Changan | Blue Lapis Road

DAY 3 – GREAT MOSQUE (西安大清真寺) AND MUSLIM QUARTER, Xian, China

As the eastern terminus of the former Silk Road, Changan (now Xian) of the Tang Dynasty was a melting pot of different cultures and religions. A number of Middle Eastern and Central Asian religions entered China during that time, some of which had survived and remained strong even today. Dated back to many centuries, Xian’s Muslim Quarter and the Great Mosque revealed an interesting cultural fusion that is not commonly seen in other parts of China. Xian’s Great Mosque is the largest mosque in China. The buildings in the traditional courtyard complex were mainly constructed in the Ming Dynasty (AD 1368–1644). Earlier religious complexes, Tanmingsi and Huihui Wanshansi, were established on the same site dated as far back as the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907).

Our taxi dropped us off at one end of the Muslim Quarter, where we began our brief meandering through the crowded Muslim market streets and alleyways before reaching the Great Mosque. From the first glance, the mosque looked very similar to a traditional Chinese courtyard complex, consisting of houses, pavilions, pagodas, gardens, and courtyards. We took our time to wander around the courtyards. As we looked closely at the building decorations, we could find Islam functions and design elements incorporated in the traditional Chinese architecture, with the most obvious being the Arabic inscriptions on walls. The entire complex faces west towards Mecca. Artefacts related to Chinese Islam were on displayed in some of the buildings that were open to visitors. However, the largest prayer hall at the far end of the complex was restricted for Muslims only. We could only peek through the doors to have a glimpse of the colourful carpets and delicate wooden screens in the hall, where worshipers would have prayers sessions. It was interesting to see the fusion of Islam and Chinese design elements combined into one single complex. Before sunset, we left the Great Mosque behind for our last designation in Xian, the Ming city walls.

We entered the Muslim Quarter from the main market street.

There is still a significant population of Muslims in Xian.

Cars, motorcycles, and people packed the main market street.

The market street of Xian’s Muslim Quarter is a good place for people watching.

An awfully tall steamer in front of a local eatery.

A street vendor put different topping on a local dessert called “jing gao” which is a steamed glutinous rice cake.

A wonton vendor managing her charcoal stove.

Lamb skewers vendors could be seen everywhere.

The entrance gate of Xian’s Great Mosque.

The interior of an old study room looks very much like a traditional Chinese house, but all the paintings and calligraphy on displayed were Islam related.

Islamic components were incorporated in the Chinese architecture.

The mosque complex is made up of a series of courtyards.

“Examining the Heart Tower” in the third courtyard.

The main prayer hall at the far end of the complex.

Richly decorated pendant lamps at the veranda of the main prayer hall.

Peeking inside the main prayer hall.

Wooden clock and timber screens of the main prayer hall.

Leaving the Great Mosque behind, we exited the Muslim Quarter from another end of the market street.

It was approaching supper time when we left the Muslim Quarter, and the food vendors were all geared up for their night of business.

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Our posts on 2016 Xian and Jiuzhaigou:

DAY 1 – NIGHT ARRIVAL, Xian, China
DAY 2 – QIN EMPEROR’S TERRACOTTA ARMY, near Xian, China
DAY 2 – BIG WILD GOOSE PAGODA (大雁塔), Xian, China
DAY 3 – HAN YANG LING MAUSOLEUM, Xian, China
DAY 3 – SHAANXI HISTORY MUSEUM, Xian, China
DAY 3 – GREAT MOSQUE (西安大清真寺) AND MUSLIM QUARTER, Xian, China
DAY 3 – MING CITY WALL, Xian, China
DAY 4 -FIRST GLIMPSE OF JIUZHAIGOU (九寨溝), Sichuan (四川), China
DAY 5 – ARROW BAMBOO LAKE (箭竹海), PANDA LAKE (熊貓海) & FIVE FLOWER LAKE (五花海), Jiuzhaigou (九寨溝), China
DAY 5 – PEARL SHOAL FALLS (珍珠灘瀑布), MIRROR LAKE (鏡海) & NUORILANG FALLS (諾日朗瀑布), Jiuzhaigou (九寨溝), China
DAY 5 – LONG LAKE (長海) & FIVE COLOURS LAKE (五彩池), Jiuzhaigou (九寨溝), China
DAY 5 – RHINOCEROS LAKE (犀牛海), TIGER LAKE (老虎海) & SHUZHENG VILLAGE (樹正寨), Jiuzhaigou (九寨溝), China
DAY 6 – ASCEND TO FIVE COLOUR POND (五彩池), Huanglong (黃龍), Sichuan (四川), China
DAY 7 – FAREWELL JIUZHAIGOU & XIAN, China

