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dynasties (A.D. 220 to 905) the sculpture in which I am most interested was produced.

During the Tang and Sung dynasties (618 to 1278 A.D.) the paintings and potteries in which I am most interested were produced.

So you will understand the attractiveness of the locality to me from one point of view.  Another point is that this locality is the most fertile in all China, so that notwithstanding wars have followed wars, these valleys have continued prosperous and very populous down to the present day -  Consequently the architecture and other arts of the following dynasties,(all of which I consider decadent in a certain sense) Yuan - Ming - and Ch'ing - have followed that of Wei, Sui, Tang and Sung and can be studied together in comparison.

This district covers an area about 200 miles by 50 - And the western or farther end of the district, that nearest Honanfu, is the most wonderful - rivers running through beautiful valleys separated by hills and mountains from 100 ft to 10.000 feet high.  The valleys, garden-farms, and burial grounds - about half and half - the graves running from 1 ft to 100 feet in height.  The hills and mountains capped with great tombs and temples.  The hills up to 1000 ft terraced from river level to top; every level inch cultivated and the perpendicular parts of the terraces pierced with "dug-out" homes - cool in summer warm in winter.  In the valleys stone and brick temples and homes and farm buildings, so thick in many places, as to make the valleys almost [[strikethrough]] a [[/strikethrough]] continuous villages - the scenery never to be forgotten.  And through these valleys I travelled, by railway where possible, by cart, by chair, and on foot - much of the time