Xi 'An - Part 3A

After visiting the Terra-Cotta warriors and horses, we decided to visit another underground burial ground(汉阳陵) on the way to the airport.

According to our driver, this is the latest of all burial grounds open to public. Once fully operational, there will be an underground train ride to circle around the area.

The same horses and some chariot

The entrance of the underground

The artifacts found here are about 1/3 in size compares the other site.

We get to walk on these glass to go directly on top for a better view from above.

The exit out of the underground section.

This is some chrysanthemum drink ordered at the Xi 'An airport.

Xi 'An - Part 3

Spent another 40 minutes sleeping in the car, and finally arrived at the place where all the Terra-Cotta warriors and horse are kept, by the emperror 秦始皇. Had lunch at a tourist restaurant opposite the main entrance.




This is the statue of 秦始皇 overlooking the area.

Inside the area, we finally found a place to sit, after walking for 15 minutes.

The guide brought us into this musuem and explained to us about how, why, who, when and what about the basics.

A few archeologist working on the terra-cotta warriors before the colours fade off, according to the guide, the colours will fade off within three minutes after exposed to normal air we breathe.

Just another pot, something can be found in most chinese musuem, I supposed?

This is the underground passage dug up and the warriors are lining up in there.

A closer look.

Yes, we are not allowed to touch them, so this is as close as it gets.

3x zoom.. and noticed they have some slight difference in base colours.

Some horses found in the indoor exhibition hall.

Have snapped about 80 pictures in the 3 hours spent here, so let me know if you want to see more of them.

3 good hours spent inside the compound of the Terra-Cotta warriors and horses. Well worth the RMB100 and the RMB30 for guide.

Xi 'An - Part 2

The second day.. we got up at around 8am.





Visited the tomb of this buddhist monk, it looks more like a tower than a tomb / burial ground.








This is another monk's tomb.








This is the 塔

This is outside the museum with all the artifacts collected. Sorry, no camera allowed in there.

We spent about 1 hour in there and left before lunch.

Xi 'An - Part 1

Xi 'An, is the capital of Shaaxi, one of the most important cities of chinese history. This is where you see the tomb of kings, terra-cotta warriors and horses, etc. Its a city with lots of burial grounds.

Arrived at the hotel around 8pm, so decided to get room service and take a good rest after going thru SMT, 1 1/2 hour flight in economy class, looking at the locals using mobile phones all the time in the flight despite numerous announcements to turn them off. So it was enough for that day.

This is at 10am in the morning, but the fog has closed major roads due visibility of less than 5 metre. Have witnessed a few accidents that morning.

Arrived at the Xi 'An factory around 1130am and almost time for lunch, so here is the lunch.

Mutton again..

This is how to eat the 'Mor' 馍

Don't remember what is this called, but taste good

This is the guys we had lunch with, guess who's the factory manager?

This is our ride for the Xi'An trip.. the compact Audi A4

At around 7pm, we decided to proceed to the infamous 老孙家 for its well known mutton soup or 羊肉泡馍, it tastes like soup kambing with shredded bread inside to me.

Some appetizer

This is the accesories to go with the soup

This is the.. 羊肉泡馍

After soup kambing, we decide to take a stroll, feel the chilly air and digest the heavy meal, so we explore within the four walls of the city.

Night view of the city centre

Strees of Xi 'An city centre.

Some one waiting for her potrait, but a closer looks at it say its not her?

Another side of the city centre view

11pm, return to the hotel and prepare for the next day, the Terra-Cotta Warriors and horses..

WuXi / Shanghai in 24 hours

Left Beijing at 7pm and arrive in Shanghai HongQiao airport at around 9pm... Checked into Hotel Kapok (reservation made by the local company earlier), and decide to shutdown after a quick shower.

Had lunch with the WuXi factory manager, and this is the only dish that I think worth the shot, its lamb btw. Not forgetting the sumptuous chicken soup （母鸡汤）but it looks like any other chicken soup when look closely.

Driving towards Shanghai Pudong airport... in the company VW Passat 1.8T.

At the SMT station in the city waiting for the train to the airport. Yes, I have taken the 430kmph SMT twice in less than 12 months. The first experience was somewhat different I must say. Of course it is different, I missed my flight then but not this time.

