The Itinerary - Day 6 - Xi'an, Shaanxi Museum, and Dumpling Banquets

26 September 2013, Thursday

So far, we've been in Beijing for 4 days visiting Tiananmen Square, the surrounding buildings and monuments, the Forbidden City, the Great Wall of China, the Ming tombs, the Summer Palace and Imperial Gardens.  We've taken a rickshaw ride through the hutongs of old Beijing, seen the Beijing opera, and had Beijing duck.  All in just 4 days!

In the morning, we fly from Beijing to Xi'an, home of the 8,000 terra cotta soldiers.  We stay in Xi'an for two nights.

Xi'an - A Bit of History
Xi'an (also known as Chang'An in ancient times), one of the oldest cities in China with more than 3,100 years of history, is the capital of Shaanxi province.  It is one of the Four Great Ancient Capitals of China, being the capital of 13 feudal-era dynasties, including the Zhou, Qin, Han, Sui, and Tang dynasties.  Xi'an became a cultural and political centre of China with the founding of the Zhou Dynasty (1046 BC – 256 BC).  It was during this period that the Chinese first produced and used iron and Chinese bronze-ware reached its zenith.  Chinese philosophers such as Confucius, founder of Confucianism, and Laozi, founder of Taoism, along with many others, came into prominence.

Beijing To Xi'an - About 800 Miles

Xi'an was the beginning of the Silk Road, a trade network of 4,000 miles (6,450 km) that linked Asia, Europe, the Mediterranean coast, and North and East Africa to the lucrative Chinese silk trade.  Starting with the Han Dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD), the Silk Road passed through Syria, Turkey, Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan and on to Europe and Africa.  Trade on the Silk Road was a significant factor in the development of the civilizations of China, the Indian subcontinent, Persia, Europe and Arabia.  It was along these routes that many other goods were traded, and by which various technologies, religions and philosophies made their way West.  And it was also the path that Marco Polo followed on his way to China. 

The Silk Road - Xi'An To All Parts of The Then-Known World

Since the 1990s Xi'an has become an important cultural, industrial and educational centre.  With a population exceeding 7.2 million, it has become one of the 13 emerging megalopolises of China.

Shaanxi History Museum
Located to the northwest of the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda, the Shaanxi History Museum houses over 370,000 items including murals, paintings, pottery, coins, as well as bronze, gold, and silver objects.  Built in 1983, it was opened to the public in June of 1991.  The museum is in an area of 65,000 square meters, with a building area of 55,600 square meters, cultural relics storerooms of 8,000 square meters and exhibition halls of 11,000 square meters.  In a word...... HUGE!!  The museum is architecturally in the Tang style, with a "hall in center, multi-storied buildings in corners".  This combines traditional architecture with modern technology.

Entrance To Shaanxi History Museum

The exhibition halls are divided into four groups:

1. Preface Halls,
2. Permanent Exhibit Halls,
3. Temporary Exhibit Halls,
4. Tang Mural Paintings Hall.

Upon entry, we'll be in the Preface Hall, where stands a replica of a stone lion from the Shunling Tomb of the Tang Dynasty and a huge picture of a loess plateau and the Yellow River.

Layout of the Shaanxi History Museum

The Permanent Exhibit  Halls showcase the Shaanxi's culture through a timeline in three separate exhibit halls:

No.1 Exhibit Hall (1st Floor) - the history of Prehistoric Times (1.2 million years ago to the 21st Century BC), Western Zhou Dynasty (1046 BC - 771 BC) and Qin Dynasty (221 BC-206 BC). Different original cultures are shown in prehistoric times.  The Western Zhou and Qin Dynasty exhibits show the origin and rise of these two dynasties. 

No.2 Exhibit Hall (2nd Floor) - the history from the Han Dynasty (202 BC-220 AD) to the Northern and Southern Dynasties (386 AD-589 AD).  The exhibits of  the Han Dynasty compares and contrasts the architecture and culture of several other countries.  Continuous wars and cultural integration of various peoples are the main themes of the Northern and Southern Dynasties. 

