Location: Shaanxi, Qianling Mausoleum
Travel Notes: This is my third time in Shaanxi Province. I've climbed Mount Hua and Mount Li, seen the Terracotta Army, walked around Huaqing Hot Springs, visited the Famen Temple's Buddhist relics, and entered the Tang Paradise. This time, I wanted to head further west, so after arriving at the airport last night, I stayed in Xianyang instead of Xi'an. I found a cheap hotel near the bus station. The owner kept looking at my Taiwan Compatriot Permit and, with a Guanzhong accent I could barely understand, said I was the first Taiwanese person to stay there (laughs). Xianyang feels more like a county town, quite quiet at night. Nothing eventful happened overnight. Early in the morning, I went to Xianyang Bus Station, bought a 16-yuan ticket, and headed to Qianling. Qianling is the joint tomb of Empress Wu Zetian and Emperor Gaozong of Tang, Li Zhi. Nearby are also the tombs of Princess Yongtai (Wu Zetian's granddaughter) and Prince Zhanghuai (Wu Zetian's second son). In the cultural relics museum hall, I saw white, yellow, and green Tang tri-color pottery. At the main tomb, I passed the Wordless Stele and climbed the steep Qianling hillside. Gazi…
