Next Stop, Weihui!

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

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 andBaca selengkapnya
Time for a Nap

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 tiredBaca selengkapnya
We’re in Xi’an!

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 moreBaca selengkapnya
Xi’an Train Station

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 thenBaca selengkapnya
Pagoda Bound

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 littleBaca selengkapnya
Ready to Go In

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 weBaca selengkapnya
Giant Wild Goose Pagoda

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 WuBaca selengkapnya
Climbing Ivy

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 whateverBaca selengkapnya
Temple Bell

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 timesBaca selengkapnya
Purification

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.Baca selengkapnya
Rooftops

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 wonderBaca selengkapnya
What’s In a Name?

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 meatBaca selengkapnya
Forbidden Photos?

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 KathyBaca selengkapnya
Buddha

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 BuddhistBaca selengkapnya
Dragons

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 workBaca selengkapnya
Chasing Rainbows

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 theBaca selengkapnya
Guardians

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 knownBaca selengkapnya
So Colorful!

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

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

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 10thBaca selengkapnya
Dragons

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

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 afterBaca selengkapnya
Always Look Up

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 ourBaca selengkapnya
Anachronism

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 wouldBaca selengkapnya