Xi'An China, May 14

Saturday dawned clear, but a little chilly in the morning. We never needed more than a very light jacket the entire time we were in China. It was a great time of year to go. The only rain we had was in Guilin, and rain never stops us - we lived in Seattle too long to be bothered by a few drops from the sky.

Our first stop was Big Wild Goose Pagoda. There is a very interesting story behind this pagoda, but I do not remember much of it. There was so much to absorb this trip that many of the finer details have disappeared from my mind. It has something to do with a long trip taken, similar to Marco Polo, and this Pagoda commemorates it. That's as much as I can pull out of my brain right now. 

One of the things you can have made in China is your chop, or signature stamp. In Chinese art, each artist has his own chop. It's part of what authenticates artwork. I'm no artist, but I thought it would be fun to have one made to stamp inside my books. Here's the story behind mine: I mentioned before that many Chinese take an English name. Well, it works the other way too. While Ray's parents were in Hong Kong, they got a Chinese name, taken from their name, Linford: Lin (mandarin) or Lim (cantonese). Lin is the word for forest. So on my chop are two of the Chinese character for tree (hence, a forest). Above that is our last name. Here's a picture of the stamp my chop makes  (shown on a one inch grid - the chop is about one inch square). I watched the girl carve it while I waited. Pretty fun. 

Xi'An is the home of the Terra-cotta warriors, and they will not let you forget it. Before I went there, everyone asked if we would be seeing the warriors. I rolled my eyes (in my imagination) every time, thinking "What is the big deal about some Terra-cotta warriors?"

After having seen it, here's what I have to say: it was absolutely amazing. Here is a teeny bit of background info (it is easily researched on the internet if you want more information). Basically the Emperor Qin (I think it was him) had the warriors made to guard his tomb (think pharaohs and Egypt here). They are life sized, and there are thousands of them. Pictures do not do them justice. Here's a little blurb on the pits where the warriors were found:

 Before we went to see the warriors, we first went to a factory where they show you how the warriors were made, and how they make all the ones they have for sale these days. That was surprisingly interesting as well.

Then we went to the Museum itself. You get on a tram and ride to where the buildings covering the pits are. The pit with the majority of the warriors is about the length of three football fields, and the width is about the length of one football field. To see the warriors in person is breath-taking (in a good way).

In the mid-1970's, a farmer in Xi'An was drilling for a well. He discovered a hand, then an arm. He called in the experts, and the rest is history. They are still finding more warriors and working on putting them together like they have all the ones so far. The roof had collapsed over the years, and the warriors are in pieces and have been painstakingly put back together. Like I said, absolutely amazing.

May 14

• Wild Goose Pagoda
• Terra-cotta Factory
• Terra-cotta Warriors Museum
• Lunch
• Stone Tablets
• Dinner
• Back to hotel and pack

Charles by the bell at the Big Wild Goose Pagoda

Incense was burning everywhere we went, it seemed. I loved it.
It brought back memories of my high school days.

Big Wild Goose Pagoda in the background.
Dad, Ray, Diane, Mom, Ann, Charles, Orva, Paul, Audry, John

My favorite tourist

John (he carried Audry's purse for her the whole time), Paul, Orva, Mom, our guide Lucy

Ann

Diane, Paul, Orva, Audry. 

Dad in the terra-cotta factory.

Paul never met a police car he didn't like.

On the streets of Xi'An. This woman is buying vegetables.

Inside the big pit. These are the actual warriors. Each one is individual, with it's own features.

You can see by the tiny real people observing on the far side how large this place is.

Another view

One last picture. Notice the horses?

This is where we saw some ancient stone tablets. It was the most peaceful place we saw on our trip.
There was a wonderful feeling here.