Rainbow Mountain.
Panoramic Guide Map of Zhangye Colorful Danxia Scenic Spot. Red spot = “You Are Here”.
The changing colour of the rock formations as they rise up.
A rock formation dominating the background.
A small patch of scrubland surrounding by rocks.
A road at the bottom of the photo puts into perspective the depth of the valley and the height of the mountains.
A road winds it’s way through the Zhangye National Geopark.
Compared to the other rock formations, the formation centre of the photo appears to consist of just two colours.
Another colorful rock formation, which with it contours gives the impression that someone has sliced the rock sideways.
I would imagine when it rains and takes the top layer dust off the rocks they would glisten in sunshine because of the mineral content.
Introduction to Colourful Sea of Clouds Observation Deck.
Introduction to Huge Scallop Rock Cumulus.
The “scallops” can be seen just above the centre line of the photo. They are lighter in colour to the rocks in front and behind. The arrangement of the “scallops” has been likened to the back of a dragon.
Unspoilt, untouched, peaceful and tranquil location.
As people stand on a viewing platform, walking paths can be seen in the valley below as the ridges of the mountains stretch for as far as the eye can see.
There are very few places like Rainbow Mountain in the world, the only other one to get as much coverage is in Peru.
Hello ! It’s me again.
You can see the erosion that has taken place over time with this rock formation, with the pitted rock and eroded rock residue at the base.
Here you can see a closer look at rock erosion at another formation.
A few steps down, but will probably feel like a few more steps going back up.
At the base of the rock formations in the Zhangye National Park.
Jane and I at Rainbow Mountain.
Jane and I at Rainbow Mountain.
Introduction to Colorful Clouds Observation Deck.
The rock formation in the centre of the photo gives the impression of “waves”.
Another photo of the “waves”.
From the colourings you can see the land is rich in minerals.
An undulating landscape.
Colourful forms at Zhangye National Geopark.
The lines of the stripes in the rocks are remarkably straight.
The sun has broken through the cloud to show how vivid the colours are.
With the cracks in the earth it looks like that this area has seen little rainfall.
Despite the apparent lack of rainfall, a flower blooms probably through what little moisture is available.
Visitors walking on a pathway through the rock formations.
Changing colours as you look to the distance.
A view across the changing landscape, and changing colours.
Layers of different coloured sandstone and minerals were pressed together over 24 million years ago which produces the varying colour schemes on the rocks.
Rainbow Mountain landform.
Looking through the mountain valley to a nearby city.
Eirik, Jane and I.
Mass of Chinese Dongba windbells with personal messages at Rainbow Mountain.
Kumbum Monastery.
Kalachakra Stupas at the entrance to Kumbum Monastery.
Kalachakra Stupas at the entrance to Kumbum Monastery. There are eight in total.
A Kalachakra Stupa at Kumbum Monastery. Not as well cared for compared to the other Stupa’s at the monastery.
Concaved roof of a building.
Colourful entrance to a building within the monastrey complex.
Introduction to the Amitayus Hall.
Decorative tiling on the external wall of Amitayus Hall.
Amitayus Hall.
Carved stonework with the centre depicting an elephant.
Decorative painted wooden door frame.
Flowers on branches seems to be central to the design. The pattern painted green is replicated elsewhere in the monastery.
Original craftwork and largely unpainted building within the monastery complex.
Entrance to a hall within the monastery complex.
Buddhist Monks meditating and taking shelter from the inclement weather in a corridor at the side of a courtyard.
The main assembly hall.
The main assembly hall with columns decorated by textiles and rows of cushions for the Buddhist Monks.
Introduction to the Medicine Institute, a college within the monastrey complex.
Statues on top a roof and a banner drapped on the front of a building in the monastery.
Mural painting of a Buddha.
Mural painting of a Buddha.
These were laid out in front of the statue of the Buddha in the next photo.
A Buddha statue.
Old paintings on sections of a wall that have faded over time.
Colourful decorative wooden artwork over an entrance.
This artwork appears to have something evil about it with the skulls, and the demon looking bearded Buddha.
Ancient bell casing in the monastery.
Signs of old painted artwork on a wooden column.
Prayer wheels in front of a mural painting.
