Aug 11

Nearby Shiting (Shitingzhen) village we found "The Eastern Military Encampment", the remains of a very old town, and there we also found the remnants of a spirit road, which was the road that had led to the tomb of someone important. 

This one end of the spirit road, with its arch. 

Most of the 8 or so carved gargoyle keystones had been removed from this bridge, and probably ended up in private collections. The bridge is therefore slowly collapsing. 

We found out later, at another site, that this is called a sighting tower. It was the first in a line of statues or carvings. 

This seemingly impromptu market featured many people selling walnuts in the shell. Lots of people selling walnuts...

We stopped for this meal; mushrooms, pork and another dish with fried fish, preserved soybeans, and a type of greens. All yummy. This morning I tried something that was kind of like a doughnut filled with sweetened bean paste. It was also excellent.

Then we fell upon this place, Tailing, tomb of Emperor Yongzheng. Initially we thought it was just an arch. It turned out to be a whole compound centered around a tomb. Unlike the last stone pillar, this one was widely promoted and heavily trafficked by individuals into a buses. We just happened to start at the end far far from the parking lot. 

This compound was very well preserved, and intact so far as we could tell.

I wish we had been able to enter this building. It was locked up tight. It contains two steels on the backs of turtles.

There were numerous students trying their hand at painting different aspects of the compound. 

At the end of our personal tour of the compound, Marian asked a local vendor if there was a place to stay and he led (via is following his pickup) to his family's or friend's hotel in Xinpanshicun and it was lovely, if not expensive by Chinese standards. AC, hot and cold water, a western toilet and the offer of a washing machine. One previous motel declined to give us a room because we were foreigners. Marian says they don't know how to process the registration of foreigners and it is easier to deny them a room and say they aren't allowed to take in foreigners. Apparently that law was rescinded almost 10 years ago, but if the motel gets caught not registering a foreigner properly, there is a huge fine, so the risk is not worth it for one room per year.