Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Today was another history-filled day as we left our hotel for the UNESCO World Heritage site the Museum of Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses of Qin Shihuang (Qin Shi Huang was the first Emperor of China). The Chinese have a habit of giving places very long, yet descriptive names!
Upon arrival, we went into the gift shop and met the farmer who discovered this archaeological site from 210 BC. He was selling books and signing them for us but the photograph cost $20 yuan! The unearthing of this amazing site occurred in 1974 and was one of the most important discoveries of the 20th century.

After seeing a "circle movie" about the history of the creation of this necropolis and its discovery by a farmer digging a well, we proceeded to the exhibition halls where the excavations are actually taking place. Pretty remarkable! The figures vary in height (6 - 6 1/2 ft.), according to their role, the tallest being the generals. The figures include warriors, chariots, horses, officials, acrobats, strongmen, and musicians. Current estimates are that in the three pits containing the Terracotta Army there were over 8,099 soldiers, 130 chariots with 520 horses and 150 cavalry horses, the majority of which are still buried in the pits. Many archeologists believe that there are many pits still waiting to be discovered. The Chinese government is postponing the excavation of additional sites until such time that they have figured out how to preserve the color on the statues that can be seen as they are unburied. After some time exposed to the air, these colors fade and all but disappear. Therefore, they will remain hidden. This is yet another amazing accomplishment of the Chinese. Seeing all of these statues makes one marvel at the capacity of the human mind and the extraordinary scope of human skill. It also makes one question the practice of "volunteer labor".

Qin, the 13 year old emperor that ordered his resting place to be built, demanded that every soldier have a different face. It is believed that they took molds of workers' faces and fashioned them after them. Archaeologists continue their daily work on the figures brushing, cleaning, measuring, entering data and preserving history. There were recreated statues on the site where we could take photos to appear that we were actually in the pit with the statues. Of course, we had to take advantage of this! Apparently, Queen Elizabeth was allowed to walk among the statues when she visited. I guess we didn't qualify...





We had a very special noontime meal today - a traditional dumpling lunch highlighting the commitment of the Chinese to art, beauty and symbolism even in the preparation and presentation of their food. Not only were they delicious, but they were incredible works of art, too! They were filled with chicken and pork, pumpkin and vegetables and, while all of our dumplings were not as ornate as others, they were all good to eat, fun to sample and enjoy.

We went back to the hotel for a bit of "down time" before heading out to dinner and the Tang Dynasty Show where we also had dinner. It was not served in the typical Chinese family style that we have become accustomed. Instead, it was a fixed menu served individually and it was delicious! We have all gotten very good with our chopsticks. However, when frustrated, tired, or just plain hungry the western style fork comes in pretty handy!

The Tang dynasty existed between June 618 through June of 907. It's capital was located in present day Xian, the most densely inhabited city in the world at the time, with a population of @ 50 million. It was during this time that Buddhism emerged as a major influence over Chinese culture and several inventions were made, including woodblock printing. The Tang Dynasty was an age of great literature, poetry and painting, as well. The Tang Dynasty Show was beautiful! It included traditional music, dances , and stories and some famous guy whose name I cannot remember! But I do have a photo! The costumes were breathtaking and, again, discipline was evident in all of the performances.

In the end... there is only so much fun one can have!

Monday, April 5th - Beijing to Xian

Our morning was spent visiting the Temple of Heaven. The Temple of Heaven was where the emperor came every winter solstice to worship Heaven and to solemnly pray for a good harvest. It is located in a beautiful, sprawling park where we found many families and large groups of people practicing tai chi and other forms of exercise, playing card games and dominoes, or just strolling through the grounds. We saw people dressed in western clothing, as well as, groups dressed in typical local garb. The Tibetan outfits were my personal favorite. In retrospect, I suppose that we were the ones being "watched", as we mingled among the people, as most were Chinese.

