Hancheng

Looking down on the old part of the city from the park on top of the hill.

 Hancheng (韩城), located about three hours north-east of Xi'an, is a Chinese National Historic and Cultural city with its origins stretching as far back as the Jin Dynasty in the late 12th century. 

My three friends and I arrived by bus late in the evening. When we got off the bus, a Chinese woman who got off at the same stop asked us if we needed help. We told her we were going to look for a hotel, and we will be fine, we'll just get a taxi. She became very worried and quietly warned us it wasn't very safe for foreigners to be walking around at night with big bags. 

She ended up hailing two taxis and told both the drivers which hotel to take us to. She jumped in the taxi in front with two of my friends, and I hopped in the taxi behind with my other friend. We pulled up outside the hotel, and just after I paid the driver the fare, the Chinese woman got out and approached our driver to try pay him. It turns out she paid the fare in the other taxi and wanted to pay ours too. She even went inside and helped us book a room, even though we could all speak Chinese. Just before she left us she gave us her number and said we could call her if we need any help, and she even offered to show us around the city. 

An old pavilion in the park overlooking the old city.

The ceiling of the pavilion.

The next day we met up with her and she showed us around some of the sights before having lunch together. She even tried to pay for lunch but we beat her to it. We were very thankful for all of her help, but we insisted we would be fine from then on as she was home for the Qingming Festival (清明节) and she should go spend time with her family. 

We were confused by the fact that this city was supposedly around 800 years old, but all of the buildings were very new and the streets virtually empty of any traffic or pedestrians. We later discovered that this was the new part of the city which was situated on a sort of plateau, and down the side of the hill was the old city. As we walked around the new part of the city, people would stare at us wherever we went. When we tried to cross the street, the passing cars and motorbikes would slow down and even stop in front of us to stare at us, which made it impossible to cross to the other side. 

The pagoda overlooking the old part of the city.

We came across a park with a pagoda in the middle overlooking the old part of the city at the bottom of the hill. In front of the pagoda was an old man practising his calligraphy on the pavement by using a big brush and a bucket of water. He continued to use as many tiles as he needed until his work dried up on the other side, at which point he would go back and start again.

We stopped to watch and admire his artwork. He started to talk to us and eventually talked me into having a go. I went up and wrote my name in Chinese 和积臣 'He Jichen' (although I have since changed my Chinese name to 何杰森 'He Jiesen').

If you're unable to see the above video, click here.

After this we made our way down the slope further into the old part of the city and came across a Qingming Festival celebration. The Qingming Festival is part of the spring festivities, with its traditions dating back more than 2,500 years. In this particular festival the Chinese honour their ancestors by cleaning the graves of deceased relatives and making offerings of incense, food, tea and wine. 

If you're unable to see the above video, click here.

While this festival is a time for solemn commemoration of the dead, it is also a time for celebration, as it is around this time that flowers begin to bloom and leaves begin to grow on the trees, signifying new life.   

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You will see in the videos lots of the colour red. This is traditionally considered an auspicious colour as it is believed that devils and evil spirits are afraid of it. The clashing of cymbals and beating of drums is also supposed to scare away evil spirits.

The entrance gate to the Confucius Temple.

We had a look at the Confucius temple (文庙), which was built during the Yuan Dynasty around the 13th or 14th century in honour of Confucius. We had a look at the main courtyard and temple building, but unfortunately we didn't end up seeing the rest of the complex. 

The main courtyard of the Confucius Temple.

A depiction of a dragon on a wall within the Confucius Temple grounds.

In an alleyway beside the temple courtyard, we found a heap of old statues and stone carvings just sitting there in the open, many bearing very interesting motifs.

During our stay in Hancheng, we took a taxi to the Sima Qian temple just ten minutes south of the old city. The temple grounds houses the tomb of Sima Qian (145-90 BCE), a famous Chinese historian and litterateur who originates from the Hancheng area. The temple itself was built in 310 CE during the Western Jin Dynasty. This temple showcases more than 1,700 years of history. 

The Sima Qian Temple.

The path back down the hill, with the enormous freeway bridge in the background towering over the valley below.  

A stone within the grounds of the Sima Qian Temple.
It reads "without soldiers you have no power, but without virtue you cannot prosper".

Click here for my full photo album of Hancheng and the temples.