China 2014

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We spent 20 days this year in China. Our adventure began in Beijing where we met our good friend, Yuanyuan. Afterwards we took a high-speed train to Xuzhou followed by another high-speed train to Shanghai. We enjoyed a great time in each of these cities including some amazing touring (as usual). Immediately below is the summary of what we saw in Beijing. If you want to skip ahead, just click on either link that follows. Xuzhou Shanghai

BEIJING – 13 February through 22 February: During the first four nights of our visit to Beijing, we had the pleasure of showing our friend, Yuanyuan, around her capital city. This was Yuanyuan’s first time to visit Beijing and it was our treat to be able to see the city through her eyes.

Tiananmen Square: Our first day of touring began at Tiananmen Square. Where else would you begin a visit in Beijing?! Our touring began at the west side of the Square at the Great Hall of the People. This is where the People’s Congress meetings are held and other political and diplomatic activities occur. It was an appropriate place to get our first photographs of Yuanyuan. Next we visited the Monument of People’s Heroes. This is a beautiful granite tower near the center of the Square. It was built in 1952 and is a quite beautiful. We headed to the southern part of the Square to visit the Memorial Hall to Chairman Mao. Visitors are allowed to pass through the hall and see Chairman Mao’s body. However, as a matter or respect, no photographs are allowed inside. We also stopped by Zhengyangmen, the South Gate. It is an officially designated cultural relic.

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Forbidden City: Until our visit this year, we didn’t know that the Forbidden City is now called the “Palace Museum.” It’s directly across from Tiananmen Square and access to it is via the Tiananmen Tower, the famous Ming Gate which was built in 1417 and now bears Chairman Mao’s photograph. We spent the balance of the day wandering around this vast complex. The Forbidden City was built between 1406 and 1420 and contains approximately 980 buildings. It is huge at 180 acres in size. The Forbidden City was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987.

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	Yuanyuan pointing out the Ming Gate entrance to the Forbidden City
	We're there!
	Yuanyuan poses by a huge bronze lion
	Yuanyuan is standing on one of the many elevated walkways in the Forbidden City
	The buildings in the Forbidden City are so beautiful (as is Yuanyuan)
	Look at this bronze bowl... What was it used for? It holds water to put out fires!
	Yuanyuan points out some gorgeous buildings. Note the hand-carved marble walkways & stairways
	Yuanyuan and Lindy under a wall decorated with glazed porcelain
	Yuanyuan in a nearby alleyway

Great Wall at Badaling: It was another full day today as we and Yuanyuan decided to visit the Great Wall near the town of Badaling, about 50 miles northwest of Beijing. To do so, we had to take the subway to the Beijing North Railway Station. From the train station, it was about a one hour ride to Badaling. It was a unique train ride in that as soon as the doors were opened to board the train, everyone ran in order to get seats – us included. Hey, it was a good way to warm up! Once at Badaling, we opted to take the cable car up to and back down from the Great Wall. It was a good decision as it was a cold and windy day. That being said, we were able to get some nice photographs. For reference, this section of the Great Wall was built in 1504. Amazing that it is still standing today.

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	Yuanyuan on the Beijing metro as we make our way to the Beijing North Railway Station
	We've arrived at Badaling
	We choose to take the cable car to the top of the Great Wall
	Yuanyuan & Lindy on the ride up to the Great Wall
	Yuanyuan on the Great Wall!
	We're there too!
	Wow, Yuanyuan on the Great Wall without any other visitors present
	Another visitor does arrive and takes a group snap of us all!
	Again, a shot of this amazing structure without any other visitors; we're looking at one of the Watch Towers on this section of the Great Wall
	Yuanyuan in the doorway of the Watch Tower that we just photographed above
	It's a bit later in the day and now Yuanyuan is sharing the Great Wall with other visitors
	When you see the snow, you realize why we're all bundled up in warm winter clothing
	Another great photograph of Yuanyuan
	Our final view of the Great Wall

