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Published: August 9th 2007
Shaanxi Provincial History Museum
Shaanxi Province, being the birthplace of the ancient Chinese civilization,
its museum displays a reasonable collection (2,700 works of art) from the long history of China, including the Zhou, Qin, Han, and Tang Dynasties.
Creating a blog... how does it work? They made it easy, it seems...I just hope that I'm doing it quite well, so, let's start with my first travelling holidays in China, quite hectic -I must say- as back in July 2006, (my sister'd never forgive me for this as it meant cutting my holidays short in Colombia) I decided to do the Silk Road (3 weeks) and the trip to Colombia (5 weeks) at roughly the same period of time; you see, these were my first long holidays since I started working in China and though I was missing my family a lot, I also knew I had to take the chance and go somewhere in China before packing up to go home. Incidentally, I'm glad I kept a message I had written to one of my friends at that time; thus, by changing some bits of the original message and attaching some recent comments to the photos, I intend to make it my full account of the journey. I am at present organising my photos so that you can also share these staggering landscapes and joy. Mind you! As I'm new in this, the photos might be sometimes mixed up
what a smile
Strolling in the streets of Xiahe, we were followed by many children who wanted to be photographed; that was cute; much cuter still when they realised I had a video recorder and had a lot of laughs seeing themselves on the camera; thus they didn't want to let us go, at the end we had to run. but don't despair, I promise to be better next time, if you still want to have access to my blog, that is; otherwise, just tell me and I'll take you off my list.
To begin with, I must give full credit for both the outing and work in China to my dear friend Lydie, who is most interested in Chinese culture. Chapeau, Lydie! The journey was impressive, all those temples, caves, museums, sculptures and specially the nice people gave me an impressive insight into what the Silk Road was. The only downside was that the Silk Road nearly turned into the Diarrhea Road as I was sick almost the whole time, which is the first reason for an interactive blog; let's see, Choose the appropriate letter (by the way, I'm still a teacher, hahaha). My stomach acted up because...
(a) All foreigners travelling in China experience the same problem.
(b) I wasn't able to adapt to the Northern food which differs a great deal from what I'm used to eating back in Zhuhai.
(c) I was just a very weak person at the time.
(d) I'm always a very weak person.
(e) all of
Flea Market: Beijing
The flea market: lots of ancient items to buy, exactly the kind of stuff that moves Lydie; you should see her flat back in Lyon looks like a museum; me, on the other hand, with no penchant for antiques was looking for a Starbucks each time we turned. the options stated above.
Well, there is no correct answer, what I can tell you is that there were days when our only one daily meal was composed of a coke (it seems to be good for preventing dehydration, though not aspartame-free, sorry folks) and some biscuits as I couldn't stand any restaurant dishes for the rest of the trip.
Now, let's look into the beginnings of our plans to visit some of the fabled cities of the SR.
It all started, as I mentioned before, when Lydie e-mailed me to say she had come across an itinerary proposed by a French airline, I remember the title of her message: 'Un voyage de reve sur terre', very tempting prospect and realistic indeed; the circuit would include Beijing, Xian, Xinning, Linxia, Lanzhou, Jiayuguan, Dunhuang, Turfan, Urumqi and Kashgar. The agencies would do everything for around 3,000 euros. Though it might not have been too expensive given the length and the distances of the trip, I insisted that now that I was living in China, we could've tried to do it ourselves.
Don't get me wrong, I don't have anything against package holidays, thanks God Thomas Cook invented them
We were very popular
Yes, children would follow us everywhere, which added to the Silk Road meeting our expectations, not that we expected so, but their spontaneity and curiosity made me vision the caravans of yesteryear encountering a Colombian boy and a French lady in their route. Would they follow us too? Just a thought, I must be tired, I'd better go to sleep. -yeah, I taught at Tunon-, but I prefer solo travel as it is you who decide where and when, you know, sometimes you just don't like what you are watching or might change your mind and stay in a place more days than you originally thought of...anyway, to cut the story short, Lydie accepted on condition that it was me who had to organise the whole trip. gulp! That was a big task, which looking back now, was not that bad as it was at that precise moment that I took up to reading about China.
So, a trip to Hong Kong was needed as I had to purchase books so that I could start organising everything. Thankfully, I'm sort of speedy when I really want something; Maya kindly accompanied me, off we went and on our way back, I was carrying four books: 'Silk Road, Monks and Warriors', by Luce Boulnois, 'Life Along the Silk Road', by Susan Whitfield, 'China, its History and Culture' by Morton and Lewis and obviously the Lonely Planet edition of China. Very heavy bags, but it was all worth it as my excitement for the trip was intense.