This is the train. It took 7 minutes to get from the city to the airport and picked up speed t0 430kmph in 3-5 minutes.

The rest of Beijing Week 1 and Week 2

Again, went for a steamboat, this time with two flavours, xxxx10 spicy and normal. Glad they have the sesame paste to go with again... forgot to take a picture of the other people on the table, Rachel, Martin, Sue Shi, Myself, two from SAP team in CBJ and another Malaysian Shell colleague in China.

This is in Day 6

Yes, this is not India but China and not auto from India. This is just another type of public transport only commonly seen in the outskirts of Beijing... did not have a chance to try one.

Saw this outside the warehouse, I think I want to be the person doing the pulling.

This is day 9 in Beijing, decided to try out the Buffet in Shangri-la, and later found out it costs over RMB480 per person... but had 12 of these... in 1 1/2 hours, CK had about 8-9.

These are the only things I picked up for dessert section

This is the night before I leave Beijing, decided to have a simple dinner in the room at around 9pm after some rest. A slice of cheese cake, a banana caramel pudding, wild mushroom soup and a glass of fresh orange juice.... RMB370

A close-up of the cheese cake.

Beijing Day 4

Got up at 8am, as the plan for the day was to visit the Beijing Zoo, Aquarium and the Summer Palace (Yue Her Yuan). So, got to leave the hotel by 9am in order to visit all of those before dark.

Asked the hotel reception how to get to the zoo, and they say.. go straight, this way... take about 10 minutes.. but it took 40 minutes.. not sure if they can do that in 10 minutes.



Saw this group of people dancing behind bars..in 2'C at 9am while walking to the Zoo..








This is the Penguin part of the Zoo...








Close up of those penguins.. not really active sort of penguin.
Not sure what's so nice about them that I need to pay RMB10 on top of the entrace fee of RMB100 to see them... hmmph.




Had my breakfast in the Zoo, a small fast food restaurant inside the zoo, that looks like the Chinese version of McD, ordered a Super Hot Dog, but turned out few times smaller compares to the picture.


Ok, this is the 'Hot Orange juice'... ordered it because I am curious how it would be, turned out... just plain boring Hot orange juice.

Some kids playing outside the aquarium

Had to take this picture... just curious how it would be like in summer.









Some river frozen up.. I actually went down to try out the ice.. and its still hard and slippery









Another picture of another river..











This is one river that is not frozen.. so I took a picture of it.








Met this mermaid outside the Beijing Aquarium

If you haven't figured out, this is the face of some kind of stone fish. Yes, its so messed up.

Nice view.

This is where I jumped down to test if the ice could break.

Some mandarin duck at a small unfrozen pond, looks like there's some heating device to keep the water from freezing.

This Panda is outside enjoying his lunch, too bad can't get too close to feed him some bamboo leaf.








This is the main entrance of the Summer Palace, the guide says this is the only place with the board saying Summer Palace (in mandarin)

Frozen ice on the lake.









Walking on ice across a lake.. this is actually a very big lake, will visit again in summer for another picture, of course, won't be walking across this lake by then.







Some ice broken in the middle of the lake. Still looks safe as the ice is still very thick.

When back to the hotel for a short nap around 4pm.. called up this Lao She Tea House for reservation, a seat in the middle table costs RMB100, the range are from RMB60, 80, 100, 120 and 150.

This is how the Tea House looks like.







Was told to be there by 735pm before the show starts at 750pm, otherwise the seat is freed for walk ins. So left the hotel on a cab at 635pm, and arrived there at 7pm, had plenty of time walking outside on the cold -5' or -6' evening, so I took these pictures. Also, on the same table, met another Malaysian, a Philippino and a Indonesian, all INTI Beijing lecturers.

This is the entrance to the performance...

Inside the main entrance to the performance

This is the package that comes with the RMB100 seat, non-stop refill of 'long jin' tea but the rest are not.

This two flers can talk bird talk, make sounds of a Boeing 747, elephant, etc.

Some dancers..

The legendary face-changing performance...

Face-changed. This is also the last performance of the day.

Left the LaoSze Tea house at around 940pm, and arrived back at the hotel around 10pm, paid RMB31 for the cab ride.