My dear Mimi & Jhum,
Ming Tomb: About 50 km. away you enter the graveyard with the longest arching entrance gate in China. Most of the Ming emperors (with their thrones and golden / jade crowns, etc.), their queens and concubines were buried here in underground palaces.
The Great Wall –3rd most popular wonder of the world: the wall was constructed/ reconstructed since 5th century B.C. and extended, over 10,000 km. up to 1644 A.D. during Ming dynasty; however, renovation work is continuing. Certain parts located 50 to 65 km. north of Beijing are popular tourist destinations. We climbed up to the base in chair car and walked for about 2 hours up the stairs on the wall to the second tallest watch tower. It will remain a memorable experience in our mind.
By overnight ‘z’ train (perhaps without any scheduled stopover during eleven and half hours journey) we reached Xi’-An on 15th, 1200 k.m. south/south west of Beijing on the historic ‘silk route’, the seat of some of the earlier Chinese dynasties. Now this city is a provincial capital only, but vibrant and clean with necessary modern facilities. Hu’en-sung, the renowned traveler to and fro India, lived after his return here in a Buddhist Pagoda. Pictures depicting life of Hu’en-sung as well as Buddha adore the walls of this historic monastery.
About 60 km. off Xi-An has the novel ‘Terracotta Army’ been dug out. There are about four thousand life size clay solders in arms and uniform, horses, chariots, etc. The site is covered with three large sheds; and work is going on and damaged ones are being restored. A large mound lying nearby is said to be the mausoleum of the then king who mysteriously believed that terracotta army would protect his mausoleum. But within a few years of his demise, his dynasty was overthrown and the terracotta army was partially damaged/destroyed.
From Xi-An we traveled about one thousand km. north/north west by a slower train to Datong located near Mongolian border, to see some exquisite architectural works of Buddhist era. The most remarkable one is the set of forty-five caves at ‘Yundong’, the outer ones are not important some of which were left incomplete. But caves five to twenty are wonderful. They contain very large single magnificent statues of Buddha to clusters of small ones carved out from the hills, decorated in many styles and colourfully painted. The largest statue of Buddha, seventeen meters in height, is in cave no. five. There are statues of some Hindu deities, e.g. Shiva, Vishnu, Kartikeya, etc. also in 7th and 8th caves.
Wooden Pagoda: This eight story shrine built in 16th century without any metallic nut& bolt or else, with beautiful carvings all around, is a live monastery and accessible up to the top.
Hanging Monastery (40 km. from Datong): From the alongside road, any one looking up will wonder how could this mainly wooden structure be affixed so high up in the mountain. This one also is carved and painted in the Buddhist tradition.
We returned via Beijing on the 20th July. Before that on the last evening we attended an acrobatic show, very gracefully performed to perfection by a large number of young boys and girls; it was indeed a thoroughly enjoyable evening.
BABA
Ming Tomb: About 50 km. away you enter the graveyard with the longest arching entrance gate in China. Most of the Ming emperors (with their thrones and golden / jade crowns, etc.), their queens and concubines were buried here in underground palaces.
The Great Wall –3rd most popular wonder of the world: the wall was constructed/ reconstructed since 5th century B.C. and extended, over 10,000 km. up to 1644 A.D. during Ming dynasty; however, renovation work is continuing. Certain parts located 50 to 65 km. north of Beijing are popular tourist destinations. We climbed up to the base in chair car and walked for about 2 hours up the stairs on the wall to the second tallest watch tower. It will remain a memorable experience in our mind.
By overnight ‘z’ train (perhaps without any scheduled stopover during eleven and half hours journey) we reached Xi’-An on 15th, 1200 k.m. south/south west of Beijing on the historic ‘silk route’, the seat of some of the earlier Chinese dynasties. Now this city is a provincial capital only, but vibrant and clean with necessary modern facilities. Hu’en-sung, the renowned traveler to and fro India, lived after his return here in a Buddhist Pagoda. Pictures depicting life of Hu’en-sung as well as Buddha adore the walls of this historic monastery.
About 60 km. off Xi-An has the novel ‘Terracotta Army’ been dug out. There are about four thousand life size clay solders in arms and uniform, horses, chariots, etc. The site is covered with three large sheds; and work is going on and damaged ones are being restored. A large mound lying nearby is said to be the mausoleum of the then king who mysteriously believed that terracotta army would protect his mausoleum. But within a few years of his demise, his dynasty was overthrown and the terracotta army was partially damaged/destroyed.
From Xi-An we traveled about one thousand km. north/north west by a slower train to Datong located near Mongolian border, to see some exquisite architectural works of Buddhist era. The most remarkable one is the set of forty-five caves at ‘Yundong’, the outer ones are not important some of which were left incomplete. But caves five to twenty are wonderful. They contain very large single magnificent statues of Buddha to clusters of small ones carved out from the hills, decorated in many styles and colourfully painted. The largest statue of Buddha, seventeen meters in height, is in cave no. five. There are statues of some Hindu deities, e.g. Shiva, Vishnu, Kartikeya, etc. also in 7th and 8th caves.
Wooden Pagoda: This eight story shrine built in 16th century without any metallic nut& bolt or else, with beautiful carvings all around, is a live monastery and accessible up to the top.
Hanging Monastery (40 km. from Datong): From the alongside road, any one looking up will wonder how could this mainly wooden structure be affixed so high up in the mountain. This one also is carved and painted in the Buddhist tradition.
We returned via Beijing on the 20th July. Before that on the last evening we attended an acrobatic show, very gracefully performed to perfection by a large number of young boys and girls; it was indeed a thoroughly enjoyable evening.
BABA
