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Local sleuth traces 'The Da Vinci Code'
By Dong Yiying |
July 15, 2010, Thursday
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Print Edition
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BEST known as a designer and a university teacher, Yu Jiadi has passion far removed from drafting and academics: he's obsessed by "The Da Vinci Code' and tracks its special places around Europe. Dong Yiying reports.
When "The Da Vinci Code" film came out in 2006, 30-year-old Yu Jiadi was fascinated by the tale of intrigue and the race around Europe to track down secrets of the Holy Grail. His fascination became an obsession: now he reads "The Da Vinci Code" novel, researches and has traveled on his own for two years to see mysterious sights with his own eyes.
"My home is like Rosslyn Chapel in 'The Da Vinci Code'," the Hangzhou native says, showing materials, pictures, illustrations from foreign books, all related to religious art.
Rosslyn Chapel in Scotland is presented in the film as a church filled with codes and it is one of the most important scenes in the film.
Yu, a lecturer of China Academy of Art, decided to visit Scotland. He found that the full view of the church seen in the film is, in fact, a scene made by Hollywood.
"The plants around are different, as well as the location. And the area in front of the church is too narrow for Tom Hanks to park his car," Yu recalls.
During his trip, the head of Rosslyn village, a kind-hearted man who was curious about the Asian visitor, insisted on escorting him during his visit. This made it more difficult for Yu to take photos secretly, since they are prohibited in the church.
"Although I failed to get any photos there, I was still excited to see the delicate dome and statues, which are exactly the same as those in the film."
He found more man-made scenes and touches during the trip, including a hexagram stuck on the front door and the secret space appearing at the end of the film - the space does not exist in the real chapel and the hexagram is not original.
He also visited the Church of St Sulpice in Paris and the Temple Church of the Knights Templar in London.
At St Sulpice, a notice says that the famous Rose Line of "The Da Vinci Code" is not the same as the meridian line in the church and has no magical power.
It was more difficult for Yu to gain entry to the Romanesque church, known for its memorial statuary. It was the place where another riddle was solved, leading him to the tomb of Sir Isaac Newton in Westminster Abbey.
He still continues to walk in the footsteps of protagonist Robert Langdon, an expert on symbols, seeking the truth about the Last Supper.
Yu compares his hunt to the computer game "Hidden Catch," but says it's much more fun in reality when he can explore history of the medieval period, the renaissance and the enlightenment.
When "The Da Vinci Code" film came out in 2006, 30-year-old Yu Jiadi was fascinated by the tale of intrigue and the race around Europe to track down secrets of the Holy Grail. His fascination became an obsession: now he reads "The Da Vinci Code" novel, researches and has traveled on his own for two years to see mysterious sights with his own eyes.
"My home is like Rosslyn Chapel in 'The Da Vinci Code'," the Hangzhou native says, showing materials, pictures, illustrations from foreign books, all related to religious art.
Rosslyn Chapel in Scotland is presented in the film as a church filled with codes and it is one of the most important scenes in the film.
Yu, a lecturer of China Academy of Art, decided to visit Scotland. He found that the full view of the church seen in the film is, in fact, a scene made by Hollywood.
"The plants around are different, as well as the location. And the area in front of the church is too narrow for Tom Hanks to park his car," Yu recalls.
During his trip, the head of Rosslyn village, a kind-hearted man who was curious about the Asian visitor, insisted on escorting him during his visit. This made it more difficult for Yu to take photos secretly, since they are prohibited in the church.
"Although I failed to get any photos there, I was still excited to see the delicate dome and statues, which are exactly the same as those in the film."
He found more man-made scenes and touches during the trip, including a hexagram stuck on the front door and the secret space appearing at the end of the film - the space does not exist in the real chapel and the hexagram is not original.
He also visited the Church of St Sulpice in Paris and the Temple Church of the Knights Templar in London.
At St Sulpice, a notice says that the famous Rose Line of "The Da Vinci Code" is not the same as the meridian line in the church and has no magical power.
It was more difficult for Yu to gain entry to the Romanesque church, known for its memorial statuary. It was the place where another riddle was solved, leading him to the tomb of Sir Isaac Newton in Westminster Abbey.
He still continues to walk in the footsteps of protagonist Robert Langdon, an expert on symbols, seeking the truth about the Last Supper.
Yu compares his hunt to the computer game "Hidden Catch," but says it's much more fun in reality when he can explore history of the medieval period, the renaissance and the enlightenment.
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