Xi An Day 4 - Qian Ling - 11.01

The luxury of leisure rising was mine this morning. I even grabbed a You Tiao out of a fast food restaurant before heading straight onto the Tour Line 3 bus, giving a few private bus "pullers" a nice cold shoulder. Three mornings spent walking around here you bet I knew exactly where the bus was and who the "pullers" were.

Qian Ling was blessedly quiet and quaint when we arrived. The only tomb from ancient times that contained two Emperors, its layout was in the shape of a woman laying faced up, head to the north facing the south. This time the semblance was really there, not like a lot of other places where it was like "WTF"?! The chinese really like to name everything and impose shapes and order even when none was apparent.

We entered the tomb area essentially between the legs. Good thing there wasn't any physical manifestation of these appendages. We climbed 526 stairs, rebuilt in the 80's to replace the original 108, upon the belly of the body and between the breasts, aptly shaped by two naturally-formed hills. Upon each was newly built a Que Luo, which you shall see in the pictures how appropriately they "decorated" the "breasts". Then down a slope and up again, flanked by rows of ancient stone guardians, through another set of Tang era Que Luo's, one arrived upon the head, a third hill containing the actual tomb.

The way between the "legs"
The "original" 108 steps	View towards the "head"

Legend was that this was the only 1 of 18 Tang dynasty tombs that wasn't robbed. But none of the Tang tombs were excavated and open to public, for the same reason as Qing Shi Huang tomb: the lack of technology to protect the artifacts within from oxidization.

The empress Wu Ze Tian erected a blank Bei (stone tablet where one's life accomplishments are inscribed), for she said her contributions or faults to mankind would be aptly judged by history, no need to set it in stone. Another theory was her son couldn't find the words to describe his mother, who murdered her blood children and usurped the Emperor's position, even changing the name of the country. The ironic thing was, across from her Bei, her husband's Bei through age and weather has worn almost blank. Yet her tablet has inscribed on it 42 poems written by various literatis in the later ages, ascribing good or bad to her life.

If it seems I know a lot of the lores regarding this place, that is because we got a guide between the ten people who got off the bus, all of them students on holiday. I got lucky because the ticket seller thought I was with them so she sold me student fare (half price) without asking for ID. These kids were bearable enough, except a few times when the girls took too long taking pictures. Yes shocking, *I* was waiting for people to finish taking pictures, instead of the other way around.

Nipple!	Tomb Guardians
"Money" shot

The front entrance of Qian Ling made a peaceful walk because most of the tourists arrived at the east gate so they didn't need to climb the stairs and could go straight to the tomb part. At lunch I ate a plate of hand-made fried noodle. Made it back to Xi An by 3.


I tried to get student fare at the south gate city wall, no luck. The entrance was a steep and imo unworthwhile 40Y. The afternoon was as smoggy as yesterday, but there was no more delaying the wall visit. Xian was one of the few cities that retained the whole of its original city wall from the ancient age. The brick-paved wall made for a bumpy ride on the bike. I saw a sign that they were going to have a marathon on the walls next year. That would be pretty cool.

Guard Towers on Wall

Wall top

I wanted to go to Lao Sun Jiao (old Sun family) original restaurant for dinner. But due to lack of time I had to eat a crap meal at a fast food restaurant and jump on the train. Hmm the food they were serving on the train sounded so delicious on the intercom. I was so tempted.

Xi An had been a most wonderful time for me. I vowed to return here again and do the silk road trip. Or maybe retrace Tang Can Zhan's route.

Ok I couldn't resist. There is just something irresistibly charming about a livable moving vehicle, train or ship, and eating on it. Plus my last dinner was so horrible I had to eat two to make up for it. Nothing to write home about, a cured pork with western celery, rice and soup. But at least I feel content now. Saw the soft sleepers. Compartments with doors, spacious, 2 bunk beds.

Ok then, like 20 minutes later, they came out with Rou Si Mian (shredded meat over noodles). Not that I wanted it. But sly, they sell the more expensive fast food trays first. But the passengers must have been familiar with this routine. These noodle were gone in no time.

You Tiao 50c. Milk carton 3Y. Bus to Qian Ling 12x2. Qian Ling student price 24. Guide 2. Lunch 5. City wall 40. 500ml water bottle 1.5Y. Bicycle rental 15Y/1.5hr. Shitty dinner 12.5Y. Crappy Liang Feng (salad mix of rice noodle) 2.5Y. Peanuts 5Y. Half a pommelo 5Y.