June 6: Xian and Hangzhou, China

I am worn out today, but definitely in a good way. After a great breakfast, it was time to check out of the hotel in Xian (Sofitel), pick up folks who went to the Jade Market, and then go to the Han Emperor's Tomb and Yangling Museum.

Whereas the Terracotta Warriors were life size clay models set up for the afterlife of the Emperor, these were much smaller but nonetheless amazing. The way the museum is set up, you actually walk on glass over the climate controlled escavation pits where you can see the warriors, servants, and animals portraying life at that time.

We headed from there to the Xian Airport and ate lunch at the buffet. The flight to Hangzhou was good (same amount of landings and takeoffs), but I did not see much of the scenery. I slept instead.

I was enchanted upon arriving in Hangzhou. The weather reminds me of Mississippi - hot and humid. It is a smaller city than Xian and Beijing. Our local tour guide, Wilson Quon, says there is well over a million people in the city itself and then as many as 6 million in the broader Hangzhou area. On the bus going from the airport to town, Wilson gave us an informative mini-lecture on the area, including history and economics. This is one of the better off regions of the country in economic terms, with dominant industries including information technology.

Of particular interest to me is that while this area in southern China is traditionally known for rice production, many farmers close to Hangzhou have made changes to produce ornamentals (trees, shrubs and flowers), mulberry trees for silkworm production, and vegetables. Vegetables are sold locally for fresh consumption, some to supermarkets but more often at farmers markets where vendors can get competitive prices for their goods. Families producing vegetables tend to be doing it on a small scale, maybe 2/3 of an acre or so. But, according to Wilson, they are growing intensively for high production and getting good prices to be able to have a high quality of life. Given my work in Mississippi with small-scale vegetable and fruit producers in a region traditionally known for large-scale commodity production, I am intrigued by the transitions of the Hangzhou region. Who knows, maybe there is a comparative study on the horizon...

In Hangzhou we stopped at a tourist market street, and it was alive with vendors and tourists, primarily Chinese tourists from the region. It is a holiday weekend - Double Fifths in commemoration of famous Chinese poet. Wilson told us the restaurants would be packed up and down the street, and he was right. We ate at one of the restaurants, but before going there, we toured a traditional Chinese medicine pharmacy. The original building, which is still in operation as a pharmacy, is considered a national treasure.

After dinner, the group then traveled to the hotel. We are staying for two nights at the West Lake State Guest House. It is located in a park/large garden in town. It is beautiful and peaceful. According to Wendy and Wilson, Chairman Mao had stayed here before, using the location as one of the two places he stayed when visiting Hangzhou.

Tomorrow is supposed to be a full day, including a tour of a garden, visiting a tea plantation (this area is famous for its green tea), and touring a Buddhist Temple.