秦皇岛

Qinhuangdao is the chief port of Hebei, and the largest coal shipping port of China. I found the surroundings and environment of Qinhuangdao clearly different from Beijing; you could just tell that it is an industrial city once you exit the railway station.

Qinhuangdao has 3 main developed areas:
- Beidaihe: a summer seaside resort for governmental officials
- Haigang: the city
- Shanhaiguan: the tourist part, with the eastern end of the Great Wall

We went to Shanhaiguan first.

We came across 宁海城, a fortress which was used in the Ming dynasty to station and drill the soldiers. 

And then we start climbing to the Great Wall. The floor was the olden paved kind, and it's pretty cool to think that this ancient roads were built centuries ago (16th century) and today I am walking on history. 

And then we proceeded to the Old Dragon's Head, 老龙头. It is so called because the Great Wall is like a long dragon and this eastern end is the head of the dragon. It was a strategic spot for sea defense. This is the fortress, and below is the temple to the goddess of the sea.

And then we went to the old British army barracks. Long beds at the side, super big pot to cook, old grinding stones to make flour or noodles.

That's about all for lao long tou, we then proceeded to the First Pass Under Heaven. One side of the pass faces the mountain and another faces the sea, that's why the name 山海关. It was a strategic passage between the north and northeast China, thus a bone of contention of military strategists in the ancient times. The words 天下第一关 are really large, about 1.6m tall, which is about my height! 

There are actually people staying just further down the wall in these old thatched houses.

It was a misty day but if you look close enough at the mountain, you will see a part of the wall leading diagonally upwards! Impossible to climb though  because its too dangerous to be open to public. However, it does give me a sense of "wow" that people last time built such a long wall on the mountain.  

That's all for Qinhuangdao, we had our first mini preview of the Great Wall, will certainly be climbing the parts at Beijing!

Climb up Huangshan

My first climb up a mountain was Huangshan, with peaks 1800m above sea level.
It's so named because a Tang Dynasty emperor renamed it to honor the Emperor Huangdi, who according to legend, rode off from their peaks to heaven on the back of a dragon.

It was a long, tough journey up, aided by walking sticks. We took only one cable car mid-way up, and walked the rest of the way up, dropping by at our hostel, and then continuing our journey to conquer the other peaks. There were so so many stairs, and we took about 3 hours to reach our hostel, then walked the rest of the day as well. It was the most exercise I did in my whole China trip.

Huangshan is known for the four wonders: strange pines, bizarre rocks, sea of clouds and hot springs.
There were certainly many strange pines. They don't always grow upright, some grow outward horizontally, many grow branches on one side only. They have many layers and sometimes look so neat. And then there's the 迎客松 - the branches stretch out like arms to welcome guests.

The peaks are strangely formed and these rock shapes are sometimes made out to be humans, birds, animals or other objects, hence the strange names for the peaks as well. There was one cluster named as soldiers paying respects to the emperor I think. 

I also saw cloud seas right in front of me. Now you see it - now you don't.

And then the next day, we were up before 6am to catch the sunrise! It was my FIRST time catching the sunrise, it really is like a red egg yolk. Everyone was so excited when the first lightly red-tinged bit appeared. And then the rest followed very quickly. The sun was split between the clouds, but when it finally emerged, it was a complete red ball. And then just as quickly, everything turned less red and more yellow. It was really quite a magical time, everyone was just enthralled by this act of nature for those few minutes. 

Hua

Eastern Qing Tombs 清东陵

The Eastern Qing Tombs is a sacred burial ground for emperors, empresses and concubines of the Qing dynasty (1644 – 1911). We went on a one-day bus trip to the grounds on the last day of the seventh month. The major tombs there include the tomb of Shun Zi (first Qing emperor), Ci Xi, Kang Xi.

A large white marble archway marks the entrance of the tombs.

On the way in, there is a long spirit way lined by statues that depict real and mythical animals as well as military officials. These are guardian figures.

The entrance to the Qian Long tomb is preceded by a pavilion and marble bridges over a stream.

Then this is the building where people can pay their respects. 

We then made our way underground to the underground palace. These are made of stone or marble and it is always nice and cool underground. The walls have carvings on them, and it is humbling to know that I am standing on the grounds of the tomb of an emperor, and that these structures have lasted for over 400 years.  

This is how the actual coffin looks like. I think there should be much jewellery and other burial items along with the body, but many of the items have been raided already by tomb raiders.

Then we moved on to the tombs of Qian Long's concubines. I think there were a dozen or more, arranged in order of importance to the emperor.

And that's all for Qian Long. We moved on to Ci Xi. She was initially a concubine, then she staged a coup together with her brother-in-law, and became an unofficial empress, directing state affairs from behind the screen. Historians portray her as a villian responsible for the fall of the dynasty. 

The design of her tomb was more grand and exquisite. 

Lastly, we visited the tomb of Kang Xi. Kang Xi is considered one of the greatest emperors of China. His rule brought stability and wealth. 

One interesting thing about Kang Xi's tomb is that his son, Yong Zheng is buried at the Western Qing tombs rather than together with him. Why? Because Yong Zheng went against his father's will and seized the throne from his brother. Hence, he's probably guilty to be buried near his father. 

And this concludes the trip to the Eastern Qing tombs! Awesome historical experience :)