More religion today Woo Hoo. Started at Wild Goose Pagoda. Why the cool name I hear you ask? Well ...

The Taoist zealots were sitting needing meat as they hadn't made it to local tesco in 1500AD. Like all good men, they desired a good feed and needed meat! So they prayed to the Gods and hey presto a goose fell from the sky at their feed. Next thing you know roast goose dinners all round, and a new temple named after a wild goose feast.

So why build the Pagoda I hear you ask? Cue Religious Studies teachery bit. Originally China was Taoist, not Buddhist. Buddhism actually began in India, however it's influence spread to China creating little pockets of b******ised, badly learnt Buddhism. (Yes i did just get away with legitimately using the word b******ised!) The emperor at the time was concerned by this so despatched two monks to India to write down the key teachings of Buddhism. This is famously recounted in the Chinese myth The Journey of the Monkey King. The monks travelled down the Silk Road and return with the teachings 15years later. The Wild Goose Pagoda was built to hold these original Buddhist teachings.

Next stop today, history museum where we got up and personal with 5000 year old vases before heading to try our hand at Chinese calligraphy. It's official the only words I can write is GODS and WOMEN. Strangely suspicious! If God is a she..... I'm sorted.

Our evening finished watching a spectacular dancing fountain display, slightly odd to hear the William Tell Overture in the centre of it.

Sleeper train tomorrow! Choo choo