This is a sign we saw as we entered the park. Notice that there are no trumpets allowed! :) ...and being the rule-following people that the Chinese are, we found no trumpets while we were there...or litter or dogs or fires or cars or bikes or rifles! I love this place! :)

Many groups were playing a game using a piece of equipment similar to a badminton shuttle but adorned with colorful feathers. The point seemed to be to keep the shuttle in the air passing it from player to player without using your hands, using moves you would see in a soccer game. People of all ages were playing this game and some of us gave it a try, as well. As one might expect, the legendary I. E. were ever-present offering us a wide variety of "must haves" as we made our way through the park. And again, the blonde hair was an attraction with lots of requests for photos. The happy faces of the Chinese were always a welcome sight as they approached us for photos or granted our requests for the same. These daily interactions were an integral part of our Chinese experience and I, for one, found the Chinese people most endearing. Thus far, we have found them to be very friendly and open, quick to smile and welcome.

As we have found since we arrived, there were large crowds here but not like at the Great Wall, but they became more significant as we walked through the park and came upon the area where groups were playing games. There were also small sound systems set up where people were singing to the crowd and a few stands selling mostly what we've seen since we've arrived. This park was really a peek into the lifestyle of the Chinese. The age range and number of people participating in exercise and games was confirmation that general respect for health and wellness was a natural and expected way of life. It would have been wonderful to have been able to spend more time here but we had a flight to catch!

Our flight to Xian was an uneventful two hours. Upon landing, we drove @ 45 minutes into Xian to the Shaanxi Provincial Historical Museum where, after being given a general tour, we were treated to a calligraphy lesson. The lesson itself was very informative and interesting and filled with the history and significance of calligraphy in the life of the Chinese. We all tried our hand at it and came away with our personal examples of the attempt! The lesson was quite good and enjoyable but the noise level in the room was difficult to deal with after such a long day. Many of us purchased some local art work and, as we left, we came upon a little poodle-like dog in shoes...yes...shoes - on all 4 feet - photos to prove it!

The Big Wild Goose Pagoda was next on our stops for the day. It is one of the best known Buddhist pagodas in China. This is a holy place for Buddhists and is beautiful and serene complete with gardens, rock sculptures, and ornately decorated buildings. It was built in 652 during the Tang dynasty. @ 30 monks live here today and they could be seen throughout the grounds, performing the traditional ceremony honoring the dead, studying or strolling, all dressed in a wide array of clothing. One of the buddha statues here is a huge, golden figure sitting in yet another opulent and elaborately decorated temple with lots of gold and red being used in the coloration of its designs. On the chest of this largest buddha was a bent cross, a figure we would know as a swastika. This symbol is also known as a rotating or spinning cross. This symbol is found in China, Tibet, Japan (where the symbol is known as Manji), ancient Persia, Pakistan, and in India, where both Jains and Buddhists still use it as a religious symbol. The Mexicans, Aztecs and Indian tribes of Central and South America have used it (for example the Kuna; the indigenous people of Panama and Colombia), as have the Navajo and the Hopi tribes of the North. So, it's history is really more benign that its most recent use during WWII would suggest. While I understand that this is an ancient symbol for peace, prosperity, and harmony, it was still a bit disturbing to see it displayed in such a holy place. Again, respect for the culture and religion leads to a greater understanding of this history and its people but it still lead to serious pause and reflection on my part. This is another reason for us to all keep an open mind and to value the customs and beliefs of others. We lit incense and said a prayer in front of the pagoda honoring deceased loved ones and watched as three monks burned ersatz money invoking protection and good fortune to those who have passed. We saw this ritual taking place throughout the weekend - even in the streets! - in keeping with the tradition of the holiday.

Surrounding the pagoda was a park filled with I.E., of course! At this point, I think we'd be lonely without them! :) Some were flying kites of all sorts - dragons, ladybugs, butterflies, dragonflies, some traditional Chinese designs, and even Sponge Bob! These kites flew remarkabaly high, much higher than the tallest buildings in the area or the construction cranes that surrounded them. We've gotten very good at ignoring the I.E. when it suits us and when we have nothing to buy. As usual, these street tycoons are relentless and assertive but I still had to respect them for their commitment to the job that was supporting them and their families.

