The World Beyond BetterMost > Anything Goes
Jenny's China Trip - Updated with Pictures
JennyC:
Part One - Xi'an
Xi’an (used to be called Chang An) has been the capital of 13 dynasties, dated back to 1000 BC. It’s known for Terra Cotta , and many other ancient architecture wonders. This is the place you want to be, if let’s say you were 1400 years younger, in Tang dynasty. It was the most popular city in the world at the time, and true international city where you can find Persian merchants, Japanese monks etc.
Big Wild Goose Pagoda
Well over 1000 years old and has mostly survived great earthquakes. The pagoda was built to store sutras and figurines of Buddha that were brought to China by the Buddhist translator and traveler Xuanzang. The emperor built him the Pagoda for him to translate the Indian Buddhist texts to Chinese. The fantasy novel “Journey to the West” (where it features the character of Monkey King) was very loosely based on this historic event.
The spectacular music fountain next to the Pagoda (some say it’s the world’s largest, who knows).
Chang An around 700 – 800 A.D. It was the first city in the world to introduce urban planning, with grid pattern, straight roads running north- south and east west. Compared with the Google satellite map of Xi’an today, you can see that the layout of the city has not been changed that much.
Use Big Wild Goose Pagoda (or Dayan Pagoda) as reference, this is the area where I used to live and go to school.
Dell Tower and Drum Tower
The Bell Tower located at the city centre. For a long time, this was a hinder to the downtown development as no building taller than the Bell tower was allowed within certain proximity. I think they have loosened the rules (or the area) in the recent years. The drum Towner is about 1000 ft from Bell Tower, where you can find the World’s largest drum. In old days, the bell rings by dawn and drum by dust to mark the passage of time (They still do, but more like a show for tourist today).
JennyC:
Tang Paradise Theme Park (Xi’an)
The theme park features performance, arts, architecture, and literature of the 300-year-long Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD), China's greatest and most sophisticated age, when Chinese culture reached its height.
Buildings and Statues
Parade in the Park
Water Film. The short movie was shown against a screen of water mist.
Park at night (The buildings in the theme park were based on the architectural style of the Tang dynasty)
JennyC:
Folk Art (Xi’an)
Farmer’s Painting: Done by folk artists. Very colorful and decorative. The paintings feature their daily lives and activities as farmers. A few friends like the ones I have much very and wanted me to get some for them, so I bought around a dozen this time.
Play Doug artist
Cute clothes and toys for kids and babies
Modern Side
Many people came to Xi’an to get a taste of China’s rich history. But that’s not the whole picture of today’s Xi’an. It’s still a pretty modernized city, with many universities, high tech centers, and Prada and Louis Vuitton stores. :D
opinionista:
Hey Jenny,
Thanks for the pics! Wow, I wish I could go some day. And your girl is so cute!
JennyC:
Part Two: Shanghai
Well, need I say more? The largest, the most modern, and dynamic city in China.
Nanjing Road at night
It’s one of the most important commercial and tourist streets in Shanghai. Part of the street became pedestrian only.
Buildings
Shanghai Oriental Art Center
Shanghai Museum
The Shanghai Urban Planning Center
The Grand Theatre
Shanghai Science and Technology Museum (SSTM)
Inside SSTM
Armillary Sphere
Lujiazui Finical Center from distance
Most of the high rises were not there 10 years ago. The movie MI3 gives you a grant tour of the high rises in the area.
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
[*] Previous page
Go to full version