Well, having now a
one of my favourite photos
He was the character of the trip, we met him near one of the restaurants, tired as we were, his smile just put us right on track; despite Lydie's and my poor communication skills, there was so much that we were able to share with him, it was brilliant. place where to find inspiration, I started working so as to include most of Lydie's destinations into our trip; obviously we had to make allowances for some things but we would agree at the end. The good thing was she gave me carte blanche and I was able to quickly select what was better, based on what she had sent me and the information from the Lonely Planet. Next, I was confronted to a second problem, how to buy the tickets? I asked some of my acquaintances here, and word had it that I was better off with (sorry, I lost all the information with the crash here in Travelblog, snifffffffff).
was interested in doing
Before I start my description, it is important to know what Encarta has to say about the origins of the Silk Road so that you have a clearer picture of the photos you are going to see:
'The Silk Road originated in the 2nd century bc not from a desire for trade but from considerations of defense. Chinese Emperor Wudi (reigned 141-87 bc) of the Han dynasty sent a court official named Zhang Qian to Central Asia to seek allies against the Xiongnu,
Xian: Drum Tower
a wooden building in the Muslim area, we were lucky as we saw an impressive Drum performance by a group of youngsters. Just near the Tower, there was a very pricturesque market, where Lydie, my travel companion bought a very also picturesque birdcage: the only inconvenient was to carry, that b... birdcage with us during the whole trip, well, she did, but still... pastoral nomads from Mongolia who repeatedly raided Chinese settlements during this period. However, the Xiongnu captured Zhang while he was en route and detained him for ten years. Zhang finally escaped from his captors and completed his journey to Central Asia, only to have the local rulers rebuff his overtures for an alliance with China. Although Zhang¡¯s mission failed in its original objectives, the information he conveyed to China about Central Asia, and vice versa, made people in each area desire goods produced in the other. The Central Asians, and later the Persians and the inhabitants of the Roman Empire, learned of and began to covet Chinese products, particularly silk, leading to the development of trade.
BAD NEWS ABOUT THIS ENTRY
LAST YEAR, STH VERY UNFORTUNATE HAPPENED, THERE WAS A CRASH IN tTHE TRAVELBLOG NETWORK AND I LOST MY DESCRIPTION OF THIS TRIP AS WELL AS THE CAPTIONS FOR MY TRIP TO THAILAND, SORRY, I HAVEN'T HAD THE TIME OR LET'S BETTER SAY THE PATIENCE TO WRITE IT AGAIN, BUT I WILL DO IT EVENTUALLY. IN THE MEANTIME, ENJOY THE PHOTOS.
WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE THAT SOMEONE WHO READ THIS ENTRY LAST YEAR,
Xian: The Great Mosque
Located in the Muslim quarter,
it's one of the largest Mosques in China; established in 742 but rebuilt (18th century), lots of gardens and prayers. I like this photo as it was taken at the precise moment when the muezzin was calling to prayer, a routine which is done times a day from the minaret. MIGHT HAVE SAVED IT? I KNOW THIS MIGHT SOUND LIKE WISHFUL THINKING BUT IT DOESN'T HURT TO ASK... WE COULDN'T TRACE IT IN TRAVELBLOG, A SHAME, AS THIS WAS MY VERY FIRST ENTRY.
Nothing yet, I will then try to reconstruct some of the visits, let's see...
Places visited
Beijing
I flew with China Southern from Zhuhai airport to Beijing on July 8th, 2006. It was a 3h flight, we took off at 15:30.
The first night we stayed at Yuenyang hotel
Beijing Sanyuan JInan Hotel check www.bjsyja.com
The White Cloud Temple
(Y10) The centre of Daoism in northern China was also known during the Tang Dnasty as the Temple of Heavenly Eternity and during the Jin Dynasty as the Temple of the Great Ultimate during the Jin Dynasty. The temple founded in AD 739 served also as the headquarters for the Dragon Gate sect. Taoism, an indigenous religion in China states that the right path to happiness should be marked by the compassion, moderation, and humility.
