We then went to a factory to learn about how terra cotta soldiers (and now, their replicas) were made. The factory actually had huge brick ovens that were walled over for 6 days to bake the terra cotta – we saw the contents of one for which the wall had just been broken. Still can’t figure out why a nice oven door wouldn’t do, but maybe that’s part of the mystique. The children got to make their own soldier using a mold and fresh clay…but Eliza’s fell apart when the mold opened up and all of them were promptly squished, given that we couldn’t hang out by the oven for 6 days. We were quite amused by the opportunity that one had to send the factory a series of photographs of one’s head, from which a mold could be made – yes, there’s even a terra cotta President Obama:
Obligatory shopping was next, seduced by ‘5 star western toilets’ (I got Eliza one of those black ancient instrument blow-ey things that we heard in a concert yesterday and that I could tell that she’d been coveting…and we got a few things to give as gifts.). Following a delicious Xi’an lunch that included traditional noodles, sweet potatoes, and chicken, we were off to the Terra Cotta soldiers museum. We learned about the history of the emperor who created the terra cotta army to guard him after death, as well as the farmers who happened upon the buried soldiers when digging the well. One of these farmers, Mr. Yang, is now 80 years old and works part time at the museum (as ‘honorary Vice President’) we were able to meet him and have him sign a book about the archeological site (which alleviated my need to take constant pictures) ¬for a mere 150 yuan (23 bucks). We were able to enter 3 of the ‘pits’ where the pieces are still being excavated. The size (life-size!) and scale of the site was amazing, though it was dampened (literally) by the steaminess – there can’t be air conditioning around the pieces because they must remain the temperature of the earth around them. Pretty sticky.
We then piled back on the bus for an hour and twenty minute drive to the countryside, where we were scheduled to stay in farmhouses. Eliza has been harboring visions of milking cows, feeding chickens, and picking corn…which couldn’t be farther from the truth. Here’s my understanding. In the 1990s, the farmers living in this region began to create and sell folk art, called ‘peasant prints’ (we have several at home that I picked up in Guangzhou in 1999). This brought great wealth and fortune to the communities who sold them, who were then able to upgrade their homes to include more space. Shortly thereafter there was an introduction of the concept of creating ‘country retreats’ for foreigners and urban-dwelling Chinese who’d like a breath of fresh air after working in the cities. These farmers adapted their homes to become ‘certified hosts’ – sort of like our ‘bed-and-breakfast’ concept. Thus, our tour bus of 34ish people…plus one group of ‘People to People’ student ambassadors (I think) are staying in this village of about 130 people, distributed across about 30 homes. The homes typically are occupied by older adults who no longer actively farm (although they own a seed-planting business, using machinery). Many of them care for grandchildren visiting during the summer break.
We are staying with Mr. and Mrs. Qu, who couldn’t be kinder or more welcoming. We are here with another single mother, Mary, and her daughter Hannah, which works out great. The house has a living room, dining room, and bedroom on the first floor and a detached kitchen (to keep the house cool). We stay upstairs, where there are 2 bedrooms and a bathroom with western toilet and rather primitive shower (attached to a solar tank on roof) – i.e., it’s a Chinese mansion by typical ‘country’ standards. But it’s clean and comfortable and it’s clear that the people in this community fully embrace the notion of helping outsiders to appreciate life in the country. Mrs. Qu taught the girls to make dumplings (again, we were impressive with our knowledge of how to do it…and to pronounce jiaotze). Eliza and I were also able to translate fairly well, as communication is a challenge. We ate a delicious dinner (way too much food) and then gathered in the town square at 8:30 for folkdancing (again, Eliza and I knew all of the popular songs!). The girls danced…I did not – instead I talked with a lovely 15 year old girl with impeccable English who had all sorts of questions about how we lived in the United States…and Eliza played. It was a bit jarring when they switched from Chinese music to the ‘hokey pokey’, the Electric Slide, and the Macarana…but that really got the Americans going (again, not me). We then showered (interesting experience…only a washcloth to towel off in) and then slept – in a room with air conditioning and no winged insects at all..though the beds are very simple – I my pillow contains buckwheat husks (or something like that). Not much sleep for me…but that at least creates another blog entry for you to read!