Why is Xi’an my favorite city to visit in China? When I went
to Xi’an I didn’t know much about it except for the Terracotta Warriors. It
could be the obvious. Like the Terracotta Warriors or the fact that it is one
of China’s four ancient capitals. It
could be the fact that it is the start of the Silk Road. It could be the
beautiful Drum and Bell Towers in the center of the city. Although these are
all awesome to see, my reason is a very simple one. It is the wall.
I have been to Rome and other cities that were once enclosed
in a wall. You can still see parts of the walls here and there but not the
entire wall. The ancient city of Xi’an was enclosed in a wall for protection
and the wall is still intact and in use. The wall is 40 feet tall, 40 to 46 feet
wide at the top and 50 to 60 feet wide at the base. The length of the wall is 8.5
miles. There is also a moat on the outside of the wall. There are massive gates
at the 4 sides of the wall for entering the city. Now cars and buses are seen
driving in and out of the city gates. Now for a cool fact about the wall. The
best way to see the city is from on top of the wall riding a bicycle. You can
rent them at the top of the wall. Being about 40 feet wide it is very safe and
you can ride all the way around the 8.5 miles or ride for a while and turn back
if 8.5 miles is too far. Any way, you are 40 feet tall and get an incredible
view both inside and outside the wall. When I did it some teenagers passed me
that were speaking English. When I asked them where they were from they said
New York. If you can’t ride a bicycle then someone can peddle you around in a 3
wheel bicycle that seats 2 people. Riding the wall is a must do experience.
Places to Stay:
I stayed at the Sofitel Hotel in the center of Xi’an. It was
in a complex of hotels and entertainment venues. It is a modern hotel with
large rooms. It is easy to walk anywhere inside the wall. There is a taxi stand
close to take you outside the wall. I would stay there again.
Places to Eat:
I would pick any café you see that looks interesting. You
can eat at the hotel but why not be adventurous. There are also the usual US
fast food places.
Attractions:
The City Itself – Xi’an is one of the 4 ancient capital
cities and is enclosed inside a wall. The city inside the wall is small enough
to walk around. So, if you are up to it you won’t need a taxi. The city is
clean and the air was clean while I was there. Take a bicycle ride around the
wall and walk around the city. There are many sites to see.
Terracotta Warriors – Qin Shi Huang was the first emperor to
unite China. You don’t do this without making enemies and Qin made a lot of
enemies. Qin felt that after he died he would need an army to protect him. For that reason he started to build
an army of terracotta warriors, chariots, horses, everything a powerful army
would need. He housed this army outside of Xi’an. It is a form of funeral art buried
with the emperor in 210–209 BC and whose purpose was to protect the emperor in
his afterlife. When Qin died, the people were so
mad at his rule that they invaded the house of his army and set it on fire. The
timbers collapsed and the army was buried and forgotten until recently (1974) when
a farmer was digging a well and brought up clay artifacts. The Chinese
government started excavating and found the Terracotta Warriors that you see
today. There are 4 main pits containing the army. Now there is a museum
enclosing the pits and you can view the pits from above. Only a few people are
allowed inside the pits. Bill and Hilary Clinton were ones allowed in the pits.
The Terracotta Warriors and the Tomb are a must see.
The Tomb of Emperor Qin Shi Huang – Qin also built himself a
massive tomb. It looks like a pyramid covered in dirt and vegetation growing on
top of it. It is supposed to be spectacular inside but we may never know.
Inside the tomb are lakes and rivers of mercury and it is too toxic to open
up.
The Silk Road – At the train station in Shanghai I met a
husband and wife from Australia that were traveling to Xi’an by way of Beijing
and had the same idea of traveling by night. I saw them at the train station in
Beijing and also at the Terracotta Warriors. They had a vacation planned that
would start in Xi’an and tour the Silk Road from Xi’an to Europe. What an adventure that would be and maybe it
is a future trip. All those countries you would see that end in -stan and were
founded by Genghis Khan. Xi’an is at the eastern end of the Silk Road. Inside
the wall is a well that could supply the entire population in case of siege.
Caravans starting on their journey west would fill their water containers from
the well. What a sight that must have been. There are monuments around the city
for the Silk Road.
Bell and Drum Towers – In the center of the city are the
Drum and Bell Towers. They are about a block apart from each other. Take a tour
of each one. The architecture of both is beautiful and both are in great
condition.
Fragrant Springs Park – In 1936 as Japan was invading China,
Chiang Kai Shek and some of his senior advisors traveled to Xi’an. Chiang Kai
Shek controlled the army. Some wanted him to join his army with the communist
party to fight the invading Japanese army. He felt that he must unite China first
before fending off the Japanese as he felt his army wasn’t strong enough. To do
this he must defeat the communist party and also other war lords. When the
communist party couldn’t convince him to fight with them they tried to have him
arrested. He fled and was captured in a cave in what is now Fragrant Springs
Park. After his capture he was forced to fight with the communists against the
Japanese. The cave where he was captured now has a monument and the park seems
to be dedicated to the struggle against the Japanese. It has beautiful walking
trails in the park which is in the hills and mountains outside Xi’an. One thing
I found interesting was the equipment on display was mostly from the USA. I saw
jeeps, tanks and even an airplane from the USA. The park is outside the city
walls between the city and The Terracotta Warriors.
Shopping:
Silk factories – You are at the beginning of the Silk Road.
Try out one of the many silk factories. The taxi driver will help you get a
discount. They all seem to have their favorite factory.
Getting Around:
You can walk the city inside the wall. For treks outside the
wall there are numerous taxis. Just make sure you have your hotel and
destinations printed out in Chinese and English. The rail station is just
outside the wall.
As always, please contact me with any question. My website
is www.popsipedia.com , drop me an
email.
One more overnight
train, this time I am on my way home.
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