Beihai Park (Y10)
On July, 11th, we flew from Beijing at 8:10 am to land in Xian at 9.50 am. The
Beihai Park
That was a very relaxing stroll with a most beautiful scenery: lakes, calligraphers and some very romantic couples; I felt jealous as I was not in love at that time. ticket cost me CNY 850
Xian
We stayed at Lu Dao Hotel on 80 west 8th street Xian.
Xian Great Mosque
Near the Drum Tower and right at the Muslim Residential area is the Mosque built in 742AD, which was the first year of Tian bao of the Tang Dynasty, later works meant to improve its architecture were done on the Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties.
Considered to be a blend of traditional Chinese and Islamic architecture, the mosque was finally opened to the public in 1978.
By the way, a large part of the building was under renovation when I went there. Wooden archways, glazed rooftiles, stone tablets carved with inscriptions both in Chinese and Arabic and the ever-present minaret stand there as a symbol of outstanding ancient art. There are different rooms, each with a different function, be it the welcoming of officials and generals or the keeping of valuable cultural relics and treasures. The mosque is highly valued in China as it is one of the unique buildings containing carvings that have disappeared in other similar buildings.
Xian Beilin Museum (RMB30)
The Bell Tower (Y30)
Built in 1344
Army of Terracotta Warriors
No words to describe what I felt; they look so human that you have the impression they are actually alive. I wonder what they'll find later when more tombs are excavated, it seems that only 10% of the statues have been discovered. I might recommend the film 'Terracotta Warriors' starring Gong Li, my favourite Chinese actress. at Yingxiangguan and then transferred to the centre of the city, was first built to show off the first emperor of the Ming Dinasty's power, or let's say, just in case others wanted to attack. Not that small, 8.6 m. The bucket arches of the tower are unique in the world.
Drum Tower
Not far from the Bell Tower and 'a bit' taller, 22m high. Why a drum? well, the gigantic drum you find inside the tower was to be beaten to announce the people that dusk was falling. It reminds me of Christmas in my hometown when the priest plays Christmas carols at 4:00 am so that we go to mass, and this happens everyday from December, 15th to 24th. But to be honest, I prefer carols to the sound of a huge drum. In ancient times, the bell also was tolled to announce the break of the day. That's why there is a Chinese saying: '..morning bell and evening drum'.
Big Wild Goose Pagoda
A pagoda that has a history as it was rebuilt three times: first, it was originally built in 652 and it used
More warriors
Around 2000 years old and guarding Qin Shi Huang's tomb, these 6,000 terracotta warriors are a must when you go to Xian. The statues are found in the three excavation pits of the impressive site; as they were destroyed after so many years, they were reassembled from he clay remains. to be 650 metres high with 5 storeys. But we are thinking big here, so in 704 there was an urge to make it to 10 storeys. Destroyed by wars, the tower was repaired and the measures were settled: on at 64 metres.
The Dayan Pagoda (CNY20)
Terracotta Warriors
The Museum of Terracotta Warriors and Horses of Qin Shihuang (CNY90)
Qing Shi Huang Di Ling Tomb RMB40
Eight Inmortals Palace
We stayed at Lu Dao Binguan.
I flew from XIY (Xian?) to LHW (Lanzhou?) on July, 13th at 16:40. I flew with Hainan Airlines at RMB680.
Gansu Province
The province whose capital is Lanzhou is located in the middle part of the Silk Road spreading between Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomus region and Shaanxi Province in Northwest China.
Night train to Langzhou HK$270
Lanzhou
The City of Melon and Fruits is the political, economical and cultural centre of the province.
We managed to find a hotel quickly, that was the Lanzhou Hualian Hotel on the Tian Shui Road. www.lzhlbg.com
At the China International Travel Agency, we met a very nice lady who
Big Ceremony near Qing
A big ceremony, I think, as I couldn't make out what it was, but the only thing I can tell you is that it was just next to the tomb. And please, do not rely on my Chinese language skills to find out (I told ya!). spoke perfect English and was most helpful, her name is Jessica and her phone number is 13919816713, she works in the office but she is also a guide. the website of the agency is www.silkroadtour.com.on
White Pagoda Hill
Binjing Cave temple (CNY50) located in Dasiguo valley, about 35 kilometres of Yongjing Town Gansu. The work on the caves started in 420AD. The site contains 216 cave niches, 800 images and 1,000 sq metres of mural paintings as well as 50 pagodas. The museum houses around 400 pieces of cultural relics which include coloured pottery gold and bronze images of Buddha tangka which are pictures of Buddha and other gods made in Tibetan temples) as well as Buddhist scriptures.
