Shanghai Junk

Wednesday, May 06, 2009

Xian Terra Cotta Warriors

Happy Cinco de Mayo to all my tequila swilling friends and family (as I write this, it is still May 5 in the states)!! And remember, no drinking and driving. Or anything else that requires more coordination than sitting on the toilet. OK, enough preaching.

Before I jump into the details of our recent trip to Xi'an, I wanted to pass along an amusing bit of Chinglish that came our way last week. We encounter these little nuggets here and there, and usually I don't remember to pass them along. Last Thursday, Randy came home from work with a gift given to each of the staff at ADS .... a bug lamp. When Randy called me to say he was bringing this home, I asked if it was the kind that made that annoying zapping noise as it "eats" the little critters. He said no, it was more of a lamp/fan device (with a cute little hood on it with ears like a cat) that attracts bugs and then the fan sort of sucks them in where they can't escape. Those Chinese are SO clever .... they think of everything (just ASK them)! Anyway, Randy showed me the lamp with the green cat ears when he got home and then handed me the note that Bonnie had written and attached to the box so that we'd understand the intended use of the device. It read "This lamp will make you far way from flies and mosquitoes." We had to laugh imagining that we'd on turn this thing and be magically transported somewhere completely devoid of annoying flying nuisances!!! Well, it was very sweet of her to explain it to us because we'd have probably thought it was just a lovely night light. Now we know we'll need to clean out dead insects every so often.

We set out very early Friday morning for the airport for our trip to Xi'an. The flight was due to depart at 8:15 AM and it takes an hour (sometimes more) to get there via the subway and Maglev which is the cheapest (and often fastest) way to get there. We don't mind utilizing this route when there is minimal luggage involved and being this was a weekend excursion, we'd managed to pack carry-on sized bags. We were were out of our apartment by 6:00 AM, a rather nice time to travel in this city as most everyone is still seeing to their morning ablutions before traveling to jobs in the morning rush.

The airport and flight were timely and painless. We'd steeled ourselves for long lines and delays as this was a holiday weekend in China and, as is the case stateside, a busy weekend for traveling. We were also traveling to one of the largest tourist destinations in China. Xi'an was the original capital of China before it was changed to Peking (now called Beijing), and as these are national celebrations that took place this past weekend, the city was being inundated with government big wigs and officials taking part in national observances of the holiday. But I have to say that none of this seemed to affect our enjoyment of the tour or sightseeing the entire weekend. Not that there weren't some crowds but everything was orderly and the weather was outstanding (sunny and 80's), so everyone's disposition was pretty pleasant and patient.

Our tour guide, Donna, and our driver, Michael, who had been procured by our traveling companions, Larry and Therese, were waiting with smiles for us at the gate in Xi'an holding a sign upon which were written our names. Introductions were made and we were off for the city, about an hour's drive. Donna, who is certainly knowledgeable of Xi'an history, took a lot of time giving us general information about the city of Xi'an, the city wall and moat structures, and some of the more historic sites we'd be visiting over the weekend. After we checked into the lovely Sofitel Hotel, we set off to begin our weekend adventures of Xi'an.

Our first destination was the City Wall of Xi'an. The City Wall is the only completely restored city wall in China. Most (if not all) of the others have fallen by the wayside in deterioration or have been torn down in favor of more modern structures (Nanjing still has retained an impressive looking gateway but the actual wall is gone). But the City Wall and the four gates (one facing each direction) have been carefully restored in Xi'an, and it definitely is a sight to behold. The structure encompasses a 50 kilometer area and was built high enough that an archer would have a tough time shooting an arrow over it. There are parapets all along the outside wall with large enough notches that defenders could shoot through while still being somewhat protected. Here and there, cannons were still in place for effect. The moat (which at this point is more of a stagnant creek) is at an amazing 80 foot depth and would certainly have daunted even the most determined of enemies. Oriental pagodas dotted the landscape periodically along the wall marking the various areas where military strategy would have been determined and look-outs could be posted.