November 28, 2016 | Categories: China, China: Xian and Jiuzhaigou 2016, Shaanxi | Tags: Changan, China, courtyard, 西安大清真寺, Islam, mosque, Muslim, religion, tradition, Worship, Xian | Leave a comment

DAY 3 – SHAANXI HISTORY MUSEUM (陝西歷史博物館), Xian, China

Back from the Han Yang Ling Mausoleum, we continued our historical journey at the provincial history museum of Shaanxi. There was a long queue at the gate for people to collect the free admission tickets (4000 daily). We skipped the wait by buying a ticket to the special exhibition of “Treasures of Great Tang Dynasty”, which we wouldn’t want to miss anyway. We entered the museum building which was designed to mimic the traditional architecture of the Tang Dynasty.

We started our visit with the special exhibition of Tang treasures unearthed from Hejia Village (何家村) of Xian. Known as the Hejia Village Hoard (何家村唐代窖藏), the 1000+ treasures ranged from gold and silver wares, coins, jade items, agate wares, crystals, etc. These treasures were carefully stored in clay pots roughly 65cm tall, hidden underground sometime after AD 732 during the An–Shi Rebellion (安史之亂) when Tang China was engulfed in a nasty civil war. As the east terminus of the Silk Road, the treasures of Changan (now Xian) revealed the degree of cultural exchanges in the Chinese capital during Tang, when goldsmiths and silversmiths from Central Asia such as the Sassanian Empire (now Iraq and Iran) came to Changan and brought with them the world’s most advanced metal crafting skills. The treasures from the hoard were mainly made domestically with a mixture of techniques and styles from both within China and other places along the Silk Road. It was an impressive collection and indeed, a very fortunate case for Chinese archaeology that these items could survive the Cultural Revolution when the collection was first unearthed.

We then moved on to the museum’s permanent collections. We quickly walked through the prehistoric exhibits, and focused on the bronze items from the Shang Dynasty 商朝 (1600-1046 BC) and Zhou Dynasty 周朝 (1046-256 BC), Terracotta Warriors of the Qin Dynasty 秦朝 (221-206 BC), treasures of the Han Dynasty 漢朝 (206 BC- AD 290), and more artefacts from the Tang Dynasty 唐朝 (AD 618-907). In this post we have included selected photos of the magnificent artefacts from the Shaanxi History Museum.

The Main exhibition hall of Shaanxi History Museum was inspired by Tang architecture.

Small gold dragons (赤金走龍), Hejia Village Hoard.

Gilt Silver Plate with Double Foxes in Shape of Double Peaches (鎏金雙狐紋雙桃形銀盤), Hejia Village Hoard, is inspired by Persian influences in style and technique, combined local references of good fortune: peaches and foxes (foxes and a few other animals were also considered a reference to good fortune in Tang China).

Gilt Silver Plate with Phoneix (鎏金鳳鳥紋六曲銀盤), Hejia Village Hoard

Silver Vessel in Form of Nomadic Leather Flask Depicting a Dancing Horse (舞馬銜杯仿皮囊式銀壺), Hejia Village Hoard. Another piece of silver ware reflected the influences from the nomadic tribes of Central Asia.

Gold Bowl with Design of Lotus and Mandarin Ducks (鴛鴦蓮瓣紋金碗), Hejia Village Hoard. A golden bowl for wine.

Agate Cup with Beast Head (獸首瑪瑙杯), Hejia Village Hoard. A rare piece of Tang treasure with influences from Persia.

Bronze blades and masks for rituals, Late Shang Dynasty (13th-11th Century BC)

Bronze Bianzhong (編鐘) of Zhou Dynasty (1046-256 BC), an ancient music instrument.

Terracotta Warriors of First Qin Emperor, Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC).

The Kneeling Archer, Terracotta Warriors of the First Qin Emperor, Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC).

Gilded Incense Burner, Han Dynasty (206 BC- AD 290), depicting a fantasy mountain supported by dragons. The incense smoke would leak from the gaps like mountain mist.

Oil Lamp depicting a goose with a fish in its mouth, Han Dyansty (206 BC- AD 290). The smoke from burning the oil would go through the goose’s neck to its body, which was filled with water.