Bingling Caves (Y20)
27m Budha
The Grottoes of Bingling Monastery (CNY300)
As Lydie wanted to see some special caves, we have to pay CNY 300. After 10 minutes, I wished I hadn't said yes, not for the money but the vertigo attacks, we had to go up some wooden ladders to visit the Grotto 169 which was located midway on the cliff (400m above the dam), that was something for me, specially the ladder. The highlight of
Big Goose Pagoda
AD652, just to refresh your memory, we know pagodas were built to house the Budhist manuscripts brought from India by the monk Xuan Zang, I'll tell you more when I read Journey To The West, or you may tell me as now I'm stuck with The Three Kingdoms, four volumes more to go. Can you see the goose on the top? me, neither. the cave was the calligraphy used in AD420, which is the earliest they have found, lucky us. The paintings in this cave, are based on different scriptures notably the Amitayus Sutra, Lotus Sutra as well as the Vimalakirtinirdesa Sutra and the Garland Sutra, which made people in the know to establish that the Budhist sect at that time in that area was the Mahayana. As many as 68 statues and 150 sq metres of mural paintings are preserved intact, one of them being the one that tells the story of King Asoka which is the earliest Buddhist legend prevailing in China. These paintings show the influences of the West region on China's Budhist art. (paraphrased from leaflet)
Xiahe, also called The Little Tibet, houses splendid temples and people enjoy its ingenious handicrafts and local food.
Labrang Monastery
Langzhou to Zhangye on July 16th
Zhangye
We stayed at Zhangye Hotel on 56 XianFu Street Zhang Ye.Gansu.
Sui Dynasty Wooden Tower
Zhangye to Jiayuguan on July, 18th.
Jiayuguan (fort Great Wall: photos 1438-1502) (1502-1518: Jiayuguan, Great Wall Fort (Guerrilla)) (1519=1522: Budhist Temple (Jiayuguan Fort) (1524-1531: Museum: Fort Great Wall) 1531=4: Musee de Jiayuguan 1535-55: Jiayuguan (espanol
Yellow River
We left lanzhou and on a small boat went off on our way to the Binglin Si Caves, the landscape was just breathtaking and yeah, yellow water in some places, Lydie, you were right, it's due to the yellow silt it carries.
ano 4 ac) 1558-1569: Trip Jiayuguan Dunhuan) reinau, escritor argentino. 1570-1585: Shazhou night market 1586: Mogao Caves, Dunhuang 1676, Dunes, Dunhuang. 1678-80 The white Horse Pagoda (Dunhuang) ancient house dunhuang, la passe de yumengguan (porte nord-ouest, Yinguang Pass (porte sud: Japanese), la passe de Yangguan. 2081-4: sitio de uvas en Turfan Jiahe: ruinas en Turfan. 2085-7: ruinas Jiahe. 2089-93: Oficina de gobierno. 2094-7 cementerio de los ninos, mas de 200 ninos enterrados aqui.
Gansu
Shaanxi History Museum (RMB35)
The last fortress of the Great Wall
Yumen Pass (Y30)
Wei-Jin Tombs
Jiayuguan
Here is the termination point of the Great Wall, which used to mark China's western entrance.
Jiayuguan to Dunhuang on July 20th.
Dunhuang
was sometimes the crossroads for the northern and southern silk routes.
Zhangye
located in the middle section of the Hexi corridor, the city was the political, cultural and economic centre of the Northwest China.
Grand Budha Temple where we were supposed to see a clay sleeping Budha considered to be the biggest indoor one in the country.
The house
Tang and Song Dynasties' customs are recreated in
More of the Yellow River
Strange: Yellow river, just like the pink dolphins of Colombia and I believe in China too.
this kind of house-museum. Many films have been shot here.
The White Horse Pagoda (Y17)
The oldest brick and clay pagoda preserved in the city, is 12 metres high and has 9 storeys. The name of the pagoda refers to a legend that tells the story of the white horse of Kumarajiva, one of the translators of the Budhist scriptures, who died in a city. The pagoda was apparently built in the honour of the horse.
Liuyuan
Mogao Caves (Y120)
Also known as the 'Thousand Budha Caves', the most spectacular world art treasure house is located at about 25 kilometres southeast of Dunhuang City, at the foothills of the Mingsha Mountains. Work on the construction of these caves began in 366AD during the Qin Dynasty. 735 caves from different dynasties are found with 45,000 square metres of murals and 2,400 painted sculptures. In 1987 UNESCO enlisted the caves as a World Heritage site.
