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Along the Silk Road

May - June 2019
A 42-day adventure by Ngaire Read more
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  • TravelerAlong the Silk Road
    1
    Day 2

    First impressions

    May 17, 2019 in China ⋅ 🌫 29 °C

    Although only a 13 hour flight, a lack of sleep and a long day meant we arrived in Beijing feeling less than refreshed. Despite our exhaustion, we managed to squeeze in a few hours of exploration, discovering the delights of this city of 20 million. Tree- lined, rubbish-free streets. Human, electric and petrol-powered vehicles threatening pedestrians. Tiny shops offering everything from kittens to sex toys. Curious glances, cautious smiles. Fabulous music (and beer). Sophistication and simplicity. Poverty and prosperity. A city of contrasts. It's easy to forget we are in a communist country, though the boyish soldiers and aged community security guards hint at what lies beneath.Read more

  • TravelerAlong the Silk Road
    Day 3

    Forbidden City

    May 18, 2019 in China ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    With only 4 full days in Beijing and trying to recover lost sleep, we decided to limit our sightseeing to the "essentials". Beijing's Forbidden City or Palace Museum as it is known, forms the very heart of the city. The symbolic centre of the Chinese Universe, it was home to 24 emperors who ruled for nearly 500 years. It's considered China's most magnificent architectural complex.

    By now we were used to the jostling and queue jumping that is natural behaviour but were still pleased we'd booked tickets online and so avoided the queues. The complex consists of a series of gates leading to huge courtyards, which in turn lead us to various palaces and associated structures. This is an extremely simplistic description and even photographs don't do justice to the grand scale of this complex (but the video might help).

    Our impressions were many and varied. The attention to detail - beautifully carved marble, ornate fittings, colorful ceilings and facades, the list goes on. The symbolism - of structures, colors, shapes, words - everything reflected the role of the Emperor as the conduit to God. Indeed the names of the palaces and associated buildings gave us a pretty good idea of how he spent his days - which seemed to mostly be thinking, reading, writing, preparing for and undertaking sacrifices, and of course meeting lots of dignitaries. Amongst my favourite was the Studio of Exhaustion for Diligent Service.

    Unfortunately we failed to read the recommendation to bring our own food. After 5 gruelling hours and only an ice cream, we were ready to escape!    Read more

  • TravelerAlong the Silk Road
    1
    Day 4

    Temple of Heaven

    May 19, 2019 in China ⋅ 🌬 22 °C

    Next on the to-do list was Tian Tan or the Temple of Heaven. This highly symbolic complex of buildings served as the place where the Emperor, as the Son of Heaven, could intercede with the gods. On behalf of his people, the Emperor would make sacrifices and pray to heaven and his ancestors at the winter solstice.

    Set amongst cypress groves and flower gardens, practitioners of Tai chi and other more gentle forms of exercise congregate here, presenting quite the spectacle for passersby.

    From animal sacrifice pavilions to halls of prayer and sacrificial altars, every detail is highly symbolic. Blue represents the colour of heaven, dragon and Phoenix motifs represent the Emperor and Empress, the circular roof symbolizes the sky. And of course red is an imperial colour. As we'd noted from our visit to the Forbidden City, the job of an Emperor is complex and full of ritual. Who would have thought he'd need a separate building complex just to fast prior to sacrifices?

    Also part of this complex was the Divine Musuc Administration, a building housing an impressive array of Chinese musical instruments. From clay Xun (a bit like an ocarina) to magnificent Sen (horizontal string instrument) to humungous lugu (multi-sided drums), this exhibition provided a wonderful demonstration of Chinese musical history. It was well worth the extra 10 yuan (about $2.20).

    After a bit of a rest we headed out for a last meal before joining our tour group the next evening. By chance we chose a highly popular local restaurant hidden amongst the hutong - Dali's Courtyard. What a meal! A set menu of western Chinese cuisine- every one a treat for our tastebuds. At the equivalent of $100, this was expensive by local standards but worth every penny.    Read more

  • TravelerAlong the Silk Road
    Day 5

    Tian'an Men Square

    May 20, 2019 in 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.    Read more

  • TravelerAlong the Silk Road
    Day 6

    Silk Road beginnings

    May 21, 2019 in 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.    Read more

  • TravelerAlong the Silk Road
    1
    Day 7

    Terracotta Army

    May 22, 2019 in 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....    Read more

  • TravelerAlong the Silk Road
    Day 9

    Zhangye

    May 24, 2019 in 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.    Read more

  • TravelerAlong the Silk Road
    Day 10

    Rainbow Mountains

    May 25, 2019 in 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.    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

  • TravelerAlong the Silk Road
    Day 12

    Dunhuang

    May 27, 2019 in 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.    Read more

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