Xi'an

The city of Xi'an, located in the heart of China in Shaanxi Province, served as the capital of China during 11 dynasties, covering a period of 4,000 years. Known as Chang'an in those days, it was at the end of the Silk Road, which stretched for some 4,000 miles as the most important trade route between the Middle East and China, though it should be noted that there were several Silk "Routes." The first picture gives a view from atop the old city wall looking down the road to the Drum Tower (seen way in the distance) which is located in the center of the city. The second picture shows the thickness and height of the wall itself!

The Terracotta Warriors

Discovered in 1974 by local farmers digging a well, the Terracotta Warriors Museum is probably the most famous and spectacular site in Xi'an. Built about 2,200 years ago by the first emperor in Chinese history, QinShihuang, so he would have company in the afterlife (!), there are over 7,000 soldiers, archers and horses in three different "pits." The guy must have been crazy but the site is incredible!

More Terracotta Warriors

Another view of Xi'an

This is the entrance to the "cultural area" in the old part of Xi'an, right next to the old city wall. Down this street were stores selling musical instruments, paintings, and brushes and rice paper for calligraphy, as well as some touristy items.

The mosque in Xi'an

The top photo is the entrance to the mosque in Xi'an; there are many differences between this mosque and the ones I saw in the west of China: the architecture, different kinds of head coverings, etc...

These pictures are of the mosque in Xi'an. In the first picture you can tell there is a lot of Chinese architectural influence in this Muslim site; the second picture is just outside the actual prayer room where tourists were not allowed.

The Great Wall!

We climbed the Great Wall on an absolutely gorgeous day! It was a tough climb but so worth it - it was beyond my expectations! Enjoy these pictures....

A very rainy day!

We got completely drenched several times on this day, but in spite of that, these pictures of the gardens at the Fragrant Hills just outside of Beijing have a beauty all their own.

The Drum and Bell Towers in the distance

A Drum Tower can be found in many of China's major cities and was used to mark the hour by the beating of large drums. Beijing's Bell Tower contains a 42-ton bell that used to mark the closing of the city gates. Both of these are seen in this picture, which was taken from the pagoda at the top of Jing Shan Park, which overlooks the Forbidden City and the Drum and Bell Towers. All four of these landmarks fall in a straight line, referred to as the central meridian, which is an important aspect of Feng Shui in Chinese culture.

The view from the Drum Tower

From the Drum Tower, there was a great view of the hutongs - the one-story housing of Old Beijing - some of which are being torn down to make room for new high-rise developments.

The Drum Tower in Beijing

After climbing 69 of the steepest steps ever, I reached the inside of the Drum Tower only to discover 25 huge red Chinese drums! I also got to hear them played by 5 players...it was incredible!

More colors...

Another decorative structure

I just couldn't get enough of these beautiful colors and great variety of detail...

A room with a view!

This gorgeous pagoda overlooks the Forbidden City...and I walked up there!

Tiananmen Square

The enormous south gate of Tianamen Square and the Monument to the Heroes, which lies in the middle of this huge square.

Two more views inside the Forbidden City

Two more views inside the Forbidden City point to the detail of the decoration and the vastness of the place, as one walks from one large courtyard to the next.

Starbucks in the Forbidden City

You may have heard that the Starbucks in the Forbidden City was recently closed due to prolonged online protests. Well, here is a picture of Starbucks while it was still in operation. (I enjoyed some refreshing mango "tea" each time I was there - it was less a tea and more like a smoothie!). There is no sign - that was taken down in the last wave of protests, but Starbucks is located in the left corner of the building straight ahead of the ramp (the right side of the building is a souvenir store!). I feel blessed to have had the opportunity to patronize Starbucks inside of one of China's most important cultural sites! :)

The Forbidden City

These two pictures are of the Forbidden City..Chairman Mao's picture dominates the entrance, as if he is watching over everything and everyone! Inside the Forbidden City, most everything is huge - the space and the size of the buildings!

Amazing decorations

Everywhere we went in China (except for the west), there were intricate painted decorations - just below building roofs, or ceilings or arch-type structures (there was one even at the toll booth coming out of the airport). These are just a couple of the colorful decorative structures.

Old Summer Palace

This beautiful setting was on the way through the Old Summer Palace, just north of Peking University where we stayed. While most of the buildings were destroyed, the gardens were picturesque.

The pictures are coming!

Well I am back on a pretty normal sleep schedule and am starting to be a little more productive... I have begun to go through my 1000+ photos from the trip and will post some selected photos soon, so stay tuned.