Off we go from Beijing to Xi'An and the terra cotta soldiers.
This is the main pit with the soldiers in formation. The part in the
foreground has been excavated and put together.
The soldiers used to have weapons, but when the tomb was raided the weapons
were stolen.
A chariot team. The chariot was made of wood, so it has deteriorated.
The ones in the back are under reconstruction.
Here is what they start with to put them together.
The bodies were done in molds, but each head was individually sculpted,
presumably to match a particular soldier.
We have lunch at the Friendship Store in the complex. One of the offerings
on the drink cart was "three snake wine". I told Hans that if
he's drinking, I'm buying. Here's Hans with his shot, and the bottle it
came from.
Wade with his shot.
And a close-up of the bottle. I saw a bottle of this later in Shanghai
and wanted to bring one home, but there's no way that's getting through
airport security, especially since it is 110 proof.
After lunch we go back to some of the other pits they are excavating.
These have some of the reconstructions behind glass that you can get
closer to.
The grounds of the museum for the soldiers.
That night we went for the dumpling dinner.
Here are the duck dumplings and one green bean dumpling. Most of the
dumplings are in the shape of what is inside them.
No meal in China is complete without dessert. I don't know if it was
because it's August, but every meal ended with this same watermelon dessert.
Hans and the famous Hans beer.