Beijing Zoo/Aquarium: We spent another entire day with Yuanyuan at the Beijing Zoo & the Beijing Aquarium. The Giant Pandas at the Zoo are always so much fun to see! There are also great exhibits featuring the Chinese Tiger, Polar Bear and Wolves. While at the Zoo, we went to the Beijing Aquarium (it is located on the Zoo grounds). The Aquarium opened in 1995 and it said to be the largest inland aquarium in the world. It had amazing numbers of aquatic species to view and we also took out time to enjoy shows performed by the dolphins, sea lions and whales in the Aquarium’s “Ocean Theater.” The Aquarium was a real treat for Yuanyuan as this was her first time to visit one.

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Temple of Ancient Monarchs: The little-known Temple of Ancient Monarchs (Li Dai Di Wang Miao) is a hidden gem. It was built some 470 years ago by Ming Dynasty emperors to worship their ancestors, but the ceremonies came to an end with the fall of the Qing dynasty. Since then it has been used for various purposes, primarily serving as a site for schools. In was opened to the public in 2004 after undergoing a $36 million restoration. Ask at the ticket window for the six-page computer-printed introduction to the temple that will guide you through each of its courtyards and halls.

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	The Jingde Gate leading into the Temple of Ancient Monarchs
	A closer view of the ornate doors at Jingde Gate
	The restoration of the Temple of Ancient Monarchs shows the amazing detail that was recaptured
	Jing De Chong Sheng Palace (built in 1530
	A view of the intricate detail inside the Palace
	The southwest Stele Pavilion
	We're now at the entry of the Southeast Stele Pavilion
	Inside the Stele Pavilion is the Stele which is inscribed in both Manchu & Mandarin
	The lovely East Annex Hall
	Ed by a bronze bowl outside the East Annex Hall
	The Storeroom of Sacrificial Utensils

XUZHOU – 23 February through 27 February: In deciding to visit the town of Xuzhou, which is off the beaten path for most tourists (Chinese and non-Chinese), we relied on the expertise of Leo Liu of GoWay Travel. Leo arranged for us to enjoy private touring with an English speaking guide. Leo did an excellent job on this tour as well as other tours he has coordinated on our behalf in Laos, Malaysia and Myanmar! If you need assistance with touring in Asia, we highly recommend contacting Leo (leol@goway.com).

Lion Hill/Mini-Terracotta Warriors: Our guide, Suting and our driver, Mr. Zhong, arrived at our hotel and quickly took us to Lion Hill to visit the tomb of Chu King of the Western Han Dynasty (206BC - 24AD). The king’s tomb was built into Lion Hill and was only discovered in the mid 1990’s after the discovery of the Mini-Terracotta Warriors. Historians and archeologists surmised that royalty must have been buried nearby but it took some time and luck to find the tomb. We entered through an outer hall. Then, there were rooms on the east and west – one held kitchen utensils and the other was dedicated to cleansing – things necessary for the king and his concubines in their afterlife. Eventually we went to the inner tomb. There was viewed the jade lacquer coffin of the King. There also was a bust of the king as well as two sets of bronze instruments. Most items were found intact but there was some vandalism.

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	The outer hall leading into the Tomb of Chu King
	This narrow hallway is the Inner Tomb Gallery
	This is the Eastern Ala Kitchen where both bronze and pottery bowls & utensils were unearthed along with some figurines
	Ritual bathing objects found in the Western Ala Room
	Looking into the main tomb
	This is a replica of the beautiful jade lacquer tomb of the Chu King; the biggest and most magnificent in Western Han (the original is in the Xuzhou Museum)
	This is a replica of the Chu King's burial suit. The original has 4,248 pieces of jade held together by 1,576 grams of gold wire
	The bust of a statue of the Chu King who was believed to be between 35 - 37 years of age at his death
	A set of bronze bells which were used as a musical instrument