There were rental facilities available for bikes or golf cart type conveyances available but most tourists seemed to prefer strolling the top of the wall on foot. The city had long ago outgrown the walls and, as such, the area inside the walls is now known as City Center. I will say that while the walls and gates are lovely with great arching mouths that can accommodate several lanes of traffic each way, I do believe the entire wall system is a bit of a traffic jammer as the only route into or out of the City Center (where the majority of the action of the city is located) is through these gates. It's beautiful and historic, and certainly adds character to the city, but we often found ourselves in completely stopped traffic as a result of these gates being the only routes available for our various destinations.

The next stop was the Big Goose Pagoda which is a very large (and much visited) Buddhist Temple within the City Center area. The pagoda is positioned within the temple grounds along with the other temple buildings each representing an area in which a particular Buddha can be honored and worshipped. I have to say that this is without a doubt the most magnificent of the temples I have visited to date in China. The Buddha areas were beautiful, clean, and ornate, and also large enough to accommodate the bigger crowds that gathered here for worship and meditation. The highlight of this temple (as least for me) was a room that was surrounded on three sides by beautiful carved jade inlaid walls. The varying colors of greens, pinks, reds, yellows, orange, and white were vivid and striking, and the carving was fine, detailed, and proportionate. We took a lot of photos, and I could've stood there all day examining the beautiful ladies, cherubs, Buddhas, and various landscapes that covered the walls of this particular temple area. Magnificent!! Also, the temple area was surrounded by gorgeous and meticulously cared for garden areas which made for a very pleasant sight seeing event. In spite of the rather crowded conditions, we thoroughly enjoyed strolling the Big Goose Pagoda area.

After the Big Goose Pagoda, we were on to the Small Goose Pagoda. This was a less fantastic experience but worthwhile nonetheless. The Small Goose Pagoda is in some disrepair as the edges and top are crumbling. Apparently, this particular pagoda is considered magical due to the fact that some years ago, it was split in half from top to bottom during an earthquake, and then many years later, was reportedly repaired in the same manner. I'm sure this explains the rather disheveled appearance of the pagoda, and I'm a bit skeptical of the earthquake tale (as least the repair part of the tale), but it does make for a good story. The grounds of the Small Goose Pagoda also included some beautiful gardens, statuary, and the peonies were in glorious bloom making for some very fragrant aromas.

After fighting traffic and a few good sized crowds, we were ready for a break and a quick change of clothes in preparation for the evening's activities. We had a reservation for the Tang Dynasty Show and Dumpling Buffet. This experience had come highly recommended so we did not want to miss it. Donna informed us that she had gone to the trouble to ensure our reservation and had managed to acquire very special seats for us. The theater that houses the Tang Dynasty Show is an older Chinese theater but, in my opinion, made for a more authentic experience. The tiered floor area held round tables of 12 on the main floor just in front of the elaborately decorated stage, with the second, slightly raised, level of tables which held 4 or 8 guests. We sat in the front row of the second level directly in front of the center of the stage ..... a perfect view!! Behind us was a balcony of patrons who were there only to view the show but were not partaking of the buffet.

The dumpling buffet consisted of a meal of cold appetizers prior to the serving of 16 different steamed, boiled, and fried dumplings. And we could order as many of the boiled dumplings (the least difficult to prepare) as we wanted. The tables were already laden with the various cold items that we have had with most Chinese meals ... chicken, cucumbers, various cooked chilled greens, and beverages of beer, rice wine, and sodas were offered immediately. Soon the dumplings started arriving to our table, and an elegantly dressed Chinese woman with a very tall headdress came onto the stage to entertain us by plucking a giant Chinese guitar that rested on a stand across her lap. The music was traditional Chinese which perfectly fit the occasion and the musician glanced up demurely and smiled at us periodically.

We ate dumplings filled with corn, celery, chicken, pork, beans, and spinach, and also various combinations of the above. We ate sweet dumplings and savory dumplings, some steamed, some fried, and finally the boiled ones arrived. Dumplings can be eaten with soy, vinegar, or chili oil (or any combination of those). The revue-style show started as the last of the dumplings and the hot pot soup arrived (with teeny-tiny little dumplings for good luck).

