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    • TravelerAlong the Silk Road
      Day 13

      Mogao Caves and the Gobi Desert

      May 28, 2019 in China ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

      The main purpose of our visit to Dunhuang was to view the rather impressive Mogao caves. Dug into cliffs that rise out of the otherwise flat and featureless desert landscape, the caves reveal Buddhist paintings dating as far back as the 4th century. For more than 700 years Buddhist monks from far and wide excavated the hard rock and painted exquisite testaments to their faith. More than 2000 painted stucco figures and around 45,000 square meters of murals remain.

      We were unable to photograph any of the interiors but a few external images also remained. Of more than 600 caves that survive, about 20 are open to the public. Of the 8 we were shown, what struck us most was how vivid the colours remained after such a long time. They were truly beautiful. There were apparently also 1000s of manuscripts but many of these were taken by 19th/20th century explorers and reside in foreign museums.

      In addition to the cave paintings there are also two more humungous Buddha, one reclining and the other sitting. The external structure to the cave entrance gives an idea of the size of the sitting Buddha (around 35m).

      Of course no visit to the desert is complete without a camel ride! Only a short distance from town the sand mountain Mingsha Shan rises impressively. Camel riding in orange sand boots is a must, as is viewing the spectacular Crescent Moon Lake.

      We happened upon a fabulous theatrical production set in an equally impressive underground theatre. Entirely in Chinese, our guide thought we were a bit crazy, but it proved to be one of the highlights of our trip. Loosely based on the story of the loss of the Buddhist manuscripts from the Mogao Caves, the sounds, sights and sheer creativity of this production blew us away.      Read more

    • skip's retirement travelChina
      Day 9

      Kong Tong Mountain

      June 8, 2019 in China ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

      One of the holy mountains in Taoism. Many paths that's ncluded thousands of steps to visit dozens of temples. Some of the stairs are so steep as to be scary. The first two pics are of a couple of the temples. Third is the Bridge to Heaven, and yes I did cross it. It is a cable stayed steel bridge over a chasm out to a small temple on a rock pinnacle. The other pics are various views of the mountain or the view from overlooks on the mountain.Read more

    • skip's retirement travelChina
      Day 10

      Lanshou

      June 9, 2019 in China ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

      City on the Yellow River at the heart of the development of Chinese civilization centuries ago. Today it's a long narrow city on both side of the Yellow River which carries a high silt load, giving the river it's characteristic color. First is a look over the city from the white Pagoda in the 4th picture. The second is a look downriver to another part of the city where the yellow color is easier to see. 3rd is the main street of this part of Lanshou, and the last is one of the temples near the white Pagoda.Read more

    • skip's retirement travelChina
      Day 12

      Labrang Monastery

      June 11, 2019 in China ⋅ 🌧 9 °C

      Very large monastery that isn't what it sounds like. This is actually a university consisting of 6 colleges, including traditional Tibetan medicine, philosophy and others. 1200 monks plus novices and visiting monks are here to study. We were not permitted to take pictures in the temples. The first three pics look at a few buildings, including one of the originals from the early 1700s. The 4th pic is part of a display of flowers carved in yak butter, a Tibetan annual tradition. The last 2 are of original art dating to the founding of the monastery. First is the wheel of life and reincarnation of Buddhist belief, and the last depicts part of the creation myth.Read more

    • Destination UnknownChina
      Day 4

      Lunch is Served

      September 26, 2018 in China

      We've been flying for a while and we're perhaps about half way to Beijing. Lunch is being served and we've given a choice of either a noodle dish or a rice dish. I didn't want either but I picked the rice meal and Kathy selected the noodles. She's very hungry and hopefully, between both of our meals, she can put together a good lunch for herself. As for myself, I'm more thirsty than hungry. The stewardess, thankfully, has been given me plenty of water to drink.Read more

    • TravelerAlong the Silk Road
      Day 11

      Jiayuguan and the Great Wall

      May 26, 2019 in China ⋅ 🌬 15 °C

      Jiayuguan City is the access point for the great fort of Jiayuguan. Our hotel was located opposite a lovely park, featuring wonderful sculptures and beautiful gardens. The Chinese certainly know how to create beautiful public spaces.

      Built to mark the end of the Ming Great Wall, the fort was considered as the limit of Chinese civilization and the beginning of the outer barbarian lands. Anyone exiled beyond the gates of this fort faced a life among nomadic strangers, as well as the wind-blasted wastelands of the Gobi Desert. Not surprising then that it was the least popular station in the entire empire! Apparently even today some Chinese associate this area with exile and despair.

      Completed in 1372, much of fort has been rebuilt and is in great condition. The fort is strategically positioned near the entrance to the Hexi Corridor, a narrow passage through the mountains linking China and the West. It was therefore important for both military and trade activities. It's also the western edge of the Great Wall.

      Nearby is the Overhanging Great Wall, a long stretch of the wall which heads up into the mountains. Finally got to climb a bit of the Great Wall of China! And did it with a great bunch of people too.      Read more

    • skip's retirement travelChina
      Day 12

      Labrang print house

      June 11, 2019 in China ⋅ ⛅ 8 °C

      This is the printing operation of the Labrang Monastery, roughly equivalent to the university press that most schools have. However, this is unique. It is the only place where wood block printing of Buddhist texts is still done in the traditional manner. First is the shop. Second is a small portion of the site room of hand carved wood blocks of all the texts they print. The next two show a couple monks doing the printing. The fifth is laying out the printed sheets. The last is the ticket we were given for the visit. It is a traditional print on rice paper done in the shop.Read more

    • skip's retirement travelChina
      Day 13

      Bingling Cave-Temple

      June 12, 2019 in China ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

      Large, historic Buddhist site dating to the 5th century, located in a gorge off of the upper Yellow River. Temples were added up through the Ming dynasty. The large Buddha is more than 27 meters tall. The sleeping Buddha is more than 8 meters. The rest of the pictures are a sampling of some of the scores of temples at this siteRead more

    • skip's retirement travelChina
      Day 15

      Rainbow Mountains

      June 14, 2019 in China ⋅ 🌧 11 °C

      Spectacular natural formation. The base rock, the reddish color, is comparable to Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs, as are some of the other geologic features forming this area. The colors result from the inclusion of various minerals in the formation. We were there in the rain. So the colors are muted. For the full effect, Google the rainbow mountains of China.Read more

    • skip's retirement travelChina
      Day 16

      Jiayaguan Fort

      June 15, 2019 in China ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

      The last fort at the western end of the great wall. This was the administrative and military headquarters protecting the border and caravans as well as collecting taxes. The first pic is the outer gate into what might have been called the "outer bailey" in a British castle. The second looks through the gate to the second gate. Notice that the ceiling steps up inside. The gate is at the juncture between the two. The third pic is the inner gate that is built like the outer and leads into a killing box with another gate into the "inner bailey." The fourth pic is the yard of the general's residence, with all the offices for the fort included. They have mannequins in a number of locations showing a sense of real life. The fifth pic shows a woman in the kitchen pretty accurately, even for today. Last is a view over the battlements out toward the horizon where the silk road went on.Read more

    You might also know this place by the following names:

    Gansu Sheng, Gansu, Province de Gansu, 甘肃省

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