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Ngaire PhillipsNgaire Phillips
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I'm an environmental scientist with a passion for exploring. Meer informatie Hamilton, New Zealand
  • ReizigerAlong the Silk Road
    Dag 15

    Flamin' heck!

    30 mei 2019, China ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    With temperatures in the mid-30s it seemed crazy to be heading to the rather ominous-sounding Flaming Mountains, also home to the Bezeklik Thousand Buddha caves - another Buddhist monastery carved into the mountainside.

    Famous as a place where eggs can be baked in the sand, the Flaming Mountains proved to be spectacular but more for their size than their colour (or perhaps we'd been spoilt by the Rainbow Mountains?). An impossibly steep pathway reached to the mountain top, while the way down appeared to be facilitated by way of a slide - clever thinking!

    The Bezelklik caves, once decorated lavishly in much the same way as the more extensive Mogao Caves, had suffered at the hands of European and Japanese explorers, with statues and entire frescoes having been removed to far-away museums. As with all of the Buddhist monasteries we'd visited, it proved to be a place of tranquility and contemplation, even with a horde of Chinese tourists waving flags and sporting matching white outfits with orange caps!

     A 20 minute walk to visit Imin Ta turned into an hour-long slog in the uncomfortable heat. But it did give us a bit more of a look at the Muslim section of town. Constructed in 1778, the beautifully decorated minaret rises like a chimney beside the mosque. Clever brickwork creates a complex pattern that contrasts with the plainer mosque. Solemn cradle-like unmarked tombs formed rows in an adjacent cemetery.

    A quick trip to the impressive museum, complete with a rather gruesome but nonetheless fascinating collection of mummies excavated during highway construction, then it was back to the station for our final overnight train to Kashgar.    Meer informatie

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  • ReizigerAlong the Silk Road
    Dag 14

    Turpan

    29 mei 2019, China ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C

    The oasis city of Turpan is located in the region of Xinjiang. Sharing borders with 8 countries, the region is primarily desert and grassland, fringed by some of the largest mountains in the world. Oasis towns are scattered along the Silk Road that skirts the northern and southern edges of the Taklamakan Desert.

    The predominance of "minority" ethnic groups (and especially the Uighur people) resulted, in 1955, in the declaration of the region as the Uigher Autonomous Region. The 15 police stations we observed on the 30 minute journey from the train station to our hotel reminded us, however, that we were still very much in China. Indeed it was rather disturbing to see police walking around the streets in full riot gear, as if this was a normal part of life.

    Turpan itself lies in the Turpan depression - one of the lowest points on earth. This was really the first place where we'd seen the influence of the Silk Road on ethnic diversity, with street and shop signs written in both Chinese and Arabic. The local people, their faces, their food, the architecture - all reflected the long history of the Uighur in this region. And of course there was plenty of lamb (and no pork)!

    The Jiaohe city ruins lie a short distance from the city centre. Founded as an administrative centre and garrison town by the Chinese in the 2nd century BC, it came under the influence of the Uighur people in the 6th century. While mostly comprised of ruins, it is still possible to appreciate the complexity and especially the building methods used to create this impressive place. Located on a steep plateau, many of the structures were created by digging down into the rock (rather than building on top) - a mammoth task! At its peak it supported about 700 households, mainly Buddhist Uighurs.

    Turpan is famous for its grape growing. Grape vines are everywhere, as is a great variety of fruit and vegetables. Grapes are dried in specially designed rooms, often located above houses. The area is truly an oasis and a complex aqueduct and irrigation system (known as a karez) supplies much-needed water to support the extensive agriculture we observed. There was some debate about the origin of the system, and perhaps this is a good example of the success of the Silk Road.

    The influence of the Turkic culture was also evident at our lunch at a local winery, where we were entertained with dancers in fabulous costumes. How they managed these energetic activities in 30+ degrees escaped us! Luckily there was plenty of local beer for us to quench our thirst.    Meer informatie

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  • ReizigerAlong the Silk Road
    Dag 13

    Mogao Caves and the Gobi Desert

    28 mei 2019, 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.    Meer informatie

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  • ReizigerAlong the Silk Road
    Dag 12

    Dunhuang

    27 mei 2019, China ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    After a long drive we arrived in the rather pleasant city of Dunhuang. With a population of only 200,000 it's virtually a village by Chinese standards. An oasis town set amidst the stark Gobi Desert, it once served as the last stop on the Silk Road before the leap into the unknown. After settling in to our hotel we headed out, relishing the rare opportunity for independent exploration.