The show was emcee'd by a man and a woman dressed in elegant and colorful Chinese finery. The man announced first in strong and animated Mandarin, while the woman followed in calm, dulcet English both commencing and ending their announcements with deep bows. The 10 acts that followed were of various Oriental themes, instrumental pieces of authentic ancient Chinese music with beautiful Chinese landscapes and buildings as set backgrounds with stunning and frequent changes of lighting, as well as lively dances, and Oriental singing. There were gorgeous ballet type dances of Chinese girls with sleeves that were 8 feet long that made beautiful patterns as they twirled and waved their arms in the air. There was a man that made strange and wonderful warbling noises (I honestly do not know if he was whistling or singing but they were definitely some of the most unusual noises I've ever heard made by a human being) almost like a bird twittering and singing. Quite the ham, he made a huge hit with the audience. There was loud drumming and marching of soldiers holding long poles with red lanterns hanging from them. The program was quite delightful and again, we took many photos.

As planned, we arose early Saturday morning for breakfast in order to get ahead of the crowds for our viewing of the Terra Cotta Warriors. The drive to the dig area was almost an hour long, and it was interesting to see another side of Xi'an and the surrounding countryside. We stopped at an area prior to the archaeological digs to visit an area where they make, among other things, various sizes of terra cotta warriors and horses. We were able to view the process (which is basically fill two halves of a mold with clay and put them together, let dry, bake in a kiln, paint), stroll through shelves of the finished products along with other terra cotta figures, Chinese furniture, and artwork. If I were really into Chinese style design (which I'm not although I can certainly appreciate the beauty of it), I could really load up on furniture and artwork. There were some gorgeous pieces at this place. Just outside the entrance were a couple of life size metal warriors with their heads removed so that we could stand behind them and have our photos taken as warriors. Fun!

The dig areas are very well developed open air, covered buildings that have railings all around the outside edges for elevated viewing. Prior to looking at the digs, we opted to watch the 360 degree screen movie highlighting the discovery of the Terra Cotta Warriors, as well as the history of their designer and commissioner, the first Emperor of the Qin Dynasty. It is for his tomb the warriors stand as protectors and sentinels. It was recommended to us that we first view the movie as it explains exactly that which we were about to view next.

The history in a nutshell is this: Emperor QinShiHuang ordered the construction of the tomb and armed terra cotta warriors (along with horses and chariots) about 200 BC in order that his soul be protected from any evil (real or perceived) in the afterlife. It is not exactly known how many of these pits and warriors actually exist. It apparently could be dozens of pits in an area approximately 50 kilometers square but this is as yet has not been determined. A farmer digging a well for water in 1974 discovered terra cotta pieces and bronze fragments which were later determined to have historical significance (apparently at first, they were smashing and discarding them!). The area that is currently being excavated and developed is about 20 hectares which includes 3 ongoing digging sites ... pits 1, 2, & 3. We purchased a picture book which has a lot of pertinent information about the site that was autographed for us by the only living man who discovered the significance of the site.

Well, the only way I can describe the sight of these immense pits lined with row upon row of warriors all facing east is awe inspiring!!! One is hard pressed to imagine the manpower and labor that went into the construction of this, the largest tomb known to man. Unfortunately, most of the warriors, horses, and chariots are in pieces as the tomb fell into enemy hands and was all but destroyed and burned several years after it's completion. They can apparently ascertain by the layer of ash that the combustible parts (wooden spears and wagon wheels) may have smoldered for years. So the process of finding each piece and putting it all back together is very slow and painstaking work making the witnessing of the dig sites all the more impressive. Some of the warriors are pieced together with original pieces, some are all or partially recreated in order to achieve the original appearance.