We checked into our hotel, the Jin Yuan Fu Run Hotel, Shaanxi, a beautifully appointed, traditional Chinese hotel. Our rooms were very clean and were decorated in the Chinese style. The marble bathrooms and simply beautiful bed treatments completed the picture. The downside: the beds were also traditional - very hard and unforgiving, but since we were so exhausted by the end of the day, we could have slept anywhere, it didn't really matter!

Tomorrow, it's off to see the terra cotta warriors!

Sunday, April 4 - Badaling? Badda-bing!

Happy Easter! We did it! We "conquered" the Great Wall of China...or at least a small part of it! Following another hearty breakfast, we headed out to the Badaling section of the Great Wall, northwest of Beijing. (Did I tell you that "beijing" means "northern capital"?) Badaling literally means "reach eight directions", because the maze of its ridges stretch in all directions. We had a ride from Beijing of @ an hour and a half, allowing us to mentally prepare for the ascent! Everyone in our group enjoyed success at some level and it was exhilirating! Karen, Nancy and I climbed together (we somehow lost Marci along the way!) and we made it to 5 of the towers, with the 6th in sight but not enough time to defeat it. Come to find out, there were 25,000 towers built on the Wall so our work is cut out for us! Each tower is a distance of two arrow shots from each other. I got to thinking: wouldn't this depend on the strength of the shooter? the size of the bow? Another one of life's mysteries.... Along the 4,000 mile stretch of the wall are many little remote villages. The people that live there have very few resources and less money to build their homes. As a result, they started to take stones from the wall until the government stepped in to show them the error of their ways!

Cloudy vs. Crowdy: Well, the day started out a bit cloudy and we had been experiencing crowds just about everywhere we went. As we approached the wall, Simon, our Chinese guide, was giving us some history and traditions of the wall warning us about the expected crowds due to the holiday. He said that because it was cloudy, the temperatures would cooperate making for a more comfortable climb but because of the crowds, it may take us a bit longer than usual. Clear enough, right?! Well, fast forward to what Cheryl heard, evident through her question: "If it's crowdy why would that make it easier? Wouldn't that make it more difficult getting around people? ...and why would clouds make it a longer hike than usual?!" Silence...then laughter as we realized what she thought Simon said. She heard him say that because it was "crowdy", not "cloudy", it would be an easier climb. We had to assume it was the spoken word, the differing pronunciation of the "r " and "l", that caused the confusion....and our laughter! Thanks, Cheryl! :) In all fairness to Cheryl, it was both "cloudy" and "crowdy" today!

The Great Wall is simply amazing - just ask any of the 150 million people who have visited it thus far! On the approach it appears to crawl over the misty mountains disappearing into the valleys only to emerge again as it climbs the next rise. This pattern continues as far as the eye can see...for almost 4,ooo miles, actually! It is impossible to describe how utterly awe-inspiring it is. One cannot help but question how, in fact, the wall was completed at all. Climbing the irregular steps and uneven rocky walkways, it's natural to wonder about the challenges of its construction. Hundreds of thousands of workers used packed earth, rocks and masonry to erect what has been called the "longest cemetery on Earth", with over 400,000 laborers losing their lives in the attempt. To save time, most of those lost were buried in the structure. At one time, over 70% of the population was working on its construction. It was built to accommodate ten people standing shoulder to shoulder or the width of 5 horses leading the emperor's chariot. You can almost picture the emperor's horsedrawn chariots as he inspects his empire's protection. Here's the irony: originally built to keep people OUT of China, the Great Wall is one of its most popular tourist attractions to date luring people INTO the country. Hmmmm....

Before we started our climb, we saw a large group of soldiers descending the wall having just done some training there. Seems like a perfect place for that!

