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Published: June 19th 2007
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Next stop is the city of Pingliang. We are here to have a look at the gorgeous mountain called Kongtong. It was a gloomy day and a bit of a chill in the air, we took a van to take us to the zig zaggy road up the mountain about 15 minutes. Then we had a look at different temples and things, the religious artefacts seems to be mix of both Buddhist and Tao beliefs which is quite interesting. There are numerous paths and it really was a good work out following as much path as your heart desires.We took a dilapidated taxi back to town and it seems that it might at anytime break in two, quite happy to get back in the hotel in one piece. That night me, Tony, Mr.Playfair and Kit had some snails for dinner, the night before I was with Tony and John P. and we loved it so we are going for the second time, since we don't speak the local lingo we as usual have to point which snail we want to devour, we even went to the kitchen to have a look, the snails we got this time are big and
XIAN DUCKS
PEKING DUCK
quite gritty but still good eat, the waiter is an annoying kid and took ages for us to get him understand us. Having gotten tired of this we went to the restaurant next door and prder some more crawlers thi time the waiter understand better, it was an experience to have this type of meal, quite good if not a tad bit spicy for me.
Next day off to Xian, was a long drive and we got stuck in traffic waiting for our turn to go through the tunnel, they are doing some construction so only one lane is open and have to take turns, we waited for a good hour and a half, drivers getting impatient, Chinese truck and Bus drivers are horn totting maniacs, you want to take the horn and stick up their a..! After getting through the tunnel we stop for a quick snack then head on to the big bustling city of Xian, quite impressive the bussiness district, to me looks like the Makati of downtown Manila. Quit excited to have a nice hotel to stay in the next 4 nights, the group went for a night out dinner where we had Peking Duck,
XIAN WARRIORS
TERACOTTA WARRIORS
quite delicious they cut the meat into small pieces, you put that in a wrap and put some sauce and scallions roll it like a cigar and eat up. I just wished they left the carcass for us to pick on as there obviously is some more meat there.
It was a rainy day the next day and Angus and I after a hearty breakfast went to the Muslim quarter shopping area and bought some souvenirs, John our guide and his wife was with us, so we were able to bargain well with them in tow, bought a few souvenirs, I saw a Mao hat and had John put it on and take a photo, when the vendor guy realized we are not going to buy it he went mental and started arguing with John, a lady hushed us away before it gets bad, geez, we almost got into a fight! Angus and i later went around window shopping, even if it is raining, nothing else to do anyway, we hope for better weather for tomorrow when we go to the Terracotta warriors.
Rain soaked day for the Terracota Warriors, though most is indoors you have to walk
PING LIANG
SCHOOL KIDS to get to the sites, lots of tourists as expected, did not live up to my expectations, quite alright but very difficult to photograph even with a tripod, dimly lit rooms, oh well, at least i have seen them. Seeing them warriors brought the kids in us in some ways, we hung out at the mall next to our hotel playing arcade games til the mall shuts off on us, we became arcade warriors, trying to beat the hell out of each other at different games, all fun! Me, Little John, Angus and Geoff.
KONGTONG MOUNTAINS:
Hidden in the mountains near the Gansu-Ningxia border lies Kongtong Shan and the daoist monastery located atop the mountain. At the base of the mountain is a lake along with several temples also in the area.
History
Formerly the abode of the Eight Immortals and the hermitage of asetic priests, Kongtong Shan has 42 Qin and Han dynasty temples and pavilions built on high forested cliffs. Spectacular views from the tops of the mountain peaks and the genuinely friendly people make for a very spiritual visit.
XIAN:
Xian, the eternal city, records the great changes of the Chinese
PING LIANG
KONGTONG MOUNTAINS nation just like a living history book. Called Chang'an in ancient times, Xian is one of the birthplaces of the ancient civilization in the Yellow River Basin area of the country. During Xian's 3,100 year development, 13 dynasties such as Western Zhou (11th century BC - 771 BC), Qin (221 BC - 206 BC), Western Han (206 BC - 24 AD) and Tang (618 - 907) placed their capitals here. So far, Xian enjoys equal fame with Athens, Cairo, and Rome as one of the four major ancient civilization capitals.
Xian is the capital of Shaanxi province, located in the southern part of the Guanzhong Plain. With the Qinling Mountains to the south and the Weihe River to the north, it is in a favorable geographical location surrounded by water and hills. It has a semi-moist monsoon climate and there is a clear distinction between the four seasons. Except the colder winter, any season is relatively suitable for traveling.
The cultural and historical significance of the area, as well as the abundant relics and sites, help Xian enjoy the laudatory title of 'Natural History Museum'. The Museum of Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses is praised as 'the eighth
PING LIANG
KONGTONG MOUNTAINS major miracle of the world', Mausoleum of Emperor Qin Shi Huang is listed on the World Heritage List, and the City Wall of the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644) is the largest and most intact Ming Dynasty castle in the world. In the city, there is the 3,000 years old Banpo Village Remains from the Neolithic Age (approximately from 8000 BC to 5000 BC), and the Forest of Stone Steles that holds 3,000 stone steles of different periods from the Han Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty. Around Xian, the Famen Temple enjoys the reputation of being the 'forefather of pagodas and temples in Central Shaanxi,' because it holds the finger bones of Sakyamuni -- the founder of Buddhism. The natural landscape around Xian is also marvelous Mt.Huashan one of the five best-known mountains in China, is famous for its breath-taking cliffs and its unique characteristics.
Traditional downtown Xian refers to the area encircled by the city wall, this has now been expanded to encompass the area within the second ring road (Er' huan Lu). The Bell Tower is the geographical center of Xian and the four main streets are respectively Dong Dajie, Xi Dajie, Nan Dajie and Bei Dajie
PING LIANG
KONGTONG MOUNTAINS which are also the main commercial streets. Xiao Zhai, the busiest commercial area is in the southern part of the city and is popular with both youths and students since many universities are located here. Shuyuan Men and the still under construction Luoma Shi are must-visit pedestrian streets in the city. Xian is also famous for its quantity of colleges throughout China. The old campuses of many colleges and universities are massed in the southern suburb of Xian, but most have established new campuses in far southern suburb - Chang'an District due to the lack of space within the city.
Praised as 'the capital of table delicacies', Xian has been rich in the delicious Shaanxi snack, delicate Guangdong Cuisine, various kinds of fashionable foreign delicacies, and popular Sichuan Cuisine such as the hot pot. Among all the delicacies, the most famous and popular one is the Muslim Snack Street.
Xian is the most important city in northwest China, and so there are a lot of shopping outlets for locals and tourists alike. There are many big shopping centers, department stores and supermarkets in and around Xian city - the biggest and most comprehensive being Kai Yuan Shopping Mall
PING LIANG
KONGTONG MOUNTAINS and Century Ginwa Shopping Mall.
The night life in Xian has a unique glamour. Traditional ways include enjoying the night scenery around the Bell Tower, taking part in a Tang Dynasty Dinner Show, strolling on the ancient Big Wild Goose Pagoda Square and watching the music fountain performance. More modern and fashionable ways include singing in the KTV, hanging out in a bar, or dancing in a Disco. All in all, any experience in this ancient city will bring you fun and possibly a little surprise!
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