Afterwards we walked to see some of the reliefs found in the tomb. There were detailed and quite beautiful. We next went to the pits where the Mini-Terracotta Warriors and horses were located. Some of the pits had been left undisturbed. The reason was that originally the terracotta figures were painted with bright colors. However, once uncovered, the colors faded and ultimately disappeared. Perhaps in the future a method to protect the original colorings will be developed and then these figures will be retrieved from the earth. Then, we saw a pit which showed how some of the figurines were originally found; that is, in a bit of disarray. Then, we viewed the restored pits. Interestingly, there were so similar to the terracotta warriors we’ve seen in Xi’An but there were so tiny by comparison. Those in Xi’An are life size (or slightly larger than an average Chinese man) while those in Xuzhou are miniature – about 18 inches tall.

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	Suting & Lindy by a relief from the tomb
	This relief and the rubbing above it depict "Getting Married"
	This is one of the Mini-Terracotta Warrior pits before restoration
	A restored pit of Mini-Terracotta Warriors; each would have been holding a weapon
	Lindy crouching by the pit will give you some size perspective of these Mini-Terracotta Warriors
	Look at the detail of the horses and the warriors that follow
	Another view of these amazing Mini-Terracotta Warriors

Yunlong Lake Scenic Spot: Suting and our driver, Mr. Zhong drove us to the southern part of Xuzhou to see Yunlong Lake Scenic Spot. Unfortunately, it was a gray and dreary day. That being said, however, we were able to get some nice shots of this scenic area.

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Xuzhou Museum: The Xuzhou Museum houses a great collection of items found mostly in ancient tombs of the Western Han Dynasty (206BC - 24AD). It has three floors and eight exhibition halls. The first floor highlights weapons used in ancient wars that occurred throughout the area. The second floor contains a great collection of jade items. Thankfully, most were found intact in the ancient tombs due to beliefs that stealing jade would bring bad luck. These included three jade burial suits. Also included was the original coffin in which the Chu King was buried in Lion Hill. Other exhibits included ancient pottery, kitchen tools, etc. that were buried with the King to provide for use in the afterlife. Lastly we visited an exhibit of modern paintings. All in all, it is a very excellent museum.

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	The Xuzhou Museum
	A bronze sword
	A collection of weapons spear points
	An iron helmet from the Han era
	Iron body armor
	This is a beautifully decorated Chinese Ge; the Ge is best described as a hybrid between a spear and a dagger-axe
	A jade disc
	An ornamental jade dragon
	One of the Museum's three jade burial suits
	The original coffin from the Chu King tomb on Lion Hill
	A jade burial suit held together with silver wire
	A jade burial suit held together with copper wire
	A 150 gram gold belt from the Chu King tomb
	A woman's gold belt
	A painted pottery bowl
	A glazed pottery horse
	Pottery dancers
	One set of modern paintings (these are great but we enjoy the historical items more)

SHANGHAI – 28 February through 4 March: We enjoyed five nights in Shanghai, an amazing city. Highlights of our touring include:

Oriental Pearl Tower Area: We took the metro to the opposite side of the Huangpu River (i.e., from Puxi to Pudong). There we went to view buildings we previously had only seen from the Puxi side of the river when standing on Zhongshan Road (i.e., The Bund). We began by photographing the iconic Oriental Pear Tower which stands 468 meters tall (~1,500 feet tall). Further down along Century Avenue, we were amazed by each of Jinmao Tower (420 meters tall) and Shanghai World Financial Center (492 meters tall). Interestingly, two additional buildings are being constructed by these towers – one is almost finished and appears to be near the height of the World Financial Center. Another is simply a series of huge and deep holes into the earth immediately next to the World Financial Center with only a low-rise crane on its sight. By the time we return in November 2014, at least one if not both of these massive structures will be in use.

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Shanghai Museum: The Shanghai Museum is located on People’s Square. It is easily reached by Subway Lines 1 or 2 and it has no admission fee. It’s easily distinguished from other buildings by its square base and rounded roof. This amazing museum has eleven galleries and three temporary exhibits. The displays contain incredible items of jade, bronze, ceramics, traditional costumes, paintings, calligraphy, etc., etc. It’s a great place to spend the day and a great place to return to on future visits to Shanghai.