No.3 Exhibition Hall (2nd Floor) - the history of the Tang Dynasty (618-907) and later years. The Tang Dynasty was the heyday of China and Shaanxi Province.  Many different relics covering almost all aspects of this period are on display, ranging from splendid gold and silver articles, tri-color glazed pottery, to artifacts from the period of the Silk Road.  While Xi'an lost its position as the capital city of China after the Tang Dynasty, it still remained a very important place. 

The Temporary Exhibit Halls (to the west side underground) currently showcase the Treasures of the Great Tang Dynasty.  These treasures were unearthed from Hejia Village, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province.  Other Temporary Exhibit Halls feature a variety of theme exhibitions. 

The Tang Mural Paintings Hall (on the east side underground) showcases some of the more than 600 mural paintings recovered from more than 20 tombs of the Tang Dynasty nobility.  These paintings depict the different aspects of the noble classes in the Tang Dynasty, illustrating how people lived during that time.  Other related relics and painting in other dynasties are also shown as companions for the paintings so that visitors can understand the development of the murals.  For additional information there is an inquiry system and electronic explanation system enabling you to not only enjoy the fantastic murals but also get some background knowledge.  This hall is open to the public on an occasional basis each week.

The City Wall

When Zhu Yuanzhang, the first Emperor of the Ming dynasty (1368-1644), captured Huizhou, a hermit named Zhu Sheng sagely advised him to "build high walls, store abundant food supplies and take time to be an Emperor" so that he could fortify the city and unify the other states.  After he established the Ming dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang began to enlarge the walls that were initially built during the Tang dynasty (618 -907) thus creating the modern Xi'an City Wall, the oldest surviving city wall in China and one of the largest ancient military defensive systems in the world. 

Xi'an City Wall

Located in the middle of downtown Xi'an, the wall stands 40' tall (12m), 40'- 46' wide (12m-14m) at the top, and 50'- 60' (15m-18m) thick at the bottom.  It is 8.5 miles (13.7km) in length with a deep moat surrounding it.  There are 98 ramparts every 300' (120m) which were built to defend against the enemy who would be climbing up the wall.  Each rampart has a sentry building which protected the defending soldiers from enemy fire.  The ramparts are placed so that enemy soldiers are within flight-distance of the defenders arrows.  On the outer side of the wall are 5,948 battlements which allowed the defenders to have a clear and protected aim at the enemy.  The top of the wall is lined with parapets that protected the defending soldiers from enemy fire.

As the only way to get inside the city was through the city gates, complicated gate structures were built within the wall.  The Xi'an city wall includes four gates

• Changle (Eternal Joy) in the East,
• Anding (Harmony & Peace) in the West,
• Yongning (Eternal Peace) in the South,
• Anyuan (Forever Harmony) in the North. 

Located near the city-centre Bell Tower, the south Yongning (Eternal Peace) gate is the most beautifully decorated one.  Important greeting ceremonies organized by the Provincial Government are usually held in the south gate square. 

Each of the above city gates has three gate towers:

• Zhenglou - the inner tower, is the main entrance to the city.  
• Jianlou - the outer tower with small windows in the front and flanks was the defensive outpost. 
•  Zhalou - the furthest outside tower.

The most outside is Zhalou, which stands away from the City Wall and is opposite to Zhenglou. It was used to raise and lower the suspension bridge. Jianlou, with small windows in the front and flanks, was used as a defensive outpost.  Zhenglou, the inner tower, is the main entrance to the city.  The wall connects Jianlou and Zhenglou Towers.  The area between them within the wall was called 'Wong Cheng', where the defending soldiers were stationed.  From Wong Cheng, there are sloped horse passages leading to the top of the city wall thus allowing the rapid deployment of reinforcements to those area in need of more defenders. 

 

Map of Xi'an City Wall (Green)

Chinese Dumpling Banquet and the 

Tang Dynasty Music & Dance Show

With all of this activity during the day, we cap things off with a performance of the "Tang Dynasty Music and Dance Show" as we munch on dumplings.  Only these aren't your ordinary sticky, gooey, pasty North American dumplings.  These are Chinese dumplings that are stuffed with all kinds of goodies - meat, shrimp, beef, pork, lamb, mixed vegetables - all wrapped up in a piece of thin dough.  And then there's the performance that the chefs put on as they spin and twirl the dough up in the air, over their head, and ultimately into the pot on your table.  The closest we come to it here in North America is "dim sum".