A closeup of the detailed design of one of the prayer wheels.
A Buddha statue with a candle holder and offertory box in front. This Buddha statue has had a good day, the offertory box is overflowing with bank notes.
Lesser Golden Roof Hall.
Exterior wall of the Lesser Golden Roof with decorative Buddha tiling.
Statue of Je Tsongkhapa at Kumbum Monastery with a candle holder and offertory box in front.
Introduction to the Maitreya Buddha Hall.
Visitors under umbrellas in front of a small building with prayer wheels in the monastery complex.
Statue of a Bonsai tree with berries.
A courtyard within the Kumbum Monastrey.
Colorfully decorated columns.
A small building with prayer wheels either side within the monastery complex.
Buddhist Monks.
The Great Golden Roof Hall.
The Great Golden Roof Hall.
Silk shawls, and remnants of silk shawls, tied to door handle as offerings by devotees.
Four indentical Buddha statues with the only exception being each statue has differing hand gestures.
An ornate Buddha statue seen through columns decorated with textiles.
The Tantric Department is one four monastic colleges within the monastery.
Very basic sleeping arrangement for the Buddhist Monks.
Another hall within the monastery complex. The columns at the entrance to the hall like elsewhere in the monastery are covered in textiles.
Another view of the Great Gold Roof Hall.
A sculpture on the side of a plinth.
A statue of a Buddha with a candle in front.
The “Four Harmonious Brothers” – Elephant, monkey, hare and a bird. The trunk of the elephant is adorned with a shawl as an offering by devotees.
This statue is based on a Buddhist moral story. According to the legend, a bird, a hare, a monkey and an elephant lived by a large tree. They had a conflict as to who is better. Knowing this is not good, they decided to give priority to the elder ones, by comparing their age with the tree. The elephant said that the tree was already fully grown when he was young, the monkey that the tree was small when he was young, the hare that he saw the tree as a sapling when he was young and the bird claimed that he had excreted the seed from which the tree grew. So, the bird was recognized by the other animals as the oldest, and the four animals lived together in co-dependence and cooperation, helping each other to enjoy the fruits of the tree. After the story is finished, it is revealed the partridge was the Buddha in a previous life. The story is meant as an illustration of cooperation and respect for seniority.
View through the trees of the Kumbum Monastery.
A Kalachakra Stupa at Kumbum Monastery.
Stupas above an entrance at the Kumbum Monastrey.
Some adhoc photos. All but two are new.
NEW Selection of children’s table lamps, including Hello Kitty in the front row.
NEW Authentic Chinese cuisine.
NEW Cute little girl on a bus.
Found my favourite perfume in the night market for £2.50 (Day 96).
The Tantric Department is one four monastic colleges within the monastery (Day 97 ).
NEW A polite sign to tell you to keep off the grass.
NEW “No Leaning” – Thinking of your wellbeing and posture ? Probably not. Worried about the barrier giving way ? Possibly yes.
NEW “No Crossing” – Because of the big drop the otherside ? Probably yes.
NEW “No Tossing” – People walking underneath don’t want something landing on them ? Probably yes.
Bingling (make souls bright) Si.
All aboard ! Next stop Bingling Si Temple.
Travelling on the Liujiaxia Reservoir.
Some great scenery that you can only see from travelling on the reservoir.
Sorry about the couple of blurred photos.
This is the Liujiaxia Bridge. The largest bridge in the Gansu Province spanning 180 metres.
View out the front of the motorboat. Clear open water with no sign of any other boats on the reservoir.
During the construction of Liujiaxia Reservoir in 1967, a 200 metre long and 20 metre high dam was built in front of the temple.
Interesting rock formation on the starboard side of the boat. You have to wonder what this area looked like before the reservoir was built.
The short boat journey to the Bingling Si Temple took approximately 40 minutes.
Since the Liujiaxia Reservoir was constructed the only access to the temple is by boat.
They seem very certain that there is only one snake !
Arrived at Bingling Cave Temple.
Nice promenade along the egde of the reserviour in front of the rock face.
Remnants or abandoned old grottos, niches or pillars in the rock face.
On closer inspection you can see how the rock has been hand carved, as well as the erosion by the weather. The dark red patches are where the rock is damp.
