Through the gate and along the river there is a great place to walk. I've been told this walk is new since I arrived. All I know is that when I first ventured down in mid-spring it was here, parts were still under construction but it was here. Over the summer while I was away they continued developing the walk and the area along it. All is turning out to be quite a nice place. I like to come here for my evening walk. There are always people here: some walking or walking their dogs, some sitting on the benches, some leaning on the rails, some down at the river washing clothes or grazing their goats, etc. The willows add their gracefulness to the pleasing ambiance of this area.



One can also walk on top of the wall. There are generally fewer people here but it is not normally empty during the common walking times of 6-7 in the morning and 7 in the evening. From the top of the wall you can see the river, the walk along the river and the city area nearest the wall.
One evening as I walked on top I passed a group of children getting a martial arts lesson. Their instructor, an older child, had them organized into rows and was showing them moves. The adults, including myself, watched amusingly.




One of the views from our side of the river is the pagoda on the other side. At night it is all lit up, as are the walk and the bridge that crosses the river. At night you can also hear music from the dance pavilion on the other side. The lights and the music create a festive atmosphere.

The other day, as I often do, I went down to the river for a walk.



As I came up to the gate I looked left since there is a street just inside the wall that must be crossed before passing through the gate. To the left I spotted something other than the normal cars, bikes, motorcycles and pedestrians that one must always be alert for as they come in any direction and at any speed.



There coming along the inside of the wall were some men herding their goats down the road. It's not unusual to see goats in this part of Ankang. The Muslim quarter edges on this part of the wall and some of them even keep one, maybe two, goats in the city. I've seen them grazing near the river when I walk there of an evening. But a herd this size was a bit more noticeable. I assumed they were headed for the butcher.

I don't know if I've told you that Ankang, you remember...the city where I live in Shaanxi, has a wall. We're not saying it's the original wall. Parts of it have been replaced and parts renovated. And though extensive it is not complete. Ankang has grown up around the wall and now surrounds it. I live inside the walled area, about 4-5 blocks from this gate. Through here is the river. This gate was closed at least once in recent years due to flood warnings.

It must be time to try a new format for sharing my photos and experiences from China. My idea is that I will stop hounding you with photo albums. You can check here for postings. I'm able to post photos here and make comments. The photos will appear smaller than they did in the album slideshows but if you want to see them enlarged, double click on a photo and it will fill the screen. Let's see how it works. Have patience. I'm on a real learning curve here and have already made mistakes, ie deleted every posting on this blog and, on only the second day of its existence, am starting over!
You'll see each posting has a place where you can leave comments if you'd like. And you all know my email address. That hasn't changed and emails are welcome.
Love to all, ~L~