Chinese Dumplings

The Chinese dumpling, (jiaozi, baozi), has a long history and is an essential part of celebratory meals such as those of the Chinese "Lunar Spring Festival".  It can be anything from a quick snack to a delicacy with which to entertain family and friends or the basis of a veritable feast.  Xi'an is regarded as the home if not the birthplace of the great dumpling tradition.  It was here that the art of creating the most tasty and delicate of dumplings was refined.  

And while this is goiong on, we are entertained by the "Tang Dynasty Music and Dance Show", a group which recreates the music and dance of the Tang Dynasty (618 - 907).

Our Hotel - Sheraton Xi'an Hotel Xi'An, 262 Feng Hao East Road, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710077

Sheraton Xi'an

Whew!!!  That is going to be a really full day!!!

Tomorrow we visit the terra cotta soldiers.

The Itinerary - Day 5 - The Summer Palace & The Hutongs of Old Beijing

25 September 2013, Wednesday

Just to recap, yesterday, we visited the Great Wall of China and the Ming Tombs.  Today we visit a freshwater pearl factory Outlet and the Summer Palace in the morning.  Then on to the Hutongs of Old Beijing in the afternoon. 

Freshwater Pearl Factory Outlet
If you're into freshwater pearls, this is the place to buy them.  Prices are very good but make sure you've got your credit card with you.  You can easily get carried away.  (Understatement!)

The Summer Palace
Situated in the Haidian District northwest of Beijing and dominated by Longevity Hill and Kunming Lake, the Summer Palace is the largest and most well-preserved royal park in China.  With construction starting in 1750, it greatly influenced Chinese horticulture and landscape and has long been recognized worldwide as "The Museum of Royal Gardens".  Originally constructed as a luxurious garden for royal families to rest and entertain, it later became the main residence for royalty towards the end of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912).  It covers an area of 2.9 square kilometers, two-thirds of which is water. 

When emperor Wányán Liàng (1122-1161) of the Jin Dynasty moved his capital to Beijing, he had the Gold Mountain Palace built on the site of the hill.  During the Yuan Dynasty, the hill was renamed Jug Hill (Weng Shan) after a jar with treasure inside was found.  The jar was believed to bring good luck. The loss of the jar coincided with the fall of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).  Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty (1644–1911), who in 1749 commissioned work on the imperial gardens, gave it its present name of Longevity Hill in 1752 in celebration of his mother's 60th birthday.

The Summer Palace has been twice subjected to the ravages of war and subsequently rebuilt.  It was first destroyed by fire during the British and French invasions of Beijing in 1860.  Originally called the "Qingyi Garden" (Garden of Clear Ripples), it was renamed the Summer Palace (Yiheyuan) after its reconstruction in 1888.  In order to pay for these costs, it is rumoured that the dowager Empress Cixi (1835-1908) misappropriated funds from the Chinese navy to reconstruct it as a resort in which to spend the rest of her life.  Six years later, China lost important naval battles to Japan in the First Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895.  In the summer of 1900 the Summer Palace was destroyed a second time by the The Eight-Nation Powers - an alliance of Austria-Hungary, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States.  These military forces invaded China in order to rescue their embassies that had come under siege during the Boxer Rebellion.

The Boxer Rebellion (1899-1901) was an anti-foreigner, pro-nationalist Chinese movement that opposed foreign imperialism in China and the presence of Christian missionaries.  At the time, China was going through severe drought and economic depression which impacted the entire Chinese population.  The rebellion was the response of the people to the increased presence of foreign countries on Chinese soil and their exploitation of the Chinese people.  These sentiments dated back to the Opium Wars (1839-1842 and 1856-1860) and the growing influence of missionaries who were seen as an extension of their countries' expansionary ambitions.

