Hello all,

I’ve been enjoying a leisurely Sunday afternoon – which has felt heavenly after a really wonderful – but extremely busy – few days!  Sorry for my lack of posting, but between the busy schedule, and the poor Internet over the past few days, it’s been difficult. 🙂

Yesterday, we were treated to 12 hours of touring and eating, courtesy of Shaanxi National Normal University.  First thing in the morning, we went to see the Terracotta Warriors.  When I first laid my eyes upon them, it took my breath away.  I couldn’t believe I was actually there — I remember learning about them in school as a child.  Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined that one day I would be in China, seeing them with my own eyes.  My pictures don’t do the experience justice.

 

 

Pictured above is a horse drawn carriage.  The carriage is made entirely of bronze!!  The emperor believed bronze was more valuable than silver and gold, so he chose bronze for the carriage, and the horses are adorned in gold and silver.

Check out the warrior below — he’s very important because some of the original coloring is still evident.  All of the warriors were painted.  When the warriors are uncovered, their coloring oxidizes from being exposed, and the coloring disappears.  Click on this first picture below, and check out the intensive detail… the treads on the bottoms of his shoes, the braids in his hair.  Even his hands have lines in them.  No two warriors are the same — each has a different face, body proportions, etc.  It’s beyond comprehension.

 

Here I am, outside one of the pits, hiding under my trusty sunbrella.  .

 

Next, we had another unforgettable meal.  I was so busy enjoying the food, that I forgot to take pictures until we were done.  Here’s the aftermath. 🙂  Highlights of this meal were eggs, tomato, and greens (secret trick to take home — the eggs were prepared with sherry.  We loved that dish so much we ordered it twice!!)  Also, we had a soup that was the most unfamiliar and new taste yet– it had tofu and picked vegetables.  On first taste, it was extremely spicy.  Then, it became rotten tasting to me.  That’s at least the best way I can describe it.  I’d be okay never having it again, but was excited to try yet another completely new flavor.

Next, we went to the Yangling Mausoleum of Han Dynasty.  I had never heard of this (Terracotta Army gets all the fame!) but these tombs were built in 153 A.D.  This serves as the final resting place of the fifth emperor of the Western Han Dynasty, Liu Qi, and his wife, Empress Wang.  This was discovered by a farmer in the late 1980s.  81 pits were found containing nearly 8,000 miniature terracotta sculptures to be “utilized” by the dead royalties in the afterlife that includes an army, servants, farm animals to be slaughtered for food, and different pottery.  While the Terracotta Army is life sized, things are different for the Han Dynasty.  The economy wasn’t as good, so everything was made miniature, aside from a few horses and carriages.  The warriors and servants are naked — when they were buried they were fully clothed, and had wooden arms.  This place was interested in many ways — much less crowded.  And very dark inside.  I tried to take pictures, but they didn’t come out that great.  And, most of these pictures are taken through the floor.  You walk on a glass floor above everything.

      

 

Below, what it likely looked like… a very, very long time ago.

 

 

In total, between tours, meal, and driving… it was a 12 hour day.  I can’t believe how lucky I am to be seeing and experiencing these things.