Textu | The old way to do it
In many of the countries I visit, there are even "cemeteries" as attractions for tourists to visit, which is really "the world is big, there are no surprises".
The country is Argentina, and this "attraction" is the Buenos Aires Noble Cemetery, also known as the National Cemetery or recoleta Cemetery.
The 10-acre noble cemetery is nearly 200 years old. The cemetery houses more than 7,000 Argentine dignitaries, including 23 Argentine presidents and vice presidents. To this day, there are still deceased people who meet the eligibility conditions for entering the park who continue to "move in". It is a "living garden".
Located in the most prosperous aristocratic neighborhood of the Argentine capital, the cemetery is in front of a fashionable street surrounded by a high-end residential area, which quietly lies quietly in the middle of the city, giving people a feeling of "hidden in the city".
According to the ideological concepts and customs of the Chinese, the cemetery is a place of hell, and ordinary people are reluctant to go near it, because the yin qi is too heavy--- except for the Tomb Sweeping Festival for the ancestors.
However, in this cemetery in Argentina, there is a steady stream of tourists from all over the world who come to visit every day, many of whom are still our compatriots. I think that this may be in people's subconscious, thinking that it is a human cultural heritage--- in fact, it is also true, and does not take this real "underworld" too seriously, just like tourists from all over the world visiting the Terracotta Warriors and Horses and Qianling in Shaanxi, mainly to appreciate the scenic spots and monuments there, as for what "yin and yang" and the like, it seems to matter.
Not only that, but more importantly, the grave of Madame Verón, the legendary woman known as the "Mother of the Nation of Argentina", is also here. Many tourists come here to see Madame Perón's tombstone, and I am one of them.
I've long heard the name Mrs. Perón, and the British musical Mrs. Belon was "tailor-made" for her. The song "Argentina, please don't cry" has touched the hearts of many people.
For me, the only idea I came to the cemetery this time was to pay tribute to this Argentine "first lady" who only lived for 33 years and had been concerned about and defending the interests of the poor and the masses! As for the other "tall" mausoleums in the park, I was not interested in anything, just glanced at it, "clicked" twice, and hurriedly walked past.
Some people say that the cemetery is very much like a museum of stone carvings, which is a very accurate description. If you look at the gate of this cemetery, you will know how "powerful it is!" ”
Looking at the "potential" supported by these four tall Roman pillars, it feels like the gate of a cemetery. It is clearly the door to the office of the parliament or the government!
Tombs like this are magnificent and imposing, and can be seen everywhere in the cemetery of the nobility.
A variety of beautiful sculptures are a major feature of the cemetery. The sculptures are mostly based on figures, and there are also some small animals such as cats and dogs that the owner of the tomb liked before he was born. At the same time, many of the tombs have Christian symbols erected on the top of their exteriors, does this mean that "God" will continue to accompany and bless the dead?
The materials used in each tomb are very exquisite, the workmanship is very fine, the quality is first-class, and everywhere shows the noble identity and status of the deceased before he died.
I have heard that among those uniquely conceived sculptures are the works of famous artists.
In fact, it is more like a small architectural exhibition hall, where various styles of European-style buildings are available, and its "main street" planning is also very spacious, and the "aristocratic blood" of the cemetery is fully and perfectly reflected.
Here, only recognize the body, do not recognize the money. If the family does not have the glory of more than ten generations, no matter how much "silver" you have, you will not be able to enter the noble cemetery behind you.
This is not nonsense, as the burial process of Mrs. Perón and the final burial place of her husband, President Perón, prove it.
This is the tomb of The world-famous but still controversial Madame Perón, which does not look conspicuous, but it is the "soul" of this cemetery--- I think so.
Mrs. Perón was originally the illegitimate daughter of a landlord in Argentina, who was abandoned by her father at an early age and bullied, thus planting the seeds in her heart early on that she must rise up and become a big argentine figure.
At the age of 15, she traveled alone to Buenos Aires, climbing the ladder step by step, until she met Colonel Perón, who had emerged in the 1943 Argentine military coup, and the two married in 1945.
After her marriage, she encouraged and helped her husband Juan Perón run for president and, at the age of 27, had the privilege of becoming Argentina's first lady and concurrently minister of labor. Since then, she has actively helped women and the poor to talk and work, actively reformed the health care system, improved labor treatment and social welfare, and won the right to vote for women, which was deeply loved by the working people.
So when she died of uterine cancer on July 28, 1952, 700,000 people in the capital sent her off on the day of her funeral.
But because of her humble origins, her body was not buried in this aristocratic cemetery until 21 years later, and it was "entered" in the name of her father's family descendants, and of course, there was great support from the people.
Her husband, Juan Perón, had his mausoleum in another place--- and although he had served as president of Argentina three times, he had not been able to enjoy the glory of being buried in the "cemetery of the nobility."
This is where the aristocratic cemetery is "awesome" and the charm of it attracts tourists.
(Finished in March 2018, revised in August 2022)