We spent several hours at the dig site viewing each pit, mostly with our jaws agape with wonder, shooting photo after photo. It is incredible that someone even conceived of this endeavor, but to have actually accomplished it is nothing short of miraculous!! The actual tomb of the emperor is many kilometers to the very western edge of the mausoleum area as all enemy attacks would come from the east (in those days .... better luck to attack from the same direction from whence the sun rises), and we were not able to view the resting place of the emperor.

One interesting fact is that pit number 2 was initially excavated and then re-covered as it has been discovered that exposing the terra cotta pieces to the air causes them to commence deteriorating immediately. As they are still attempting to develop a process for preserving them, it was decided that they would simply cover them back up until such a process is perfected. After all, they know now where they are. It's simply a matter of carefully digging them up again. But the mounds are well marked and distinctive. It seems they are quite organized in their processes of recovery of the terra cotta army.

Well, I have to say that the highlight of our Chinese adventure to date has been the viewing of the Terra Cotta Army of the Qin Dynasty. I have been fascinated by the story since seeing it on TV (National Geographic or Discovery, something like that) and could scarcely take it all in once we were able to view it in person. Simply incredible!!!

We took some time later that day to unwind with a rousing game of Euchre with Larry and Therese, sipped a few drinks, and consumed a mediocre dinner buffet at the hotel. After dinner, it was decided that we still had enough energy to take a walk in the city streets of Xi'an to view the Bell Tower, the Drum Tower, and the Muslim street. The Bell and Drum Towers were impressively lit large Chinese pagodas which could be climbed (we didn't), but photos were taken. More impressive, however, was the brightly lit Muslim street which was jammed with people looking to purchase various street foods and treats, and handmade souvenirs being hawked by the numerous Muslim residents of Xi'an. It was a raucous, Mardi Gras-type atmosphere, and it was hard to not get caught up in the gaiety of it. We were full of our buffet dinner so didn't partake of any of the goodies (although the freshly roasted walnuts, and dried figs and dates DID look appealing) but did get quite a few photos. There is apparently a very large and impressive Muslim mosque in the block adjacent to this street but we did not have the opportunity to view it.

The remainder of our weekend was spent leisurely playing cards or enjoying meals with Larry and Therese who proved to be excellent traveling companions. We arrived back in Shanghai Sunday evening in time for a lovely Thai meal at Simply Thai where they were celebrating Cinco de Mayo by having their favorite items on the menu for 5 rmb (about 80 cents USD) ... so we ate well on the cheap.
No big adventure is forthcoming on the calendar at this time. We will be preparing soon to head over the pond to the US of A for a much needed break and visit with friends and family, as well as attend and honor our youngest children, Kelli and Jake, as they graduate high school. But I promise to check in with any noteworthy items. Until then, tsai chien!

Sunday, May 03, 2009

MAY 4, 2009

A lot has happened since I last posted. I might not get it all into one post but we'll just see how far I get today before exhaustion overtakes me. We are just returned from a wonderful trip to Xi'an over the holiday weekend about which I am anxious to write. But I have previous exploits in my head and attention must be paid before I forget what I need to write.

Randy has worked in the automotive industry for more than 25 years, and I've worked in various businesses that were affiliated most of my life. I mention this because when we heard that the Shanghai Auto Show was taking place, we realized that neither of us had ever attended an auto show, either here or in the states. So a little research uncovered the fact that we could attend this one right here in our own "home" town with little effort (or so we thought). The tickets were 50 rmb per head (about $6.50 USD) so it wasn't terribly expensive, so we made plans to go on Saturday, April 25.

That morning, our landlord had stopped to reimburse us for the maintenance we purchased for the air conditioning units here at the apartment. In this area, the AC is utilized WAY more than the heat, and one doesn't want to be without it for any period of time once the "season of fire," as the locals call it, arrives. This could be as early as mid-May so the landlord was kind enough to prompt us to have this seen to so as to have no interruption in service once the heat was upon us. As we chatted, Gene asked what we had planned for the weekend. We replied that we were on our way out to the Auto Show. "Oh no!" he exclaimed. "You cannot go to Auto Show!" We were baffled. He went on to explain that all the Chinese TV stations were reporting that the show was completely sold out and no more tickets were available. Well, we thanked him for letting us know this important news as we said good-bye.