Gilded Bronze Dragon with iron core, Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907).

Tri-coloured Watermelon, Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907).

Terracotta figure of Lady, Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907). A selection of these terracotta figures revealed the impressive hair, makeup and fashion styles of the Tang Dynasty, which changed every few years.

Terracotta figure of Lady, Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907).

Terracotta figures of the Chinese Zodiac, Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907).

Funeral Procession of the Prince Qinjian from the Ming Dynasty (AD 1368–1644).

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Our posts on 2016 Xian and Jiuzhaigou:

November 27, 2016 | Categories: China, China: Xian and Jiuzhaigou 2016, Shaanxi | Tags: army, artefact, Changan, China, Han, Hejia, History, museum, provincial, Qin, Shaanxi, Silk Road, statue, Tang, Terracotta, treasure, Xian, 何家村唐代窖藏 | Leave a comment

DAY 2 – BIG WILD GOOSE PAGODA (大雁塔), Xian, China

After we finished with the Terracotta Army, we exited the site via a designated route through lanes after lanes of souvenir shops, restaurants and theme-park like tourist traps. Prominent national treasures have once again fallen victims to mass tourism and consumerism in today’s highly commercialized China. At the parking lot, we took one of the many buses returning to Xian Railway Station. At the station, we had a late noodle lunch at one of the basic eateries right next to the station plaza. After a forgettable bowl of noodles, we flagged down a taxi and headed south to our next place to visit, the Big Wild Goose Pagoda (大雁塔).

Xian, formerly known as Changan (長安), was the national capital during the Qin and Han Dynasties, as well as the Tang Dynasty during China’s golden age. Other than artefacts in the museums, not many traces of Tang Dynasty remained in the city, except two well-known pagodas that had dominated the city’s skyline for over a millennium, namely the Big Wild Goose and Small Wild Goose Pagoda. The original Big Goose Pagoda and the entire Ci En Buddhist Temple complex (慈恩寺) were built in the Tang Dynasty at AD 652. The complex was built to store the relics and Buddhist texts that Buddhist monk Xuanzang (玄奘) brought back from India. Xuanzang, the famous traveler, translator and Buddhist master who inspired Ming author Wu Cheng En (吳承恩) on writing the epic novel Journey to the West (西遊記), left Tang China for India in AD 629 and returned to Changan in AD 645. Not only did Xuanzang enhanced his Buddhist studies from a number of famous Indian masters, he also wrote a magnificent travelogue that depicted his 16-year journey throughout Central Asia, brought back hundreds of Sanskrit texts on Mahayana and Hinayana Buddhism, and returned with many sarira relics. At the original Ci En Temple, Xuanzang spent the remaining 19 years of his life translating the Sanskrit Buddhist texts into Chinese. His translation efforts helped to spread and consolidate Buddhism in East Asia.

The original rammed earth pagoda built in Xuanzang’s time collapsed a few decades after it was built. The Tang Dynasty rebuilt a taller pagoda in AD 704. The top three levels couldn’t withstand an earthquake in 1556 and reduced to the present height of 64m. It was a little crowded up the wooden stair inside the pagoda. Scaffolding was up at the lower two levels, reminding us that the Big Wild Goose Pagoda had gone through a series of extensive repair works, one during the Ming Dynasty (AD 1368–1644) and one in 1964. Apart from the pagoda, other buildings in the complex of Da Ci En Temple (大慈恩寺) couldn’t survive. The buildings that we visited nowadays dated back to the Qing Dyansty (AD 1644-1912), and occupied roughly one seventh the area of the original Tang complex.

After seeing the pagoda, we walked across the street to the nearby Westin Hotel. Designed by the emerging architectural office in Shanghai, Neri & Hu Design and Research Office, the design of the Westin Hotel revealed a clever interplay of contrasting colours and variation of materials to express a minimalist interpretation of traditional Chinese architecture.

The Big Wild Goose Pagoda and Da Ci En Temple.

Golden Buddha at the main hall of Da Ci En Temple.

Outside the main hall of Da Ci En Temple.

Worshiper outside of another prayer hall at Ci En Temple.

The Big Wild Goose Pagoda from below.

View of public plaza and urban axis from the top of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda.

View of traditional architecture below the Big Wild Goose Pagoda.

Staircase inside the Big Wild Goose Pagoda.

Urban parks surrounded the Big Wild Goose Pagoda from all four sides.

Statue of Xuanzang in front of Big Wild Goose Pagoda.

