But How Much More is There?

Kelby

I feel as though I always get the best days to blog. Today was our first day in Xian, a “small” city in Northern China that is known for its pottery. You’ll hear why in a minute.

The start of our day began quickly. Iona, Liz, and I had about 20 minutes after breakfast to take showers, get dressed, clean our room, pack our day bags, and meet Mrs. Waterman downstairs. Naturally we were late, but relatively quick for the three of us. Our guide, Nancy, took our group to an ancient civilization that was excavated, and then created into a museum. The site we visited was the Banpo Site, a village that consisted of about 300 people, and was excavated in the early 1950’s.

It was interesting to hear about the Banpo people’s culture and superstitions. Archeologists believe when a baby passed away shortly after birth, he or she was buried in a ceramic pot with a chipped hole in the top. The chipped hole allowed the soul of the child to escape into the afterlife and live freely. The same went for adults; however adults were not buried inside pottery, but rather with the pottery.

After visiting the Banpo Site, the group went to a ceramic workshop, which is used to duplicate the Terracota Warriors. Yes, Xian is known for that pottery. The workshop was amazing, for we were able to experience the size and detail of the warriors in an up-close manner (no, these warriors were not the real ones, but it was amazing nonetheless). There, a man who creates the duplicates explained to us the different types of warriors: archer, soldier, officer, general, and emperor. The archers all had hair-buns on the left side of their heads - this made it easier for them to grab a bow with their right hand from behind their backs. The soldiers had a bun on the right side of their heads, the officers with a single bun in the middle of their heads, the generals with a wavy bun in the middle, and the emperor with a crown. After the workshop, we were ready to see the real thing.

Nancy brought us all to the Terracota Warrior Excavation Site right outside the city. The site was discovered by a group of farmers digging a well in the year 1974. Little did they know what was beneath the well, and how enormous it would be. Three large buildings served as three different pits where the warriors were discovered. We learned the warriors were built as a protector to the first emperor of China - Qin Shi Huan Di - and his tomb. Archeologists have not uncovered all the warriors for the sake of preservation, but there are an estimated 6,000 warriors that were made. Is that not impressive enough? Of all the warriors discovered, no face is the same. To think the entire site was for just one man is mind-boggling.

After seeing the warriors, we went to a spa, received a foot massage, and ate some hot pot. For those who don’t know, hot pot is essentially Chinese fondu, but with broth instead of cheese.

Today may have been the most historically intense day we’ve had in a while, if not since the trip began. Mrs. Viz taught us a lot about the history of China, but it’s as though there’s always a whole new dynasty to be learned, to be discovered. All we can do is learn as much as we can while we’re here, ask questions later, and possibly find answers to those questions. Maybe then, just maybe, we’ll know ten percent of Chinese culture... if we’re lucky. I guess I’ll figure out what I need to know tomorrow. Until then, I’ll just ponder over what I learned today.