Xi'an to Beijing

After spending much of the previous day seeing the Terracotta Army, I didn't actually have much time left in Xi'an. The city is pretty big and there are a number of sights recommended by the guidebook. I only had an hour to explore before heading to the airport.

Conveniently, the hostel I stayed at was right in the centre of everything. I quickly walked over to the Bell Tower and the Drum Tower. Both are pretty interesting in that they were once used to used to mark the sunrise (with a giant bell) and sunset (with drums).

The only other stop was the Muslim quarter and the Great Mosque of Xi'an. The mosque was somewhat interesting in that it was built like a Chinese temple. If it weren't for the Arabic script, one would have a hard time telling the difference. I find it so fascinating that the religion was able to spread to so many places through China, so long ago. Much of it was through traders that had come via the Silk Road.

It would have been nice to have spent more time in Xi'an, but I did look forward to flying back to Beijing. On the flight I ran into a Chinese man who actually helped me randomly on the streets of Xi'an the day before. It was a funny coincidence and he actually helped me in Beijing too, allowing me to take his taxi to the nearest subway station. I missed using the Beijing subway, it's so easy to get around!

Once I was all settled into the hostel, I had very little daylight left. I actually got in touch with the Australian couple who I met in Guilin and met them and some other travelers for dinner and drinks. It was quite nice to have some company and exchange some stories.

Bell Tower:

Drum Tower:

Great Mosque:

The Terracotta Army, the final piece of my China trip puzzle. It was quite exciting to see it and there weren’t even as many tourists as I thought there would be. I was amazed by the size of the place and how much of it is still underground. Really, only a fraction has been unearthed.

The place is divided up in three pits and the first contains most of the terracotta warriors. I was with three other people and an English speaking guide. As we made our way around the pits, I heard little of the guides explanations while I ran around taking photos from various angles. But I’ve actually read quite a bit about it beforehand and didn’t feel like I was missing much.

Near the unearthed army is the supposed tomb of the Qin Shi Huang, the emperor who built the army to continue his reign in the afterlife. I have watched a documentary on him and very little is actually known about his tomb. All of it is buried and the claim is that it’s too dangerous to excavate it because the high concentrations of mercury. The emperor believed it would help preserve his body.

Close by is a recreation of the tomb that tourists can explore. This was included in my tour and I went along, but really didn’t get much from the experience as the recreation is very much based on speculation and I think much of it was exaggerated. The actual tomb may be much different and may not be unearthed for years to come.

I had hoped to do some more sight seeing today, but when I got back to my hostel I got a little distracted chatting with some other travelers. One conversation was particularly funny as a man from Kenya was convinced that I was half black and tried to convince me of this too. Either he’s been in China for too long or I’m getting quite a tan.

Terracotta Army:

Unrestored soldiers:

Two hours in Hefei

Most of today was spent on the bus and plane, but I did have a couple of hours walking around Hefei, the Anhui province capital. In my guidebook there is very little information about this place and I didn’t have much of an itinerary. The bus dropped me off fairly close to downtown and that’s where I decided to explore.

I walked through a few parks and found them quite nice, but the best of the walk was visiting the Mingjiao Temple. When I got there, there was some kind of ritual being performed. Monks were sitting down and reading from texts while a voice over a loudspeaker recited the words. I found it kind of peaceful.

From the looks I was receiving on the street, I got the impression that this city doesn’t see many foreigners. I had a lot of people stare and some say “hello” or “how are you” followed by laughter or giggling. It seems to be a mostly younger people. Two people I spoke with on the bus were university students and I wonder if much of the province’s young attend university here.

One of many Communist style city statues:

Mingjiao Temple:

Huang Shan (Yellow Mountain)

China’s natural landscape continues to impress me. I mentioned before that I didn’t think I’d be doing so much hiking in China, but I’m very glad I am. I just got back from hiking Huang Shan and even with the hoards of tourists, it was quite nice.

To get to the top, my guidebook said it would take two and a half hours using the shorter but steeper eastern slope. I was able to do it in one. The mountain, unlike the ones back home, has a giant summit with many sub peaks. Once I was at the top, I started exploring all the different areas. Many have interesting names like “Begin-to-Believe Peak” or “Cloud-Dispelling Pavillion.” The latter was quite interesting as clouds/fog really did disappear after reaching this point. The scenery is just fantastic, with little spruce trees jutting out of the most peculiar places!

The plan after was to head back down a different and longer way, the western steps. However, as I headed in that direction, I got into an unbelievable crowd of people. I have never experienced anything like it. Imagine Johnston Canyon times a hundred, maybe more. I could only move as the crowd moved. I got increasingly frustrated and soon abandoned my plans to see the rest of the mountain and just wanted to get back down.

