ZhangYe China

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ZHANGYE: Statue of Marco Polo near the People's Park: mid-day sun.

ZHANGYE: Miniature lion in front of the dining building at the Deluxe $33 Zhangye Hotel where I stayed two nights.

ZHANGYE: Garden between the residence and dining buildings at the Deluxe $33 Zhangye Hotel where I stayed two nights.

ZHANGYE: This is my "suite" single room at the Zhangye Hotel. An unintentional(?) confusion over kind of room and rates led to acrimony at checkout time. Quoted 210 RMB for a single room and 266 RMB for a suite, they charged me 266 for the single room. I always double check on rates I am paying where the possibility of language confusion exists.

ZHANGYE: Sign in front of the Big Buddha Palace.

ZHANGYE: Around the exterior of the Big Buddha Temple.

ZHANGYE: The Earth Pagoda behind the Big Buddha Temple.

ZHANGYE: Big Buddha Palace near the Big Buddha Temple.

ZHANGYE: Palace of Buddhist Scriptures on the grounds of the Big Buddha Temple.

ZHANGYE: Sign in front of the Palace of Buddhist Scriptures on the grounds of the Big Buddha Temple.

ZHANGYE: The Earth Pagoda on the grounds of the Big Buddha Temple.

ZHANGYE: Tower across the street from People's Square.

ZHANGYE: People's Square at mid-day.

ZHANGYE: People's Square gone commercial. Huge billboard signs like this one ring the site. Close up of the dragon image.

ZHANGYE: Old Town has been maintained; some buildings restored.

ZHANGYE: Lion guardian with a receding chin.

ZHANGYE: Lion guardian with an attitude.

ZHANGYE: Taxi stand at Old Town: note the motorcycles and three wheel taxis.

ZHANGYE: Sculpture in the entryway of the Deluxe $33 Zhangye Hotel where I stayed two nights.

ZHANGYE: Chinese breakfast at the Deluxe $33 Zhangye Hotel where I stayed two nights.

ZHANGYE: Great Chicken Lunch at a second story restaurant next to the Wangba I used. Total cost including giant bottle of beer: 40 RMB!

ZHANGYE: Just inside the entrance of People's Park stands this guide to the park.

ZHANGYE: Statue near the entrance of People's Park.

ZHANGYE: Inside the amusement area of People's Park.

ZHANGYE: Maintenance needs a lot of attention in this city's People's Park.

ZHANGYE: Around the lovely "lake" in People's Park. Across the lake I could hear several groups of men gambling for drinks using something like a vocal RPS (Rock, Paper, Scissors) game.

ZHANGYE: Around the lovely "lake" in People's Park.

ZHANGYE: Inside, looking back on the entrance of People's Park.

ZHANGYE: People were taking pictures of this plaque near the entrance of People's Park. Perhaps one of my Chinese speaking/reading friends can tell me why so much interest in it.

30 June - 3 July 2004

Greetings from ZhangYe's Giant Reclining Buddha,

After a single night in jiayuguan I grabbed a noon train for a long three-hour ride to Zhangye. Existing passengers in every car hog extra seats claiming they "are taken" when newly boarding passengers try to find somewhere vacant to sit. As soon as I figured out the game I stopped in a car, which seemed to have an abundance of empty seats, suspecting that some of the "taken" seats would become available once underway again. It worked. Eventually, one of the passengers motioned for me to sit in an unused space as the train started moving again.

With no overhead luggage space empty, my bag remained on my lap. In a few minutes a conductor came by and caused a commotion as she directed people to consolidate their current baggage stowage to make room for another bag. It all went good-naturedly to my surprise. No one near me on the train spoke a word of English, but a family across the isle kept me entertained with their efforts to get a boy toddler to pee in a pan on the floor throughout the ride. The kid's cute antics kept everyone nearby in stitches with his squirming and giggling. Naturally, he and everyone else found my presence curious and amusing.

As the main "tourist attraction" on the long train, throngs of passengers came to the end of our car to stare at the foreign stranger. Train commerce is fascinating. In addition to drinks and packaged food, Wrigley's chewing gum came by every five minutes until the vendor finally sold her last package about the time we arrived in Zhangye. The aroma of freshly cooked rice and meat dishes wheeled by every half hour, as did what looked like a limited clothing store in a basket pushed along the isle by a persistent vendor.

Zhangye is a city where Marco Polo spent a year during his sojourn through China recording facts about the marvels he discovered. Asia's largest indoors-reclining Buddha statue is located near the center of Zhangye city. For an entrance fee of a mere 10-yuan ($1.25) visitors can wander the grounds around the Big Buddha Temple and view the colossus. Actually, it is not that big. Much larger versions are located in Thailand and Myanmar and even larger ones are under construction.

