Spinning through the world
Clarence drove us to caves after the Temple and before we arrived to see the warriors. He was setting the stage for really old rural Xi’an life dating back 5000 years. The villagers today have stayed in these caves living a simple life and pass it down to their families. 20 families live here.
They have walnut trees and many others. In the front is pomegranate. Behind is a persimmon tree.
This is the biggest Taoist temple in Xi’an and is a famous Taoist architecture in northwest China. This was built in the Song Dynasty but the fastest renovation was in the Qing Dynasty. This place is very peaceful and serene and why I was attracted to chinese culture.
Outside of the Temple were antique sellers on the outer streets leading to the temple.
The immortals are legendary in Chinese mythology. Each immortals power can be transferred to a vessel to bestow life or destroy evil. One of the immortals is female. The may have been named after the 8 immortal scholars in the Han Dynasty.
The paintings in the ceiling are impressive.
Taoism is based upon the writing of Lao-tzu from the 6th century BC. It is based upon humility, living in harmony with the Tao, and religious piety. It is the oldest religion in the world and as much philosophy as it is religion:
It emphasizes doing what is natural and “going with the flow” in accordance with the Tao (or Dao), a cosmic force which flows through all things and binds and releases them.
https://www.ancient.eu/Taoism/
Taoist temples are usually not in cities but in mountains which makes this one special. It is said you will meet the immortals when on the bridge.
The eye on left hand off this sculpture means it can tell whether you are a good or bad person.
The colors of the faces have particular meaning. Green stands for green dragon and is the god of east. The white tiger is the god of the west. The black turtle is the god of the north. The red bird is the one for the south.
When die you go to the west as sun sets.
Taoist people wear their long hair in a knot on the top of the head. This was also seen in the terracotta warriors as that was the religion back then.
This is the oldest religion. All other religions were brought to China on the silk road. As I walked through a passage, people would put their hands in specific phrases on this plaque. You can see where people touch the most.
Before we went to see the terracotta warriors, we ate at a restaurant nearby. They had lots of warrior copies. Clarence, the guy who rented us the apartment was our tour guide.
The Terracotta Warriors in Xi’an, are life-size terra cotta sculptures in battle formations, reproducing the imperial guard troops of Emperor Qin Shi Huang (259 – 210BC), the first emperor of the first unified dynasty of Imperial China. He conquered the 6 warring kingdoms in the east and took them over to unify China. He was a brutal emperor. Each warrior was different and resembles his army.
It was a funerary project started at the time at the age of 13 to protect him in his afterlife. He became emperor at 22 and resigned for 37 years. He ordered the construction of the Great Wall and his 100 km high mausoleum in the mountain.
Found in 1974 by farmers digging a well, it is considered the most important archaeological find of the 20th century. They were discovered many times before but since this area was originally Taoist, many thought that it would be bad luck to dig it up as they thought it was a temple or were afraid something would happen to it. There were too many farmers in 1974 there to keep it quiet and as the cultural revolution had happened there was less chance that it would be destroyed.
All of the warriors have their hair in a bun. This is characteristic of Taoist people.
The figures vary in height depending upon their roles, with the generals being the tallest. Flowing rivers were simulated by using mercury in his tomb. The soils there do show mercury contamination.
Originally the warriors were half under ground and then a roof was put on. They took the forest away to make pits. After they were buried, the erosion of clay over time buried them deeper at 8 meters. 72,000 slaves were used to build this.
Xiang yu created an uprising after he died and broke into the mausoleum. However there are other theories. The weapons, chariots, and roof were made of wood and generally you burn the body and things for the afterlife. Some believe that they were burnt first then buried. The flank guards face out to protect the guards and they were the statues more intact. Theory is that the clay is harder on the outside than the inside and therefore did not collapse over time like other areas. If it had been broken into and destroyed, those flank men would not have stayed in such good condition.
Imprints of the wood beams in the clay. Chariots were made of wood and not survived. Warrior with hands holding in front are holding weapons.
The vanguard is along the front of Pit 1. They are the archers. Others are holding spears. Those that have the armor is the infantry.
This cutout area is where coffins were buried long before 1974. Heads are missing around where the coffins were. When they dug, they would cause damage to the warriors. Back then when they found a piece they thought it was from a temple because of Taoist past beliefs. They did not mention what they found.
Coffin inside still in this one part. The wood is gone, but the bones remain.
