Chengdu, December 28th
Trip to China 2019-2020

Today, I start the day later than usual. I have seen what I came to see in Chengdu, the pandas, and today is going to be a relaxed day.

I start at the Jinsha Museum, it is an excavation site. There are many wild animal bones and tusks, probably gathered for religious ceremony. In the next building, the museum shows artifacts unearthed at the site. It struck me as a surprise that the unearthing has stopped even after some incredible findings. The archeologists seem to have a hard time avoiding decay after exposing the site to the air. They have seen enough and are experimenting with different types of conservation. A solar disk made from gold is at the center of the exhibition. A golden mask also attracts the visitors’ attention.

The site, as many other I have visited, doubles down as a park. I take time to walk around. The park even has an enclosure with deer, some kids are trying to touch an albino deer thru the fences. The animals are calm and probably used to have kids around.

My next stop is a temple. It is dedicated to the Three Kingdom’s, but I have not enough background to recognize the stories. I take a mental note to buy ‘Romance of the Three Kingdoms’ novel when I’m back at home. Most people are tourists here.

At the exit of the temple there are some old-style streets. And where there are traditional streets there are more tourists and shops. I am hungry, so I purchase a sweet that tastes like quince cheese. I use cash to pay, as I cannot us my phone like the locals. I have all the apps installed and configured, but my non-Chinese credit card is not accepted for purchases in Yuans on the app. By now, I have started to get a sense of what is a reasonable price for certain objects. It is not easy, thou, as the same craft-work made from a noble material my be ten or a hundred times more expensive than one made of cheaper stuff. I do not purchase anything, yet. I still must travel for a little longer, and I do not want to carry too much on my backpack.

Even that it is already getting dark and there is not much time left, I visit my second museum of the day. The artifacts are like many ones that I have seen before, but, there is always something new to discover. Here, I find a Kermit the Frog puppet. It was a gift to the museum by the Jim Henson Company.

I end my day at a close by restaurant. I go for a Hot Pot. I am not used to spicy or too hot food. This is both. I enjoy it anyway.