A museum attached to the Westin Hotel designed by Neri & Hu Design and Research Office.

Atrium inside the Westin Hotel.

A interior courtyard at the Westin Hotel.

Reception lobby of the Westin Hotel.

By the time we left the Westin Hotel flood lights had already lit up at the pagoda.

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Our posts on 2016 Xian and Jiuzhaigou:

November 15, 2016 | Categories: China, China: Xian and Jiuzhaigou 2016, Shaanxi | Tags: Architecture, Big Wild Goose Pagoda, Buddhism, Buddhist, Changan, China, Ci En, 玄奘, design, Dynasty, 西遊記, Hinayana, hotel, Journey to the West, Mahayana, Neri & Hu, pagoda, Sanskrit, sarira, Tang, Temple, translation, Westin, Wu Cheng En, Xian, Xuanzang, 大雁塔, 慈恩寺 | Leave a comment

DAY 1 – NIGHT ARRIVAL, Xian, China

In Mid-October, we had the opportunity to reunite with two of our travel buddies for a short trip to China. It was the week after the week-long Chinese National Holiday. We had a simple travel plan consisted of two distinct parts: Xian (西安) for history and Jiuzhaigou (九寨溝) for natural scenery. Xian, historically known as Changan (長安), was the ancient capital of China for 13 different dynasties, spanning a total period of over 1200 years, including the golden age of Han and Tang Dynasty. The ruins of ancient royal palaces and tombs, such as the magnificent Terra-cotta Warriors of the First Qin Emperor, revealed the former glory of ancient China. Jiuzhaigou, on the other hand, has been renowned for its out-of-this-world alpine scenery. It is located at the north of Sichuan Province (四川) where the plains of Eastern and Central China begins to give way to the Tibetan and Qinghai Plateau.

After a minor delay, we flew out of Hong Kong in a Saturday afternoon. It was already dusk by the time we landed at Xian Xianyang Interational Airport. We took an airport bus into the city, and taxied the rest of the way to our hostel south of Xincheung Square (新城廣場). Our taxi passed by the well-preserved Ming city wall and the brightly lit historical Bell Tower. After getting off, it took us a while to find the alleyway where our hostel was located. We were delighted to find our hostel room clean and comfortable. After checking in, we headed out immediately to grab a quick dinner. According to guidebook, an old famous restaurant of Shaanxi Muslim food called Lao Sun Jia (老孫家) was just five minutes of walk from our hostel. We found our way to the restaurant at the fourth floor of a retail centre. It was about 21:00 and there was only one table of guests finishing off their beer and noodles. We sat down and ordered the popular paomo (泡饃), or crumbled flatbread in either mutton or beef stew.

After dinner, we wanted to checked out the beautiful Bell Tower (鐘樓) right at the historical heart of Xian. It was another five minute of walk from the restaurant. The tower was already close for the day, but we could still admire the historical architecture across the street from the tower’s roundabout. This handsome piece of traditional architecture was an icon of Xian. In the old days since the 14th century, the tower’s main function was to mark the moment of dawn with its bells. A few blocks away, we noticed another historical building prominently lit up. It was the Drum Tower (鼓樓), the building that originally housed 28 drums to mark the day’s end at dusk. Around the corner from the Drum Tower, we entered a busy pedestrian streets packed with snack vendors. We had entered Beiyuanmen (北院門) Street, the core of Xian’s Muslim Quarter. It was almost 10pm but the street was still busy with visitors. There were a number of vendors selling barbecue lamb kebabs, mutton or beef sandwiches, local pomegranate juices, traditional sweets, nuts, persimmon cakes, and many other kinds of desserts. After the filling meal of paomo, we gave it a pass for the street food. We slowly walked back to our hostel, hoping to get some good rest. In the next morning we would exit Xian and head eastwards to the foot of Lishan Mountains to check out the most popular tourist attraction of Xian: the First Qin Emperor’s Terra-cotta Warriors.

Mutton paomo (泡饃) at Lao Sun Jia Restaurant (老孫家).

Beef paomo (泡饃) at Lao Sun Jia Restaurant (老孫家).

Heading towards the icon of Xian, the Bell Tower (鐘樓).

The Bell Tower stands at the centre of a large roundabout.

The 14th century structure is lit up with atmospheric lighting.

The Drum Tower at a distance, and in front, the public square between Bell Tower and Drum Tower. The square is flanked by local restaurants, a department store, and a Starbucks.