Path around the foot of the rockface through the gorge with trees, and a nice rock formation on the right.
Buddha statue, with mural wall painting behind, in one of the grottoes.
A small shrine or mausoleum in a grotto.
A Buddha statue with a statue of a bodhisattva in a grotto.
A collection of small statues in a niche surrounded by painted wall murals.
A grotto containing a statue. The wall behind the statue has signs that at one time it had been painted.
A collection of damaged statues in a grotto. Over the centuries, earthquakes, erosion, and looters have damaged or destroyed many of the caves and the artistic treasures within.
A Buddha statue in front of painted mural detailing palm trees. This grotto is not in a good condition, with piles of eroded rock sediments covering the statue and floor, and the wall behind has had some remedial work to fill cracks.
A Buddha in a grotto.
Maitreya Buddha on the side of the rock face looking out over a partially dry river bed.
These statues were abandoned part way through being carved. The photo shows that the base of the statues have not been fully carved out in the rock.
One of 183 niches in the rock, this has 3 statues contained within it. The straight chisel marks on the statues seem to suggest someone has deliberately damaged the statues.
One of the best preserved statues due to it being in a niche protected by a glass panelled wooden door.
Tang Dynasty Buddha.
Protected stone carving in a niche. The facial expression of the main character looks rather sinister.
Avalokiteshvara statue.
A stone carving showing a Buddha flanked by 2 bodhisattvas on either side. The pedestals that the bodhisattvas are sat on are all linked to the Buddha’s pedestal. Could these pedestals all be water lily pads ?
Buddha statue in front of mural wall painting. The mural painting depicts two bodhisattvas and with the positioning of the statue they appear to be flanking the Buddha.
Looking across to a tree lined gorge with small bridge over a partially dry river bed.
A Buddha and guardians in one of the 169 grottoes.
The 27 metre high Maitreya Buddha.
Stone lion guardian.
Maitreya Buddha.
Maitreya Buddha.
Looking across the partially dry river bed at Maitreya Buddha carved out of the stone rock face.
Looking across the partially dry river bed at Maitreya Buddha carved out of the stone rock face.
A dried up stream making it’s way through the gorge with towering rock formations on either side.
The green trees probably surviving through moisture held in the rocks.
Maitreya Buddha seen through the trees from the opposite side of partially dry bed river.
Marble stone.
Sun reflecting on the marble stone highlighting the colour of the minerals within the stone.
Introduction to Grotto 16 – Northern Wei Dynasty.
In Grotto 16 resides the clay sculpture of a reclining Buddha, sometimes referred to as the sleeping Buddha.
Closer look at the detail of the clay head of the Buddha in Grotto 16.
This is a reproduction of a statue that can be found in one of the grottoes, called the “Preaching Buddhas”.
Temple bell.
Entrance to Bingling Temple.
Rock formation towering above the temple.
Eirik, Will and Jane outside the temple entrance.
Eirik, Will and Jane at the temple entrance.
Think they have spotted me taking their photo.
Maitreya Buddha as seen from the opposite side of partially dry bed river.
Maitreya Buddha as seen from the opposite side of partially dry bed river.
Maitreya Buddha as seen from the opposite side of partially dry bed river.
Greenery flourishing in the environment.
Rock erosion.
The rock erosion exposing the minerals contained within.
Damn, Jane and Will found me.
Another example of the erosion of the rocks. This erosion appears to have been caused by water flowing through.
A view through the rocks.
Butterfly on a flower.
A dredger at work on the reservoir.
Looking through the gorge with Maitreya Buddha on the left and the rock formations in the background.
Working dredgers on the reservoir.
Banks of the reservoir with rock formations in the background.
You can see from this photo where a stone formation (behind the dredger) has been partially removed during the reservoir construction.
Path alongside the reservoir at Bingling Si Temple.
Path alongside the reservoir at Bingling Si Temple.
Clear blue sky highlighting the rock formation sky line.
Will on the banks of the reservoir.
Through the lines in the rock you can see the layering. To the left of the photo you can see a recent rock fall onto the banks of the reservoir.
A clearer look at the layers in the rock.
A temple overlooking the reservoir.
