Ancient Xi'an - a Photographic Retrospective
Ancient Xi'an - a Photographic Retrospective
As with some of the other photo-essays I have been posting recently, this is a retrospective of my visit to Xian, about 9 years ago. Although many of the photos were posted before on a previous photo-essay a number of years ago, I have been able to re-edit and improve them, and besides, there are probably many members who never saw these previously.
Xi'an, like some others cities I am revisiting on NT, was a dynasty capital of China known then as Chang'an, and was a destination on the ancient Silk Road. As well, it obtained renewed fame when in the 1970s some farmers when ploughing their fields discoverd the buried Terra Cotta Warriors. It is now one of the most visited tourist sites in China.
There are four main tourist attractions in Xi'an: The Drum Tower, The Bell Tower, The Wild Goose Pagoda and the Terra Cotta Warriors.
1 The ancient walls of the City.
2 Xi'an, a modernized ancient dynasty capital of China. On the right is the Drum Tower. I took this photo while standing on the Bell Tower, which is nearby and marks the geographical centre of the city.
3 Some of the drums on the Drum Tower. The towers have museums inside.
4 The Drum Tower information
5 This could be the drum that was heard around the world. I thought I would try it.
6 The Bell Tower. The bell was once used to mark the hours, and as you can see from the size of it (about 10 feet high) it could be heard throughout the city.
7 The Bell Tower information
8 I don't recall which tower had a number of doors that were themselves carved works of art, indicating the history of the area.
9 The little sign above the carving on the door describes what the carving depicts
10 The Wild Goose Pagoda. There is a great story of why it was built (more than 1000 years ago). The head Buddhist Monk in Chang'an was disheartened because there was a famine and almost no food. His prayers to Buddha went unanswered and he decided to give up Buddhism, but just before he told his followers that Buddhism was not going to help feed them, a flock of wild geese flew overhead, and the leader of the geese fell to the ground with two broken wings. The head Monk decided then that Buddha had heard their prayers and he had this pagoda built, and now you know why it is called the Wild Goose Pagoda.
11 One of the main tourist streets is called Muslim Street, being near the main mosque. One of my colleagues and I ate dinner in a restaurant there, and an older man who I imagine never saw a forgeigner before turned his chair to sit and watch us eat. It did make me feel a little self conscious, but I know that many Chinese people from the boondocks may never have seen a foreigner before.
12 Obviously a very touristy place with lots of souvenirs being sold
12 The Terra Cotta Warriors - now THAT was an impressive sight. This is just one of the massive hanger-like buildings housing the warriors. Much restoration is still going on.
13 Of course the warriors needed horses as well
14 And I leave you with these strange figures. We were not prmitted to take photos of them, but I transgressed.
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One thing you might notice from my photos is that English is used a lot here, and I have not found it to be that inconvenient in not being able to speak Chinese. Of course, if I were not married to a Chinese woman, I would find living here very difficult because Chinese must be spoken to do many necessary things that tourists need not be concerned about, like renting an apartment, paying utilities, asking directions, dealing with most doctors, etc.
Have you learned much of the language?
I know many everyday words and phrases, but not enough to understand or carry on a conversation. My wife knows not much but enough English for us to get by. If there is something serious and more complex I have to say I use Bing translate on the computer. It's interesting, but when a couple don't speak the same language there are almost NO arguments.
Lol!
And if there were, no one would hold a grudge, LOL!
When I was in college, there was this pretty girl who worked in the cafeteria. All the guys wanted to take her out but she always declined. She was deaf and couldn't speak. The guys bet me that she'd turn me down too but she didn't. I thought she was pretty but, when I picked her up, she was drop dead gorgeous and turned every guy's head on the street. I tried to learn sign language but she could read my lips better than I could sign so I gave up. When she got mad, she simply turned her head away and all communication stopped. If I turned her around, then she shut her eyes. Very frustrating! I moved out of the state and we never saw each other again but if we had married we would have never argued.
LOL. Great story.
Hélène and I visited China in 2003. I'll send you a link to an online repository.
Is that the Li River that flows past the Karst mountains, between Guilin and Yangshou?
Love this picture, too! A book that I once read said that the mountains looked like fish, jumping on their tails...
Yes. Magnificent. Just like the classic paintings, with the abrupt peaks looming through the fog.
Photographer's heaven!
If anyone wants to see what Bob and I have been discussing, in order to see his magnificent photos of the Karst mountains in China, and some superb photos of the Terra Cotta Warriors in Xi'an, click this link:
A few more from that trip:
Bob's photo of the marble "boat" at the Emperor's Summer Palace is the one I described and displayed on my "Buzz Does Beijing" article. Quoting from that article my description:
Years before I even dreamed I would ever travel to the Orient, a client gave me a beautiful antique framed silk embroidery of this marble "boat". I could hardly believe my eyes when I saw the real thing in the lake at the Summer Palace - I had never realized that the embroidery was of something that was real.
It's very impressive. You may have noticed that the lake is frozen: Beijing is cold in December!
It's also extremely shallow - it's a man-made lake.
Was this the marble boat built by the Last Empress, who took all the navy's money to build it? I read of this somewhere...
Magnificent boat!
You may be right. From Wikipedia:
“”The Marble Boat ( Chinese : 石 舫 ; pinyin : Shí Fǎng ), also known as the Boat of Purity and Ease, is a lakeside pavilion on the grounds of the Summer Palace in Beijing , China .