    We'd observed outdoor exercise parks elsewhere on our journey and Dunhuang was no exception. Indeed, it is very common to see adults and children alike exercising in these communal settings at any time of the day.

    An impressive "river" runs through the city, offering mid-river picnic spots, a fantastic fountain display, dragon boating and more. We really liked this city!

    Our destination was the White Horse Pagoda (or Baima Ta), set within a very modest Buddhist temple located in a rather down-trodden (but soon to be upgraded) part of town. The pagoda was built in memory of a horse belonging to a Buddhist monk who'd passed through the area. He clearly made an impact! His horse died at the temple in 384 AD.

    After rejoining our fellow travellers we spent a pleasant few hours observing the locals, partaking of the local beverage and enjoying the stunning light show.    Meer informatie

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  • ReizigerAlong the Silk Road
    Dag 11

    Jiayuguan and the Great Wall

    26 mei 2019, 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.    Meer informatie

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  • ReizigerAlong the Silk Road
    Dag 10

    Rainbow Mountains

    25 mei 2019, China ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    Danxia National Geopark is a relatively recent addition to the tourist trail in this part of China. Apparently known to the locals for years, the area was promoted through a Chinese action film in the early 2000s. The spectacular scenery has since attracted national and international attention.

    It truly is a beautiful place. It's just a pity the Chinese authorities who created the impressive visitor facilities saw fit to install speakers everywhere. The constant advertisements and elevator music detracted from any thoughts of communing with nature and was a reminder of what we had observed elsewhere - the need for constant noise.

    We visited the mountains in late afternoon and then again early morning. Sun rise over the mountains is apparently quite spectacular when the sky is clear. Unfortunately the cloud persisted and the colours were muted; nonetheless it was still worth the effort of the early morning, even if just to avoid the crowds and the music! The sound of the wind was a symphony by comparison.    Meer informatie

  • ReizigerAlong the Silk Road
    Dag 9

    Zhangye

    24 mei 2019, China ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    Our first sleeper train proved to be more comfortable and and a lot more fun than I'd expected. With 6 of us crammed into a tiny space, cooperation and some basic acrobatics were required. With no curtains we presented something of a curiosity show to fellow passengers seated in the narrow hallway during dinner and breakfast.

    Zhangye is a "small" city of about 1.5 million people. Once an important stopover on the Silk Road, one of its main claims to fame now is that the Dafo Si (a Buddhist Temple) houses the largest reclining Buddha in China. At 34 m long this large clay fellow is breathtaking (unfortunately we weren't allowed to photograph it). While at first appearances it may seem he's simply having a rest, we were to find out later that this pose indicates that he has "gone to paradise" or "reached nirvana". Which basically means he died.

    Various other buildings form the temple complex, all set in beautiful gardens. An impressive display of translations of Buddhist text (originally in sanskrit) brought to China by Buddhist monks, included intricate woodcuts prints and even some of the original wood cut blocks.

    Also of interest was a large stupa, which is basically a Buddhist shrine where relics of some sort may be kept. It provides a place of worship.

    The local markets are great places to observe the shifts in climate and culture that are slowly revealing themselves as we travel along the Silk Road. Fresh and dried fruits, fabulous fungi, eggs - black, white, blue and spotted, even yak meat. Which makes for wonderful (and rather large) meals!

    Zhangye's other attraction is Danxia Geological Park, known more colloquially as Rainbow Mountains. But I'll save that for another day.    Meer informatie

  • ReizigerAlong the Silk Road
    1
    Dag 7

    Terracotta Army

    22 mei 2019, China ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C

    Aside from it being the official "start" of the Silk Road, Xi'an is perhaps best known as the access point for the fabulous Terracotta Army. Discovered in 1974 by farmers digging a well, an army of life-size clay figures guards the tomb of Qin Shi Huangdi, the despotic ruler who unified China over 2200 years ago. Obsessed with his own death, the Emperor began to build his mausoleum soon after he ascended to the throne at the age of 13. He wanted to ensure he was well protected in his after life - hence the army and associated resources. The project involved over 700,000 people and continued until his death at age 49. We were told that his poor treatment of those tasked with building his army resulted in the subsequent destruction of much of the work by the same group after his death! However, other stories have also been suggested to explain the damaged state of the warriors when found. Regardless, what we now see is the result of painstaking reconstruction of 1000s of damaged figures.

    Over 7000 soldiers, archers and horses have so far been excavated from 3 pits. Each pit appears to serve a different function, with the infantry in pit 1, cavalry and soldiers in pit 2 and high ranking officers in the third pit (so presumably a command centre). Each warrior, originally coloured with pigment and holding a weapon, has an individually crafted expression. Exposure to air destroyed the coloured pigment. Interestingly, the actual tomb of the Emperor has not been excavated, largely because of high mercury levels that have been detected.

