Pit 1
After the movie she took us to Pit 1. There were lots of warriors there lined up and many in rubble form. I think we've all seen many many photos and videos of the site so were fully aware of what it was going to look like--and it did! What I hadn't realised was why the warriors were broken up. About 14 or so years after the Emperor Qin Shi Huang died there was a peasant rebellion and hordes of angry peasants broke into the area where the warriors were. They burned the wooden roof and its supporting beams and smashed most of the statues. Since the statues were also painted in a life-like way the burning also removed most of the paint. I'll have to read a bit about how they were then buried. We also viewed Pits 2 & 3 and the museum which holds two bronze statues of 4 horses drawing a chariot.
The statue of a kneeling archer which was not damaged
It is fairly cold here but clear. Because we were going to be walking around outside we wore our thermals underneath our clothing. I think I had 6 layers on top--bra-thermal-skivvy-fleece vest-fleece jumper/sweater-ski jacket. I only wore my thermals and jeans on the lower half and I was fine. The kids are still reluctant to wear enough clothing but they are now seeing the necessity for it. I've heard that Beijing is colder not only because it has lower temperatures but also because it is windy.
We arrived back at our hotel at 2:30. Although we only booked the tour to the Terracotta Warriors we had been charged a full day's fee for the car and driver. Realising that our tour wasn't going to take the full day I had asked Penny if she could take us somewhere else. I had read that some groups took in the Big Goose Pagoda along with the Warriors in the one tour. We knew that we would have to cover any admission fee but felt that we had paid for a full day and could easily have taken in another sight for an hour or two. Penny brushed our request aside however. So be it! We are now fondly thinking back to our guide Allen in Nanning who was very flexible and who contacted us a number of times even on his off days to make sure we were OK and check whether we needed anything. That level of care has not been evident since.
The South City Gate
So we were on our own for the afternoon. We decided to walk to the city walls and walk around part of them. Because it was late and there was an admission fee to go on top of the walls we walked around the park outside the walls. Initially the kids weren't very happy about this until we found a whole series of fitness stations. They absolutely loved trying all these out and are hoping that they will get another chance to do so.
We've now made a plan for the remainder of our stay in Xian. Tomorrow we are going to see the Big and Little Wild Goose Pagodas. Then we are going to have dinner with a friend afterwards. Unfortunately, the only Tang Dynasty Show that is on during our stay is also tomorrow so we will have to give it a miss. The show starts at 8:30 and that is really too late for the kids anyway.
Xian is absolutely beautiful--modern and developed. But because of our various experiences so far I am having trouble warming to it. I am trying to keep an open mind. Today we asked Penny how to say 'Go away'. It is zou kai. Now we are using this with the beggars who agressively chase us. (They are not real beggars it must be said.)
One observation I'd like to make about the Chinese is that they are a hardy people. They like to drive with windows open and little heat in their vehicles and they just seem to be more in tune with the climate and not feel the necessity to fight the natural environment by using heat everywhere. Many people wear masks--not necessarily medical ones but warmer looking ones so that they are breathing warm air. The cold weather doesn't seem to slow them down at all. Good for them! Maybe we should all try to live a bit less over the top in order to conserve our environment.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment