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| The top left picture is the city of Xian as we see it out our hotel window. The bottom left is the round about and park. The right picture here shows part of the ancient city wall. When Zhu Yuanzhang, the first Emperor of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) captured Huizhou, a hermit named Zhu Sheng admonished him that he should built 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 the establishment of the Ming dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang followed his advice and began to enlarge the wall built initially during the old Tang dynasty (618-907) creating the modern Xian City Wall. It's the most complete city wall that has survived in China, as well being one of the largest ancient military defensive systems in the world. |
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| I was a disappointed that we didn't get to go on top of the wall. There was just not enough time. The wall stands 12- meters high. And 12 to 14 meters across the top and 15-18 meters thick at the bottom. I don't know how much a meter is, I should have looked it up on the Internet before I started. But you can see it is pretty wide across, a car could drive along it. This City Wall has corner towers, ramports, sentry towers, gate towers, battlements and number of city defensive fortification with very strong defense capability. The inner city was once the living place of the King of Qin. The whole city was under control by its advantage of high position as it was constructed on the high land in the northeaster area of the city. After constant repair and protection, the Wall now offers a good combination of the city wall, city moats, forest belt and city ring routes. All kinds of fun actives on time during holidays. It could take you a good half day to walk around on top of it. And now the new city is built around it. |
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| Today was sunny and hot, so different from from yesterday rain. Ann and her driver took out of town towards the mountains. But first they took us to this interesting place where they made the Terra Cotta Warriors of all sizes to sell. Out front they had these Warriors with out head so we could stand behind them and get our picture taken. Don't we look furious? |
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| It was a huge place as you can see as we were walking in above. They had some school children visiting and they are letting them use the molds to make a warrior. It looked like fun. Then this young girl was telling Rita and I where they get their clay and how it was a special mixture and is put in molds and then fired in their big ovens. They had workers all over working on not just warriors but many things. |
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| We wandered on around the work shop and took pictures of each other and the warriors and other things they made there. There was this one warrior was made out of Jade at the left up above. Others we looked at were painted one like the ones found in the in the ground. John looking at the dragons, I should have waited to buy one of them here. |
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| They made beautiful inlaid porcelain table tops and beautiful vases. Rita and Derek listen to the young girl telling the process and each step on how they do it. You see John and I among he Warriors |
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| Here are pictures of the Kilns they fire the Warriors in and the coal to use as the fire to do it. They must have another one for the huge warriors. I finally found a table with small 8 inch warrior and bought one, it cost me $8. in American money. It looked like this sale lady was asking Rita and Derek. "Are you sure you don't want to take one of these home with you?" |
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| There was a room clear full of rugs, and here this one young girl was in the process of weaving one what a job. Beautiful pictures and porcelain figures, I loved these two little children statues. |
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| They even had these beautiful kites in store on the way out. Rita wanted to buy one so bad, but knew it wouldn't get home without braking. So she brought this good luck necklace from the box full right above. They just had every thing there. |
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