    Walking into pit 1, we were greeted by the sight of 1000s of clay soldiers, separated by head high clay walls. Horses, with carriage drivers some distance behind, appeared ready for work. The wooden carriages were long lost to the elements, but the impressions of carriage wheels remained. The individuality of the warriors is very evident - even the hair styles vary.

    Work continues on the restoration of the figures and it's possible to see the process in a action at the "hospital". The figures are carefully glued together, wrapped with rope and plastic wap to maintain the form and then air dried.

    Following yet another large and tasty meal at a local restaurant, we headed to another less visited mausoleum - the tomb of the Han Emperor Jing. Entirely underground, this too containers terracotta figures, but are smaller, simpler and less individualistic. Apparently there are more than 50000 terracotta figures depicting daily life for the emporer everything from chickens to eunuchs. An excellent museum provided better viewing of the artifacts than the excavation site itself, which is barely lit to ensure longevity of the site contents.

    After all that education a bit of light entertainment was called for, namely a Chinese dance and music show. Definitely worth seeing once....    Meer informatie

    Zie vertaling
  • ReizigerAlong the Silk Road
    Dag 6

    Silk Road beginnings

    21 mei 2019, China ⋅ 🌙 22 °C

    We arrived in Xi'an by bullet train - reaching speeds of just over 300km/hr meant the trip took a mere 5 hours. A bustling metropolis of 10 million, high rise apartments dominate the skyline outside of the city's 12m high wall. Inside, more modest towers reflect height restrictions. Built in 1370, the rammed earth wall forms a 14km perimeter around the city centre. It's possible to walk or cycle this wall, something we did on our last morning.

    The city served as capital to 11 dynasties over a period of 4000 years. It peaked during the Tang dynasty because of its position at the eastern end of the Silk Road. Xi'an can therefore be considered as the beginning of the Silk Road (from the eastern end).

    After settling in to our modest hotel we headed out to explore the city. First stop was the Muslim Quarter, a wonderful collection of narrow lanes, with stalls selling an array of local foods plus various paraphernalia. As the name suggests, this is the hub of the Muslim community in Xi'an. and the nearby Great Mosque is one of the largest in China.

    Our guide William insisted on taking us to a "hot pot" restaurant- apparently the best in the country. In his usual style he not only ensured we had the best table, but organized a birthday cake and special bowl of noodles for Les (one of the tour group). What a hoot! Said birthday cake arrives on a trolley with music blaring and a pretty young thing holding a neon sign with happy birthday in English and Chinese! On top of all of that, we each left with a plastic back scratcher as a gift. Memorable to say the least.

    Our walk home took in the beautiful lights of the central city Bell Tower and the street lanterns.    Meer informatie

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  • ReizigerAlong the Silk Road
    Dag 5

    Tian'an Men Square

    20 mei 2019, China ⋅ 🌬 24 °C

    No visit to Beijing would be complete without a visit to Tian'an Men Square. For me, the abiding association will be with the student protests and the subsequent massacre of 1989. Somewhat ironically the square's full name (Tian'an Men Guangchang) means Square of the Gate of Heavenly Peace. With Mao's mausoleum as the focal point, the Square is bordered by 1950s Communist-style buildings and ancient gates from Beijing's now flattened city walls.

    Lunch beckoned. With so much choice, we'd discovered that looks can be deceiving. Randomly choosing a pretty run-down looking restaurant, we soon realised we'd stumbled upon one with a Muslim Chinese menu. Fabulous dumplings and spring onion bread, washed down with a local beer. The individually plastic-wrapped crockery sets reflected the seemingly utmost reliance on plastic that we'd seen here since our arrival. It's very very difficult to imagine China getting rid of single use plastic bags but I can imagine the HUGE difference it would make.

    While it's possible to visit the Great Hall of the People (seat of the Chinese legislature) and the China National Museum that flank the square, we opted instead to visit Zhengyan Men - one of the 2 gates, which now houses a museum on Beijing's history. Following a rather fortuitous path controlled by seemingly teenage soldiers, we finally arrived at our destination, only to discover it was closed Mondays!

    Rendezvouing with the rest of our group that evening, we were delighted to meet another Kiwi, 4 Australians and a Scottish couple. And of course our tour guide William who, we would learn as the night progressed, enjoys his food and the odd drink!

    The next stage of our adventure was about to begin.    Meer informatie

    Zie vertaling

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