It was first erected in 1755 during the reign of the Qianlong Emperor . [1] The original pavilion was made from a base of large stone blocks which supported a wooden superstructure done in a traditional Chinese design. [1]
In 1860, during the Second Opium War , the pavilion was destroyed by Anglo-French forces. [1] It was restored in 1893 on order of Empress Dowager Cixi . [1] In this restoration, a new two-story superstructure was designed which incorporated elements of European architecture. Like its predecessor, the new superstructure is made out of wood but it was painted to imitate marble. On each "deck", there is a large mirror to reflect the waters of the lake and give an impression of total immersion in the aquatic environment. Imitation paddlewheels on each side of the pavilion makes it look like a paddle steamer . [1] The pavilion has a sophisticated drainage system which channels rain water through four hollow pillars. The water is finally released into the lake through the mouths of four dragonheads.
The boat design of the pavilion may relate to a quote attributed to Wei Zheng , a Tang dynasty chancellor renowned for his honest advice. He is said to have told Emperor Taizong that "the waters that float the boat can also swallow it", implying that the people can support the emperor but can also topple him. With this in mind, the Qianlong Emperor might have chosen to construct the Marble Boat on a solid stone base to indicate that the Qing dynasty was not to be overthrown.
The Marble Boat is often seen as an ironic commentary on the fact that the money used to restore the Summer Palace largely came from funds originally earmarked for building up a new imperial navy. [2] The controller of the Admiralty, Prince Chun , owed much of his social standing as well as his appointment to Empress Dowager Cixi, who had adopted his eldest son, Zaitian, who was enthroned as the Guangxu Emperor . Because of this, he probably saw no other choice than to condone the embezzlement.
The pavilion is 36 metres (118 ft) long. It stands on the northwestern shore of Kunming Lake , near the western end of the Long Corridor .“”
Thanks for the added details!
Great photos.
Never made it to China, but made it to Taiwan and the artwork was amazing. They seem to be able to take just about anything and turn it into art. Very good article and wonderful photos.
Just when it appears that Buzz has reached the "PHOTO ESSAY PINNACLE" …
HE RAISES THAT PINNACLE!
These photo essays are unique.
Thanks so much for posting these! I love them!
Beautiful pictures. Just curious. I've heard that the terra cotta warriors are life size. Looking at the warrior standing next to the horse, either the horse is a lot smaller than modern European horses or the warriors are much taller than modern Chinese people or both. How do they compare to you if you stood next to them?
They're larger than life. They're about 7 to 8 feet tall.
Thanks Buzz.
Actually, you raised an interesting point with respect to size of the Chinese people. When I first arrived here more than a decade ago I noted that with my being just shy of 5'11" I was taller than most Chinese, and they were generally thin or muscular at best. But then over the years I have noted many younger Chinese have become as tall or even taller than me. Think of Houston Astro star Yau Ming (of course he's unusual). But perhaps because of the proliferation of McDonald's, Burger King and other western eateries more recently I've been noticing a lot more very fat people here. Actually, I guess the growth is more likely due to better nutrition and health care than was previously experienced here. With the general financial betterment of the population, they are able to afford more and better.
Looks like there are many of those warriors-- is it known how many there are in all?
If I recall correctly, I think there are 3 buildings like the one I depicted, and they are still digging.
Incredible pictures. China was the one country my dad always dreamed of visiting. He finally made it there about 10 years ago (maybe a little longer). He loved it and said it was better then he had imagined.
It's certainly better than I imagined.
Wow.. those are amazing photos Buzz! You really outdid yourself with those. I feel like I took a trip there (and I still want to).
Yes I think they really give a clear idea what China must look like.
Ha ha. I like your new avatar, Krishna. China also looks like this (not my photo):
Those "strange figures" are intriguing!
Was there any information as to what they represented-- what their significance was?
Human bodies with the heads of animals-- they remind me of a lot of the gods depicted in Ancient Egyptian art!
Anubis (Head of a Jackel):
Horus (head of Hawk):
I wonder if someone has speculated that there were similarities between the ancient Egyptian religion and some ancient Chinese religion (perhaps pre-dating Buddhism by many years?)
Googled quickly-- hard to find information about them.
But perhaps this is relevant?
Ai Weiwei Is Bringing 12 Bronze 'Zodiac Heads' to The Greenway
“Centrally located, the Rings Fountain is one of the most adored and culturally diverse attractions on The Greenway,” said Lucas Cowan, Public Art Curator for the Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservancy, which is funding the piece along with private donors. “Our vision in presenting Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads in this location is to allow visitors of all ages and backgrounds, from Boston neighborhoods and from around the world, to come enjoy and contemplate this significant work."
The sculpture is modeled after 12 bronze animal statues that once stood at the Yuanming Yuan , or Summer Palace, in Beijing. During the Second Opium War, in 1860, the palace was looted by French and British troops, and the heads were taken. Weiwei's reinterpretation is a commentary "to the issue of looting and repatriation of art treasures," according to a release.
(LINK)
So apparently they are not related to the ancient Egyptian gods-- rather, they represent the signs of the Chinese Zodiac?
P.S: These are in Boston
Oh! My photos are mixed up and I thought the photo of the sculptures was taken in Xi'an, but I guess I took it at the Summer Palace near Beijing. I was not permitted to take photos there and they made me leave before I could read the descriptions, but they do appear to represent the Chinese zodiac symbols. I was born in the year of the rat - the rat is considered the most intelligent of all of them.
You will find similarities in many ancient cultures. For example, just today I noticed that Raven Wing posted a photo of a statue of an American Indian (first photo below) and I followed up with one I photographed near Nanning, in Gruanxi Autonomous Region, PRC (second photo below).