Day 55 of 111. Shaanxi Provincial Museum, Xi’an, China

We visited the museum of the area. Shaanxi is the province and Xi’an is the capital city of the province. This area has been where 73 different emperors have had their palaces and burial grounds and therefore has been an amazing area for relics of the past. There are huge mounds/small mountains in the landscape that are burial sites. Most have not been excavated. The terra cotta warriors and horses that we will visit later were only found by accident.

This museum is organized in chronological/dynasty order. The first area is the prehistoric/Bronze Age/up to the Qin Dynasty (pronounced “Chin”). This is the first emperor, the man who united the warring kingdoms into one China. He also built the first part of the Great Wall. In order to do what he did, he was rather a tyrant. His Dynasty did not last long and he had the terra cotta warrior army built to protect him in the afterlife.

The Han Dynasty was known for emphasizing the importance of the farmer. The technology of farming developed at this time and this time was known for its prosperity.

The three objects shown above were from the Tang Dynasty which was known for its development of art and culture. The Silk Road was developed which brought and exchange of ideas with other parts of the world. I liked the look on this statue of a foreign civil officer. The two gold pieces were a “gold monster” and a dragon from tombs of the period.

Day 55 of 111. Big Wild Goose Pagoda, Xi’an, China

After an early breakfast at the hotel, we drove a short way to the pagoda which is right in the old city. This is a Buddhist Temple that dates back 1300 years to the Tang Dynasty. This pagoda was not destroyed and rebuilt like many, this one remained intact, even through natural disasters and political upheaval. The name sounds very funny, but the story is interesting. Xuan Zhuang became a Buddhist monk in 613 AD. Apparently there was a lot of confusion about Buddhism and its teachings due to problems with translations and disagreements between scholars. SInce Buddhism began in India, Xuan Zhuang decided to follow the Silk Road and travel to India. It was a tough journey and along the way he got lost in the Gobi desert and nearly died, but a wild goose honked and woke up Xuan Zhuang and the monk followed the goose out of the desert. Xuan made it to India and spent many years studying and clarifying the Buddhist ideas. He returned to Xi’an and built the Emperor was very impressed when he heard the story. Xuan had the pagoda built to honor the wild goose that saved his life. Xuan spent many more years translating the scrolls he brought back from India into Chinese. He was a great scholar. The Tang Dynasty was known for its blossoming of art and culture and opening of China to the outside due to the Silk Road.

On this cruise, we get lectures about the places we visit. China has such a long and varied history with a cultural heritage that dates back thousands of years. It is tough to try to get a grasp. Our guides have been especially helpful in simplifying the history into four or five major areas that we can use as a basis for our understanding. I enjoy the details of the art we see everywhere. I especially like the stylized clouds as found on this dragon sculpture. The golden Buddah was in one of the temples. The man in the bottom picture is making a “chop” for me which is that little stamp you add to your picture. Mine will say “happiness” or “fortune”. He is carving it out with a chisel/knife tool. A nice part of this visit was the early hour. There were few visitors and the quiet serenity of the temple was not disturbed.

Day 54 of 111. Xi’an City Wall, China

In the city, the city wall dates back to the Ming Dynasty (1300 A.D.). It has been modified and restored over the years, but it is amazingly intact. It is a huge wall with a top surface that is large enough to stroll or even bike (you can rent bikes on top of the wall). Large buildings mark four spots on the wall. Originally, there were only two gates into and out of the wall for protection, but over the years, more openings were added for traffic. Part of the city is inside the wall and the buildings are designed to blend with the older Chinese style. Outside the walls, the buildings are taller and much like the high rise buildings we have seen in the other cities.

I still enjoy looking at the shapes and designs of the traditional architecture. Just below the wall where we were standing are several sculptures of camels and people with the camels. This is a reminder that Xi’an is the beginning of the Silk Road that traveled through the Gobi Desert and needed camels to succeed. We later passed by the wall at night. Each edge of the wall is lined with lights and special light displays mark the main gates. Our guides tell us that the lights are on all year.

Day 54 Of 111. Xi’an, China

This city is the site of 14 different dynasties so it is a center of history and culture. The traffic and the air quality are two noticeable aspects of the travels from the airport to the hotel. China depends largely on coal to produce energy. Also, many/most families have personal cars, another cause of pollution. The government has moved some industries out of the city and into the neighboring areas. Also, people are encouraged to ride bicycles. The government supports this with economical and convenient bike sharing stations and more and more bike lanes are being built, especially in newer communities. Our guide described traffic lights as simply for decoration. The traffic is heavy in the city and I would be afraid to drive here (even though I am from Los Angeles), but it all seems to run smoothly. I did see several small delivery vehicles that seem to be modified motorcycles. Some had amazingly large loads of boxes or wood or even a huge load of chairs. In the photo above, in the background of the red arrow, is the Big Wild Goose Pagoda which is on our list of places to visit tomorrow.

Day 53 of 111. Lingyin Temple

Near the West Lake is the oldest intact Buddhist temple in China. There were four major temples, but three of them were destroyed in the Cultural Revolution. The massive size of the buildings and statues in these temples was impressive, but we were also lucky enough to be present for a ceremony inside the main temple. The monks, the chanting, the instruments and incense made that ceremony very memorable.

The large statues of Gods of Heaven were my favorite part. I did take the opportunity to light incense and make a wish (Safe Travels).