Have I mentioned the amount of people we've encountered?! Well, at one point, it was so crowded on the way up the wall that you could hardly move forward unless those in front of you did. It was shoulder to shoulder in many spots. All ages were climbing today - from babies being carried by their mothers (saw no men carrying babies in China) and toddlers being steadied as they walked, to 20-somethings and senior citizens. Some of us managed to get certificates and photos verifying our efforts just in case those back home had their doubts. Yes...I have one! :)

As you know, the Chinese people have very dark, almost black, hair. Those of us with blonde hair (ok...or white...whatever!) are an anomaly and the Chinese are always approaching light-haired people wanting a photo taken with themselves, their children, their friends, family and/or assorted acquaintances. I virtually reached rock star status on the wall today after my other 15 minutes of fame yesterday at the Forbidden City. This was not unique to me as both Jameson and Morgan were also in great demand wherever we went. At one point in our trip, they were approached to have photos taken with a few Chinese chilidren but no sooner were they arranged for the photo that more and more Chinese children were drawn in to be included resulting in a very large group. Just being Americans was cause for photo ops, as well! These paparazzi moments happened throughout our entire trip but with the crowds like they were today it was an especially busy day for us "blondes". We were definetly having more fun!

After our climbing success, we rewarded ourselves with a little shopping and bargaining and headed to a tea ceremony demonstration. This brought the simple act of boiling of water to a whole new level! Tea drinking is a time-honored ritual and was another facet of traditional Chinese life we had the privilege of experiencing. We learned so much about the health benefits of teas and now the real challenge is to remember it all! Of course, shopping followed in the conveniently located tea shop downstairs from the demo rooms and most of us came away with tea and assorted gifts. In this particular shop, as in so many others, there was an overabundance of "shopping assistants" hoping to encourage us to purchase even more..."how about a gift for yourself?!"

We drove past the 2008 Olympic village, including the Bird's Nest and the Water Cube, two more fascinating architectural accomplishments we've seen here. Beautiful facilities!

After a bit of a rest in the hotel, we headed out for another Chinese tradition: Peking duck! Did you know that each duck served must be cut 120 times, according to tradition? Me, neither! The duck was very good but most of us opted out of the customary veggies that are typically included in the pancake (or crepe, burrito...it's all the same really!) because of our cautionary approach to anything that may have been washed with their questionable water. There was also the incident with the soda nazi but, personally, I can forgive her protection of the policy of one drink per patron, according to our arrangements, but her general rudeness...not happening! I asked for a coke for someone who was not feeling well (even before dinner started - our group had just been seated and I came in from the ladies room to ask) and was met with a blank stare. I asked again explaining it was someone in the group "over there", as I pointed to our tables. "With large group?", the woman asked. "Yes", I replied. "One drink", was her answer. I tried explaining that I knew this and would pay for it but I needed it for someone who was ill. Blank stare. "One drink". After some frustration, I finally got the message through and got the soda. We then sat down to empty glasses and wanted our remaining soda, since we did not drink the water. Since Marci and Rachael were not with me when I asked for the soda, they had no problem. However...I was recognized as the person who was trying to get another soda (remember I'll pay for what was given to me, if necessary...and it would be necessary!). She actually looked into my glass, which was wet from my bottled water, and was convinced I had already had the soda...back and forth with her supervisor where she picked up the bottle of soda, put it down, picked it up...walked away. Never did get that soda! :) Overall, a good time was had by all!

After dinner, we went to the Kung Fu show at the Red Theater. These performers ranged in age from @7 years old to probably @60 and each of them was very accomplished in the art of kung fu. Even though the show exhibited tremendous strength and strict discipline, we were all very tired and some may have even "rested their eyes"!

We returned to the hotel and prepared for our morning flight to Xian. Another wonderful day in China...

Saturday, April 3

Up by 4:30 AM - Beijing is 12 hours ahead of New Jersey. Lots of time to prepare for the day!

We started our day off with a hearty and delicious breakfast and the pattern for the day was set. In addition to the expected, we were also offered lychee nuts, sushi, vegetables, and some other unidentified cuisine! The day just continued to improve! Even before we got on the bus, the "independent entrepreneurs" were hawking their wares with "very special prices" being offered with wide and friendly smiles. In the future and in the interest of time, I will refer to these street tycoons as "I.E." These men and women get super high grades for persistence and determination! Add to that an outstanding score for annoyance and you've got yourself an enormous and everpresent team of Donald Trumps...with better hair! :) Clearly, this self-employment illustrates an enviable hard work ethic and is an improvement over the questionable image of a healthy person with their hand out begging for money. The population of vendors never left us...all day...they were everywhere...but ambition was evident! Rachael bought a panda hat to add to her panda collection...or was it to her hat collection?!

