There was a burial site that was only found @ 20 years ago which was from the Neolithic age (for those of you who may not know: think caveman) These were important ritualistic burial items like the Bi and Cong which represented wealth in the afterlife.
The Bi represented the currency and the more you had the wealthier you were.
Another interesting thing about their burials back then was that they used to stick clay pieces into the "apertures" of your head, a.k.a all the openings... icky!
There were some other rather amazing pieces like jade, ceramics, bronze. (all things that the Chinese are noted for finding and mastering first)
(Picture of the Qing throne- the last dynasty in China)
(Picture: A Jade woman during that same dynasty-- China is really well-known for it's Jade)
(Picture: a bronze pot used for making food @1000 years ago)
It was quite impressive to see everything there and I enjoyed it.
Afterwards we went to the Temple where the Taiping Rebellion began back in the 1850s. (The Taiping Rebellion was basically all the Han Chinese (the majority here) rebelling from their foreign rulers who had come in a few centuries before and took control-- it failed) It was a quintessential Chinese palace with the rock gardens and Feng Shui. Unfortunately my camera died while taking a picture of porcelain so those pictures have yet to come....
We went shopping in the early evening and I got some bargains.. during one bargain I was with Sherry (who is African-American so they went crazy over her) well.. we were in this alley way and people swarmed us trying to force us to buy stuff- worse than the Caribbean, way worse.. Once we had to leave and really decided we wanted nothing they started throwing stuff down our shirts attempting to force us to take them! lol. It was a funny experience.
That night we went to a Mexican restaurant which was so much fun! We laughed and drank and met some French pilots. It was a raucous good time. (Which is why I didn't blog last night b.c. I came home and passed out instead, lol)
Today we went to Dr. Sun Yet Sen's Mausoleum-- 392 steps to the top to look at a coffin that you can't even take a picture of! lol.
I did it tho and was rather proud that I got up, back, and still had time for the Ming tombs. (I walked 7 miles today, btw! If I don't lose any weight at all, ugh)
The Ming were the last Han-Chinese rulers (that's the majority of the population in China named after the Han dynasty [220ish BCE-220 CE]...around the time of Jesus... so they like the Ming)
I'm glad I got to go to the tombs b.c. there was this Emperor Hong Wu which is known for having 46 concubines and having them killed and buried with him!! Imagine that?!?
Anyways so today was fun and tomorrow I head to Suzhou which is like the Venice of the East. I can't wait! Happy Fourth!!
1 comment:
Hi Aims,
Happy Fourth of July from Colorado. I'm glad you had a great time, minus the major drinking, of course (always the motherly comment). Sounds like fun, tho. FUnny to find a Mexican restaurant in Nanjing. How big is Nanjing anyway? I'm glad you wrote a blog today so we know you're still alive and well. Continue to enjoy...I'll be anxious to hear about the Venice of the East. Happy 4th :)
I love you,
Mom
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