closed. Since many of Israel's attractions are religious sites, they generally close at 5 p.m. So it was better to head back and rest early. We then drove to Nazareth, where we were to stay that night.

Tel Aviv street view

Two more photos of Tel Aviv's new city

Tel Aviv seaside

Advertisement of Me'ir on the roadside