Randy and I looked at each other ..... well, NOW what? We had our hearts set on the Auto Show and hadn't conceived of a plan B yet. Then a thought occurred to me. When we had gone to Suzhou to see the passing of the Olympic torch, it was very well advertised that the torch would pass through the streets of Suzhou at noon. In actuality, it had passed around 10:00, and we considered ourselves lucky enough to have come into Suzhou plenty early and witness it. We assumed (rightly so) that this was an attempt to keep crowds to a minimum and exercise as much control as possible over the situation. One thing we have learned, the Chinese government abhors a crowd and will go to great lengths to keep one from assembling (and from our perspective, they aren't terribly successful most of the time). I suggested to Randy that these announcements were probably attempts at crowd control, and we should stick to the original plan. If it turned out that the landlord was correct, we'd simply take advantage of the terrific weather and walk around the area taking in whatever sights available in that part of town.

We boarded the subway, and it did not take long before we realized that the closer we got to the the Longyang Station (the one nearest the show), the more crowded the train became. Either these folks hadn't gotten the word, or they felt the same as us. As we weren't sure exactly where the Expo Center was located, we were kind of flying by the seat of our pants. We needn't have worried as the immense crowd carried us along like tidal currents taking along a swimmer. We'd have had a hard time going anywhere else!!! There were shuttle buses and taxis waiting to transport potential show goers but as the crowd on foot was so dense, they were having a hard time going anywhere.

So a 30 minute trek of "going with the flow" found us at the Expo Center and a very long row of ticket windows with lines of people waiting to purchase tickets. We hesitated a moment eyeing the masses and wondering if we'd be waiting forever only to be disappointed to arrive at the ticket window to discover that it was only for receiving advanced purchase tickets. Well, we'd gotten this far, we figured, "What the heck!!" We got into line which moved rather quickly (for all their derision of crowds, the Chinese DO know how to organize them when they put their minds to it!) and before we knew it, we'd purchased ourselves a couple of entrance tickets. As we congratulated ourselves for our perseverance, Randy text'd the landlord sort of a "nya nya" message with a jibe about Chinese propaganda as we entered the show area.

I am having a hard time finding the words to describe the Expo Center area. Let me see, about 10 or 12 building all about the size of 4 Pontiac Silverdomes .... yeah, that about sums it up!!! As we drifted into the first building along with the never-ending crowd, we were amazed at not only the size of the buildings, but the fact that leaving one building simply leads you on to the next ... and the next, and the next. It was a HUGE display!! Not only every auto maker known to man (and some we'd NEVER heard of), but every auto industry supplier seemed to be represented as well. Also, there were fast food restaurants set up and doing a brisk business. We could've had KFC, McDonald, or Burger King, as well as many local delicacies, or ice creams and other sweet treats.

We fought the masses and pushed our way to the point where we could see a few of the more desirable vehicles (knock off Rolls Royce, anyone?), checked out of few dashboards to see if we could recognize any of the appliques with which we were once familiar at Kaumagraph (nope, we're out of that loop completely now), and even kicked a tire or two. But honestly, it was hard to get very close to any vehicle due to the incredible throng of humanity pushing and shoving every which way. We kept a good attitude and enjoyed the show the best we could (and the taller Randy saw much more of it than the short me), but it's a tiring process to fight a crowd like that for any length of time. Part of me understands WHY they would attempt to keep some folks away from that mob scene.

One thing that really made us laugh though. Seems as though every person attending the show had a camera. Photos were being snapped constantly. But the photos being snapped the most were NOT necessarily those of the vehicles. MOST of the flashbulbs were directed at the models standing NEXT to the vehicles .... especially the few blond Western women which had been hired by a few of the auto makers. These tall, lanky, beautiful models with their hair piled high on their heads were leaning seductively against gleaming vehicles with tiaras glittering atop their carefully pinned masses of hair. We expected the lenses would be trained at the lean lines of the latest models on four wheels. Oh no .... the constant flash of the camera lights were directed primarily at these glossy-mouthed ladies with their hands on their hips giving "come hither" looks over the teeming masses. Pretty funny!!!

