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Page 29
Xi an, China
(Part 1)

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The city of Xi an was not an easy city to visit. The road in front of the hotel we were staying at was being rebuilt the result of which was, much dust in the air. The hotel we were staying at was also being refurbished (and needed it badly) with some interesting odors in the halls and lounges. The city was choked with pollution and the weather was damp and quite cold. All in all the sites were exciting and well worth the visit but the days there were exhausting and trying. We were glad we came but we were very glad when we left.

At the Shanghai airport en route to Xi an.

Donna was amused when the airport power failed just as we were handing in our bags at check-in. The check-in was delayed about 15 minutes so they had to hold the plane until all the bags were checked by the x-ray machines.

The airplane was an old Boeing 737 in a little need of refurbishment. No worse than the US stuff.

Paulette Mitchell and her friend Loretta McCarthy on the other side of the aisle.When the seats are this close together there is much camaraderie.

The road in front of our hotel was being rebuilt and the dust was palpable even in the hotel hallways. This, added to the smog made breathing very difficult for many and several people had sore throats until we left. (Including me).

Here we are with the actual farmer who discovered the warriors while digging a well. For a dollar he will allow his picture to be taken. Sort of like the Kate Moss of the farming community.

Full and half-size replicas of the terra cotta worriers were for sale in the adjacent store. We thought how nice it would have been to have one in the living room.

Below is the area which is being used to piece together the broken warriors. When all the pieces cannot be found, the spaces are filled with a plaster-like material. All these warriors were originally brightly painted. Exposure to the air for only a few minutes fades the color. For this reason, the excavation has been halted until archeologists find better methods of preserving the artifacts. All the warriors displayed have been reconstructed. There may have been less than a half dozen recovered intact. Tomb robbers have stolen many heads which are all distinctly different and are said to be modeled on actual people.

Here was part of the excavation of the officer's headquarters in a separate building shown to the right above.

Donna with Loretta outside the site shown to the left.

Although for the most part excavation has been halted awaiting new techniques to preserve the finds, some below grade work continues.

The officer's site is enclosed and protected by this new building.

Several partially broken statues which have yet to be reconstructed.

These copper half-size chariots were discovered a short distance from the terra cotta warrior sites in a separate Tomb.

Lunch was served in a large restaurant near the site.

A virtuoso noodle maker at work at lunch.

Us again this time trying to stay warm.

On our way to the "Huaqing Hot Springs".

The Huaqing Hot Springs.

One of the lakeside buildings

The gallery above the Emperor's bath.

Lions are a big part of the Chinese sculptural repertoire. The reason they don't look much like real lions is that there are no lions in China and all the carvings were done from drawings of lions brought to China.

Things are changing very quickly i China. These directional arrows on the asphalt in one of the main square's is a good metaphor for what is happening. It shows that the direction of traffic has changed but clearly they did not have enough time nor the inclination to eliminate the old direction.

Tourism is a big business. It seems that most items can be purchased for " one dollar". The call from the merchants "one dollar" became all too common.

The new highways were fast and well maintained.

Motorcycles and bicycles were still the most common forms of transportation in the older sections.

No trip to Xi an we were told was not complete without a visit to the "Wild Goose Pagoda" and the surrounding Buddhist monastery.

We took a walking tour of the Buddhist temple. Buddhism is one of the major religions now being allowed to practice in China.

The exterior walls of the Buddhist temple were newly refinished.

Donna in front of the mall adjacent to the Buddhist monastery.

The kids like anywhere were cute as could be.

Selling sweet potatoes cooked on an oil drum was a common site.

The nights activity was attendance at a wonderful dinner theater which served what can be best described as modest quality dinner along with a world class vegas-like show.

We started with some traditional dinner music.

The Stephenson clan with their guide.

The actual show began with some beautiful music.

The show was terrific. The singing was obviously professional and the dancers were all well-trained in classical ballet. The pictures speak for themselves.

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The Terra Cotta Warriors of Xi an

Page 29 Xi an, China (Part 1)		TO EMAIL US or using your own carrier email us at davidonna@aol.com Please use as the subject: "World Cruise"
GO TO HOME PAGE MAP NEXT PAGE---PREVIOUS PAGE
The city of Xi an was not an easy city to visit. The road in front of the hotel we were staying at was being rebuilt the result of which was, much dust in the air. The hotel we were staying at was also being refurbished (and needed it badly) with some interesting odors in the halls and lounges. The city was choked with pollution and the weather was damp and quite cold. All in all the sites were exciting and well worth the visit but the days there were exhausting and trying. We were glad we came but we were very glad when we left.

At the Shanghai airport en route to Xi an.	Donna was amused when the airport power failed just as we were handing in our bags at check-in. The check-in was delayed about 15 minutes so they had to hold the plane until all the bags were checked by the x-ray machines.	The airplane was an old Boeing 737 in a little need of refurbishment. No worse than the US stuff.

