Our New Family Tradition - Watching and Enjoying a Movie Together

We stopped over in Zhengzhou spending a night there while enroute to our next destination, Anyang, China.

Since my husband is a history buff, he suggested us to visit the museum in Anyang. But getting there in late afternoon, the museum staff stopped selling admission tickets and we just missed the cut off time for the museum. We did some exploring of the city on our own and strolled around the neighbourhood. We came upon a city park where the residents were doing their exercises, singing and dancing. Chinese people, especially the elderly, seemed to be enjoying life and having fun with their friends.

It didn't matter where we went in China, we could always find people gathering in a park and doing these fun activities in the evening or for older people during the day too. No wonder some of my friends suggested retirement in China. Food for thought indeed! After doing a bit of shopping in the local market, we had dinner at a restuarnant serving a western style buffet. However, we didn't have time to enjoy the full buffet as we wanted to catch a movie in the nearby cinema. The waiting staff greeted us warmly, and were helpful and accommodating. They assisted us in selecting our dishes that could be served in a very short time so that we could make it to the movie after our meal.

This was the second time we watched a movie with J. in China. Last year the movie we watched was called Chang An Thirty Thousand Miles, a Chinese animated movie. It was about the life of LeBai, a renowned Chinese poet whose poems have long been a part of the Chinese curriculum in Hong Kong, Macau and mainland China. We enjoyed the movie watching experience together so much that this year, we did it again on this trip! We introduced J. to a movie with its story written by a modern day novelist, Jin Rong. I heard of his famous novels when I was young but never read one. We all loved the movie as it was set against some significant historical events in Chinese history. The older we get, the more difficult it is for us to do something together as a family. Watching a movie together is an activity we enjoy doing together. Therefore, we have decided that we will make it a tradition to watch a movie with our loved ones everytime we visit each other. It's never too late to start a new family tradition! RT Anyang, China 02052025

Reaching Zhengzhou Via the Chinese Fast Train and Enjoying New Regional Cuisine in China

Luoyang to ZhengZhou, China We bid good bye to our friend in Luoyang and once again boarded a fast train to our next destination, Zhengzhou, China.

Our family has come to apprecaite and enjoy traveling around China on its vast network of fast train services. China has invested heavily on its railway infrastructure for the past decade making travelling within China affoarable, reliable and comfortable for its citizens and tourists alike. However, travelling by fast train does require some planning especially during the Chinese New Year peak period as millions of Chinese are on the move going back to their home cities and villages.

Leaving in the late afternoon, we arrived at ZhengZhou shortly after 6pm and it took only about two hours. Always adventurous and willing to try new cusine, J. suggested a dinner at a local Henan restaurnant. We walked for more than half an hour from our hotel to this nice restaurant passing by a few streets with a night market. Fortunately for us and blessed with good mobility, we were able to walk around with little difficulty and still could enjoy the busy night life scene. The weather was fine, dry, cool and comfortable for walking at night. It was right in the middle of winter in China, but the weather was pleasant. We loved walking around the city, getting a real taste of what ordinary Chinese life was like. For each city we have visited, there was always a vibrant night life somewhere with numerous cafes and many elegant restaurants catering to different budget styles and taste but at reasonable prices. That was another reason we visited China for the past two years. We have found that vacationing in China is an affordable and enjoyable trip for travellers like us watching their budgets and not wishing to spend an arm and leg on their vacation. The restuarant where we tasted the famous local cusine was a beautiful place!

It was tastefully decorated in a traditional Chinese garden style by the riverside. There were various eating areas set up inside pagodas, at garden corners and even on small traditional Chinese sailing boats. Curtains were installed in these individual dining area ensuring privacy for the patrons.

We chose dining on a samll boat. It was cosy and different. We were very impressed by this nice elegant restaurant! Sitting at a table inside an ancient Chinese boat in the middle of the restaurant was romantic. It was cool with the waiting staff climbing on board to served us, our first time and a new experience indeed! We ordered some fine dishes and enjoyed our time with our loved ones, talking and tasting delicious food! What a super time we had at that restaurant! Two thumbs up for Zhengzhou restaurants! RT ZhengZhou, China 02042025

A Stunning Night View at the Longmen Grottoes, An UNESCO Site - Luoyang, China

We were travelling in China at the beginning of 2025. After spending a few days in southern China, we continued our journey to Xi'an and then to s Luoyang. With only one full day in Luoyang, we wanted to make full use of the day. We spent a couple of hours enjoying breakfast with my friend and talking about everything, especially about how her family was doing.

After lunch, we went to the Longmen Grottoes, a UNESCO site. In order to more appreciate the significance of the Grottoes, we wished to hire an English speaking guide when touring this famous site.

Unfortunately, they did not have one available that day so we hired a Mandarin speaking guide instead. Therefore, we missed a few of the interesting stories the guide shared with us during this tour.

The Longmen Grottoes contain the largest and most impressive collection of Chinese art of the late Northern Wei and Tang Dynasties ( A.D. 316-907). These statutes were carved into the limestone cliffs over a one km stretch with more than 2300 caves and niches housing them.

