smiths trip to china march 2014
TRANSCRIPT
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
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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