Day 4: Terra Cotta Warriors
Day 4 started with a preview of the main attraction. We stopped at the factory where the replica Terra Cotta Warriors were produced. It didn’t sound very interesting, but seeing the ladies at work was a fun glimpse into the tourist trade and what goes into making the wares that all of the vendors sell.
On our way, we stopped by one of the more informative places on our tour. It was a cave dwelling in the process of being overtaken by a new development. We spoke with the farmer that currently lives in the cave, who in the next year would be given a condo in town to give up his farmland and home. It was a little sad, knowing all the hard work these families put into their lives were being uprooted without any say.
Our main stop for the day ended up being another surprise to me. I hadn’t expected to be amazed by the Terra Cotta Warriors, but when we entered the enormous structure, there were so many of them in so many states of restoration, that once again all of the pictures I had seen up to this point couldn’t do them justice. The sheer size of the building in itself was impressive, but the fact that it is filled with unique statues built so long ago was amazing.
After spending time among the warriors, we had a tea tasting session. They did a great job in presenting us with all sorts of tea and making it appealing even to someone like me who isn’t a huge fan of it.
That’s Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf, cartoon characters, on the lady’s smock. Thu bought a suitcase with the same design in Guilin after her luggage was delivered to her room with the lock and zipper handles torn off. Of course, Pleasant Goat was misspelled as Pleasand Goat. We started noticing these two characters everywhere after that.
The Terra Cotta Warrior Factory turned out to be a cornucopia of hand made products including lacquer furniture, jewelry, paintings, and rugs.
This cave dwelling was dug by hand over forty years ago. Farmers would plant their crops on the top of the cliff and live under it.
Cave dwelling communities like this one are being demolished by the government; this area is to be replaced with luxurious tourists resorts.
At the time of our visit, he had only one more month before being forced out of his home. He would be compensated with some money and a condo nearby.
Emperor Qin Shi Huangdi’s mausoleum spans the whole area of Mount Li. This project included over 700,000 workers.
The Emperor had expected to live much longer than he did. Many more pits were still under construction.
Discovered in 1974 by a local farmer while digging for a well, Pit #1 contains the main army of terra cotta soldiers, numbering over 6,000 soldiers and horses. About 1,000 have been unearthed.
A peasant’s rebellion robbed the warriors of their weapons, which were real, and set the burial pits in flames, destroying the majority of the terra-cotta figurines.
Day 5: Xi’an
Day 5 started out with a self-guided tour up and around the town wall of Xi’an. After an exhilerating experience crossing a traffic circle to get to the gate entrance, we climbed to the top. The wall is built around the city, and on the wall you have views of everything around you. As luck would have it, the street below one section of the wall was holding a market event. As we looked down, we tried to recognize what was being sold. There were so many colors, and so many interesting items being sold. One vendor had layed out on his section porcupine, horns, and all assortments of “medicinal” items.
After the wall, we were taken to the grounds of the Wild Goose Pagoda. Another beautiful area full of temples, sculpures, and art. What stood out most here were the elegant dragons adorning many of the rooftops. We hadn’t seen much of this yet, and it really added a unique touch to this area.
Two more stops included a mosque and a street bazaar which of course led to a significant amount of haggling.
Morning market along the ancient city wall of Xian.
A statue of the legendary Buddhist monk, Xuan Zang stands outside the temple grounds. He traveled along the Silk Road, through deserts and harsh terrain to get to India and spent 17 years learning and gathering Buddhist materials to bring back to China. He spent the rest of his years as the first Abbot of this temple translating these materials from Sanskrit into Chinese.
Constructed in 652 AD during the Tang Dynasty, the Wild Goose Pagoda was initially used as a library for Buddhist sutras, Buddha figures and relics.
The Great Mosque is the center of community life for over 70,000 Muslims in Xian. The original mosque was burnt a couple of times. During the Ming Dynasty, the mosque was rebuilt. This explains the distinct Chinese architecture of the Mosque’s present day form.
Day 6: Long Sheng
Day 6 was the one I was most excited about. We were to climb through the mountains to the rice terraces of Long Sheng. Weather hadn’t been an issue so far, but this was the one day that it would make it’s presence known.
We climbed through the pouring rain. The small villages surrounding the paths were full of life, the smells of the meat cooking, dogs running up playfully, and everyone seemed in good spirits despite the rain.
