smiths trip to china march 2014

our visit to

CHINA

March 2014

a mysterious land

a land of contrasts

Chapter 1

Beijing

• 20 + million inhabitants

• March temp – 50-40 F– 10-5 C

Beijing airport

Beijing new….

…andolder

Peking duck

the national drink

tea

holding the cup like a lady

Tiananmen Square

Forbidden Cityentrance from Tiananmen Square

Forbidden City

800 buildings separated by courtyards

Residence of the Qing dynasty1644-1911

a series of buildings

each with its name above the entrance

temples on the mountain (North)

beyond the moat

moat behind the Forbidden City

Peking opera• Traditional Chinese

show• Dance• Music• Martial arts

the ticket

Actor preparing for the show

old Bejing’s hutongs

how to visit in style

be

bell & drumtowers

protect your car’s wheels against dogs

entrance to the home we were invited to visit

\

Sacred Way of the Ming Dinasty ( 1368-1644 ) tombs entrance

avenue to the tombs

GREATWALL

100 km from Beijing

yesit is a VERY

cold day

\

Viking-China group #3 Guide: Duan

end of chapter 1• Beijing

– Airport– City– National drink: tea– Tianmen Square– Forbidden City– Peking opera– Hutongs– Ming dinasty Tombs

• Great wall

Chapter 2

City of Xi’an

the old and the new

traditionally,a city had

a bell towerand

a drum tower

we go to visit

the tomb of

emperor Qin Shi Huang

260-210 B.C.

“who put the Chi in China”

the museum

ceramic statues

bronze chariots

a workin

progress

countryside in the South

village market

can you guess what this is?

these monsters are mushrooms

more mushrooms

peeling water chestnuts

duck skins

chicken feet

end of chapter 2

End of chapter 2

• Xi’an• tomb of emperor Qiu Shi

Huang• village market

historic ceramic museum

Chapter 3

the park

gods of the kiln

starting the wheel

carving the rice pattern

pre-glaze painting

old kilns

porcelain market

as china should be displayed

end of chapter 3

• historic ceramic museum

we board the Viking Emerald

Chapter 4

lift with outside view

plant in our suite

boarding the ship is true exercise

boarding the ship is scary

fresh vegetables deliveredfor our 5* dinner

the Yangtze is a very busy river

transporting reeds

senior citizens like to be active

open air concert given by senior citizens

in Chinaa pagoda is

an observation tower

Built 1650 AC

End of chapter 4• Cruising along Yangtze• Fengdu• Shi Bao Zhai tower

Chapter 5

fishing nets

Budhist monastery

ancient burial site

reforastation:

“sticks” are Chinese tea

trees

rather crowded locks !!

a model

“visiting the dam”

the ticket

2 questions:Who took this pix?What does it mean?

driving thru a small town

Caligraphy is an antique art form

Chinese painting on rice paper (made of reeds)

end of chapter 5

• Small gorges cruise

• Three Gorges dam

• Caligraphy

YUEYANG

y’re young

TOWER

Chapter 6

Beware of the monster

a model

entrance

End of chapter 6• Yueyang park• The tower

Chapter 7

Wuhan10 million inhabitants

origins of the HONDA CIVIC

we are welcomed

by a

Senior Citizens’ band

the museum houses artifacts

from a dignitary’s tomb,buried 2,400 years ago

objects in wood and bronzesurvive in the tomb submerged in water

jade figurines (1 cm each)

in mouth of the buried

guarantee immortality

bronze bells from the tomb

concert usingreproductionf of the bronze bells

THE MANUFACTURE OF SILK

1place worm on mulberry bush leaf

keep at room temperature

2collect cocoons

3

4boil cocoonfind thread (1 mile long)spin

5weave carpet

EASY

Alternative method for double cocoon

make mesh, not thread

How??

gently open cocoondo not pull thread

place mesh on formallow to dry

simply stretch each mesh

each mesh becomes the size of a blanketnumerous meshes placed upon each other

make a comforter

EASY

silk embroidery

every city has skyscrapers

every city is building more

is this a real estate balloon ready to burst?

end of chapter 7• Wuhan

– tomb of Yi– chime bells concert

• Manufacture of silk

Chapter 8 on our way to Mount Jiu Hua

thru towns

up the mountains

Mount Jiu Hua

carved steps lead to the temple

Budhism arrived to China

during the Han dynasty200 BC-200 AC

monsters stop bad spirits from entering

Zhan Chan Lin Temple

Budha

Guardian

of the pastof the presentof the future

monks hold a blessing service

kowtow

to show deep respect

the village

monks chanting

enjoying spring

guardian of Qiyuan Temple

entrance

Qiyuan Temple

Duan

carved steps

Budha of Peace female deity of love and compassion

busy Budhist pantheon

end of chapter 8

• Mt Jiu Hua• Temples

Chapter 9

side streets in

Suzhou

entrance to the garden of

Master of the Netsbuilt 1140 A.C.

interesting…what got lost in translation?

series of

gardens

aged rocks from Lake Taihu

gardens separated by pavilions

each window is a picture

end of chapter 9• Suzhou• Garden of the Master of the

Nets

Chapter 10 Shanghai 24 million inhabitants

city of yesterday

the Bund: city of the 20th century

city of the 22nd century

Crown Plaza hotel

5* hotelsoffer

5* services

the museum in the rain

museum in sunshine

old Shanghai

end of chapter 10• Shanghai• Museum• old Shanghai• Yu garden

• END OF OUR VISIT