Weekend in Xian, China

The kids had an extra day off of school so we decided to go with 2 other families and site see in Xian, China.  Xian was the original capital of China until the last 300 and some odd years ago when they made it Beijing.  This area is also famous for the Terra cotta warriors. 
The Terra cotta warriors are a massive army of life sized clay statues that were discovered accidentally by a farmer back in 1974 when he was digging a well.  It is one of the greatest archaeological discoveries in the world.
So here is your history lecture from Professor Val:  Emperor Qin took the throne in 246 B.C. at the ripe old age of 13.  Shortly after he took the throne he had his people start making a mausoleum for him.  (I find this morbidly odd for a 13 year old to be thinking about these things but so be it, It was like thousands of years ago)  So the story goes he had more than 700,000 people working to create this clay army to accompany him, as the first Emperor of China, into the afterlife.
Emperor Qin didn't live very long but did a lot in his short time as Emperor.  He unified a collection of warring kingdoms, standardized coins, weights and measures.  He also interlinked the states with canals and roads and is credited for the first version of the Great Wall.  Not bad for a prepubescent boy who evidently like to play with life sized toy soldiers!
So here is the amazing part.  These Terra cotta warriors are almost 2,200 years old.  They say that there are over 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots, 520 horses and 150 cavalry horses, the majority are still buried in the pits.  They are still trying to figure out how to preserve them better as they dig them out.  The paint disappears off of them in only a matter of minutes when the air hits them.
The whole thing was truly amazing to see!
Thank goodness they haven't dug up the Emperor tomb, (because I find that disturbing on so many levels) but if they ever did, it is said there are ridiculous amounts of jewels and priceless things buried with him.  I think it will be safe for a long time because part of the reason the guy died is because he thought that by eating mercury it would make him live forever.  To this day the mercury count is so high around his tomb that people are not allowed to be around or dig within a certain parameter of it.  So listen up kids...Marvel Comics are purely fictional.  Don't eat crazy things and think you are going to become Superman or The Hulk.  You will end up taking a dirt nap and we all know you kids don't like naps!!!
We also visited some other touristy spots in Xian like Temples and Pagodas.  The kids all had fun together and were sure to attract many Chinese admirers everywhere we went.  They all now have a taste of what it would be like to be a celebrity.  There are always people trying to take pictures of us on the sly.  Some are brave enough to politely ask, and then some are just bold and will come plop themselves between the kids and just start snapping away!  Oh, it's always an interesting experience!

This was our "party van" for the weekend. 

The kids posing in front of the monk that brought Buddhism from India into China.

Literally seconds after I snapped the last picture, the kids were mobbed by this crowd of Chinese people trying to snap pictures of the them.  CRAZY!!

Ella, Julia and Jane in front of the Big Goose Pagoda.

We better move quick!  We are starting to attract a crowd.

The whole group of kids in front of the Big Goose Pagoda, which is a Buddhist tower built in the year 652 during the Tang Dynasty.  They told us this things bricks were held together with sticky rice, kiwi juice and mud.  Go figure!

One of the rooms at the Pagoda had walls made of different colors of jade that told the story of one of the Emperors wives.  They said she was the only "full figured" Empress or their terms "fat" Empress.  She looks like a real buster, huh??

A self proclaimed famous calligraphist did a scroll of Ella's Chinese name.  "De Ai Lan"

And for Julia, "Du Ju Lin"

Out in the streets, across from our hotel, there was a huge area were people all gathered to play.  This was one group that was doing a traditional Chinese dance.  I so wanted to jump in and bust a move, but I'm not sure China is ready for that much of me yet!

This was the ceiling in the outside mall.  It had huge movie screen on it and thousands of people were standing there watching.

One of Ella's admirers.

What in pray tell are those furs of hanging in the back round???  Take one guess??  I'm pretty sure the tan and black one is a German Sheppard. Wow, PETA would have a hay day here! 

Ella is so good natured about little kids wanting their picture with her.  Here is another photo op.

Inside the first pit of the Terra cotta warriors.  This was just amazing!

Kelly, Ella and Julia taking it all in.

These are some of the statues that they are trying to put back together.

This is an archer and he was the only statue that was 100% intact.

This is what it looks like when the dig.  They have to gather the pieces and try to put together the world toughest jig saw puzzle.

The crew of kids.

Whoop, wait a minute.  The Asian Sharron Osbourne wants a pic with the kids!

This was the city center wall.  It is a mini Great Wall built all the way around the center of the city.  We rode tandem bikes all the way around it which was about 10 miles!

Traditional Chinese dinner.

Oh, wait.  I didn't realize that Spicy Ass Ligament was on the menu. Nothing like a little stewed sphincter to hit the spot!

Me and my extremely tall friend Kasey.  She said this is what it looked like at all of her middle school dances too!  Did I ever mention she played Division 1 basketball for Oregon State and received a Great 8 award along side none other than Tennessee's Peyton Manning.  How freaking cool is that!

Yep, we went into the Aston Martin Dealership.  We got to see James Bond's wheels.

Heading home, selfie on the plane!