As we reached the top, we knew what to expect. Where there was supposed to be an amazing landscape of terraces filling the mountains, we only saw gray. The clouds were so thick that you could barely see ten feet away. Our best view was looking at the poster hung on the wall that showed you the view!
As we descended, we realized that this would be one of those cases where you had to appreciate the journey, and understand that the experience as a whole is more important the the final view.
Then we lost a group member.
Unfortunately after trekking to the top in the rain, the fog completely blocked our view of the spectacular
landscape below.
Long Sheng, the Dragon Spine Terraces, is impressive because of its super-small and narrow terrace patches.
Inspired by the colorful and artistic presentation of our food, we created our own edible masterpiece: “Strolling Across a Lotus Pond under a Moonlit Night”.
Before the renovation, Guilin is said to be like a beautiful country girl dressed in ragged clothing. After the renovation, Guilin is said to be like a beautiful young girl who wears too much make-up.
Day 7: Li River
This morning we embarked on our four-hour cruise down the Li River under a shroud of mist and soft, gentle rain creating an ambience of mystery, romance, and timelessness. Layers upon layers of majestic peaks jutting into the sky enveloped us as we turned the bend and said our last farewell to Guilin as she slipped out of sight. Everywhere we looked, the natural beauty of this landscape invoked a sense of awe and at the same time, humility. No matter how much man works at creating something grand and spectacular, Mother Earth's simple beauty surpasses all.
Staring into the silhouette of distance mountain peaks engulfed in white, oh, how I can believe everything is possible. I can believe that the hero of a Kim Dung kung fu novel really did hide in a cave in one of those peaks practicing and perfecting a forgotten martial arts style from a long-lost secret scroll only to one day resurface and triumphantly right the evils of his world.
The tranquility of river and serenity of the land lulled some of us to sleep for the rest of the cruise. We awoke at the dock to a quaint village, Yangshuo. After settling into our hotel, we had time to stroll the streets of the village. Venturing beyond the main streets set aside for tourists, we decided to follow the sounds of firecrackers the locals were using to scare away demons from their ancestors gravesides. Although we did not find the origin of the firecrackers, we did find the street market where the locals shopped. We bought a handful of bite-size mangos; we've never seen mangos so tiny. They were so small and sweet, you could pop a whole one in your mouth at once. It made for quite a mess though.
Caressed by two crystal-clear rivers and dotted with numerous lakes, Guilin is especially lovely and romantic in the rain. For centuries, it has been the subject of many famous poems and paintings.
This landscape can be seen on the back side of the 20 Yuan.
A foggy morning adds mystery and coolness as we meander down the Li River.
Encircled by thousands of unusually shaped peaks of limestone, Guilin is considered a natural wonder, the most picturesque city in all of China.
A quaint little town along the Li River.
Day 7: Continued
As night fell, we found our China Spree group and headed toward the waterfront stadium. Perched upon the bamboo bleachers, we had no real expectations of the show we were about to see. But from the first parade of flaming torches to the resonating hums of the last folksong, we were captivated. We were mesmerized with every twist and turn in the story, so artistically portrayed that even though we did not understand the language, we understood.
We even received an encore performance on our way back to the hotel. Jimmy was so touched by the show he couldn't help but to serenaded us with the theme folksong. Needless to say, the performance was enthralling, even better than all the broadway musicals I have seen. This was the highlight of my whole China tour.
With the Li River as its stage and twelve limestone peaks its backdrop, Impressions of the Third Sister Liu is a world-class light show. This ascetically moving musical is inspired by a minority folk legend that has been told for hundreds of years. Third Sister Liu is a talented peasant whose beautiful voice surpasses even her reputation. The wealthy landlord, of course, therefore wants to make her his concubine. After many ill-fated adversities, with the help of the villagers, Third Sister Liu is able to outwit the greedy tyrant and secure her own freedom.
Over 600 local farmers and fishermen magically transform into a stunning cast of actors and actresses, each dressed in his/her own ethnic clothing.
The first several shows featured a naked lady on the moon. Unfortunately binaculars in the hands of little boys put a stop to that, and much to our disappointment she now wears a full body suit.
Wandering the grounds of the Yangshuo New West Street International Hotel late at night.
…What??? We’re not at Disneyland…Sure feels synthetic with all those colorful neon lights.
