Lanzhou to Xian

And I was dreading this section ?
I thought it would be all people and trucks- but as luck would have it, we took some detours and saw some of the most beautiful scenery that China has to offer! Also we went into rural areas where Westerners are almost never seen - so there were many rounds of photographs - especially for our young , tall, blond and blue eyed Dutch lady. She is over 6 feet tall and looks like a veritable giant next to the diminutive Chinese.
This is the hilly, terraced part of China which is almost familiar from the many images which we have seen on paintings and photographs. What is not portrayed is the ancient feel it has . The terraces are still hand tilled with the use of wooden ploughs and animals and hand carts, and I am in awe of the physical strength and industrious nature of these farmers.
The cycling has been tremendous fun with good long climbs and exhilirating downhills. Passage through a 2,4km tunnel was also an exciting experience. Needless to say , hands and feet are frozen most of the day. Our early morning departures are often in temperatures just above freezing. Frost covers the ground and our saddles crack with ice at the first perch.
We also had the good fortune of seeing an old Taoist Monastery high on the Kong Tong Mountain. It is a place of great serenity and has pilgrims flocking to feed here off its peace. Taoism is regarded as the only truly Chinese religion and was founded in the 7th century BC .It promotes oneness and harmony between all living things. It has now also incorporated elements of Buddhism which was imported from India just a little later in history. Confuscianism is not really regarded as a religion in China - it is more a philosophy. What does make me smile though is that in the time of Mao and the Cultural Revolution - religion was banned and there was wholesale destruction of all symbols of religion. Now, anything ancient and with religious significance has been restored, upgraded - and promoted to pull in huge tourist dollars!
We are now in the Shaanxi Province - often regarded as the ancient heart of China and where the Communist Party truly took root. Intensive agriculture is all pervading but so is industrialisation - and the smog is horribly noticeable and forever in our nostrils. Many riders are choosing to wear masks over nose and face - a practice which we have seen done by the Chinese locals increasingly. It does make me feel uneasy though - some serious moves have to be made to keep our global air clean....