A Photo Adventurer’s Tale

By Yew Wei

It has been more than three years ago when I christened my Canon 30D near where Qinshihuang unified China a few millennia ago. Flying in from Hong Kong with Kim, an Aussie mate of mine, we landed and headed out to see the city of Xian. Starting at the Muslim quarter, goods that have been traded along the Silk Roads for generations were on display alongside modern day-to-day household goods. Upon a closer look at stands offering dried fruits and dates, to my surprise, I also saw dried kiwifruit. Thinking that these may have been imported from New Zealand and dried to fit local taste buds, I found out that I could not have been more wrong. I did not realise that kiwifruit is native to Southern China, and are known locally as the mihou tao (macaque peach). The fruit was initially called Chinese Gooseberry by New Zealanders, and were only renamed as kiwifruit for commercial exporting purposes in the 1950’s.

The next morning, we set off to see the first emperor of China's immortal army of Terracotta warriors and horses. Excavation continues to this day after the first terracotta figure was discovered by local farmers east of Xian in 1974. Every warrior figure is said to be unique, where no two look alike, and though they have been dated back to 210 B.C., to this day, they continue to stand guard near the site where Qinshihuang's mausoleum remains undisturbed. My mind flashes back to the images of a movie, where Zhang Yimou played a soldier with eternal life and was encased alive in clay as he was sentenced to death by the Emperor for falling in love with Gong Li's character. Indeed, these terracotta warriors are standing in silence in their earthly grave pits dug out as part of the excavation, and at a safe distance away from the touring crowds, but in thousands and thousands they stand, representing a China united by one man's vision, ambition and tyranny.

We walked around the city centre after dinner and came to the Gulou (Drum Tower), where it was lit in all its golden glory. A stone's throw away is the Zhonglou (Bell Tower) which is the centre of ancient China, where the north/south and east/west axes extended from. These two buildings were erected in the 14th century and that night played host to beautifully lit strings of kites flown from the square between the two towers. Older ladies will attempt to sell these local trinkets to every foreign-looking individual - having a large camera was a dead giveaway - and from experience, I suggest asking for a demonstration to make sure you have not bought a dud.