Xi'an

西安Xi’an, historically known as Chang’an, is the capital of the Shanxi province. Historically, Xi’an was the trade terminus of the Silk Road, an ancient trade route that connected China with the Mediterranean. Today, Xi’an still holds over 3,100 years of history and the famous Terracotta warriors. In 652, construction of The Da Yan Pagoda大雁塔 (Wild Goose Pagoda) began as a storage space of the translations of the Buddhist sutras obtained from India. In 904, Chang’an was destroyed; residents were forced to move to the new capital Luoyang.

汉阳陵 Han4 Yang2 Ling2 The Mausoleum of the Western Han Emperor Liu Qi 刘启is located at Zhangjiawan Village, about 20 kilometers (12 miles) north of Xi’an. It is the joint tomb of Liu Qi, and his empress, Empress Wang. In addition to the two tombs, the mausoleum also includes a ceremonial site, human sacrifice graveyard, and criminals' cemetery.

The Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses兵马俑Bing1 Ma3 Yong3 are the most significant archeological excavations of the 20th century. Work is ongoing at this site, which is around 1.5 kilometers east of Emperor Qin Shi Huang's.

The Terracotta Warriors refer to the collection of sculptures located in Xi’an of the armies of Qin Shi Huang. These sculptures were constructed in factories by government workers and local craftsmen. Studies indicate that most likely eight face molds were used and then craftsmen added clay to the faces to create individual features.

Anyang

安阳 Anyang is the northern most city in the Henan province. In the 14^th century BCE, the Shang Emperor Pangeng 盘庚 established his capital, which he named Yin, 2 kilometers north of this present-day city. A bustling tourist center, Anyang has a history of over 3,000 years and is one of the ancient capitals of China.

During our stay in Anyang, the main attraction was the Yinxu Musuem. Literally meaning “Ruins of Yin,” Yinxu was the last capital of the Shang Dynasty 商代 (1766 BCE - 1050 BCE). This city in the Henan province currently serves as a vast archeological site and a United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Site. Yinxu is renowned for its oracle bones 甲骨文, first discovered in 1899.

This museum is particularly know for the Tomb of Lady Hao, Uncovered in 1976, Lady Hao's tomb is one of the best preserved Shang royal tombs.

Needless to say, Anyang was the perfect start to our 6-day adventure in the middle region of China.

Lhasa, Tibet

For the third part of our midterm trip we went to Lhasa, Tibet. The beautiful Potala Palace opened our eyes. We were all eager to learn more about Tibetan Buddhism. Though we didn't have much time in the gorgeous city, no one wasted any time, as we all eagerly explored the temples, street stalls, just strolling around admiring the laid-back Tibetans in their everyday lives.

ChengDu (Midterm Field Trip 2)

For the second part of our midterm trip, we visited Chengdu, a thriving city a southwestern Chinese city. Located in the Sichuan province, our tour guide taught us about the city's famous food, architecture, and their "spicy" women. Highlights include visiting the Leshan Buddha as well as the Panda Breeding Center where a handful of lucky students got to hold a child panda. On our last night we watched an impressive face changing show.

JiuZhaiGou (Midterm Field Trip 1)

We started off our midterm trip right with a visit to the scenic Juizhigou. At this high elevation, we enjoyed fresh mountain air and sunny skies. During our hikes we stopped at waterfalls, mountain peaks, and everywhere in between to soak in our beautiful surroundings.

Tang Zhe Temple

The Egg

This past weekend, October 1-3, was China's National Day. This day commemorates the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1, 1949. Those of us that stayed in Beijing our first free weekend went to Tiananmen Square (天安门) to see the gorgeous lights and flowers put up in honor of the special day. The city was even busier than normal, since most people Chinese people receive a vacation of seven days called the Golden Week.

Not only did we celebrate the holiday this past weekend, we also celebrated Wenhao's twentieth birthday.

Last night we watched another Cao Yu play called Yuan Ye (原野) at the National Center for Performing Arts (国家大剧院), a beautifully constructed architectural piece, not to mention the most renowned theater in Beijing.

As you can see, the FSP keeps us busy, especially as the students prepare for the Chinese 11 midterm and we all prepare for an action-packed field trip to Tibet.