We proceeded to Tiananmen Square, the largest square in the world representing the true political center of China. This square is located in the center of Beijing. "Tiananmen" means literally "Gate of Heavenly Peace". There is lots of security present here, as we will find throughout China. The square is closed at night for security reasons, as well. It was here, in 1959, that Chairman Mao announced the formation of the Peoples Replublic of China to a crowd of a million people on October 1, 1949. The square is also the site of the June 5, 1989 massive protest, also known as the Tiananmen Square Massacre, where students and intellectuals were protesting government corruption after the death of Hu Yaobang, who was also a suppporter of democracy. This protest left hundreds dead, between 200 to 3,000 or more - there are no official numbers. This event was further made famous by the photograph of the "Tank Man" or "Unknown Rebel" who challenged a column of Chinese Type 59 tanks by standing in front of them, unarmed. This was such a significant gesture that in 1998 this anonymous man was named as one of the "Most Important People of the Century" by Time Magazine. Check out more info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tank_Man While Mao may have been responsible for the deaths of over 40 million of his own people, his revered portrait still hangs in a place of honor above the giant gateway to the Forbidden City and his mummified body lies in an eerie mausoleum in the square, as well.

We had a group photo taken here as we noticed the crowds starting to form. In addition to it being the start of a Chinese holiday to honor the dead, keep in mind that China's population is @1.3 billion...1/5 of the world's total population, so crowds are inevitable. This holiday allows time for families to spend time together to remember and honor lost loved ones and we would feel its effects through Monday, as we explored more of China's historic sites.

Most Chinese groups wear brightly colored team "headgear" - hats, visors - to make a group easily identified. Our group did not have anything similar but Michael, our guide, had a stuffed panda on a stick that he held above his head for us to follow. We affectionately referred to him as "Panda Man". Rachael was particularly fond of our mascot. Thank goodness for the panda. The crowds continued to build. We proceeded to the Forbidden City - more people - LOTS more - and more police security present.

The calculated and ornate designs on each building and the symbolism respresented make it clear to us that the Forbidden City was a place of great importance viewed with much reverence. No "commoner" had set foot inside this area until 1949! This particular spot was chosen because a century and a half before, the Mongol ruler, Kublai Khan, chose it as the location of his fabled winter capital, Khanbalik. It is believed that 100,000 craftsmen and one million laborers and convicts worked tirelessly for three years to create this remarkable earthly paradise. Its creation was originally commissioned in 1406 for the Yongle Emperor, son of the Ming dynasty founder. From 1421-1912 this was the world's most magnificent command center with a rumored 9,999 rooms filled with nearly a million art treasures spread over 178 walled and moated acres. In its prime, the Forbidden City was home to the emperor and @3,000 concubines, courtiers, eunuchs, and soldiers. The place is huge and impressive and nothing was done without purpose. Keep in mind that the most important duty of the emperor was to maintain a sense of harmony between Heaven and Earth. To help him achieve this, the Forbidden City was designed as a small model of the entire cosmos. If you really want to know more - and there is SO much more to know! - go to http://www.kinabaloo.com/forbidden_city.html which contains hundreds of photographs and lots of good information.

Now, it may seem inappropriate to discuss toilet facilities at this juncture but here we go! There is everything from holes in the floor to western style bathrooms with 5 star ratings with heated seats! We've seen them all. Simon likes to refer to the more accommodating ones as "happy rooms"! We all tend to agree as the holes tend to create an anxiety only rivaled by the thought of having to tend to one's needs with no stall doors...you get the picture! So far, so good on that! We waited as long as 20 minutes today for a happy room! BTW, these are usually BYO in the TP department. 2 suggestions, ladies: bring plenty of hand sanitizer and don't wear your good shoes!

While we were walking through the tunnel to the other side of the road to continue through the Forbidden City, we saw a local woman whose hair went down to the middle of her calf! She was probably about 5'7" making her hair @ 4'5" long! That's about the average height of a 5th grader or @ 5" shy of the height of my cousins' Armenian grandmother!

