Trip to the Song Temple

This morning Dr. Xu, and my new friends William from Florida and Scott from Hawaii, and I took the #11 bus to downtown Gongyi. The bus was so full of people, I stood perplexed wondering how I was going to get out when we reached our stop. On a sad note, I made two small children cry when I smiled at them. I'm thinking that Americans are a nasty-looking bunch. When I finally pushed myself off, my companions and I walked through a street market spanning a large area outside of the Song Dynasty Tomb. Here are some photos-

Street Market

Can't get fish fresher than this! They're still swimming.

Street Market

No Ashley...not dinner. Just a cute Pekinese on a leash with its owner.

Street Market

. We didn't stay long, as Dr. Xu rushed us through to the park surrounding the temple. Dr. Xu explained that the temple was built a few thousand years ago (that's all?) to house a tomb for an impotant queen. Within the grounds, which span several acres, there are numerous statues created to protect the queen in her afterlife, There were also three dirt hills that were tombs for other members of the queen's family. Dr. Xu explained that these were probably her children or "blue bloods." Here are some pictures of the area. I can only wish that these partially describe it. Pictures seem so inadequate compared to see the real thing.

Outside tomb of queen from the The Song Dynasty (Chinese: ??; pinyin: Sòng Cháo; Wade-Giles: Sung Ch'ao) was a ruling dynasty in China between 960 and 1279

Queen's Tomb

Guard statues outside tomb.

More Statues near dirt mounds

Tomb Guards

After seeing the park and tombs, we wondered into a small gift shop and I spent a few dollars on two dragons carved in what appears to be "fake jade." My first purchase in China!

My first purchase (about $7 US)

Scott was in great need for toilet tissue, so we then walked to the market and shopped a little more...Sadly, he ended up buying paper towels but everyone was too respectful of his crisis to laugh or joke. Instead, William offered to trade some toilet paper for some of Scott's tea....really, I'm not making this stuff up. In China toilet paper has no hollow cardboard roll in the middle and it is very difficult to tell toilet paper from paper towels! They are practically the same size and packaged the same, so unless you can read Chinese you need a pair of reading glasses to distinguish the difference. I purchased my first roomate-- a plant. I couldn't resist...it is planted in a small ship with Chinese writing on the outside and Dr. Xu interpreted as "one ship sailing with good luck".

My new roomate. (Ship holding plant on it written in Chinese "Good luck on my journey")

. I was told not to over-water it and away I went with my plant in a bag. Outside the market I took a few photos of the street activity.

Pretty girl advertising photography studio

Walking through the streets of Gongyi

Ashley's new motorcycle helmet.

Dr. Xu and William

Basket helmets?

...Then off we went the four of us crowed into one very small taxi back to the college. When I got to my apartment, I fried some sweet potato fries and chicken. Life is good. Back to studying...Take care everyone. XOXO

Trip to the Song Temple

Gongyi, China