Another day, another factory tour. We left the hotel this morning and were informed that we would visit a place that produced reproductions ot the Terra Cotta warriors. I'm sure you can guess where this is going... Funny thing. They sure sold a lot of furniture for a pottery factory. I am not amused.

We then proceeded to the actual Terra Cotta Warriors. The warriors are contained within three excavation sites, each with protective building / museum over top of it. Very few of the warriors were originally intact.  Most have been reassembled from the broken fragments. The original damage was caused by structural collapses but subsequent damage has occured due to fear, malice, and stupidity. Of the 7,000 total warriors, only about 30 are without damage. It is impressive that the warrors are displayed in their original locations. We also had an opportunity to meet the farmer that originally made the discovery.  The state pays him to sit around and sign autographs.  He is a real farmer. He's so real that our guide warned us that he fears cameras.

(Close Up, Terra Cotta, Pit #1)

Our next destination was a museum of Chinese art history. I've been thinking a lot lately about the structures and wonders of China. Their great structures and tombs were built to appease the whims of their rulers. Although grand in scale, these works were created through the labor of the people, but without the will of the people. From what I gather, the Chinese people are now more free than in any other point in their long history.

I regret that I did not include time on this trip to visit Tibet.

With our museum trip concluded, we returned to our hotel. Jessa wanted to attend the 'Tang Dynasty Culture Show'. I wanted to spend some time engaging in some truly authentic Chinese culture. I enjoy being on my own in such a foreign place. I now realize just how bad my Chinese really is... I am more or less functionally useless. That's a shame. However, using a few key phrases, and a dictionary, I did just fine. I was inept, but the locals were kind. With one exception, their language skills were as bad as mine. Even the ones that speak English regularly do not do it well. Our guide is the best that I have encountered, and he is only passable.

I have noticed several interesting cultural differences.

Chinese cities are very crowded. The drivers are very dangerous. Much more so than even New York cab drivers. Oddly enough, I have only seen one accident.  I have been told that over 100,000 pedestrians are killed each year.  In semi-related news, over 1,000,000 (that's a million) people die in work-related accidents each year.  Considering that bamboo is considered to be a load-bearing scaffolding material, this isn't all that surprising.

Also, I'm sure you have seen Chinese people wearing surgical masks on the news channels... Usually during a SARS story. This has nothing to do with SARS. It is considered to be considerate if you are not feeling well; so that you do not spread your illness to others.

Some items are very cheap here. Some are not. Textiles are cheap. Food is cheap, with the strange exception of apples. Electronics are comparable. Services are cheap, but only because of a favorable exchange rate. It would be astoundingly expensive for a Chinese person to visit the US. The average salary is about $500/ month.