It is a long ride to Lanzhou, my next destination so I'll plan to break the bus trip in a tiny village called Wu Wei at the halfway point. More when I again find another decent Internet service.

Peace,
Fred L Bellomy

PS: Here is that interactive map of China again: MAP

ZHANGYE: Garden between the residence and dining buildings at the Deluxe $33 Zhangye Hotel where I stayed two nights.

ZHANGYE: Just inside the entrance to the Big Buddha Temple grounds.

ZHANGYE: Plaque outside the Big Buddha Temple.

ZHANGYE: Around the exterior of the Big Buddha Temple.

ZHANGYE: The Earth Pagoda on the grounds of the Big Buddha Temple.

ZHANGYE: People playing Mahjong on the grounds of the Big Buddha Temple.

ZHANGYE: People playing another board game on the grounds of the Big Buddha Temple.

ZHANGYE: Exterior shot of the entrance to the Deluxe $33 Zhangye Hotel where I stayed two nights.

ZHANGYE: Tower across the street from People's Square.

ZHANGYE: People's Square at mid-day.

ZHANGYE: People's Square gone commercial. Huge billboard signs like this one ring the site.

ZHANGYE: Magnificent kites soar above People's Square as the sun sets.

ZHANGYE: Old Town has been maintained; some buildings restored. Guy in the background looking at me; in the foreground looking at my subject.

ZHANGYE: Parents and grand-parents never miss a chance to expose their tots to the foreigner. Here grandma can't get the wee one to focus on the Demon From The Sea. I see an endless number of grand parents looking after toddlers.

ZHANGYE: Entrance to Old Town: Vendors sell produce in the foreground.

ZHANGYE: Just inside the entrance of People's Park.

ZHANGYE: Just inside the entrance of People's Park one immediately gets a sense of calm.

ZHANGYE: Statue near the entrance of the amusement area of People's Park.

ZHANGYE: Inside the amusement area of People's Park: an old Soviet MIG jet now serves as reminder of Chinese military might and an inspiration to the young people.

ZHANGYE: Around the lovely "lake" in People's Park. Paths and shaded sitting areas cross the lake.

ZHANGYE: Around the lovely "lake" in People's Park. Peddle power boats move under the bridge.

End

ZHANGYE: Statue of Marco Polo near the People's Park: mid-day sun.

ZHANGYE: The engraving on the pedestal reads: Marco Polo. He lived a year in Zhangye during his travels through China.

ZHANGYE: Marco Polo lived a year in Zhangye during his travels through China. This sculpture is of a young man.

ZHANGYE: Sculpture in the entryway of the Deluxe $33 Zhangye Hotel where I stayed two nights.

ZHANGYE: Garden between the residence and dining buildings at the Deluxe $33 Zhangye Hotel where I stayed two nights.

ZHANGYE: Closeup of the miniature lion in front of the dining building at the Deluxe $33 Zhangye Hotel where I stayed two nights.

ZHANGYE: Circular door into the Big Buddha Temple grounds.

ZHANGYE: Big Buddha Temple.

ZHANGYE: Around the exterior of the Big Buddha Temple.

ZHANGYE: The Earth Pagoda on the grounds of the Big Buddha Temple.

ZHANGYE: Sign in front of the Earth Pagoda on the grounds of the Big Buddha Temple.

ZHANGYE: Tower across the street from People's Square.

ZHANGYE: People's Square at mid-day.

ZHANGYE: People's Square at dusk.

ZHANGYE: Old Town has been maintained; some buildings restored.

ZHANGYE: Old Town has been maintained; some buildings restored. In this shot the guys are both looking in the other direction.

ZHANGYE: Lion guardian with a receding chin.

ZHANGYE: Lion guardian with an attitude.

ZHANGYE: Sidewalk shoe repair services on the street run by women.

ZHANGYE: Closeup of a sculpture in the entryway of the Deluxe $33 Zhangye Hotel where I stayed two nights.

ZHANGYE: Another guardian lion with an attitude.

ZHANGYE: Statue of a pig? near the entrance of People's Park.

ZHANGYE: Statue of a ram near the entrance of People's Park.

ZHANGYE: Statue inside the amusement area of People's Park.

ZHANGYE: Inside the amusement area of People's Park: A Honda "sports" car ready to bump something.

ZHANGYE: Around the lovely "lake" in People's Park. People walk over the bridge.

ZHANGYE: Around the lovely "lake" in People's Park. Several groups of drinking men invited me to sit and drink with them. I declined.

ZHANGYE: Entrance to the lake area in People's Park.