Wow! What a busy, fun and interesting trip I had from Hong Kong to Shanghai. We docked in Hong Kong at 8:00 AM on Saturday, March 26 and left for the airport at 11:30 AM to fly to Xian to begin our tour. Dave stayed on the ship in Hong Kong and sailed to Shanghai along with Dick and Linda who had traveled around China a few years ago. Dave and I had been to China in 1997 and he thought he had seen enough of China back then even though we hadn’t seen the soldiers in Xian. But I wanted to see the terra cotta soldiers and this was the only way I was going to get to see them so off I went with the rest of the family.
We arrived in Xian just in time to enjoy a dim sum dinner at the De Fa Chang Dumpling Restaurant. We had every kind of dumpling imaginable filled with various meats, vegetables and seasonings. Some were steamed, boiled, pan fried, deep fried or roasted. We had some stuffed with duck that were shaped like ducks and another shaped like and stuffed with chicken. Cute but not the food we are accustomed to or a taste to our liking. By the time we finished dinner it was time for bed and we were glad to get to the Xian Jianguo Hotel where we would spend two nights in very comfortable beds.
The next morning on March 27 we went to see the terra cotta soldiers I wanted to see. They were discovered by peasants digging a well in 1974. One of the peasants in the gift shop discovered the site and would autograph a book if you bought it. I bought the book and have a picture of him with me after he signed my book. It was an amazing site to see and very hard to explain. You really have to see it for yourself as is true with so much of what we have seen on this whole SAS trip. There are an estimated 8000 terra cotta soldiers and the figures are arranged in typical battle formation in 11 columns comprised of officers, soldiers holding spears and swords and others steering horse-drawn chariots. Each figure is 5’ 10” tall and each head has been individually modeled with unique facial expressions. The emperor thought this army would protect him and his family in the afterlife. We saw open archeological pits filled with rubble and it is amazing how they have been able to piece the soldiers, horses, etc. back together. This definitely was a highlight of my trip to China.
Next we visited an orphanage that is run by a non government organization. It was started in 1994 and the staff of 110 cares for around 470 children age 2 to 16. Many of the children come from families who have divorced and abandoned their children or have parents who are in prison. We got to see where the children live and who their “love mother” (paid caregiver) is. They were so excited to see us and put on a fun performance. Next a lot of our students went on stage and played leap frog, duck-duck grey duck, tag, etc. and a fun time was had by all. The children who don’t have special needs go to local schools during the day. When kids go off to high school and college, they come back to the orphanage for holidays and the summer break as they consider it their home. It is evident there is a lot of love at this place. Once the children reach 16 many of them work at the orphanage and look after younger children.
After having another typical Chinese lunch at a local restaurant we went to the Tang Dynasty Art Museum where we saw beautiful artwork and had a chance to try our hand at calligraphy. John and Carol bought a picture of horses that I think will look great in their house. Some bought pictures of the animal from the year in which they were born. Dave and I had learned on our last trip to China that I was born in the year of the rooster and he was born in the year of the rat. We were told at that time that the rooster and rat aren’t compatible. I told the guide this time the dates of our birthdays and found that Dave was born in the year of the rat but I was born in the year of the monkey. This is all based on the lunar year and I was told that if I had been born a week later I would have been born in the year of the rooster but in fact I was born in the year of the monkey. I guess the monkey and rat are compatible so that can put our minds at ease.
After the art museum there wasn’t even time to freshen up at the hotel before we were taken to the Tang Dynasty Dinner Show. This show was very entertaining. Lots of old musical instruments that are rarely seen or played anymore and girls in beautiful costumes entertained us. It was another packed day and it was good to hit the pillow when we returned to the hotel.
The next morning was March 28 and after breakfast and checking out of the hotel we headed to the Xian City Wall which is the most complete city wall that has survived in China. After climbing to the top Carol, John, Joe and I rented bicycles and toured around part of the wall. It was fun riding the bike for some exercise and seeing the city along the way. You could also hire a rickshaw or golf cart to take you around.
Next we went to the Great Mosque located in Luajue Lane which is the best known Islamic Mosque in Xian. It was built in 742 AD and has been restored many times since. It was amazing to see how much Chinese influence was incorporated at this mosque. It looked more like a Chinese temple to me. There are 80,000 Muslim people living in Xian and once again the people here are all able to get along.
Xian is an agricultural area where a lot of wheat is grown. They make dumplings and noodles out of wheat. The summers are very hot and humid. Many of the farmers land are being taken away from them and big high rises are being built to house these people. The farmers don’t know what to do with themselves in these buildings. They are used to having work and land around them. They are given an apartment in exchange for their land. Old buildings are also being torn down for more high rises. I can hardly believe how many high rises we saw as we drove along with wash hanging off every balcony or pole out the window.
This area is rich in natural gas and coal and is moving from a developing country to a modern one. We were told by our guide there is a huge difference between the rich and poor and the people need better health care, social security, etc. I was surprised the guide would tell us this because she works for the Communist tour group that led our group. When I was at the hotel I could get on the internet with no problem and update the USA Newspaper and download my email but couldn’t connect to the Geezers blog. Blogs and Facebook are no nos in this country which I’m sure you are aware of.
I can sure see a huge difference in China since we were here 14 years ago though. There are 8 million people living in Xian and more and more students are going to college. But we were told a lot of the college graduates can’t find work once they finish so they have continue to live with their parents. The economy seems to be booming so I don’t understand why it would be so hard to find work.
Next we returned to the airport for our flight to Beijing. We had another Chinese lunch served at a round table with lazy susan in the middle for passing all the dishes around. The food all tastes the same after awhile. I’m ready for some “good” American Chinese food! Then we checked into the Holiday Inn Downtown Temple of Heaven where we would spend the next 3 nights.
No comments:
Post a Comment