Entirely devoted to the Buddhist religion, these carved pieces represent the high point of Chinese stone carving and there are over 110,000 statues at the Longmen Grottoes, amazing! Luckily, we had a fine day with dry ground but we still needed to trot carefully as we were walking up to the mountain with lots of people around us. The scenery was beautiful with the blue sky above us and fair weather that afternoon. We were delighted at being outside in the open air surrounded by mountains, lakes, ancient buildings, temples and pagodas reflecting in the agua lake water.

We purposely stayed a little later until darkness descended upon us when lights came on lighting up the grottoes like Christmas trees! The night view at the Longmen Grottoes was stunning!

As one of China’s state Priority Protected Sites, the Longmen Grottoes have received protection at national level under the Law of the People's Republic of China on the Protection of Cultural Relics. We were glad to know that this spectacular site will be well protected for the enjoyment of the future generations.

RT Longmen Grottoes, Luoyang, China 022025

Meeting Up with An Old Friend in Luoyang - The Joy of Travelling in China!

First day in Luoyang - We took the fast train from Xian to Luoyang in the early afternoon and arrived there shortly after 6pm. Thanks to J’s hardwork and efforts, he got us the fast train tickets this time! The fast train ride was very pleasant and we enjoyed the mountainous scenery tremendously!

We called a didi and arrived at Yp’s house. She already had a delicious dinner prepared for us. We appreciated her kindness, had dinner together and caught up with each other's life.

After dinner, she took us for a tour of her new apartment, a beautiful place indeed! We were exhausted from our train ride and went to bed soon after dinner. The next day - Our second day and the only full day we had in Luoyang! We spent a couple of hours enjoying the breakfast Yp had prepared for us and caught up with her about her family and everything. I was happy to see J. felt at easy with my friend, and was able to converse with her and sharing with her about his own life experiences. He was very honest about his problems as well. We also exchanged our stories as well. After lunch, we went to the Longmen Grotto, a very famous site in Luoyang.

Having spent almost a whole day there, we capped the perfect day by having dinner with Yp at her favourite local restaurant in Luoyang! J. was curious about the night life in Luoyang and he went to explore on his own after dinner while we went back to Yp's' home. We were tired from our visit to the Grotto and went to bed pretty early. When I checked my cell phone later, it was around 330am and J. wasn't back yet. I was worried about him being out so late by himself in a strange city. I texted him asking if he was OK; he replied right away making me felt better!

Our third day in Luoyang. Because I went to sleep late, I didn't wake up until almost 1130 a.m.! Yp was already up and had prepared a brunch for us. As I wasn't feeling so good, I told J. not to run around tryng to see too many things but just stay in the apartment until it was time to board the train. This also allowed us to spend more time with my friend. It was good seeing Yp again and staying in her beautiful home. We found out that she moved into her newly decorated and furnished home the day before we arrived!

We were staying in a gorgeous, spacious and modern apartment tastefully decorated with thoughtfully chosen and coordinated furnishing. This opened our eyes to how modern Chinese are living in China.The middle class Chinese are living quite comfortably in nice apartments buildings with their own community garden rest areas with fountains, children's playground etc.

We talked, sang some hymns, and played our favourite card game among the four of us. It was a lot of fun and I was glad to see my friend having a good time with us. In the middle of our game, my friend's son called and we talked with him and found out where he was and how he was doing.

Our visit to Luoyang was fantastic! We were delighted that we spent a good amount of time with my old friend at LuoYang. Physically, we were well treated with a beautiful place to stay and being fed with delicious homecooked food. But the best part was praying together and caring for each other. Spiritual food is just as important as our physical needs! Thank you, Yp for your generosity and kindness of receiving and hosting us in your beautiful home in China! RT Luoyang, China 022025

At the Most Famous Site in Xi'an, China - Museum of the Terra-cotta Warriors and Horses of Qin

The most important place we wanted to visit on our trip to Xi'an was the Terracotta Warriors and Horses of Qin Museum. We knew that getting the admission tickets to the museum was not easy during the peak season such as the Chinese New Year. Though the new friend J. made at the bar restaurant the night before tried very hard to get us tickets, it was to no avail. We also saw videos people posted of the massive crowds at the terracotta museum with many visitors complaining that they couldn't see a thing inside there. Since we were uncomfortable with huge crowds, we decided not to visit the museum this time. Fortunately, there were a lot to see in and around the area of where the museum was located. Since we were in Xi'an and being so close to the famous museum site, we wanted to visit the area and see if there were any other interesting places to see at all.

As we had changed to a hotel located right inside the ancient city of Xi'an a couple of days before, it was easy for us to walk to many attractions and shop there. We walked a short distance from our hotel to find the right tour for us. There were many travel companies organizing tours to the terracotta museum. Visitors could buy a package deal offering both the admission ticket and the ground transportation to the site. However, for people like us who didn't buy the entrance ticket to the museum, we could pay for the tour company's bus ride to the terracotta warriors' site. We were able to purchase the tickets and boarded the bus on the same morning to the terracotta museum site! The scenery on the way was lovely! We passed by moutainous area, peaceful villages and scenic area. ">

A Visit to the Xi'an Banpo Museum - China's First Museum of Pre-Historic Settlement Site

While in Xi'an , China, we visited a historical site known as the Xian Banpo Museum. In the spring of 1953, archaeoligists discovered a settlement site in Banpo Village on the bank of Chanhe River located in the eastern suburb of Xi'an. This was the Banpo site, a typical settlement made up of matriarchal clans living together in this area some thousand years ago.