The Summer Palace was repaired over the next two years and in 1924 it was opened to the public.  It  was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1998.

Composed mainly of Longevity Hill (Wanshou Shan) and Kunming Lake, the Summer Gardens occupy more than 300 hectares (745 acres).  There are over 3,000 man-made ancient structures occupying more than 70,000 square meters.  This includes pavilions, towers, bridges, corridors, etc.  The gardens can be divided into four parts: the Court Area, the Front Hill Area, the Rear Hill Area and the Lake Area.

The Hutongs of Old Beijing
Mongolian in origin, "hutong" means "water well".  As communities developed around the water well, it is easy to see that the term would later come to mean a "town".  Later "hutong" referred to the narrow streets or lanes formed by the quadrangle courtyards of family residences.

Before 1927, Beijing was arranged by city planners according to social class.  During the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644), the Forbidden City (the Imperial Palace) was located at the centre of Beijing.  All other buildings were built around it in concentric circles.  The Inner City thus surrounded the Forbidden City and the Outer City surrounded the Inner City.  Citizens of higher social status were permitted to live closer to the Forbidden City while those of lesser social status lived directly further from the centre.  In addition, aristocrats lived to the east and west of the Imperial Palace.

Built around a square courtyard, the large residences (siheyuan) of high-ranking officials and wealthy merchants featured beautifully carved and painted roof beams and pillars with carefully landscaped gardens.  Farther from the palace to its north and south, were the residences of commoners, merchants, artisans, and laborers. Their siheyuan were far smaller in scale and simpler in design and decoration.  As part of the planning process, a series of residences were built along a street or "hutong" and thus formed parts of a community.  The hutongs of the richer parts of the city were wider than the hutongs of the poorer parts.

The hutongs formed by these residences were orderly and lined by spacious homes and walled gardens.  Nearly all residences had their main buildings and gates facing south for better lighting.  Thus the majority of hutongs run from east to west.  Between the main hutongs, tiny lanes ran north and south for convenient passage.

We travel through the old hutongs of Beijing on rickshaws!

Historically, for "urban planning", a hutong was also once the lowest level of administrative division within a city with the largest division being a fang - the equivalent of a current-day precinct.  Each fang was enclosed by walls or fences with the gates of these fangs being closed and guarded every night - somewhat like today's gated communities.  During the Ming Dynasty, Beijing was divided into a total of 36 fangs.  Each fang was further divided into several plate or pai, which was equivalent to a current-day neighborhood.  Each pai, in turn, contained an area of several hutongs.

As the cities became more urbanized, this ancient Chinese urban-planning system gave way to more modern population and household divisions instead of the older geographical divisions.  As a result, the hutongs were no longer used as the lowest level of municipal administrative division.  With redevelopment in the 1980s and 1990s, the hutongs gave way to more modern commercial and apartment complexes with the result that many of the hutongs in Old Beijing are quickly disappearing. 

A Chance To Practice Your Bargaining Skills
It's probably going to be here at the old hutongs, that you'll have your first encounter with "hawkers" ..... people who are trying to sell watches, jewelry, jade, and other trinkets.  The stated price is NOT the final price.  The final price will depend on how good your bargaining and negotiation skills are.  Here's your chance to have a bit of fun and impress your fellow travellers on how hard a bargain you can drive ..... or not.  You may even start a bit of competition with your fellow travellers as to who is the best negotiator.  "You bought your watches for $10!?  Heck I got mine for $8!"  But once you start negotiating, be aware that the seller isn't going to give up on you until you get back on the bus.  

2008 Olympic Park
Our last stop for the afternoon will be at the Olympic Park where China hosted the 2008 Olympics.  The Olympics resulted in major infrastructure projects throughout the whole city ranging all the way from ring roads, subways, beautification of existing roads with lots of greenery.  It catapaulted Beijing from an older city into what it is today.  The key building at the Olympic Park is the

Tomorrow, we leave Beijing and fly to Xi'an in the morning.  We visit Shaanxi Museum in the morning and the City Wall in the afternoon. We are treated to a Tang Dynasty dancing show and a Dumpling Banquet in the evening.