We headed out early to see the tomb of Emperor Jingdi. Today is a weekday, which means fewer tourists. We got to the site before they opened, so took a little walk in this rural area. There are two man-made hills, one the tomb of the Emporer and one the tomb of the empress. Actually, there are many royal tombs in this area because there were many (72?) emperors who ruled from Xi'an, and the location is doubly favorable according to fung shui.
The tomb we visited is partially excavated and has been open to the public since 2007. It is not yet well known. It is the only museum in China with glass floor panels that allow one to look directly down at the excavation tunnels. This emperor was well prepared for the afterlife with 10 separate tunnels for the kitchen, textile weavers, etc. The site seems to be very well protected and preserved.
At the Xi'an airport we ran into a dragon boater and her father from Ottawa. They had planned to go to Tibet, but it is closed. They were re-routed by their travel agency to some alternative sites, including small villages where the people prepared hot pot for them. It was heartening to hear that they had some wonderful food. They enjoyed talking with others who spoke the same language!
Flight to HK on China Eastern was fine, and again included a meal. My chicken with noodle was edible. Vanessa got the classic beef with rice and gravy. She ate a roll.
Have I mentioned how much I like the Hong Kong airport? Cosmopolitan, with a good variety of restaurants and shops, and free wifi. Sweet!
We are about to board Air Canada for the flight to Vancouver.
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