Next Stop, Weihui!
29. September 2018 in China ⋅ 81 °F
Weihui must be a major stop on the train because we’ve been sitting here for a while. Nobody is getting on or off the train and the platform looks deserted. Let’s get going, already!
Riding in Comfort
29. September 2018 in China
Our seats are very comfortable. They have a lot of room and feel very soft and padded. Despite my comfort, I keep getting up to walk around. I guess that I’m still so excited to be here in China andWeiterlesen
Time for a Nap
29. September 2018 in China
Kathy is fast asleep. I wish that I could take a nap also but sleeping on a train or airplane is so difficult for me. I’m not sure why, but I can never relax enough to sleep. I’m really tiredWeiterlesen
We’re in Xi’an!
29. September 2018 in China ⋅ 68 °F
I must have fallen asleep because the next thing I know I’m being woken up and was told that we’re in Xi’an. Strangely, even though I slept, I don’t feel rested. In fact, I feel even moreWeiterlesen
Xi’an Train Station
29. September 2018 in China ⋅ 68 °F
The train station in Xi’an seems so big, modern and clean! I can see already that Xi’an is going to be a very different city than Beijing. Our new tour guide, Lee, met us at the exit gate and thenWeiterlesen
Pagoda Bound
29. September 2018 in China ⋅ 48 °F
Lee was taking us to see the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, a popular tourist site in Xi’an which also happens to be a very holy place for Buddhists. I’m not sure why this is yet but I’ll do a littleWeiterlesen
Ready to Go In
29. September 2018 in China ⋅ 48 °F
For my first impressions, this place makes me think of the Forbidden City. It seems to have that same sort of architecture but this place looks much cleaner, preserved and taken care of than what weWeiterlesen
Giant Wild Goose Pagoda
29. September 2018 in China ⋅ 48 °F
This is our first look at the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda. It was built in 652 during the Tang dynasty and originally had just five stories. The structure was rebuilt in 704 during the reign of Empress WuWeiterlesen
Climbing Ivy
29. September 2018 in China ⋅ 81 °F
I’m already so impressed by the beauty of this place! I can’t wait to see the rest of it! Kathy doesn’t like buildings that have the ivy growing up the walls, like seen here. For whateverWeiterlesen
Temple Bell
29. September 2018 in China ⋅ 48 °F
Bells are very important in Chinese Buddhist Temples. The loud and melodious sound of the bells are often used to convene monks. Additionally, each morning and night, beating the bell 108 timesWeiterlesen
Purification
29. September 2018 in China ⋅ 48 °F
As we were entering the temple grounds, we saw lots of people going through these purification rituals. I remember seeing this sort of thing when I visited some of the Buddhist temples in Japan.Weiterlesen
Rooftops
29. September 2018 in China ⋅ 48 °F
Just like in the Forbidden City, the architecture here is so beautiful and filled with amazing details. The look of the buildings here seem to suggest that they are better cared for though. I wonderWeiterlesen
What’s In a Name?
29. September 2018 in China ⋅ 81 °F
As to the reason why it’s called the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda, there’s a legend about it. According to the ancient stories of Buddhists, there were two sects, and for one of the groups eating meatWeiterlesen
Forbidden Photos?
29. September 2018 in China ⋅ 48 °F
Surrounding the pagoda were several different buildings of what looked like small temples. Lee told us that we weren’t supposed to be taking any photos of what’s inside but it seemed that KathyWeiterlesen
Buddha
29. September 2018 in China ⋅ 🌙 57 °F
The statues of Buddha look so beautiful and elaborate! The Buddhist religion seems very different from what I’m used to but it’s very intriguing. I couldn’t see myself converting to the BuddhistWeiterlesen
Dragons
29. September 2018 in China ⋅ 🌙 54 °F
Not only is the inside of the temples so beautiful but the outside is just as detailed and ornate. This is a closer look at one of the walls outside of the temple. The details, and the amount of workWeiterlesen
Chasing Rainbows
29. September 2018 in China ⋅ 48 °F
Although it’s kind of hard to see, there’s a rainbow shining across the frame of this picture. I tried several different angles and perspectives to try to get a better shot of it but this was theWeiterlesen
Guardians
29. September 2018 in China ⋅ ⛅ 72 °F
Chinese or Imperial guardian lions are a traditional Chinese architectural ornament. Typically made of stone, they are also known as stone lions or shishi (石獅、shíshī). They are knownWeiterlesen
So Colorful!
29. September 2018 in China ⋅ 81 °F
Unlike much of what we saw in Beijing, things in Xi’an are so colorful and festive looking! I wish that we could read Chinese so that we could understand what we’re looking at.
Red is Lucky
29. September 2018 in China ⋅ 81 °F
Everything here is so well taken care of and maintained. These window frames don’t show any signs of wear or weathering. I don’t even see any dust on them!
Budai
29. September 2018 in China ⋅ 81 °F
Budai is a semi-historical Chinese monk who is venerated as Maitreya Buddha in Chan Buddhism. He was also introduced into the Japanese Buddhist pantheon.[1] He is said to have lived around the 10thWeiterlesen
Dragons
29. September 2018 in China ⋅ 48 °F
Dragons can be found all over this, and every other temple that we’ve visited. That’s not very surprising though. The dragon is considered very lucky and a strong protector of the Chinese people.
Walking the Grounds
29. September 2018 in China ⋅ 81 °F
I was already liking Lee’s touring style more than Lisa’s. Rather than keep all of us together in a tight group, the way Lisa did, Lee allowed us to freely wander around the temple grounds afterWeiterlesen
Always Look Up
29. September 2018 in China ⋅ 81 °F
One thing that I’ve learned, after years of taking pictures, is to always look up. Most people look straight and down but rarely look up, for whatever reason. I noticed many of the people from ourWeiterlesen
Anachronism
29. September 2018 in China ⋅ 81 °F
It’s very strange to see anachronisms like this. The tall pagoda and old fashioned architecture are so beautiful but it just doesn’t look right with that air conditioner stuck on the wall. I wouldWeiterlesen