October 1 is the Chinese national holiday, sort of like our 4th of July. It was October 1, 1949 that Mao Zedong proclaimed the Peoples Republic of China. So this year is the 75th anniversary.

Celebrations of the holiday stretch out for a whole week. Because so many people are off work, this strains all sorts of holiday/travel systems. Hard to book hotels, trains, buses, flights…

Also it means crazy traffic, and a crush of humanity at various destinations.

Add those factors to a lack of organized planning on Pere’s part, combined with sleeping late this morning…

My selected first destination of the day was Maijishan temple/grottoes – A site about 25 miles out of town.

Well, I successful hailed a cab, and the driver agreed to take me there at a good price- 80 rmb.

The route included some localized traffic jams early on. But when we got onto the (only) road leading to the destination, traffic ground to almost a full stop- a parking lot inching its way forward.

I hadn’t anticipated this, nor had the driver.

Three lanes of traffic creeping along. She opened a navigation app, and I could see from the backseat that the road was coded solid red all the way forward.

After a bit more of that, I told her just turn me around, and take me to my second destination – Fuxi Temple. She agreed it was for the best.

Fuxi is the legendary, mythical founder of Chinese civilization, sometime about 4000 years ago.

Although we tend to associate Lao Tse (who lived at the same time as Confucius) with Taoism, its origins go much farther back… All the way to Fuxi!

It is not uncommon that conflicting claims to historical sites occur in China. One of the reputed birthplaces of Fuxi is Tianshui.

So here are just a few photos from the temple complex here celebration the original creator of Chinese culture

No! The guy in the photo is old, but he is NOT Fuxi!

By the time I had explored that area it was time to try to get a cab back to the hotel. Major undertaking! Trying to get a Didi was generally a failure in this town. So I stood out at the curb and ultimately was able to get a taxi.

For my final dinner in Gansu, what could be more appropriate than… Wait for it… Beef Noodles!

A big splurge … Less than two bucks including my favorite soft drink!