The Banpo Museum houses "the relic from the Neolithic era, dating back approximately over 6,000 years, unveiling a rich cultural tapestry encompassing the social structure, production, economic systems, marital customs, traditions, and artistic culture of the Yangshao culture matrilineal community." Normally, I am not that interested in seeing broken pieces of clay pottery unearthed and displayed in museums. Since these broken pottery pieces all look the same to me, I never get too excited about them.

But this time some pieces of pottery in the Banpo Museum caught my eyes. I recently have learned a new and fast way of cooking - steaming. We have been enjoying good and nutritious food by using this easy and healthy way of cooking. But to my great surprise, we learned from the museum displays that eight pottery steamers were unearthed at the Banpo Site! This simple method of cooking had been used by the Banpo people living in the Guangzhong area between B.c. 4900 - 4300 year! While I pride myself of discovered steaming as a great way of cooking recently, the Banpo people had used it thousands of years ago. Amazing!

Since the Banpo Museum is a little out of the way from the busy streets of Xi'an, there were fewer visitors here than we had expected on the day of our visit. My husband was very excited about this place as he learned about it on the internet. Before we visited China, I had no idea that there are so many archelogical sites and ongoing projects taking place in this country. A visit to the Banpo Museum made me realize how long human kinds have been in existence on this earth and how small we are in man's history. RT Banpo Museum Xi'an, China 022025

The Bell and Drum Towers - Xi'an China

There were lots to see in Xi'an, China. We could not possibly see everything during our four day trip in this ancient city, therefore we had to pick and choose from the list of what we would ike to see. Since my husband is a history buff, we went to a lot of historical sites this time.

As we were travelling during the winter season in China, we were pleasantly surprised by the colourful blooms greeting us as we arrived at the Bell Tower Building. We climbded the stairs reaching the top of the Bell Tower. From the tower, we had a commanding view of the downtown streets of Xi'an.

The Bell and Drums Towers were built in 1384 A.D. in the Ming Dynasty reflecting the typical architectural style of its time. The towers were built with brick and wood and decorated with colourful and intricate cravings covering every inch of the ceilings showcasing the talents and highly developed skills of the craftsmen.

There were displays inside the towers.The Bell and Drum Towers performed some important functions during ancient times. The Towers sent alarm signals to its inhabitants and also helped them tell time by informing them of the opening and closing of the city gates with their famous " morning bells and evening drum". Anyone who is interested in Asian architecture will surely appreciate and be awed by the tower buildings' fine craftsmanship. We learned a few lessons ourselves too!

RT The Bell and Drum Towers Xi'an, China

Awed by the Special Effects of the Xi'an Romantic Love Live Show - Xi'an, China

Besides enjoying the different cultures and cuisines of the cities we visited, we also have derived much pleasure in immersing ourselves and learning about the local history and some of their famous heroes. We liked it even more when this learning of different cultures took place in the form of a live show during our travel. While in Xi’an, we took the opportunity to watch a popular live show called Xian Eternal Love of Xian. The show didn’t take place inside the ancient city of Xi’an but it was not difficult to get to as we could call a taxi easily with Y.’s app on his cell phone.

We were informed that there would be lots to see at the theatre complex therefore we arrived there about two hours before show time. The theatre complex, a much bigger place than we had expected, had more than one theatres each offering a different show in addition to a big food court where theatre goers could satisfy their hunger before watching their shows. Indeed, there were a lot to see with some colourful and brighlty lit displays set up for picture taking. As we followed the path leading to the theatres, we saw a big outdoor stage with other performances already underway. There were singers, dancers, musicians playing the traditional Chinese musical instruments.

We came across a beautiful lake with a pagoda lit up in the middle of it. Since we were in China in the middle of winter, there was hardly anybody making use of the beach or the lake.

We easily spent an hour and half strolling through the park enjoying the scenery and performances before heading into the theatre for the real show. There were a lot of history and stories being told in the show. However, with our limited Mandarin, we missed a few of the characters and stories. But we enjoyed ourselves and were awed by the spectacular dancers performing flawlessly in their colourful costumes.

The show was stunning and full of real life props such as having live animals like camels, horses etc incorporated in the show. There were a few surprising effects and elements like dancers flying through the theatre and performing in mid air above the audiences, a severe thunder storm with rain pouring down on the stage and a faithful soldier fallen from his camel struggling in a snow storm.

Thhe scenery was realistic and all these special effects were happening right in front of our eyes! It was a great show where the audiences were well entertained while learning about the local and some past history of a few famous Chinese dynasties. Two thumbs up! RT, Romantic Show of Xi'an Xian, China