We hopped back on the coach for lunch, which was very conveniently connected to a pearl shop. You know the old saying, "If you feed them, they will buy."... and buy we did! Room after room of pearls, all of which we visited after our lunch and a short info-mercial making us aware of the different colors and kinds of pearls and the process by which they are formed. Prices ranged from @$10 USD to $20,000 USD and more! Many of us walked away happily carrying the signature little red bag...or TWO...thoroughly pleased having been separated from our money! Of course, wherever we went, we were accompanied by the ever-present I.E. It's important to remember that the bold and consistent approach of the I.E. designed to increase sales is partially driven by need but they also do not bear the burden of building that all-so-important customer base. For the largest percentage, each one of us represents a one-time-only sale so they keep trying...and trying...and trying, returning to us many times in the hopes that we will buy something simply to get rid of them (which, you have to know, works at times!). Of course, there is always the possibility that we will suddenly come to the realization that we simply cannot live without whatever they are offering and, in turn, this, too, increases sales. The overall inventory of each I.E. changes very little. It's the excitement of the bargain - the thrill of victory - on both sides of the sale! :)

On to the Summer Palace and more and more people....lots and lots of people! The Chinese call it "Yihe Yuan", Garden of Restful Peace. The Summer Palace is another World Heritage site and is yet another overwhelming example of the opulent lifestyle of Chinese royalty. This was the emperor's retreat from the oppressive summer heat of Beijing and represented the obscene wealth enjoyed by him while his fellow countrymen lived a very simple and, often times, difficult life in an effort to survive. There are 3,000 buildings surrounding a man made lake. Today, this lake was full of paddle boats driven by leg-power and dragon boats taking visitors from one side of the lake the other. While exploring this area, we were treated to a Tai Chi lesson by a very lovely graceful young woman. Tai Chi is a time-honored favorite form of traditional exercise enjoyed by the Chinese, young and old alike. At the end of the day, our legs opted for the dragon boat alternative back to the other side of the lake!

After a very busy day, we were treated to a rickshaw ride through the hutong where we enjoyed a conventional dinner in the home of a Chinese family. Once again, the food was delicious and we were privy to the intricacies of a typical Chinese home and family life. Chairman Mao's photo was on the wall. Compared to what is characteristic for us, their lives are far more simple and spartan yet there is no question that they are happy and satisifed, proving once again how frighteningly spoiled and ostentacious our American lives really are. We have so much more than we need and even when we realize this and attempt to simplify our lives, we seem to unconsciously revert back to our overindulgent habits simply replacing what we eliminated in the first place. Good grief!






Rickshaw races in the hutong! Let me explain. There were 2 people to each rickshaw powered by a surprisingly strong, yet slender Chinese man. Personally, I saw no women drivers and believe that tradition dictates it is only for men. I will get back to you on that! Our driver's name was never quite clear since he spoke no English and we spoke very limited Chinese...VERY limited meaning we really only had "Ni hao" under our belts! When our question finally became clear to him he happily pointed to his name tag... which, of course, was printed in Chinese so no progress was made. But, he was like the Energizer bunny on his bicycle and he pedaled his way to victory as we raced the other rickshaws through the hutong to our family home dinner! The streets were very narrow and there were at least 12-13 rickshaws in our first group in the competition, which incidentally was unintentional on his part. Nadia and I just urged him to get ahead and, of course, Marci and Rachael took that as a challenge and consequently encouraged speed out of their driver, as well. Nancy and Karen followed suit and soon, all rickshaws were in the rivalry amid car traffic, pedestrians, and other bicycles and rickshaws all vying for space and position. Remember those I.E. we talked about? Well...THEY'RE BAAAACK! And this time they are riding bicycles alongside our racing rickshaws whilst hawking their wares, negotiating "good price", encouraging sales and balancing inventory while simultaneously trying to simply stay on their bike and stay alive! Quite a site and a great time!

We learned that our family cook was also an accomplished artist and a number of us made purchases. An outstanding night - lots of cherished memories...the Wall tomorrow...Come on, feet, don't fail me now!













Update: Nancy's luggage has arrived safely after spending the night in San Francisco! Yea!