My two favorite days in China were the days we visited the
Terracotta Warriors
and
The Great Wall of China.
A few of the Terracotta Warriors had come to my city
last year and we were able to see them up close.
Nothing compared to seeing them where they were found, though.
Each warrior has a different face and
body type. They were modeled after real people.
Their uniforms denoted their rank in the army.
There are horses, chariots and weapons among the warriors, too.
This is pit #1 of 3 pits!
The government covered them with a roof before they were opened to the public.
The excavation continues to this day.
The estimate is that there are at least as many warriors still buried as
have been uncovered.
Some are headless.
Some are missing other body parts.
This warrior was positioned like he was holding
onto reins for the horse.
I didn't realize until I was on this tour that all of the warriors
were destroyed by the Ming dynasty.
They were found in several hundred to thousands of pieces
and have been painstakingly restored and positioned back in their original place.
It was an amazing day to be able to see these where they were found in 1974.
In Beijing we enjoyed a rickshaw ride through
the old part of the city.
The day we went to the Great Wall was a gorgeous day.
There aren't many "blue sky" days in Beijing,
but we were blessed to have several.
We were at the wall early
and were able to see it without mobs of people.
It is truly amazing that we were there!
It was difficult to walk along the wall.
The steps were very uneven
and the flat area was anything but flat.
We trudged along and saw as much as we could.
Can you imagine building this long before power tools,
vehicles and modern technology??
What a view!
We ended the trip with a tour of Tiananmen Square
and the Forbidden City.
Above is the South gate in the square.
That is an oil painting of Mao Zedong.
It's replaced periodically with an exact copy.
I have to say,
this was my least favorite day of the trip.
There were mobs of people here,
pushing and shoving and taking our pictures.
My daughter stood out in this crowd,
being a redhead!
It was difficult to take in the meaning of the area
with all of the people.
This sign gave me the biggest laugh!
The government gave the bathrooms here 4 stars!
Maybe it's because they have toilet paper, soap, paper towels
and western toilets.
Believe it not,
these things were hard to come by on the trip,
especially toilet paper and soap.
I was prepared, though!
These photos are of the palaces in the
Forbidden City.
The colors were so vibrant and beautiful.
I kept picturing batiks as I was walking through this area.
:)
There is an Imperial Garden in the Forbidden City.
These rocks were taken from under water
and placed in the garden.
They were quite interesting, to say the least!
It would have been a peaceful place if it weren't for the
thousands of people there.
My daughter and I will have these memories forever.
It was wonderful trip
and the best part was being together.
Happy Day!
it must have been wonderful to see all of this! what memories you will have of this place. My uncle in law and wife went there a couple years ago - they were not happy with the bathrooms and I guess they came across 1 star bathrooms as they were pits in the ground that you had to squat over - they were not happy campers!
ReplyDeleteI didn't realize the soldiers have been reconstructed. I'm so glad you had a memorable time with your daughter!
ReplyDeleteYou have kept the best till last, Ramona! Amazing that you visited the Terracotta Warriors and The Great Wall of China which would have been incredible experiences. The view from the wall must have been amazing. Love the buildings in the Forbidden City, so many gorgeous colours. I did chuckle when I read your experiences re the toilets and the photo of you and your daughter brought a smile to my heart. I have enjoyed strolling through your photos of your trip; thank you.
ReplyDeleteWow Ramona! I have really enjoyed your pictures from this trip. I totally get your vibe about the thousands of people...I would not like that either. I never knew the terracotta warrior statues were broken and what we see was put back together. Amazing.
ReplyDeleteI think today's pictures are my favorite from your trip. I especially loved seeing pics of your and your sweet, lovely daughter. Her hair is a gorgeous color. Thank you for the history lesson as well. I have seen many photos of the terracotta warriors but had never heard they were destroyed and reconstructed. That is unreal! But what a wonderful memory this is for both of you. Your photos are just wonderful- the Great Wall and the shots in the Forbidden City are so beautiful. Thank you both so much for sharing. I doubt I will ever see China first-hand----so I really appreciate these last 3 posts. Blessings....
ReplyDeleteI have enjoyed your tour of China immensely! What an incredible experience. One of my favorite childhood books is called "Ping" a duck on the Yangtze River! Your pictures are just beautfiul!
ReplyDeleteI have just discovered your blog after finding your Escher quilt on Pinterest. I'm currently reading thru 2019 to see your other work. I just love your color sense and flamboyant style! I can't tell you how impressed I am with your productivity as well! I'm definitely going to follow you and hope some of your good habits rub off on me!
ReplyDeleteI wondered if you had been on Bonnie hunter's China trip last year. She designed a mystery quilt based on the prominent colors of china. You might want to check it out. Wonder what your version done in kaffe fabrics would look like?
Can't wait to see what else you've done and will do in future posts!