The Western Thousand Budha Caves
Belonging to the Dunhuang Grottoes, these similar caves are situated about 35 km southwest of Dunhuang. 19 caves occupying an area of 800 square metres from the Northern Wei,
Arriving at the Caves
For those who love Disney, sorry to disappoint you, this isn't it. We're about to see some of the Budhist grottoes that have managed to survive...Come with me...
Zhou, Sui, Tang, Five Dynasties, Western Xia and Yuan Dynasties
Mingsha Mountains and Crescent Spring or Yue Ya Quan (Y80)
Located at 5 kms from Dunhuang, The Mingsha Mountains and Crescent Spring regal visitors with the sound of singing dunes and what looks like a spring oasis. The Magical Sand Dunes as they used to be called due to the drum sounds of the moving sand, extend on an area of 40 km from east to west and 20 km from south to north. The peak of the mountains rises at 1,715 metres above sea level.
The crescent whose transparent waters are compared to a mirror is believed to contain three treasures: the iron back fish, seven star grass and five colourful sands. Cable and French report that 'the skill of a man built the grottoes but only God fashioned the lake of the crescent Moon'
Dunes
Flew from DHG to URC on July, 21st, the cost of the China Southern Airline ticket was Y820.
Wei and Jin Dynasties Tombs
18 km of Jiayuguan City, on the vast Goby dessert, are the Weijin tombs. Only 18 have been excavated and
Budhist grottoes at Bingling Si
Bingling means 1000 budhas; in this majestic site you find approximately 36 caves and 80 niches sheltering the statues. Most of them date from the Tang Dynasty (7th to 10th century) Just a bit of history for you: I learned that during the Silk Road, the building and preservation of these grottoes were sponsored by rich traders. I must confess that I was highly impressed by their artistic carving skills
700 brick paintings telling stories of that society have been unearthed. They display everyday scenes related to farming, customs, military, etc
Turpan
Turpan Kangtai Hotel on North Gaochang Road, (CNY20)
Huoyanshan Mountains or Flame Mountains (Y20)
Bezeklik Thousand Buddha Caves (Y20)
40 km to the east of Turpan is the most important and best preserved Huihu Buddhist artistic treasury. Located on the west bank of the Mutou Valley in the Flamming Mountain, there are 83 caves, including 40 painted with frescoes. Called 'Ningrong Temple' during the Tang Dynasty, this buddhist complex saw its beginnings during Qu Family Gaochang Kingdom Period (499-640) The caves became very popular and after the mid 9th century the site became a royal temple of Huihu Gaochang, most of the Gaochang kings decided to build grottos here. At the end of the 13th century, the Huihu Royal family moved to Yongchang in Gansu, which was very unfortunate for the temple as it was transformed into a folk temple. Two centuries later, the situation became even worse as Islam took over and the grottos were abandoned.
The Ancient City of Jiaohe (Y40)
About 10 km to
The Sleeping Budha
We had some difficulty to find it as there were hardly any people around on the day we reached the caves, kind of a national day.
the west of Turpan, Jiaohe, the ancient city sits proudly as it is one of the state-protected ancient monuments. Not only is the location an impressive beautiful site -the name Jiaohe defines what the city is: rivers in confluence-, but also during the Tang Dynasty, The Anxy Military Viceroy Office was established here, which shows how important the city was in the past. Unfortunately, there were periods of war and the office didn't see the beginnings of the Ming Dynasty as it was completely destroyed.
check www.turpantours.com
Yumemguan Pass or Jade Gate (Y30) was an obligatory pass for travellers leaving Dunhuang and going west across the loop Dessert.
Yagguan Pass (Y40) (the photo with a tower with three doors...)
The ancient city of Gaochang
Located about 40 km east from Turpan o Tulufan and shaped as an irregular square, the city is divided into three parts: the Outer part, the Inner part and the Palace. It was built by the Western Han Dynasty's imperial garrison troops on 1st BC. The prefecture of the city was established in 327AD, then the Beiliang Regime in exile moved here and the city became the official capital
Vertigo, me?
