Cute Lesser Panda
You You has a bamboo snack.
We left beautiful Guilin this morning on Xiamen Air headed for a rendezvous with Pandas in Chongqing.
The long drive out of Guilin showed off even more of the city’s parks, landscaped medians, and clean, attractive commercial areas. As with all the Chinese airports, this one was built with future expansion in mind and located a fair distance from the center of town.
They say Chongqing is the largest city you never heard of, and with 33 million residents it proved to be true; currently the largest incorporated city in the world, it includes towns in the nearby Yangtze area. There are massive residential towers lining the highways, one after another, for as far as you can see; then you round the next bend and there are even more. This is the worst pollution we have experienced on the trip, and since we are in a very industrial city, not surprising. The weather has gotten much warmer than forecast (91), but those gracious Chinese ancestors have kindly held off the predicted rain. So basically, we are having Miami weather – it’s warm and humid. I can only imagine how uncomfortable it would be in the summer when the humidity is up and temps reach well over 100.
Historically, Chongqing was an important city and a major salt mining area; during WWII it was extensively bombed by the Japanese but never occupied, partly due to the assistance of the Flying Tigers, a group of American pilots.
We saw the locally famous Great Hall of the People, new tank-shaped Opera House, many bridges and the incredible amount of construction currently underway. They have cleared massive spaces for more new buildings and everywhere you look, the skyline is a mix of cranes interspersed with the existing monolithic buildings.
I saw my first Panda in 1972 at the London Zoo, it was a really big deal since at that time only about four were outside of China and visiting China was not an option. Today, China has dispersed a few more of the rare animals around the world, and zoologists are working closely with the Chinese to breed and monitor this national Chinese treasure. Currently there are only about 1,400 Giant Pandas remaining in the wild.
The Chongqing Zoo has seven (one was just relocated for breeding), due to its proximity to the remaining natural Panda habitat. Things were in a bit of a tizzy, since they are approaching their very brief breeding period. We did spend time watching Liang Liang, a 13-year-old very prolific male; You You, a 6.5 year-old male, and the 1.5 year-old baby girl Mangzai. At least they think the baby is a girl, they are never really sure about Pandas. Mangzai was selected after a naming contest, and means honest, cute, active and healthy.
We also got to see some very active Lesser Pandas – they were just darling, and I would love to take one home, if I didn’t think it would put our cat totally over the edge!
Oddly, there is a major art gallery and art school located within the zoo grounds. We had an interesting, translated presentation from a Chinese Master, and were able to see some artisans carve stone and delicately paint the inside of small bottles. The gallery offered some very pricey major paintings for sale.
Eventually we made our way to the Yangtze River, and our other reason for traveling to this central Chinese town – to board the Yangtze Explorer for a three-day trip east down the river. Because the geography here is hilly, it can be quite a walk down to the river when the water level is low (which it is right now). This town is famous for the local “bang-bang” porters who carry cargo, supplies, luggage and more onto the waiting ships and barges or up to residential apartments and commercial shops and businesses. Even though these “bang-bang” men have been providing the same service for hundreds of years, their numbers have swelled since the river relocation project (more on that tomorrow) to around 100,000. Their technique is a simple one used for generations; they carry a single bamboo pole (called bang-bang) across their shoulders with ropes on either side to tie the items they carry or baskets to transport smaller items. Even though I had read about them, I was surprised to see so many along the downtown streets and along the waterfront. We even utilized their services to easily get our luggage and hand-carry items on board. It’s another interesting contrast of modern and ancient.
We boarded the Yangtze Explorer around 5 PM – got settled in and enjoyed dinner prior to the sail-away just after 10 PM. The departure was nice, and there were quite a few lively-looking boats used for short river trips; we would call these party boats at home because of their bright neon lights and music. It was nice that city officials turn on lots of additional lights on the downtown buildings for the benefit of the departing riverboats, but then, it’s lights out at 10pm!
Tip of the day: Chinese ladies don’t generally stand in an orderly line and wait their turn for the bathroom, they will sometimes queue at the door of the stall, or push past you; so, if you stand in line you might be waiting a long time . . . .
On the Li River – a Chinese Treasure.
After a very early morning fight from Xi’an, we found ourselves gliding down the beautiful Li River.
It was raining when we arrived in Guilin, but it’s as if we have some benevolent Chinese spirits looking after us – because by the time we were on the River the sun was shining and the temperature was perfect.
