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N. China
Day 10 - 8th November - On the Road, Hanging Monastery (Part 5)
We then left the Yungang Grottoes for our next destination, the Hanging Monastery. However, we would stop for lunch on the way.
One place was called "小站" ("Small Stop") and the English subtitle was "Xiaozhan Station". Admittedly that sounded less stupid than a direct translation.
A town we passed had an "explosion-proof equipment" shop. How reassuring.
We passed a "东方罗马城" ("Eastern Roman City") and there was a statue of a Roman general on a horse in front. Wth. It seems to be a condominium development though.
I think I took this to showcase the coal plant in the background.
Puzzling sign at refueling station. The driver asked us to exit the taxi before he went in. Perhaps there were fears that the station would explode.
Our lunch place was a farm-cum-restaurant.
Chickens
Rabbits above chickens
Wild Boar
Flags advertising that they had Wild Boar Meat
Dubious claims about the benefits of Wild Boar Meat. The sign claims it is high in protein, low cholesterol, a lot of lean meat, fragrant skin and meat, spicy (?) meat quality, full of nutrition, a gamey taste which makes it special, that it is acclaimed as natural, green [colour], and that it is a desired green [colour] meat for health
王家野猪肉风味
(Wang Family Wild Boar Meat Taste)
红烧野猪肉
(Red Barbequed Wild Boar Meat)
1/3 to 1/2 of the dishes were wild boar. It was a pity. They also had dog meat on the menu, but the others weren't keen. Our driver said in Hunan they loved dog.
Omelette
干烧鱼
(Dry BBQed Fish - it wasn't dry?!)
Cornbread-like buns
小白菜和土豆
Xiaobaicai and "earth bean" (potato) with tofu
We also got cold salted vegetables.
The restaurant was not bad, and we paid 32,5¥ per person.
The hills before the mountain. They had a Hengshan New Construction project. Half the mountain was being worked on. I might've been trying to capture a rainbow in the latter shot.
Our driver said Hu Jintao was a 天子 (Princeling).
Our destination: the Hanging Monastery, in chui4 ping2 mountain.
From the front
Bottom side view
Side view
Entrance
3 Gods in a Shrine
"The route of tour (Don't go in the wrong direction)"
As the place was set in the side of the mountain, horizontal space was at a premium.
Walking up to another part of the monastery. The wooden poles support structures above.
Donation box put past the railing. Are you supposed to climb over to donate?
Hall of Three Saints
Hall of Three Religions
Eave
Bao Shen Buddha (Protect Body Buddha)
Ying Shen Buddha
Sign to somewhere (Ying Shen Buddha's chamber, I think)
The girl has godawful disgusting earmuffs
Upper decorations
Side of a building
The ATMs I used had a maximum withdrawal of 2000¥. At first I thought it was a scam to extract more in withdrawal fees from you. Later I realised it was probably a technical limitation of 20 notes at a time.