On day five, we visited the Terra-cotta Warriors and Horses that have been warding away evil spirits for Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of China (Qin Dynasty) since 206 BC. More than 7,000 clay soldiers and horses were discovered in 1974 when a farmer (who we met today) was digging a well. They were rather amazing.
After staying one more night in Xian, we board a ship to cruise the Yangtze river for a few days.
On Saturday, we had a nice stroll down the Sacred Way of Ming Tombs where stone statues of soldiers and animals have stood guard since 1435.
In the afternoon, we explored the Great Wall of China. Mom and Dad took the easy path while Cameron and I took the more difficult and less crowded direction. While it was nice to have fewer people to contend with, we were confronted by 92 vendors trying to pawn of t-shirts, postcards, and useless trinkets. Their constant prodding took away from the breathtaking views (and steep inclines).
Today, Sunday, we flew to Xian. Before doing so, we visited the Summer Palace in Beijing.
Yesterday we explored Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City, which was off-limits to most of the world for 500 years. Both were grander than I ever expected.
After a 12 hour flight, the four of us arrived in Beijing, China, around 5:30 a.m. We began exploring shortly thereafter.
In this clip, my brother falls off the monkey bars in a park; giving us great comic relief.
We explored some ancient neighborhoods, visited an elementary school, ate lunch in a local’s home, and stood in awe at the base of some elaborate Buddha. Sorry, we weren’t permitted to take photos of the Buddha, but I did catch this nice image of a monk.
I depart today for China, meeting the parents and brother in Los Angeles. I have my iPod packed with music and podcasts, a digital camera to take lots of photos, and 44 pounds of luggage.
When I go on long trips, I tend to pack as many unwanted items of clothing as I can muster. That way, I can wear the item one last time and discard it, lightening my load as I go. The only downside is I look hideous in all my travel photos.
By my count, China will be my 47th country. If I’m lucky, I’ll also knock off two Medieval Wonders from my list: the Porcelain Tower of Nanjing and the Great Wall of China.
I’ll post updates during my travels when I can. You might also want to monitor my Flickr account for uploaded images.