We are going to cruise the most scenic portion of this lovely site during a two and a half hour trip disembarking at Yangdi. This is the China of art and poetry; the scenes we see on scrolls and fans; and the serenity we associate with classic Chinese imagery.
The Karst topography (thanks Dad) has shaped one of the most scenic areas of the country, and even though this was a quick visit well worth the effort to get here. Limestone formations have evolved through the centuries creating the most amazing series of closely set “stone forests,” each less than 1000’. Sheer cliffs, water buffalo, deep caves, waterfalls, and clusters of river craft dot the dramatic landscape. It’s very green and very Jurassic Park-looking.
We were on a private boat and our hotel, the Guilin Shangri-La, sent substantial boxed/suitcase lunches for us to enjoy, so once again, no one went hungry.
On the way back to town we drove through beautiful countryside and farms with rice paddies. Once back in Guilin, we indulged ourselves with a one hour reflexology treatment – a foot massage technique that originated with one of the four minority populations from this region. We have to give a shout out to our Tauck Tour Director Annie for suggesting this, and making it happen so seamlessly; it is like she is channeling our inner thoughts; it was fantastic.
We were also enchanted by the beautiful parks and pagodas here. Guilin has four major lakes and two rivers, with the Li River winding through and around the area like a silver ribbon. Banyan trees, Phoenix Tail Bamboo and sub-tropical vegetation add to the peaceful feeling. The “silver” and “gold” pagodas are just two of the spectacular examples found here. Some of the parks development has been recently completed by the government. As a result of the geography and the improvements to the area’s green spaces Guilin and the Li River has become a big destination for Chinese who want to get away from the bustle of the cities and reconnect with nature. I would have liked another day here – to have time to see more parks, contemplate the beautiful pagodas and get out to the River at night to see the famous Cormorant fisherman on their flat bamboo rafts (you can arrange hour-long viewing trips in the summer).
You may have read about the latest variety of Bird Flu that has hit China. It started in the South and just reached Beijing while we were there. It seems to be affecting people who handle live birds, and so the government has been destroying populations of chickens, ducks and geese in the impacted areas. At dinner tonight in the resort’s Chinese restaurant, we encountered evidence of this action for the first time, when we found out that no poultry dishes were available.
Tips of the day: remember to take your sunscreen on the River and try something new every day (even if you don’t like it).
Right off I need to let you know the Terra Cotta Warriors are not really terra cotta. They are made of a completely different kind of clay called loess and are a much lighter sandy color. Apparently when they were first discovered by farmers in the mid-1970s, National Geographic identified them as terra cotta and in English, the moniker has stuck; in Chinese it’s totally different.
Seeing the warriors is definitely a highlight of the trip, and because I had read quite a bit about them, they were just as I had imagined. They are actually located about an hour outside of Xi’an in the district of Lintong, and we were on the road early in an effort to beat the crowd and have some time alone in the first and largest pit. It was in fact, excellent planning by our Tauck Director to have us there by 8:30 AM and we did, in fact have time to take in the enormity of the site, and its incredible detail and artistry. We also had ample opportunity to get some photos (even though signs say you can’t, you can). The soldiers are actually a little larger than life – averaging about 6’5” in height and definitely represent people from the northern provinces of China.
We already knew westerners were referred to as “big noses” due to the size of the bridge of our nose (considered a desirable feature here), and today we learned about the “rice face” rounder, flatter features from the southern parts of China and the “noodle face” generally belonging to the taller northern Chinese.
The clay army dates back 2,200 years to the reign of Qin Shi Huangdi. Built to guard the emperor’s tomb, the project took hundreds of thousands of workers 36 years to complete, before his death at age 49. The massive tomb complex has barely been excavated, but even so, around 8,000 figures have been found. In addition to the warriors and the famous kneeling archer (housed in the Shaanxi Museum), there are the well-known officers, fat general, horses and even entertainers and administrators.
Pit One is the largest and features 6,000 figures. Archeologists were working at the site while we were there, and we had the opportunity to speak (through a translator) with one of them. Since excavations had revealed remnants of lacquer and color that began dissolving within minutes of being exposed to air, authorities decided to stop work and wait a few years until technology allowed a way to preserve what is found. They are currently working with scientists in Germany and elsewhere to resolve these technical issues.
Pit Two is much smaller, and houses the officers who commanded the stone warriors; Pit Three has more soldiers and horses. Half-size bronze chariots that were uncovered are on display in the exhibition hall. As we progressed the crowds kept growing. It has only been in recent years that the Chinese people have been able to travel, and most of that travel is within their own country. So in a country with 1.5 billion people you can just imagine how popular the ancient and historical sites have become.
