Cradle of Chinese Civilisation

Visiting Xi’an felt like completing a journey. Many tourists we met in Beijing went on to see Xi’an, only around 5 hours away by high-speed rail. Those we kept in contact with told us how much fun the city was and so I was very keen to get there and experience it for myself, especially the street food in the Muslim quarter. Xi’an is the end of the silk road so for centuries has seen a multitude of people come and go and leave behind their influences.

Loving the slow travel, we spent 6 nights in Xi’an in total. The first two were in a large apartment block in an estate in the suburbs, south west of the city centre. Couchsurfing lived up to its friendly and fun reputation and we met Chris who had spent four years living and studying in the UK. It was great to experience food from his province and chat about the world, politics and home.

 

The remaining four nights I had accidentally chosen one of the “top ten most spectacular hostels in the world”, according to YHA. It was a big version of the hostel we stayed in Pingyao, five courtyards with rooms coming off which was once used as a barracks. It was a great building to be in and a good atmosphere, it was a little annoying however when the weather changed and needing a wee meant wearing a raincoat. It added to the experience. The communal area was great, they even let us bring in our own beer – 3 yuan from the little shop opposite. On our last night we rounded up our new hostel friends, and others we met in the city for the drunkest night we’d both had since Busan – and most of us had trains to catch the next day/that morning.

 

City walls

At the hostel we got speaking to locals who were working part time in a new tour company. Not being a fan of paying lots for tours, we tend to avoid them but here was a deal we couldn’t refuse. To cycle around the top of the city walls for two hours was free, apart from the 54 yuan entrance fee each, as the tour was a trial run. The company paid for our metro to the wall and the bike rental on top.

Derrick was our guide around the wall while Vincy took photos of us, it was really fun and cycling around was a great way to see it all. We had intended to walk the 13km but pleased in the end we cycled it instead. The pollution added mystery to the wall, with it fading away in the distance.

 

Terracotta warriors

Most travellers going to Xi’an go for the Terracotta Warriors, or rather the “soldier-and-horse funerary statues”. Turns out many Chinese don’t know it by its english name, leading to slightly confusing conversations.

Taking bus number 306 (aka number 5, never worked out why it had two different numbers) from in front of the main train station for 8 yuan each for an hour is a much cheaper way of seeing the Terracotta Warriors than choosing one of the numerous tours. The entrance fee is 150 yuan which lets you visit the three pits, the museum and then you take a short bus to the Mausoleum of Qinshihuang.

The terracotta warriors are impressive, even with crowds of people, each one unique and different from the next. Though lacking in english information in the pit, the museum attached was really insightful. It explained how many of them are still in the ground and will remain so until the technology  exists to unearth them while keeping the paint intact. At the moment, the colours disappear reacting with the air.

 

It was here that a dream of Mischa’s was fulfilled – he wanted to bump into someone he knew, just by chance. Walking around Pit No.1 we came across Alan, who we’d previously met several times in Busan. I knew he would be in China but never got round to asking what his plans were.

 

Muslim quarter

Renowned for its street food, the Muslim quarter was unmissable and we went several times. Thanks to friends in the UK, we arranged to meet a local who was the roommate of a friend of a friend of a friend, Sherry and her sister! Yes, sister, being from a Hui family (the Muslim minority in China) parents are allowed more than one child. This is for all the minorities, yet no one in China is allowed a third child. However this has recently changed of course and the one child policy is not enforced for those who are a single child themselves.

They took us around the Muslim quarter and we ate so much delicious food, and with an explanation of what we were eating made it more interesting than our usual point and guess. Thank you both, a real eye opener into the area.

 

In the Muslim quarter is the Great Mosque which can be visited for 25 yuan. It is very unique from my experiences of mosques, it is very clearly a mix of Chinese architecture and Islamic decorations. The peaceful gardens and sectioned areas were beautiful to walk around with information plaques in Chinese, English and Arabic.

 

Complete Photos