A couple hours of fighting that madness was all we could take so we got back on the subway and took ourselves to Latina for a lovely Brazilian dinner, congratulating ourselves that we'd actually "been there and did that" in spite of the obstacles of news and crowds. It was worth the effort to have seen the show, and now we also know exactly where the 2010 Shanghai World Expo will be held as this area has been constructed for just this purpose.

The next day, we'd made a date with our good friends, Wind and Nicole, to meet at the wet market across the street to shop for the ingredients needed to make homemade Chinese dumplings. They were anxious to reciprocate after our pizza lessons we'd provided for them the previous weekend. You may recall my reporting about this market in early posts. I go there often to purchase fresh vegetables but you can also buy meat, eggs, fruit, grains, tofu, and many other commodities for very reasonable prices direct from the farmer. These items seem to come fresh from the field to this market as they are often still crusted with the earth in which they were grown.

Wind and Nicole enjoyed showing us items in the market with which we were not familiar. We were introduced to fresh water chestnuts (and I thought they grew in a can!!) with a dark plum or brown skin which must be removed before eating the crunchy, juicy fruit beneath. Of course, sometimes getting to the correct names of these items is tricky. Wind kept calling them river roots, and Randy and I were scanning the files of our brains trying to figure out what this might be. Yep, water chestnuts. They taste quite a bit different (although the texture is the same) than the ones we get out of the can at home. Much sweeter, not as salty (might be the canning process that makes them taste salty). We purchased ground pork, scallions, celery, tofu, wonton and dumpling wrappers, and a few of the raw water chestnuts before heading back to our apartment for the lesson.

Once we arrived at the apartment, the first order of business was cleaning the produce. We are very careful to properly clean all fresh fruits and vegetables here as we've heard that all manner of fertilizer is applied to crops (use your imagination). But we soon learned that we haven't been quite diligent enough. Wind and Nicole instructed us that all produce must be soaked for 30 minutes, then washed twice again in order to be completely clean for eating or cooking. So while the veggies soaked, Wind showed us how to make the "skins" for dumplings and wontons from scratch which is much the same process as making fresh pasta.

The hardest part about making fresh dumplings is the chopping of the veggies. Everything must be finely chopped by hand. Randy and I offered our handy-dandy Tupperware chopping machine which we felt would greatly simplify the process, but were told that only hand chopping is acceptable for dumplings as this would make them taste the best! Alrighty then!

Two fillings were assembled before we started the dumpling making process. Both were ground pork based with chopped tofu but one had the chopped celery, and the other had the chopped scallion. Both also had various seasonings put into them. Finally, we were ready to assemble the dumplings. Wind showed us exactly how to wet our fingers and fold the dough around the little ball of filling, and how to crimp the edges (so as to make a pretty dumpling) so it would not come apart during the cooking process. Dumplings and wontons can be fried, boiled, or steamed. We made some of the boiled (with a little broth so as to have a soup) and some of the fried. The dumplings can then be dipped into soy with vinegar or sesame seed oil before consuming. Chili powder can be added to either sauce as well if you like a bit of heat with your dumplings.

Of course, the dumpling and wontons that were made by Randy and me were not nearly as pretty as the ones Wind and Nicole made ... we need much more practice. Also, Chinese fingers are simply more delicate for that sort of work. We Americans are more used to opening a menu or a can, I suppose (wink!).

Well, the dumpling and wonton making was a huge success, and we ate dumplings until we thought we would bust. They were SO good that we had the leftovers that evening before we went to bed ... YUM!!!

Our sincerest thanks to Wind and Nicole, not only for their dear friendship, but also for their efforts to educate Randy and me in the latest culinary processes of Chinese dim sum. Xie xie ni, wumen da panyou!!!