Taking in all this history worked up an appetite, and so we headed back into central Xi’an for a dumpling lunch at Dafacheng Restaurant. For the uninitiated, in the northern part of China, dumplings are made of wheat and in the south, dim sum are dumplings made of rice. Today’s dumplings were really wonderful, and my husband and I tried absolutely everything we were served. I can’t say there was anything we didn’t like and it’s hard to pick a favorite; a couple of items packed quit a punch and the sweet dumplings with chocolate and nuts and sweet flaky pastry were especially delicious.
After lunch we visited the Shaanxi History Museum where 370,000 relics from prehistoric time forward are on display. In addition to the beautiful pottery and artifacts, we had the chance to really see the detail on the warriors. Even the soles of their footwear, and lines in the palms of their hands were individually crafted. All had mustaches, headgear, and every hair on their heads was meticulously carved. It really is a marvel.
I knew Xi’an had a restored city wall dating from 1370 and wanted to see it. So after finding out we would have difficulty finding any sort of cab to bring us back to the Shangri-la Hotel where we were staying, we hired a car service to take us over and wait. You can walk, rent bikes or take a golf-cart type vehicle around the 9 mile wall. We decided to walk as much as possible for about an hour. This wall was originally around the Imperial Palace, and an even larger wall was constructed around the 30 square mile city during its heyday years in the Tang Dynasty. It was the largest city in the world, and the eastern end of the famous Silk Road, a thriving marketplace and an ancient melting pot of various cultures.
The walls were solidly built by the first Ming emperor, very wide, beautifully constructed and something I would recommend taking the time to see. I felt like we’d seen a glimpse into the soul of Xi’an-a look past all the high rise modern buildings. Known as the Xi’an City Wall Scenic Area, the area is very green and surrounded by trees and parks. You can see nice restaurants and bars nearby; the views were terrific, and the flowering trees provided a really lovely fragrance.
A little over heated, we got back into our cool, black Audi A 6L, the preferred transport of the local politicians and dignitaries, and held our breath for the wild ride back to the hotel. Our driver was great, and it was interesting to see the traffic cops magically part the masses for us. It was a great conclusion to a very interesting day. Dinner at the hotel tonight – we are up before dawn for an early flight.
Tip of the day: people who eat wheat are taller than those who eat rice. Even on a tour you can carve out time for special, unique activities.
In the underground burial complex of Emperor Jing di.
Today was pretty much a travel day – flying from Beijing to Xi’an on a China Eastern Airbus. I’ve been able to take off my jacket for the first time; it’s warm here, but not much humidity.
Tomorrow we are going to visit the Terra Cotta Warriors, but we began our visit in this former capital with a stop at the little-visited Han Yangling Museum.
This modern facility houses the results of 30+ years of excavation in and around the massive burial sites of the Han Dynasty Emperor Ling Di and his empress. The underground mausoleum complex features a portion of the 81 burial pits surrounding the central mound (there were another 8,000 satellite tombs in the surrounding area). Representations include miniatures of tools, weapons, food preparation utensils, animals and people that would be important to the afterlife of the Emperor.
The really unique feature of this museum is the transparent glass floors covering the exposed pits – so you are literally walking on top of the site. It’s a very dark place and gave me a bit of vertigo since it feels like you are standing on air. It’s hard to see in general and impossible to see my camera dials, and even more difficult to get shots that do justice to the site.
Xi’an is a big city with more than 8 million residents and what must be hundreds of multi-story (as in 20+ floors) high rise apartment buildings. It’s dusty and hazy and our hotel, the Shangri-La, seems like an oasis.
Since this is a short post, let me just comment on a few other things about China. First and foremost, the Chinese people are very friendly, welcoming and seem pleased to have us here. The working-class folks we are meeting are generally attractive and well-educated and would blend in the U.S. with no problem. The streets are very clean and we see the maintenance trucks washing them down daily. In our hotels, we have no problem with access to English language TV including CNN and ESPN – so we did get to see the Masters and are keeping up with the news out of Boston. The English language Chinese newspaper, China Daily has a nice general news roundup. We have good, free wi-fi in the hotels and the iPhone with both Verizon and Viber (free app) work well; calls sound like they are from next door. We just don’t have access to social media.
Tips of the day: 1. Chinese airlines actually serve food on short flights and Chinese airports sell lots of snacks and 2. Never plan to drive here, in fact, you may not even want to look out the window when in any moving vehicle.
