Ok the walk goes on, and I found more amazing architecture.
Question, what is this building? what does it look like? Well it got "Chetham's School of Music" written on it, guess that it's a stupid question, except it's not. This was originally Manchester Castle! You can find clues of it being a castle before just by looking at the bottom part of the building, which is quite different style from the upper part; it used to be stone wall.
This Manchester Castle has quite an important place in Manchester's history, because without it Romans can't properly defend themselves and they would never have developed Manchester as a town/city.
Look behind the school of music/ manchester castle, you can find trench surrounding the building, which suggest this building was for defense purpose once before.
In my search for the St. Mary's Catholic Church, aka the Hidden Gem, I came across with some statues. There are many statues laying around the city centre actually.
Like this one. I couldn't make out in whose memory it was dedicated to though.
And this one, obviously, is Abraham Lincoln. But I'm not sure as to why Manchester got Lincoln's statue at its city centre. LOL
Near the Lincoln's statue (actually might be just opposite to it), I finally found the Hidden Gem, and I started to understand why it was so called. This looks really normal, too normal, on the outside. It's hidden by its mediocre outer layer.
Although zooming closer, you can see quite delicate decoration.
St. Mary with baby Jesus.
Some fine arch windows.
And as I walked in, it was absolutely shocking.
The contrast was so big that you feel like walking from earth to heaven. I was in awe instantly, and couldn't even utter a "wow" to show how much I was amazed.
Look at all those fine carving of statues, the pure of the whiteness, the grandeur of the marble column.
It got a very nice ceiling too. But I didn't manage to take a photo, because I was stunned for too long before starting to take photo and was told off soon after I snapping photos around. LOL
Jesus on the cross. Looks so sad and makes you sentimental.
I'm not Christian, but I kind of found peace in this "house of God".
So let this agnostic boy have a moment of leaning more to God's side.
Touring and discovering the city centre of Manchester is the first self-guided trip I've taken (By the time I'm writing this part II, I've already been to York, London and Bath). And on discovering the city, I self-discovered. I can find the bearing on my own, I can search out the things I want to see, and I am not lost. Actually along the exchange programme, I "discover" myself more and more, I can keep my rooms clean, I can wash my own clothes, I can cook pretty impressive meals, I can backpack to other cities, I can stay alone without feeling lonely, I can enjoy my private time. I really would say I'm learning more in these two months than the past two years in my local uni. I don't regret the decision I've made to come here. I'm just waiting for the more amazing months come unwrapping now.
I'm going to write about my trip to York in my next entry, probably in Chinese (as some of my old friends recommended, more like urged). So stay tuned!