Paulette Mitchell and her friend Loretta McCarthy on the other side of the aisle.When the seats are this close together there is much camaraderie.	The road in front of our hotel was being rebuilt and the dust was palpable even in the hotel hallways. This, added to the smog made breathing very difficult for many and several people had sore throats until we left. (Including me).	Here we are with the actual farmer who discovered the warriors while digging a well. For a dollar he will allow his picture to be taken. Sort of like the Kate Moss of the farming community.
The Terra Cotta Warriors of Xi an
In 1975 a farmer near the city of Xi found some pottery while digging a well. Further excavation indicated that the pottery was part of a life-size terra-cotta warrior dating back to about 200 BC. One of the the first emperors of China had more than 6000 terra-cotta warriors created so that in his afterlife he would have troops to guard him. The warriors occupy three sites within a few hundred yards of each other. The largest of these sites involve mostly infantry with a few horses. Another site the cavalry including archers, and the last site the high ranking officers. As you can see from the pictures, the terra-cotta warriors are arranged in columns between witch were 8 foot high earthen berms. Originally, above the earthen berms were vertical wooden columns which held up a roof of additional wooden beams. This entire structure was then buried under 10 feet of earth. The entire project, including both its location and contents were kept secret. To this end, all the workers who were privy to any knowledge of its existence were killed following its construction. This is one of the reasons it was only recently discovered. After a rebellion of some consequence, a victorious army set fire to the underground wooden structure which subsequently collapsed. Many of the warriors were both burnt by the ensuing fire and crushed by the weight of both the earth and the charred roof beams when the roof collapsed. There have been 1087 warriors excavated out of an estimated 6000 in the main site alone which, was constituted by infantry. Soon after the discovery of the Tomb and once the extent of the site was determined through the sinking of test holes, a building was erected over the entire site before excavation started. Buildings were then constructed over the other 2 sites housing the calvary and the headquarters staff.

	Full and half-size replicas of the terra cotta worriers were for sale in the adjacent store. We thought how nice it would have been to have one in the living room.




Below is the area which is being used to piece together the broken warriors. When all the pieces cannot be found, the spaces are filled with a plaster-like material. All these warriors were originally brightly painted. Exposure to the air for only a few minutes fades the color. For this reason, the excavation has been halted until archeologists find better methods of preserving the artifacts. All the warriors displayed have been reconstructed. There may have been less than a half dozen recovered intact. Tomb robbers have stolen many heads which are all distinctly different and are said to be modeled on actual people.




Here was part of the excavation of the officer's headquarters in a separate building shown to the right above.		Donna with Loretta outside the site shown to the left.

An archer.	An officer.	A general.

Although for the most part excavation has been halted awaiting new techniques to preserve the finds, some below grade work continues.	The officer's site is enclosed and protected by this new building.	Several partially broken statues which have yet to be reconstructed.

These copper half-size chariots were discovered a short distance from the terra cotta warrior sites in a separate Tomb.		Lunch was served in a large restaurant near the site.

A virtuoso noodle maker at work at lunch.

	Us again this time trying to stay warm.	On our way to the "Huaqing Hot Springs".

The Huaqing Hot Springs.

One of the lakeside buildings	The gallery above the Emperor's bath.	The Emperor's bath.

Lions are a big part of the Chinese sculptural repertoire. The reason they don't look much like real lions is that there are no lions in China and all the carvings were done from drawings of lions brought to China.	Things are changing very quickly i China. These directional arrows on the asphalt in one of the main square's is a good metaphor for what is happening. It shows that the direction of traffic has changed but clearly they did not have enough time nor the inclination to eliminate the old direction.	Tourism is a big business. It seems that most items can be purchased for " one dollar". The call from the merchants "one dollar" became all too common.

The new highways were fast and well maintained.	Motorcycles and bicycles were still the most common forms of transportation in the older sections.	No trip to Xi an we were told was not complete without a visit to the "Wild Goose Pagoda" and the surrounding Buddhist monastery.



We took a walking tour of the Buddhist temple. Buddhism is one of the major religions now being allowed to practice in China.

The exterior walls of the Buddhist temple were newly refinished.		Donna in front of the mall adjacent to the Buddhist monastery.

The kids like anywhere were cute as could be.	Selling sweet potatoes cooked on an oil drum was a common site.	The nights activity was attendance at a wonderful dinner theater which served what can be best described as modest quality dinner along with a world class vegas-like show.

We started with some traditional dinner music.	The Stephenson clan with their guide.	The actual show began with some beautiful music.





	The show was terrific. The singing was obviously professional and the dancers were all well-trained in classical ballet. The pictures speak for themselves.
The orchestra.	GO TO HOME PAGE MAP NEXT PAGE---PREVIOUS PAGE

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The Terra Cotta Warriors of Xi an

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