First off this morning was back to the City Walls so it'll be interesting to see them in daylight. Taken from the coach window this is the moat surrounding the old town walls.
We've seen supplies like this in several places. It makes me wonder if some police and/or firemen are volunteers and just pitch up when necessary.
Back on the top of the wall.
Yet more bicycles for hire.
The usual figurines protecting the building.
The old and the new.
Inside the above building was an interesting exhibition of Ming stuff.
Next on the list was the Small Goose Pagoda, a Buddhist pagoda from the Tang dynasty (618-907). There are two goose pagodas here; Small and Great Wild and I suspect we visited this one simple because it was smaller and nearer to where we were. Whilst the streets are filled with tubs of flowers, the gardens we've seen have been mostly evergreen shrubs and this was much the same.
l-r Acer sp, Magnolia grandiflora, Ginkgo biloba
I like this natural support.
This is a pomegranate flower (I had to look it up).
Apparently the pagoda was originally two storeys taller but these were lost during violent storms and earthquakes.
Inside the pagoda, a narrow wooden stairway winds its way to the top, requiring quite an effort by those making the ascent. Children and seniors with poor physical condition are not recommended to ascend. Additionally, it is hard for "larger people" to pass through the narrow stairway on the upper floors - probably why we weren't told we could go up it.
These delightful twins and their lovely Mum were happy for me to take their pictures.
There were quite a few other buildings in the complex but I don't recall what they were.
Search as I might, I've not been able to find any reference to what this massive bell was used for - maybe calling the faithful to the temple.
For a fee you could step up and ring it yourself.
