Luoyang, peony city

Great Mosque, Xian



Chinese Muslims going to evening prayer, Great Mosque, Xian.




Drum Tower, Xian.


A recent street food trend in China is to buy huge plastic containers of fresh fruit. Note the little molded melonheads in photo below.




Red pepper store, Muslim Quarter, Xian.



Yesterday I moved on to Luoyang, central China, perhaps best known for its many peonies in spring. At the inn where I'm staying I got free slippers, compliments of United Airlines. Also got a pair of disinfected slippers for the bathroom.







I'm glad I decided to stay in Luoyang's Old Town, a very picturesque place, particularly at night.





Following the ancient tradition of India, there are various caves throughout China containing Buddhist carvings. Longmen Grottoes, about 10 miles south of Luoyang, have more than 100,000 carvings. Above you can see some of the more impressive ones, and below, a view of the numerous caves along the west Bank of the Li River.

Minimalist's traveling kit

30 years ago packing basically involved an extra pair of shoes, a few articles of clothing, a mat for sleeping on, a paperback. This all fit into a small backpack. Nowadays I lug more along on trips, but still try to keep things small and light. My phone is not in the photo because it is my camera. It also holds all my ebooks, my Chinese dictionary and Chinese character recognition app, and my app for scanning at Chinese stores for purchases instead of using cash or credit cards. There's also my mini MP3 player & headphones, mini speaker, sleep sound machine for noisy hotel rooms (or rooms that are too quiet), yoga strap and traveler's yoga mat, Captains of Crush hand gripper, mini headlamp, an old iPad for blogging, loofah sponge.

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Wulukou metro station, Xian.

View from my room, Bell Tower Hotel, Xian.

Great to have right in front of the hotel: entrance leading to Xian's huge underground pedestrian walkway system, and to the subway.

I love these wide wooden Chinese couches. You can sit on them, have tea on them, sleep on them.

Never know what little treats I'm going to find in my room at Chinese hotels.

Suitcase highway

It is currently the 4 day Labor Day holiday in China. I'm staying just down the road from Xian Train Station, so there's a steady stream of people rolling suitcases past the hotel.



Lining up the troops in preparation for the holiday festivities, Big Goose Pagoda, Xian.





Above 2 photos, Big Goose Pagoda, Xian.




Xian Museum.



Woodcarver, Little Goose Pagoda, Xian.




I read that in Japan they mold square watermelons. In China, you can enjoy these cute melonheads for a while, then devour them.




Often in China I run into crowds so dense that I change my plans and head elsewhere.









As a vegan, there are a lot of foods in China I don't eat.







I took the above 2 photos early this morning at Guangren Temple, the only Tibetan Buddhist temple in this central China province.



After leaving Guangren Temple, I stopped by a nearby park where people were relaxing, dancing, practicing tai chi.

China's gateway to the Silk Road

Inflated animal skins used for rafts on the Yellow River.

Also along the Yellow River, toys and drinks you can win in ring toss games.

Subway workers appear to be getting a dressing down, Xian metro.

Xian's Bell Tower, and the iconic Bell Tower Hotel.

Saturday evening, and the start of the Labor Day holiday, Muslim Quarter, Xian.

Sweets seller, Xian's Muslim Quarter.

Bell Tower at night, almost a full moon.

Money for burning at the local Taoist Temple.

Instructions for praying at Xian's Taoist Temple of the Eight Immortals.

You can also scan your phone for temple audio information.

Central China

Above 2 photos, Muslim Quarter, Xian, central China.

Unless you like intense crowds, best to avoid the Xian metro during evening rush hour.

Sweet potato seller, Xian.

The fantastic (and free) White Pagoda Park, Lanzhou.

We departed the park via cable car, which took us to the other side of the Yellow River.

At some of the better Chinese hotels you can request various teas, room scents, pillows (the bamboo pillow is great), even various stuffed animals.

Lobby of the Wanda Vista hotel, Lanzhou.

When I travel solo, my hotel rooms are cheaper and less elaborate. This view from my room is okay, but the window definitely needs cleaned.

Hua Shan

Hua Shan ("magnificent mountain"), central China, is one of the 5 sacred Taoist mountains. It was so crowded on the Saturday morning I visited that the cable car was shut down.




View from outside Jade Spring Temple, at the base of Hua Shan.



View from inside Jade Spring Temple.




















No nonsmoking rooms available at the hotel where I stayed, though my room did come with complimentary milk.