After the epic day of hiking on Huangshan, a day wandering the tranquil-ish village of Hongcun was a welcome break. Along with neighboring Xidi, it was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000 as a preserved look at rural Chinese life dating back to the 14th century. The village’s appearance is still so authentic that it was used as the backdrop for the international blockbuster Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, set in 19th century China.
Other than the scooter speeding down the cobblestone alley, it’s easy to imagine life in feudal China as we wandered the streets of Hongcun. The duck wandered in from nearby South Lake, undeterred by the possibilities of becoming someone’s dinner.Many generations of the Wang family have lived in the village and the family temple overlooks the Crescent Moon Pond, but this scene is more famous thanks to its inclusion in the movie Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Also a fine example of the photobombing skills of our tour guide, Jason.Founded by the family of a Han Dynasty general, the village thrived thanks to the merchant trade. That trade continues today as villagers create art and food for the throngs of tourists who visit each day. This shop topped its simple fried tofu with different blends of spicy pepper relish—equal parts fiery and delicious.Nothing like a frozen treat on a hot and humid Chinese summer day. Viktoria snapped this photo of her pineapple pop as I caught the eye of the lady entering the background. She was really getting a kick out of the level of artistry going into the ice-sucker selfie.The angles, lighting and colors of the ancient village were a major draw for artists, many of whom lined the banks of South Lake to capture the reflection of Picturesque Bridge in the still waters.
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Asia boasts some of the world’s most famous mountains, but China’s Huangshan (Yellow Mountains) remain a bit of a secret outside the country despite its designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. One Chinese visitor even asked a member of our group how we learned about Huangshan, surprised to see foreigners mixed into the summer holiday crowd.
Our visit coincided with the end of the rainy season. The floating fog and mist is part of what makes Huangshan such a sight to behold, but the rainy weather made clear views of its twisted peaks a rarity.There are two ways up for tourists—a cable car ride or a 7.5 km hike—but for the supply guys, the only option is carrying it up the old-fashioned way. The prices at the top reflect the labor.
On the 1,000 meter hike from the bus station to Lotus Flower Peak, we logged more than 17,000 steps–the first 5,000 of which were straight up steep steps.At Bright Summit Peak, lovers tie padlocks to the railing and toss the key into the valley below, ensuring an eternal bond.Hiking with a few thousand of our new Chinese friends. Especially crowded due to the summer school break, we walked much of the 14 km queued up behind the masses.
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One of the downsides of traveling is that you have to actually travel. Most of the 16th day of our trip was spent on a bus from Shanghai to Huangshan. Fortunately the bus was comfortable and we were loaded up with snacks from an international grocery store in Shanghai, making the nearly seven-hour trip bearable. This was the day’s only photo!
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Shanghai’s skyline is a symbol of the changes in China. Constructed entirely over the past 35 years, it’s been featured in numerous films and is home to the second-largest building in the world, the Shanghai Tower. We’ll be back in Shanghai in a few days for a longer stay.
The Yuyuan Gardens in Shanghai’s Old Town combines traditional Chinese architecture with feng shui principles. Outside, we were bombarded by local vendors.The garden was originally constructed during the Ming Dynasty, beginning in 1559. It took 18 years for the garden to come to maturity and be considered complete. The garden was heavily damaged during the Opium Wars in the mid 1800s, but has once again been restored to its original state.A nice photo taken by some fellow tourists…… And a reciprocal act of kindness.
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When we started looking at our China travel options, I had two requirements: the Great Wall and the Terracotta Warriors. Both requirements have now been satisfied!
The terracotta army of Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China’s first dynasty. He ordered the construction of the army during the third century B.C. to protect his tomb in the afterlife, but three years after his death, his empire was overthrown. The warriors were heavily damaged in the revolt and buried later as the wooden support beams rotted away. The army was rediscovered in 1974 by farmers who were digging a well.Qin’s terracotta army was created in the same manner as a human army, complete with generals, infantry, horse-drawn chariots and social structures. Each warrior was dressed in bronze and leather, and held different weapons. The bronze swords were still sharp enough to cut paper when they were rediscovered thanks to a chrome-plating method that died with the empire and would not be re-invented for another two millennia.Qin’s tomb was discovered two kilometers to the west of the army in a man made mound of earth the size of a small town. It’s surrounded by rivers of mercury and the gas is so toxic that it has not yet been exhumed. His army faces east to draw life from the rising sun.