Well, a confession to make; this photo reminds me of my vertigo attack; you see the ladder on the top, well, by paying the general entrance fee, you can do most of the niches, however, unlucky me, as Lydie wanted to see the special caves, you'll have to pay 300 Yuan per person and yes, climb some wooden ladders!!! I panicked...I have to thank Lydie who asked me to look at her eyes the moment I was climbing and descending, it really worked and it was worth it. of the Gaochang Kingdom in 442-64AD. IN 640 AD, the Western Prefecture of the Tang Dynasty was built here ruling some counties such as Gaochang and Jiaohe. Finally, war destroyed the city at the end of the Yuan and the beginning of the Ming Dynasties.
Tuyugou Valley (Y30)
Around 43 kilometres from Turpan, in the village of Tuyugou, is the Tuyugou Valley which portrays the Tuyugou Grand Canyon, an ancient folk house, the Thousand-Budha grottoes and Hojamou Tomb. Each of these places offers different charms: The Grand Canyon in the Flamming Mountains regals us with mysterious colours which is used in different tales: Here, the Goddess who created the human beings, took some water from the sea and patched the sky by melting colourful stones.
The ancient folk house offers a travel in Uigur history. Finally, the Tuyugou Thousand-Budha Grottoes which were carved during West and East Jin Dynasty are under protection by the Uygur Autonomous Region.
The Ancient Astana Tombs
About 40 km to the east of Turpan, on the Goby dessert, the tombs are sitting on a public graveyard for the people of Gaochang from the 3rd to the 8th
Labrang Monastery
Hey, that is not fair, as catholics, when reciting the holy rosary, we're supposed to do sets of 50 Hail Maries plus 5 Our Fathers and 5 Glorys; here, they just stir a sort of spinning top and they're done; just joking, I was moved by the faith and devotion shown by the people when saying their prayers. This famous monastery is located in Xiahe, a small village in Gansu Province. Century. The tombs, which mostly buried couples, contain chambers and leading passages, and a few of them were built as niches in shaft tombs. Some of the corpses of the deceased are still preserved, they might be from high-ranking officials to common people. Since 1959, permission has been given and 500 tombs have been excavated, as a result more than 10,000 pieces of cultural relics have been excavated, these include pottery, clary figurines and wood wares, painting, silk,
Vineyards
The Museum of Xinjiang Uigur Autonomous Region (25 Yuan).
We flew from Urumqi to Kashi on July, 24th.
Xinjiang International Grand Bazaar (CNY20)
Kashgar
I took a 07:45 am Hainan Airlines flight from Urumuqi to Kashgar on July, 22nd at a price of CNY850
Although I was given a tourist map with plenty of useful Arabic sentences to use to speak to the locals, I was very shy to try them out, but I do remember that 'chirailik' meant beautiful, although I didn't use it.
Id Kah Mosque (Y10) Kashgar City the Etigar Mosque
Another place I enjoyed very much was the Arts and
The monks at Labrang Monastery
When built (1709) the monastery housed 4,000 monks but due to the Cultural Revolution there are at present around 1,000 coming from different provinces in China
We were actually very lucky as we found very friendly monks who didn't mind being taken in pictures, the monk to my right was just amazingly friendly, a shame I lost their address as I had wanted to send them a Thank you card.
Crafts Company of Kashgar, which sells an array of stunning embroydery products and it is known to be very famous internationally. Lovely colours, nice musical instruments, multicoloured carpets, a shame I hadn't planned to buy any big thing, but if you find yourself on the Seman Road Kashgar, a visit there is worthwhile. Incidentally, I stayed at a hotel on the same street, the Qinibagh Hotel, kind of nice.
Karakui Lake
Urumqi
I flew from Kashgar to Urumqi on July, 24th at 10:35, the price of the ticket was RMB850. I stayed at Peafowl Mansions on No.71 Youhao Road, Wulumuqi
Tian Chi (le lac du ciel)
Taersi
Monastery
Qutansi
Temple
Labulangsi
Monastery city at 2,800m high.
Finally, I flew on China Southern from Urumqi to Guangzhou on July, 28th at 9-30 am and the flight cost was CNY1,530.
Kumbum Monastery Y80 www.kumbum.org
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Michael
non-member comment
Looks like a very nice trip - you did the travelling for me - like I had been there myself (apart from the runs). I wonder how you got back from Urumqi? (and indeed how did you get from place to place) Perhaps you said and I wasn't paying attention! Anyway sounds like you were lucky to see places before they all get pulled down. I agree the ladies look strikingly Andean (even tho I haven't been there either.)