The Amazing Pyramids of China-Kandis Twa
As some of you know we were greatly honoured and excited to visit some of China’s most wonderful and- I daresay-unknown treasures. Their pyramids!
We say pyramid, the Chinese people say mausoleum, whatever word you feel more comfortable with these structures are incredible! Some of them are well known and visited by many many people. One such structure is called the mausoleum of the Emperor Qin. The burial pits around this pyramid contain the world famous “Terracotta warriors”, many visit the museum to see these beautiful statues but fail to take the short bus ride up to the pyramid.
Visiting China to do research on our upcoming books, we set out to find the almost unknown pyramids. Tucked away in remote corners of the countryside these beautiful pyramids are respected and revered by the people who live close to them as monuments to their ancestors. They stand in the middle of fields and sometimes smack in the middle of a village, preserved and protected by a culture that I believe invented honour. Despite the fact that most of these pyramids contain many precious artifacts they are not looted or destroyed. We meet one woman at a site that had been excavated, its contents destined for a museum that was under construction, who had kept watch over this one pyramids for twenty five years of her life! Although we couldn’t speak to her directly (my mandarin is not so good) I could sense the deep sense of pride she held for her duty.
Needless to say the energy of these places is profound and incredibly beautiful. There are many which are dedicated tourist spots, regularly visited by Chinese people wishing to pay respect to their ancestors however rarely visited by us Western folk (which means the food is awesome!). If you are considering a trip to China (to Xian specifically), please think about putting some of these sites on your itinerary.
Here are some photos of the rural pyramids we discovered.
*Extra points if you can spot the rainbows 🙂
Pure Leadership 