We stopped overnight in Handan on our way from Beijing toward the UNESCO ruins of ancient Shang at Anyang. We visited Congtai, took our photographs and continued south. Only later did I realize just how badly I had underestimated this city. 😂 This Deep China story begins with a confession. When Elaine and I visited: Handan — 邯郸 (Hándān) we weren’t making a great historical pilgrimage to the ancient State of Zhao....
Section 1 — You Came to Jinan for the Springs. Good Place to Start. Take the: high-speed train (高铁, gāotiě) south from: Beijing (北京, Běijīng) and before long you can be in: Jinan (济南, Jǐnán), capital of: Shandong Province (山东省, Shāndōng Shěng). For a first-time international traveler, Jinan may not have the instant name recognition of: Beijing, Xi’an or: Shanghai. But ask many Chinese travelers what Jinan is famous for and one...
Five Stops, Five Big Questions — A China History Journey Through Jinan, Mount Tai, Qufu, Linzi and Dezhou Section 1 — We Left Beijing Looking for Shandong. Then the Museum Gave Us a Map Through Chinese History. For many first-time international travelers, a China trip begins with: Beijing (北京, Běijīng). And that’s a very good place to begin. The: Forbidden City (故宫, Gùgōng) shows you imperial power. The: Temple of Heaven (天坛,...
Section 1 — You Came to Climb a Mountain. Emperors Came for Something Much Bigger. Take the train south from: Beijing (北京, Běijīng) toward: Tai’an (泰安, Tài’ān) in: Shandong (山东, Shāndōng), and one mountain begins dominating the historical landscape: Mount Tai (泰山, Tàishān). For modern travelers, the attraction is obvious. A famous mountain. Ancient stairways. Temples. Stone inscriptions. Sunrise from the summit. And: a serious amount of climbing. 😂 难如登天 (nán rú...
Section 1 — You Came to Dezhou. Look in TWO Directions. By the time Dad & Elaine reached: Dezhou (德州, Dézhōu), our Shandong journey had already become rather complicated. 😂 At: Mount Tai (泰山, Tàishān) we asked about: Heaven (天, tiān) and imperial legitimacy. At: Qufu (曲阜, Qūfù) we met: Confucius (孔子, Kǒngzǐ) and asked how ideas became institutions. At: Linzi (临淄, Línzī) we entered the world of: Qi (齐国, Qí Guó)...
Section 1 — You Learned About Confucius in Qufu. Now Meet the People Who Disagreed With Him. Take our Shandong journey from: Qufu (曲阜, Qūfù) toward modern: Zibo (淄博, Zībó), and specifically: Linzi (临淄, Línzī). Today: 临淄 is a district of Zibo. But more than two thousand years ago, this was something much bigger: the capital of Qi (齐国, Qí Guó). 🔥 And this is where Dad wants the first-time China traveler...
Section 1 — You Came to Meet Confucius. But Qufu 曲阜 Is Really About What Happened AFTER Him. Take the: high-speed train (高铁, gāotiě) south from: Beijing (北京, Běijīng) into: Shandong (山东, Shāndōng), and you can reach one of the most important small cities in Chinese intellectual history: Qufu (曲阜, Qūfù). Why come here? Most international travelers know the answer: Confucius (孔子, Kǒngzǐ). 🔥 Qufu was the hometown of the man Westerners...
Xi’an introduces you to China’s emperors, armies and ancient capitals. Travel toward Zhongnan Mountain and you encounter another force that shaped Chinese civilization just as profoundly: ideas. Most international travelers come to Xi’an (西安, Xī’ān) for history they can see. The Terracotta Warriors. The ancient city wall. The legacy of Qin Shi Huang. The Tang dynasty. The Silk Road. All of that is worth coming for. But Chinese civilization wasn’t shaped only by emperors,...
Xi’an (西安, Xī’ān) can cause a problem. It makes you start asking questions. You see the Terracotta Warriors (兵马俑, Bīngmǎyǒng). You meet Qin Shi Huang (秦始皇, Qín Shǐhuáng). You learn that in 221 BCE, the Qin dynasty (秦朝, Qíncháo) unified the competing states and created an imperial system that would shape China for more than 2,000 years. And then a question appears. What was here before that? Not 100 years before. Not...
Most international travelers who reach Xi’an (西安, Xī’ān) already know one ancient Chinese name: Qin Shi Huang (秦始皇, Qín Shǐhuáng) China’s first emperor. And they probably know his: Terracotta Warriors (兵马俑, Bīngmǎyǒng) But Dad & Elaine took another train west. To: Baoji (宝鸡, Bǎojī) in Shaanxi Province (陕西省, Shǎnxī Shěng). Why? Because we wanted to go: BEFORE QIN. And one of the best places to start is: Baoji Bronze Ware Museum 宝鸡青铜器博物院...
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