Thursday, November 11th - Saturday, November 13th
NE HOW FROM CHINA!
We sailed into the port of Hong Kong on yet another beautiful clear morning. Unfortunately there was no time to see the sights here as I opted for a tour of Xi'an and Beijing. It's not easy when you only have 6 days to see all of China.
We sailed into the port of Hong Kong on yet another beautiful clear morning. Unfortunately there was no time to see the sights here as I opted for a tour of Xi'an and Beijing. It's not easy when you only have 6 days to see all of China.
Around 11 we headed to the airport for our 3 hour flight to Xi'an--the city of "western peace." I thought Xi'an was just a sleepy town that only got put on the map with the 1974 discovery of the Terra Cotta Warriors. But what did I know. I soon learned that this city of over 8 million is a birthplace of Chinese civilization not to mention the capital of the Chinese Empire for some 1000 years. If that's not enough, it's also the city where the Silk Road began.
Two things you notice immediately upon arrival in Xi'an: lots of traffic and lots of pollution. Neither however interfered with what turned out to be an amazing visit. First there's the food. We sampled dumplings and noodles -- whole wheat noodles at that--and the latest Asian fusion creations.
If you thought dumplings were only an appetizer, think again. Meat, vegetable, seafood, steamed, boiled, pan fried and roasted. Different colors, different shapes. Breakfast was a real adventure featuring all sorts of foods I'd never seen before. You could select among a variety of noodles which they cooked right in front of you adding condiments you selected. Virtually none of the items looked familiar to me, so I just followed what the locals were doing.
Xi'an made a good first impression. At night the town's historic buildings are lit up, including the City Walls -- complete with moat and hanging bridge as well as those beautiful orange lanterns.
Its the most complete city wall that survives today in China and is one of the largest ancient military defense systems in the world. The wall doesn't see much defensive action these days, but you can -- and we did -- ride bikes around the wall. In the evening there was an impromptu band playing at the entrance as local residents did some spontaneous dancing around the plaza. Guess they were letting off a little tension from the office.
That first morning we went to an art museum where we had a private lesson in Chinese calligraphy. There are 8000 characters int he Chinese alphabet and fortunately our instructor demonstrated only a few basic symbols. Then it was our turn. With rice paper, ink and brush we were able to try our hand. It was fun, but I don't think calligraphy will be my next career move.
Next stop was the real reason we had all come to Xi'an....the Terra Cotta Warriors. There are some 8000 of them arranged in battle formation to stand guard over the tomb of She Huangdi. Never heard of She Huangdi? Well neither had I. He's the first Emperor of a unified China and also the one responsible for construction of the Great Wall. Apparently he wanted to make sure he continued to rule in the afterlife, which is why this army of warriors even exists.
One thousand of these life-size statues have been pieced together--each with its own unique features and expression. You really have to see these warriors in person to grasp the magnitude of this undertaking. From what I can tell, She Huangdi had quite the ego.
We closed out our visit to Xi'an on a more humble note by visiting an orphanage about an hour outside the city. In honor of our visit, the children had prepared a presentation of dance and songs. And then it was our turn. Our turn to do what?? Dean David, who was leading our trip, quickly organized us to sing "Row Row, Row your Boat"... in rounds. The students seemed impressed. I guess that's why he's Dean.
Two things you notice immediately upon arrival in Xi'an: lots of traffic and lots of pollution. Neither however interfered with what turned out to be an amazing visit. First there's the food. We sampled dumplings and noodles -- whole wheat noodles at that--and the latest Asian fusion creations.
If you thought dumplings were only an appetizer, think again. Meat, vegetable, seafood, steamed, boiled, pan fried and roasted. Different colors, different shapes. Breakfast was a real adventure featuring all sorts of foods I'd never seen before. You could select among a variety of noodles which they cooked right in front of you adding condiments you selected. Virtually none of the items looked familiar to me, so I just followed what the locals were doing. Xi'an made a good first impression. At night the town's historic buildings are lit up, including the City Walls -- complete with moat and hanging bridge as well as those beautiful orange lanterns.
Its the most complete city wall that survives today in China and is one of the largest ancient military defense systems in the world. The wall doesn't see much defensive action these days, but you can -- and we did -- ride bikes around the wall. In the evening there was an impromptu band playing at the entrance as local residents did some spontaneous dancing around the plaza. Guess they were letting off a little tension from the office.
Next stop was the real reason we had all come to Xi'an....the Terra Cotta Warriors. There are some 8000 of them arranged in battle formation to stand guard over the tomb of She Huangdi. Never heard of She Huangdi? Well neither had I. He's the first Emperor of a unified China and also the one responsible for construction of the Great Wall. Apparently he wanted to make sure he continued to rule in the afterlife, which is why this army of warriors even exists.
One thousand of these life-size statues have been pieced together--each with its own unique features and expression. You really have to see these warriors in person to grasp the magnitude of this undertaking. From what I can tell, She Huangdi had quite the ego.
We closed out our visit to Xi'an on a more humble note by visiting an orphanage about an hour outside the city. In honor of our visit, the children had prepared a presentation of dance and songs. And then it was our turn. Our turn to do what?? Dean David, who was leading our trip, quickly organized us to sing "Row Row, Row your Boat"... in rounds. The students seemed impressed. I guess that's why he's Dean.
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