All the warriors were broken this way and then restored.
Area of restoration as they search for pieces. All of the warriors are numbered by GPS.
Each warrior is 150 to 300 kg.
Remains of the burnt wooden ceiling from 2200 years ago. But maybe burnt as Taoist burial first then buried.
Imprint of wheel from a chariot though the wooden wheel is long gone.
Print of crossbow.
Horses.
Workers scanning pieces.
Pit 3 was found in 1976. This is the original ground level. The picture below shows how they were found at the beginning.
Bodyguards of the emperor.
4 horses with 4 people for a chariot. They used colors and sounds (drum, gong) to tell movements like retreat and direction to move.
Given the area, it would have been better to bury so if these in a cave. It would make sense why they would create a wood city as there is a burning ritual for burial.
This tomb is from the Han dynasty. Holes in the chat were created with an auger to determine the she and whether there were warriors present.
Kneeling Archer was one if the most interact pieces. It was preserved better as since it was lower to the ground there were less forces from the top.
Officer.
The representation if the horse show they had saddles back then but not stirrups. This was an archer.
To small bronze chariots were found and signify the carrying of soul back to palace. This was found on the other side of the tomb and they face westward as the sun sets to the west.
Xi’an had been the capital of many dynasties as this was the seat of power after this first emperor reigned.
Despite a little trouble on the airplane with extra requirements as we were foreigners, the rest of the trip was uneventful. I am really beginning to wonder what the narrative serves by thinking that only foreigners moving around need scrutinized and not Chinese. They have to register with the app like we do, but they do not need to be virus tested before traveling or having to show the date when we arrived back to China.
Regardless, we found someone to help us register the health code on the plane and the owner of the apartment picked us up. He gave us history of Xi’an.
His apartment is called Warrior pit 1 (he also has a Warrior pit 2). As a tour director for decades, he outfitted the apartment with clay warrior sculptures.
Entrance
Living area
Bedroom
Bathroom
We went out to the Muslim quarter to look for food.
Fun with the warriors
Relaxing in the apartment we thought of funny things to do with the warriors. We will think of more…
We left to visit the Gobi desert after a brief rest from the caves. It was really hot out (34C) but at least there was no humidity.
The first thing we did was to ride the camels. It was a 40 minutes trek through the desert with a guide leading a string of camels. Pretty fun and relaxing. Yes this is a tourist trap but now I can check riding a camel into the desert off of my list!
Afterwards I found a couple people from my tour who wanted to ride the helicopter and would split the cost. It was a quick ride but easy to see the crescent lake oasis from above.
Two videos from sections of the flight:
I did not have enough time to do some sand sledding or hike up the dunes as a lot more tourists showed up. But I went to the oasis to get more water and walk with new friends from the tour for awhile before heading to the bus.
Back at the hotel for a shower and then walk to the night market to look around.
We are a local spicy potato dish with some beer and stopped at a seller of black Jade. I bought 3 glasses with lids and a Black Jade bead bracelet. In the light you can pick out there green though the rock itself is black.
We traveled 5 hours to get to Dunhuang from Zhangye. Dunhuang is a city oasis which just pops out of the Gobi desert sand.
The next morning we took a short trip to the Modao Caves. I am glad to have been okay if a tour as the number of types of tickets are restricted. Mogao means high up in the desert.
According to Tang Dynasty (618 – 907) records, a wandering monk in 366 AD had witnessed a vision of thousand Buddhas under showers of golden rays. Inspired, he started the caves construction work that spanned ten dynasties. Mogao Caves are also known as the Caves of a Thousand Buddhas.
This is the largest treasure of Buddhist art in the world. The earlier caves are more of the Indian style of Buddhist depiction with more Chinese style in later works. Each dynasty can be distinguished by the colors and cultural depictions in the paintings. It also have a glimpse of culture, politics, religion, and the arts. There are 492 caves from the 4th to the 14th centuries. They were actually forgotten for 500 years with some vandalism. Only 20 of the caves can be visited. No pictures are allowed and groups can only enter certain caves as long as temperature and humidity are stable there.
Caves 23 of the Tang dynasty show workers in the fields.
The unique artistic style of Dunhuang art is not only a blend of Han Chinese artistic styles assimilated from ancient Indian and Gandharan customs, but also an integration of the arts of the Turks, ancient Tibetans and other Chinese ethnic minorities.
