Hard Light Productions Forums
Off-Topic Discussion => General Discussion => Topic started by: karajorma on December 26, 2009, 07:52:21 am
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I figured this story was worth a post
For Christmas I decided to visit the ancient city of Xi'an with my girlfriend and see the Terracotta Soldiers (which were wonderful of course). We then decided to visit the ancient city walls which were built during the Ming Dynasty.
(http://i46.tinypic.com/2ywh353.jpg)
As you can see they are an impressive architectural feat built to keep undesireables out of the city.
And completely ineffective against Karajorma! :p
After getting onto to the city walls (entering at the south gate of the city) we decided to walk to the south east corner (about a 2km walk). We get there about 7pm to find the gates locked. So we walk northwards to the east gate only to find there are no stairs at the east gate. By the time we get to the north corner of the city walls at about 8pm (having walked over 5km) we find the gates there are also locked. The guard hut has no one in it apart from a dog who doesn't seem to appreciate us knocking on the windows much. I suggested that my girlfriend call the police and ask them how to get out. They give us the number for the people in charge of the city walls. She calls them and they tell us that the West gate is open. We are at the north east corner of the walls. The west gate is over 6km away.
At this point I channel the spirit of The Great Escape and decide to build my own way out. Spotting a lean-to with sacks of rubble from renovations of the wall I fashioned a ramp for my girlfriend and got over the wall of the city to some very strange looks from the people on the other side.
(http://i47.tinypic.com/f4i4xh.jpg)
I only wish I could see the faces of the workers when they come back to the next morning to find that waiting for them. It took me over 15 minutes to move all the sacks full of stones there and pile them up. :D
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Must have been channeling the Mongol spirit.
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You know... the wall's a lot shorter in that second pic than in the first.
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Well that is the bit just by the gate. I don't think I could have built a sandbag ramp to climb a 12m high wall without help. :D
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I'm curious, how much of China have you been to? And how does Xi'an compare?
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MacGyver, eat your heart out.
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Ahah!
So you scored some local talent.
Good man :yes:
Keep up the good work..
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It's not that hard out here. Chinese girls love foreign men. We're considered pretty exotic. Especially in provinces like Henan where they don't get many of us.
I'm curious, how much of China have you been to? And how does Xi'an compare?
I've been to Beijing and Xi'an out of the major tourist cities (with Shanghai and Hong Kong being the other two big ones). Both have the strange virtue of being very old and very modern at the same time. I found that the Great Wall and the Terracotta Warriors are just as great as everyone says (Especially the Great Wall). Xi'an is definitely worth a visit if you're in China.
I'm spending most of my time at work in Gongyi which is a small city (only just under 1 million people) and I've been to a few places in this province which are also quite nice to visit (Luoyang and Kaifung for instance were both ancient capitals of China.)
The big tour is going to have to wait for Chinese New Year though. :D
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I've actually always wanted to go Xi'an, read about it a lot in history. I've only been to Hong Kong and Shanghai though.
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What's worth visiting there? They are on the list. :D