Xinhua
20 Apr 2025

In late February this year, I set foot on Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula to explore the ancient Maya city ruins of Chichen Itza.

Once one of the most magnificent city-states of the Maya civilization, Chichen Itza now stands quietly amid the jungle, waiting for the world to visit and listen to its stories. I walked with my camera, hoping to capture every inch of light and shadow among the ruins. But it wasn't until I stood before those ancient structures that I realized that no photograph could truly convey the awe and emotion they inspired.

The Pyramid: Descent of the Deity

At Chichen Itza, the Temple of Kukulkan, also known as El Castill, is undoubtedly the most striking sight. This towering step pyramid embodies the architectural symmetry and aesthetic ideals of the Maya civilization. Along the balustrades of each staircase, carvings of the Feathered Serpent deity, Kukulkan, wind their way downward. The serpent's body coils in motion, with its head raising high, as if it is poised to glide through the air.

Every year during the spring and autumn equinoxes, the setting sun casts slanted shadows along the pyramid's edges. The result is a stunning illusion. A giant serpent of light and shadow appears to slither down the steps, bringing the ancient myth of the god's earthly descent to life.

At the summit of the pyramid once stood a small temple, where the Maya rain god Chaac was venerated. Statues of Chaac are typically depicted with a prominent hooked nose and large, bulging eye--features symbolizing storms and rainfall.

In Maya belief, Kukulkan was the deity of wisdom, the movement of the sun, and the cosmic order, while Chaac governed rain and agriculture. Their blessings determined the fate of the crops and the rise and fall of kingdoms. The pyramid thus served not only as a symbol of power and religion, but also as a sacred site where the Maya people sought to communicate with the heavens and express reverence for the forces of nature.

I stood before the pyramid and took dozens of photographs. But in the end, I put down my camera and simply gazed in silence. In the ancient times, tens of thousands of Maya people may have stood here, looking up at the sky and awaiting the descent of the Feathered Serpent, Kukulkan. Today, the world has changed and the empire has long gone. Yet the pyramid remains, still whispering the secrets of time.

The Great Ball Court

The Great Ball Court of Chichen Itza is one of the largest and best-preserved ancient ball courts in Mesoamerica. At the center of its walls, stone rings are carved with intertwined serpent motifs, through which players were required to pass a solid rubber ball to score. These rings stand as high as 8 meters, making the challenge incredibly difficult.

As I stepped into the Great Ball Court, I was immediately struck by its immense scale. It is the largest known ancient ball court in the Americas, with towering stone walls on either side adorned with lifelike relief carvings that document the fierce contests long time ago. At the center, the stone ring gate seems to still await the challenges of warriors.

Today, on this ancient arena, tourists, guided by their tour guides, clap in unison or shout out, then listen to the echoes that reverberate through the stone walls. This is a result of the ball court's unique and ingenious acoustics, as if the ancient shouts have transcended time, telling the tales of past warriors' glory and sacrifice. Perhaps, after the fierce competitions of the past, when the referee declared the victor, the cheers of the crowd would had echoed through the stone walls in the same way.

Market and Baths: The Prosperity of a Once Thriving City

Passing through the temple, I arrived at the market area within the ruins. Today, only steps and stone pillars remain, but long time ago, it might be the most bustling place in Chicen Itza. Merchants came and went, selling pottery, cacao beans, textiles, with the sounds of bargaining filling the air. I closed my eyes and imagined the lively scene of those days when Maya nobles selected exquisite crafts and travelers shared tales from distant lands.

Along the cobblestone path, I arrived at an ancient bathhouse, believed to be a steam bath used by the Maya. Priests and nobles would use the steam to purify their bodies, as a sign of respect for the gods.

The Sacred Cenote

My final stop was the Sacred Cenote, which the Maya considered a gateway to the world of the gods. This site was once used for sacrificial rituals, and archaeologists have discovered numerous human bones, gold, and jade at the bottom of the well. According to legend, people would throw precious offerings, and sometimes even living human, into the cenote, in hopes of invoking the rain god Chaac to bring rainfall.

Echoes of a Civilization

This trip to Chichen Itza not only allowed me to witness the grandeur of its ruins but also gave me a deep sense of the Maya civilization's magnificence and melancholy. Once, Chichen Itza was a thriving city-state, with magnificent architecture, a precise calendar, and a profound belief system. However, as time passed, it was eventually swallowed by the jungle, becoming a silent relic of the past.

The guide told us that the buildings of Chichen Itza were not once made of the pale stone we see today, but were once adorned with rich, vibrant colors, full of life and brilliance.

As the setting sun once again cast its golden light on the steps of the Kukulkan Pyramid, I looked back at the old site. No matter how time may pass, the brilliance of Chichen Itza will never fade. It will shine in a different way, continuing to gleam throughout the course of history. And for me, I will carry in my mind the vivid colors it once wore and remember its grandeur and greatness forever.

Photo and text by Li Mengxin