The discovery of the Library Cave at the Mogao Caves in 1990, together with the tens of thousands of manuscripts and relics it contained, has been acclaimed as the world’s greatest discovery of ancient Oriental culture. This significant heritage provides invaluable reference for studying the complex history of ancient China and Central Asia.
Cave 61 is the largest. You can view it here: https://www.e-dunhuang.com/cave/10.0001/0001.0001.0061
It depicts Mount Wutai with a large scale map that depicts daily life. The Grand Buddha sculpture is from the Tang Dynasty which shows elegant architecture.
Cave 329 shows oxidation of the paint used for the faces where lead paint was used and turned black over the years. The art can be found here: https://www.e-dunhuang.com/cave/10.0001/0001.0001.0329
Caves 16-17 are 3 stories restored in 1906. They found sanskrit manuscripts of medicine, astronomy, and geology. Only 8000 exist in Gansu and Beijing; the rest being taken by explorers to other countries. They were held in cave 16 a non-descript monks cave off of 17, which can be seen here: https://www.e-dunhuang.com/cave/10.0001/0001.0001.0017
Monks living area today are caves with no murals.
Song dynasty preserved the murals on the outside facade of these caves.
In cave 259 you can see architecture from the Wei dynasty. There is an influence from India and gabled ceilings. The sculpture is 5th century. It boasts alot of blue from Afghanistan (Lapis lazuli) and the sculpture is the Pensive bodhisivata.
Cave 257 is also the 5th century and in the same style. It can be seen here: https://www.e-dunhuang.com/cave/10.0001/0001.0001.0257
The 9 stories pagoda was built in the Tang Dynasty but only colors have been restored. The Buddha is 35 m high. It was the 5th largest Buddha in the world but 2 in Afghanistan were bombed by the Taliban so now it is the 3rd largest. It is the future Buddha known as Maitreya. This is the bodhisattva who will appear on Earth in the future, achieve complete enlightenment, and teach the pure dharma.
Paintings found around it were destroyed when the roof collapsed.
Cave 23
This is the last day in Zhangye and a pretty long day ahead. After 3 hour bus ride we arrived at Jiayuguan Pass. This is a key point of trade for the silk road as well as a protection point as it is linked to the western most part of the Great Wall.
Jiayu Pass or Jiayuguan is the first frontier fortress at the west end of the Ming dynasty Great Wall, near the city of Jiayuguan in Gansu province. Along with Juyong Pass and Shanhai Pass, it is one of the main passes of the Great Wall.
https://g.co/kgs/9af9cx
This area is called the Hexi corridor and is only 15 km between the mountains on each side. The mountains themselves provided some protection and only a small wall was needed there as invaders could be seen from the fortress towers. Also, in this remote area, it was difficult to get and move materials.
We walked from what would be the city at the time to the fortress that housed the civil and military leaders and also had towers to watch for invaders, particularly those coming from the West. Soldiers and munitions would be found here.
Temple of literature
Outer city wall
Here merchants could walk along as they could not enter the fortress.
Warrior temple and God of wealth
Amusement temple
This is meant as a stage for entertainment.
The outer wall
The outer wall leads into a confined area in order to contain invaders as there is another gate they would have to get through. They would be ambushed by soldiers above. You can walk along the inner courtyard wall as well as these outer gate walls. Every corner has a watchtower.
The Light gate
This heads to the inner courtyard where generals, troops, munitions, and horses were held.
Cannons
Cannons were invented in China in the 12th century. The idea was taken by the Mongols who then passed it on to the Turks who then passed the new weapon on to the British….
Generals residence
This is the outer building wall of the residence courtyard which had a meeting house, residence house, and kitchen.
Residence area
This is where officials lived when you enter the separate compound door.
Opposite Gate leading to the west
Getting to the top wall
To get to the top there are a series of stairs next to a ramp. The ramp was used for horses, most likely to move heavy materials to the top of the wall.
View from the top looking at the inner residence courtyard
View from the top looking at the inner courtyard
Shorter outer wall for merchants. No need to enter the garrison in order to move materials.
Great wall not so great here. Hard to move stone on mountain and this area is so dry that the wall can be made from dirt mixed with straw. The more impressive wall is about a half hour away and the other sections closer to Beijing.