The faces and bodies of each soldier in the army is unique. They were constructed using extra-strong local clay that could be fired at twice the temperature of clays imported from Beijing. The resulting soldiers weigh between 200-300 lbs. each. Archeologists are still piecing together the soldiers and have restored around 2,000 of the 6,000-plus member army.
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On our first day in Xi’an, we visited the City Wall and rented bicycles to ride around the top of the 8.6 mile-long wall. Originally constructed in the 1300s, it was restored in the 20th century using bricks donated from the homes of the local people who volunteered to rebuild it. Throughout, you can see the names of the bricks owners carved into the wall.
Our fellow travelers mounted up and ready to ride around the Xi’an City Wall. We’re joined on this trip by Australians, Canadians and a Swiss.
Xi’an’s lively Muslim Quarter is full of both local specialties and traditional Muslim snacks. This sweet treat looked like yellow cake or pineapple on a stick, but was actually yellow glutinous rice mixed with honey and coated in a syrup. It tasted a lot better than it sounds!Our time in the Muslim Quarter was cut short by a freak rainstorm that sent everyone scurrying for cover. on our rain-soaked walk back to the hotel, we picked up dinner from various local food stalls… a great way to get to know the local culture.
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After a long day on the Great Wall, we returned to Beijing with a few hours to spare before the train to Xi’an. Our original plans were disrupted by the busy Saturday afternoon subway delays and we instead found ourselves at Wangfujing Snack Street, famous for its skewers of live insects.
A portion of the Ming City Wall in Beijing. Part of the city’s defenses, the wall was 15 miles long, however all but 1.2 miles were destroyed to build new highways and subway lines. Construction also diverted us after a few steps and we found ourselves in a decidedly non-tourist maze of local alleyways, where we followed a group of locals past shops and restaurants back to the main road.
Looking in the window of our overnight train from Beijing to Xi’an. It was surprisingly comfortable and we were gently awakened around 7 a.m. by the piped-in traditional Chinese music. A rider accompanying his elderly mother woke us about an hour before that with three hours of nonstop conversation in the aisle.
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We spent an entire day walking atop the Great Wall in Jinshanling, a less-touristy area of the wall that was a great mix of restored wall and original wall. Some parts of this section of the Great Wall date to the 1300s.
Full of energy at the start of the day (around 9 a.m.) and jumping for joy at the prospect of a day walking the Wall.Hiking up some of the steep steps between the different guard towers. It’s easy to imagine soldiers protecting China from invaders with the intact fireplaces and lookouts.The area around the wall is mountainous, part of the defense strategy. The mountains also offered up greenery and beautiful mountain flowers, a nice contrast to Beijing’s concrete jungle.
The wall literally stretches as far as the eyes can see, disappearing into the horizon.The first part of the second leg of the hike has been heavily restored over the past 30 years, making it more appealing to the bus tourists from Beijing. However, after the first few towers, the Wall turns more towards its “ruins” state, with exposed holes in the brick and broken walkways.Some parts of the wall have narrow elevated walkways, but with enough room to safely cross.
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We spent four days in Beijing, gaining a better insight on China’s capital. The changes taking place in China are perfectly illustrated on this shopping street near our hotel as Western brands blend with traditional shops and restaurants.
A tree-lined street leading to the Confucius Temple. We also found our second suprise craft brewpub in an adjacent hutong.The gate to Guozijian Street and Confucius Temple.One of the many character-filled hutongs (alleyways) of Beijing.A local man at Gubeikou Village, our guesthouse near the Great Wall, enjoying watching his neighbors playing badminton.
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Waiting in line to see Mao Zedong’s memorial is an event in its own right. The line zig-zagged through Tiananmen Square, around to the front of the giant mausoleum and back around to the other side again. An hour-long wait gets you less than five minutes inside where thousands of Chinese lay flowers at the feet of a statue of the Chairman before scuttling past his body laying in a preserved state of rest.
Another view of the line at Mao’s mausoleum. Shortly after this picture was taken–and after 30 minutes in line–I was informed I couldn’t bring my backpack or camera inside. Fortunately they let me check my bag at a nearby luggage check and re-enter the line.We walked around Beijing’s Temple of Heaven park for about three hours. The tower in the back was used to pray for good harvest and is actually built using pillars made from Oregon fir trees.The park at Temple of Heaven is popular with locals looking to practice dance, play cards or toss a frisbee. We were lucky to spot this woman among the knotted cypruss trees.
A girl filled the park with giant bubbles.
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