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	The Shanghai Museum
	A Jade Huang (an arch shaped pendant) from the Songze Culture (4,000 - 3,300 BC)
	A Jade Figurine (2,500 - 2,000 BC)
	Zhou Dynasty Death Mask (these jade pieces were stitched onto a funerary face cloth)
	A Jade Huan (Ring) in the shape of a coiled dragon (13th - 11th century BC)
	An Imperial Belt Buckle used with a Xianbei (Imperial Robe); this one is from the Jin Dynasty
	A Cicada-shaped Mouthpiece put in the mouth of a deceased individual upon burying (25 - 220 AD)
	An Ornament with a Grape Design (1,115 - 1,234 AD)

SOME OF THE TRADITIONAL COSTUMES

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	A Mongolian Headdress
	Traditional costumes from Tibet
	The left costume is worn by women of the Yi minority; the costume on the right is worn by women of the Tu minority
	The left costume is a Tibetan ceremonial dress for women; the costume on the right is worn by women of the Yugur minority
	Tibetan masks

AMAZING POTTERY & CALLIGRAPHY

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	Red Pottery Pot with Two Ears Peiligang Culture 6,000 - 5,200 BC
	Painted Pottery Pot with Bird Pattern Shilingxia Type of Majiayao Culture 3,800 BC
	Black Pottery Covered Jar with Carved Pattern Songze Culture 3,800 - 3,200 BC
	Painted Bo-Shaped Pottery Ding (TriPot) early Dawenkou Culture 4,300 - 3,500 BC
	Grey Pottery Jar with Open Design Songze Culture 3,800 - 3,200 BC
	Jar with "Wucai" Design of Fish & Algae Jingdezhen Ware Jiajing Reign (AD 1522 - 1566), Ming
	Blue & White Vase with Scenes of The West Lake Jingdezhen Ware Kangxi Reign (AD 1662 - 1722), Qing
	Zangzhen (725 - 785), a Buddhist monk, originally from Changsha, Hunan Province, was famous for his running script calligraphy
	This work was done by Zhao Mengfu (1254-1322), a native of Wuxing, Zhejiang Province and a leader in the calligraphic arena; this is his earliest known intact work

	Yuanyuan outside the Great Hall of the People
	Yuanyuan by the granite tower, the Monument of the People's Heroes
	A great photo outside the Memorial Hall to Chairman Mao
	The South Gate is behind Yuanyuan

	Yuanyuan outside the Giant Panda House
	This Giant Panda is enjoying some bamboo
	This guy is enjoying breakfast too
	Yuanyuan has found lots of bears!
	Yuanyuan points out the large sleeping Giant Panda
	It's adorable!
	This is a beautiful Chinese Tiger
	Look at this Porcupine
	This is a beautiful large Wolf

	Yuanyuan outside the Aquarium
	A beautiful coral reef tank
	What a colorful Moray Eel
	Yuanyuan, watch out for that shark!
	A shot from one of the shows we enjoyed
	This show featured trained Dolphins
	This is a Lion Fish - amazing!
	This is an Egg-yolk Jellyfish
	A tiny Seahorse

	Lindy & Suting at Half Moon Bridge
	A beautiful pavilion in the area
	A beautiful decorative curved walkway
	We approach the entry of a covered bridge
	The ceiling of the walkway of the bridge has some great paintings
	A closer view of one of the paintings
	Doesn't Suting look great in these shades?!

	The iconic Oriental Pearl Tower
	The Oriental Pearl Tower and its surrounding buildings
	A look away from the Tower towards a beautiful boulevard with many more high-rise buildings
	Shanghai's World Finance Center
	Jinmao Tower in the center
	Left to right: The high-rise under construction; the World Finance Center Building and Jinmao Tower