I took the gondola down, where I had an interesting experience. I shared it with five others, all domestic tourists and they all wanted to get a picture of me. I’m not sure what it was, maybe the shaved head and my beard. In the past, traveling through southeast Asia, people have been fascinated by my beard. Most Asian people are unable to grow one.

On the bus back to Tunxi I had a really pleasant conversation with a guy from Singapore. He helped me find the right bus, then we talked about other places we traveled to. He has been to the Canadian Rockies and even had a drawing on him of Mount Rundle. It made for an enjoyable bus ride.

More Photos from Huang Shan:

Tunxi, aka Huangshan Shi

The train ride was not too bad. It was a little small for me, but I’m a bit taller than the average Chinese person. Still, even with my backpack, I managed to get comfortable enough to get a pretty good sleep. Did I mention it was a fifteen hour train ride?

I got to my destination, Tunxi, but my plans didn't exactly pan out. Tunxi, also known as Huangshan Shi is place most stop at before going on to hike Yellow Mountain (Huang Shan). I had hoped to hop on a bus, hike up the mountain and stay overnight at one of the summit hotels. However, when I tried calling, none of them had available rooms. Ah well, I figured I could spend a day in Tunxi then get an early start on the mountain tomorrow and do it all in one go.

Walking around Tunxi, I made an interesting observation. Back home if I were to walk through a dark alley or under a bridge, I would most likely see some shady people; drug users perhaps. In China instead of shady people, you see Mahjong players. As I walked around Tunxi, I got a little nervous when I passed by a gathering of people in a secluded area under a bridge, but as I got closer, I realized they were all playing Mahjong, Xianqi and cards.

Walking around Tunxi:

Oriental Pearl Tower

Day two in Shanghai was pretty uneventful. I didn't have a whole lot of time, because I had a train to catch in the afternoon. I spent most of the day figuring out my remaining week in China and talking to other travelers in the lobby. I thought it would be nice to have a break from all the walking and didn't think I'd do anything, until one guy suggested going up the Oriental Pearl Tower, the most recognizable feature of the city. The tower is the highest in China and third highest in the world. It had a subway stop right next it, so I didn't have to do much walking!

I got there fairly quickly and took some photos around the base before going to the top. I didn't see a whole lot because of the fog, but I did have a fun experience walking on the glass floors. I used to have a fear of heights before getting into scrambling and climbing and walking on the glass (or plastic) panels brought some of that fear back. I was hesitant to step on them at first, as they looked quite flimsy and one even looked like it was cracked. It's been a while since I've felt that fear and I enjoyed the excitement.

It wasn't long before I had to hurry back to my hostel, pack my things and head to the railway station. I couldn't believe how busy the station was! It felt like it was busier than any airport I've been to, but that's just because there were so many people crammed into a single hall. There were other ways to get to my destination. I could have taken the bus or the plane, but I figured it would be good to experience the train at least once while in China.

Oriental Pearl Tower and Views:

Dodging scams in Shanghai

Shanghai is like the New York of China. Skyscrapers seem to be everywhere you look and it's a busy place. I had planned to avoid it, but it was on route so might as well check it out. The guidebook suggested a whole bunch of museums and art galleries, but I prefer to be outside. I spent most of the day walking around, going through The Bund, the "Old Town" and the French Concession.

I realized that everywhere you go in Shanghai, as a tourist, there's someone nearby that'll try to scam you. While taking photos at The Bund, a girl approached me about taking a photo of her and her friends. I was happy to help. After I took the photo they seemed to want to chat and wanted to find out where I was from. The conversation was quite pleasant, until I realized that it was all part of a scam. As soon as they started talking about "tea ceremonies" and inviting me out with them, I thanked them and moved on. This was something I had heard about before. They take you to a fancy restaurant that probably gives them a few bucks and then you end up flipping an expensive bill. I would ran into another group minutes later that did the exact same routine. I also ran into the "art students" who lure you to an art gallery and try and give you limited time deals on their hard-worked paintings. I politely declined.

As I walked to the City God Temple and through the "Old Town" it was Rolex watches. Every single corner had men who were in my face trying to sell fake Rolex watches. It was the first time I really got frustrated with the peddlers. I bought a ticket to a nearby temple just to get away from the annoyances. The "Old Town" looked fairly new to me and it was like a giant shopping mall with couple of Starbucks, McDonalds, Burger King, Pizza Hut and overpriced Chinese food. I didn't stay there long.

On the way back to my hostel I walked back through the French Concession. Here the appeal is old western style architecture. It didn't really do much for me. It didn't help that every corner had women and men trying to sell real leather "lady bags." I don't know why I looked like I would be interested in a "lady bag."

The only neat thing about Shanghai is how much it doesn't look like it's a city in China. I feel like I've already spent too much time here and look forward to moving on. Tomorrow I'll be taking my first overnight train, should be interesting.

The Bund:

City God Temple and Old Town:

Streets of Shanghai: