Travels in China - Xi'an, the City of "Western Peace"

Our intrepid travelers left Shanghai and headed for Xi'an whose region, according to the Wickipedia write-up, became a cultural and political center in the 11th century BCE with the Zhou Dynasty.  The founding date of the city of Xi'an itself apparently occurred later, around 202 BCE under the Han Dynasty.  The surrounding area is one of the earliest inhabited by humans.  The Lantian Man, discovered nearby in 1963, dates back some 500,000 years, at least for those of us who believe in verifiable science rather than religious mythology.  Also according to Wiki, the Chinese characters used in Xi'an's name mean "Western Peace."

The walls surrounding the old city of Xi'an are an example of the oldest and best preserved city walls in China.  Construction of the original walls began in 194 BCE,

but the walls that exist today were actually begun in the 14th century CE under the Ming Dynasty.

HWMBO and his group were able to stroll within the inner and outer walls,

witness the changing of the guard,

and peer into the city, noting how the old and the new co-exist more or less in harmony.

They also visited the Dayan ("Big Wild Goose") Pagoda, built in 652 during the Tang Dynasty.

As a renowned center of the Buddhist religion, the Dayan Pagoda complex,

with its bell molded in 1548,

also attracts pilgrims from around the world, such as these saffron-robed monks from Tibet, comparatively close by.

Prior to entering the temple, those who are religious

or others who wish to pay homage find incense

ready for burning while they pray or otherwise show respect.