Resting brick above door
The western outer wall is thicker and more fortified because it faces west where enemies were known to attack from. There has been some sort of wall here for thousands of years because of enemies. However, the silk road was known as a way to promote trade from the West. Marco Polo used this trade route and brought back noodles from this region (excavations have found evidence of noodles here 2000 years ago). Wheat was brought from the West as well as Buddhism, which predates Christianity by thousands of years.
The end of the Great Wall
A short ride away is found a section of the Great Wall that butts up against the mountains. This is the western most section of the Great Wall that ends at the Jiayuguan Pass.
I made it to the top, snapped pictures from the tower, made an informative video and a silly one as well before going down the other side to get a view there from a path.
The below is not a good video as not pre-planned. Three teachers were singing Pink Floyd’s The Wall on the Great Wall.
It is crazy to be on a highway where there is not much traffic in the desert but still have enough connection to create this blog post!
From Zhangye we drove to the Pingshan canyon. This is smaller than the grand canyon but as there is no flowing river it is still impressive. It is red sandstone and was formed when this area was under water.
This area is significant in the Silk Road as it was a trade route with Mongolia and also an area of defense during the Han Dynasty. Both areas are known as Danxia landforms characterized by their red stone base and steep cliffs.
We started walking along the upper pathways to take in the views.
We then took the stairs and paths to the lower part of the canyon. There is a shortcut to take a ladder straight up or to continue to walk around the canyon. Some of us walked around the canyon.
We then took stairs and a spiral staircase back up to the top to a different platform. I saw several rabbits on the hike but they were too quick to get a picture.
Buses then take you back to the main entrance area. There I rode a camel. The old gentleman appreciated the business.
We then traveled a distance for lunch outside of the Painted Mountains. They were formed from layers of silt and mineral sandstone formed in a lake eventually being uplifted and tilted when the crust moved. After years of erosion of the outer layers, the colored layers were exposed.
They were beautiful though the only way to get to the 4 viewing areas is by shuttle bus from one platform to the other. The artificial walkways took away from the beauty of the place but the platforms provided great viewing points for pictures.
It was a beautiful day being able to walk outside in the sunshine!
Originally we were to have a long bus ride with views of scenery along the way. Even though I know that it was pretty I did not want to spend that much time on the bus. Instead, a bunch of us booked a high speed train then hired a driver to drive us to visit the Temple. This was supposed to be in our tour but was taken out.
The people here were very friendly and it was not packed with tourists like other places we have been.
On the way we saw sheep sharing the road and beautiful mountains and plains.
These grottos were built around 317 to 402 AD in the Linsong mountain. The mountain itself is red sandstone. Paths connect caves inside and wind their way up to the temples. This is one of the most important Tibetan Buddhist grottos in China. Legend has it that once a sacred horse left its footprint in a rock here. Mati means horse hoof.
Thousand Buddha temple
Going up the stairs and into cave passages you can get to the statues of Buddha.
One passageway you have to climb vertically with footholds. Those brave enough can see a really cool view.
View from the top
I first walked up the many steps to get to the top of the hill and look at the surroundings.
The white stupas. These house ancient relics and have prayer wheels at the base.
Tavatimsa grottos
Then I walked to the temples carved in the rock. There are 7 levels of passages and temples to get to the top.
This was the last passage to the 7th level of grottos and is to bring luck in life.
Outside the Temple grounds we had time to take pictures as they keep track that everyone who visited is accounted for by scanning tickets. The driver was helpful to do all of that for us and herd us around so we would see everything.
On the drive back we saw many Villagers hauling corn.
We had him drop us off at the Night market where we met up with others from our tour.
Yummy food of course and lots to see.
I woke up early to get in a 5k run at Qinghai Lake and hopefully get some sunrise pictures. It was very cloudy so it was not spectacular.
Then came the long bus ride to the salt lake. There were a few places along the way but we did not stop because of poor visibility.
We then arrived at the Chaka salt lake. This natural crystallized saline lake is part of the Qaidam Basin, which is the largest salt mine in the world. It is at an altitude of 3,059 meters (10,036 feet) and is oval shape covering an area of 105 square kilometers (40 square miles). It could supply all of China enough salt for 85 years. It looked like a frosty wonderland and a nice day for walking around a bit.
Afterwards we piled back on the bus for a really long drive to the hotel. Unfortunately there was an accident with two buses that shut down the road for some time. But eventually we made it to Xining.