Another photo of the temple overlooking the reservoir. Over time with erosion this may end up falling into the reservoir.
The reservoir is largely surrounded by high rocks.
The banks of the reservoir have been staggered in places to reduce erosion from the water at the base of the rocks.
A mix of colours on the landscape.
In the centre of the photo is the site of a landslide of the past, but over time this has turned green with the climate and now melts into the background.
The water looks brown here, possibly due to dredging work, but you will see in the next photo how it changes by location on the reservoir.
As expected on a reservoir, calm water.
Eirik viewed through holes in the rock.
Small group photo.
Jane and I.
Jane, Eirik and I.
Lanzhou.
Two temples and two pagodas in this temple complex.
As you can see from this temple, this complex is not frequented by bus loads of visitors, it is in it’s natural form and not spruced up to be a tourist attraction. At the top of the steps is an incense burner. Through the centre window you can just make out a statue of a Buddha.
A Buddhist Monk outside a temple. There is no significance to the colour of the clothing a Buddhist Monk wears. In China the most common colour for the monks clothing is grey/light blue.
Selection of Buddhas in various poses. On the right is a 6-armed Buddha.
This Buddha is depicted wearing armour.
A row of Buddhas in a temple with alters in front for devotees to leave offerings.
This statue looks more like a genie than a Buddha.
A cross legged Buddha with vivid colours. This looks like this is well cared for and cleaned from the light reflecting off the paint.
Different from other temples. Here are two Buddhas carry weapons flanked by two priests praying.
Decorative ceramic wall tiles depicting typical oriental scene.
View of the incense burner in the courtyard of the temples complex.
The Blue Buddha, also known as the Medicine Buddha.
The Blue Buddha is traditionally associated with Tibetan Buddhism.
Appears to be a carved stone double-headed dragon on top of an incense burner.
A Buddha flanked by two bodhisattvas and two supporting guardians.
A Buddha sat on a lion.
A cross legged Buddha statue.
Similar in shape to that of an ancient Chinese lantern this details scriptures on the sides.
As mentioned earlier in my blog, the swastika in Asia is an ancient religious icon.
An incense burner.
This building in the grounds of the temple complex appears to be a mausoleum.
This was another building, smaller than the one above, also in the grounds of the temple complex that looks like a mausoleum.
The view through the temple complex wall of boats moored on the Liujiaxia Reservoir.
The view through the temple complex wall of boats moored on the Liujiaxia Reservoir.
The appearance is identical to a Buddhist prayer flag. The text is repetitive throughout and therefore this may be a form of Buddhist chant.
Silk shawls tied to the door handles as an offering by devotees.
Painted artwork on wood panels.
A four armed Buddha. Each arm represents one of the four immeasurables of loving kindness, joy, equanimity and compassion.
A local resident.
Eirik, Jane and Will looking on with anticipation at what the local man is about to produce for them.
Will thinking, and taking it all in. It’s tea leaves in a bag.
Who needs tea bags ? A cup of locally brewed fresh tea with the leaves left in.
Jane looks happy with her cup of tea.
Eirik strategically placing his hand around the cup so I can’t see his facial expression as he tastes the tea.
Eirik tucking into some local delicacy.
Jane and Will holding candles, waiting for them to be lit.
Jane and Will with the local resident with lit candles.
Spray from the water being released into the Yellow River from the Liujiaxia Reservoir.
Spray from the water being released into the Yellow River from the Liujiaxia Reservoir.
Spray from the water being released into the Yellow River from the Liujiaxia Reservoir.
Pavilion overlooking the Yellow River near the Liujiaxia Reservoir.
Interior craftmanship and colours of the pavilion ceiling.
Water gushing out from the sluicing sediment hole in Liujiaxia Reservoir on the Yellow River. The water is being discharged due to recent heavy rains.
Water gushing out from the sluicing sediment hole in Liujiaxia Reservoir on the Yellow River. The water is being discharged due to recent heavy rains.
Water gushing out from the sluicing sediment hole in Liujiaxia Reservoir on the Yellow River. The water is being discharged due to recent heavy rains.
The Yellow River flowing under a bridge through Lanzhou.
The Yellow River flowing through Lanzhou.
