Oil baron J. Paul Getty built this villa near Los Angeles based on a Roman villa buried in the 79 AD eruption of Mt. Vesuvius. It houses his personal collection of antiquities collected from ancient Etruria, Greece, and Rome. Most pictures of artifacts are preceded by a museum label describing the artifact in greater detail. Photos by Gary L. Todd, Ph.D., Professor of History, Sias International University, Xinzheng, Henan, China. http://picasaweb.google.com/GaryLeeTodd/GettyVillaMuseumRomanGreekEtruscanAntiquities#
Nanyang is a beautiful modern city in southern Henan with a rich history. Historic sites featured in this album include: Wolong Hill, where Zhuge Liang farmed the land and Liu Bei visited him three times entreating him to serve as his military advisor at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty; an ancient prefectural administrative office first built in 1271, which served as the site of local government during the Yuan, Ming, & Qing Dynasties, the Republican Era, and up to the beginning of the People’s Republic of China; the memorial hall of the sage of medicine; and Wang Fu Shan, the rockery and temple belonging to the palace of the 23rd son of the first Ming emperor, Zhu Yuanzhang (Hongwu). Photos by Gary L. Todd, Ph.D., Professor of History, Sias International University, Xinzheng, Henan, China. http://picasaweb.google.com/GaryLeeTodd/HistoricNanyang#
This museum features carved stone tomb lintels and doors from the Eastern Han Dynasty, all found in the Nanyang area. Photos by Gary L. Todd, Ph.D., Professor of History, Sias International University, Xinzheng, Henan, China. http://picasaweb.google.com/GaryLeeTodd/HanStoneTombSculptureMuseumNanyang#
Shanshan was a commercial center near Nanyang where merchants from neighboring provinces exchanged goods and worshiped the god of business (Guan Yu). It was built in the mid-18th century and operated throughout much of the Qing Dynasty. Most of the amazing architecture is original. Photos by Gary L. Todd, Ph.D., Professor of History, Sias International University, Xinzheng, Henan, China. http://picasaweb.google.com/GaryLeeTodd/ShanshanMuseumAncientCommerceCenter#
Xuchang has a long history and played a prominent role in the Three Kingdoms era, serving as the de facto capital of Cao Cao after 196 AD, and capital of the state of Wei in 220 until the capital was moved to Luoyang in the 220s. Baling Qiao is the site of the bridge where the great general Guan Yu bade farewell to the Prime Minister Cao Cao. He is honored with a temple there. Guan Yu resided at Chunqiu Lou where he studied the Spring & Autumn Annals of Confucius. The Wenming Temple Pagoda dates to the Ming Dynasty and stands 52 meters tall. Photos by Gary L. Todd, Ph.D., Professor of History, Sias International University, Xinzheng, Henan, China. http://picasaweb.google.com/GaryLeeTodd/HistoricXuchang#
The observatory was built over 700 years ago during the Yuan Dynasty and is the oldest and most famous one in China. The museum displays artifacts found nearby, mostly from the Neolithic Peiligang Culture. Photos by Gary L. Todd, Ph.D., Professor of History, Sias International University, Xinzheng, Henan, China. http://picasaweb.google.com/GaryLeeTodd/YuanObservatoryAndMuseum#
These are photos from several temples and historic sites around Dengfeng, excluding Shaolin Temple and the Yuan Observatory, which are in separate albums. Most major temples are mainly for tourists, but I have a couple here which are off the beaten path. The pagoda of the Songyue Temple was built in the Northern Wei Dynasty, about 1400 years ago. Photos by Gary L. Todd, Ph.D., Professor of History, Sias International University, Xinzheng, Henan, China. http://picasaweb.google.com/GaryLeeTodd/DengfengTemples#
Yuan Shikai was the general at the end of the Qing Dynasty who negotiated the abdication of the last Manchu emperor. He served as President of the Chinese Republic from 1912 to 1916, but attempted to create a new dynasty with himself as emperor. This is his tomb in Anyang, built in the style of Ming and Qing Imperial tombs. Photos by Gary L. Todd, Ph.D., Professor of History, Sias International University, Xinzheng, Henan, China. http://picasaweb.google.com/GaryLeeTodd/YuanShikaiTombAnyang#
Yue Fei was a general in the Song Dynasty noted for his great loyalty and his refusal to give up north China to the Jurchen Jin. To buy peace with the Jin, Song Chinese officials treacherously murdered him. Today he is highly revered as a true patriot. This is his memorial temple near Anyang. Photos by Gary L. Todd, Ph.D., Professor of History, Sias International University, Xinzheng, Henan, China. http://picasaweb.google.com/GaryLeeTodd/YueFeiTemple#
Guan Yu was a general at the end of the Eastern Han, made famous in the Novel of the Three Kingdoms. This is his burial place and memorial temple. Photos by Gary L. Todd, Ph.D., Professor of History, Sias International University, Xinzheng, Henan, China. http://picasaweb.google.com/GaryLeeTodd/GuanlinTempleLuoyang#