Visit to Xi'an (part 2)

WENDY:  An English teacher who spent a year at Battle Ground High School in 2006-2007

Dear, sweet Wendy took us to a traditional dumpling lunch.

Click here to see Paula ring the bell.
 

Downtown Xi'an

Traditional instruments being played in the top of the city center's Bell Tower

Click here to see a bit of the music show.

It was wonderful to see Wendy again!

Attending another music show, inside the South Gate of the City Wall that was built during the Ming Dynasty, in 1370

These drummers made the sounds of the horses......

Click here to hear the sound of "horses."

Wendy's city is the site of the famous Terracotta  Warriors

We rented bicycles and rode them the 14 kilometers around the top of the Old City Wall.

 Click here to watch us ride the bicycles!
 

When we were about half-way around the top-of-the-wall, the lights of the guard towers came on.......

Off to see the Terracotta Warriors

This factory makes replicas.

Terracotta Warriors and Horses of pit #1

The first (and only) Qin Dynasty Emperor had artisans work for 40 years to mold, fire, and create (each with a different face) this army and its horses.  They were buried in pits underground, after being covered by wooden beams and then soil.  Farmers drilling a well discovered fragments in 1974, and excavation began.

Pit # 1 is covered by a building the size of an aircraft hanger, and contains 6,000 warriors and horses, in battle formation.  The emperor apparently thought that he would continue his brutal rule, even in the afterlife. 

Most of the relics are actually piles of pieces when found (destroyed by angry, conquered soldiers), and so artisans and archaeologists spend years piecing them back together!  They were originally colorful, but, upon contact with the air, have become gray. 

Another pit

The soldiers and horses are life-sized, and have cool details, like fancy top-knots and braided patterns in their hair.

The Qin Emperor who had all this built had "unified China" by conquering and murdering lots of people.  He also standardized language and money.  He buried many Confucian scholars alive, and burned thousands of books.  He had a mausoleum built for himself, and filled it with precious stones, "rivers of mercury", and booby-traps to prevent entry.  This tomb took 38 years to build, and, in the end, 700,000 artisans were buried alive there so that the secrets of the place stayed within!  The HUGE mound of his tomb is considered too dangerous to excavate. 

Bronze Chariot and Horses, also found.

J

Visit to Xi'an (part 1)

While our students in Chongqing were away at mandatory  

Military Training Camp, Chris and Paula took a one-week trip to the Shaanxi Province capitol city of Xi'an: 

On the 13-hour day-time Train Ride, 4-year-old Tong Tong was our entertainment.  She sang and danced and read to us in Chinese and English.

Upon a midnight arrival in Xi'an, John and his mother were there to meet us and transport us to a hotel that Wendy had booked for us.  Wendy had made elaborate arrangements for us to visit her city!

Students John and Wei Wei took us to Big Wild Goose Pagoda Plaza.

We lit and burned incense at every Buddhist and Taoist Temple, mostly with the health of Lila on our minds.

View of the city from the top of Big Wild goose Pagoda....as you can see, Xi'an has incredible Air Pollution Problems, too!

Students of Xi'an

This big wooden Buddha is similar to the one we have in our dining room back home!!

People in China are very patriotic!

Writing a Message about WORLD PEACE, from America....

I finally got my chance to ride a camel!

A wedding ceremony is taking place.  Here comes the bride!

Since the Chinese culture is at least 5,000 years old, they have many ancient stories to tell.....

Exploring the Tang Dynasty Paradise Theme Park with our students

Click here for video of our Xi'an students.

Another elaborate show, involving drumming, dancing, costumes, and water features, with the theme of the Historic  SILK  ROAD

Click here to see a bit of the show.

Ninja turtles were part of the show!

Bronze "statues" of Communist soldiers

Exploring the Muslim Quarter of Xi'an

Shopping in the Muslim Bazaar with John and his Mom

Elaborate Chinese Bed in the Folk House, with its maze of rooms and courtyards

Colorful, cut, mule-skin puppets used in the traditional Shadow Puppet show

The puppeteers are behind the screen, controlling the puppet movements with long sticks, and creating the various voices and music to accompany the story.......first "cartoons".

At the city's drum tower, beating the drum for good health and long life.

Click here to see Chris beating the drum.