Having only just returned from a trip to Shanghai with Drew I was hardly match fit for my next trip to China’s ancient city of Xi’an. It was once the beginning of the Silk Road, on which they traded with Europeans, and also the former capital of China where the emperors used to live, but it’s probably most famous for The Terracotta Warriors. I had planned to do a little more research before going on this trip, but you know who actually wants to read something that isn’t the sports pages?
Day 1: My first full day in Xi’an and I was up early with a carpe diem mind set. First, I headed for Shuyuanmen, a street known for all things artistic from paintings to displays of calligraphy. Shop after shop of calligraphy brushes, they were mildly interesting, but I had a biro in my bag and I was getting hungry. I was starting to get annoyed by the layout of Xi’an. I turned off Calligraphy Street onto Picture Frame Road then turned again onto Florist Alley. It seemed every road had its speciality without a restaurant in sight. I walked and walked and finally came across a Biang Biang shop.
A type of noodle that gets its name from the sound of whacking the stretched noodles against the counter. It also seems to have the most intricate of all Chinese characters. With some noodles and fire in my belly, I was off again.
My next stop was at the bell and drum towers. I’d already seen the bell and drum towers in Beijing and I suspected them to be pretty much the same. Climb lots of stairs to see some fellas banging on a drum. No need to pay £4 to see that.
At the rear of the towers is the Muslim quarter. In this region are so many street food vendors selling an array of delicious treats. There was a plethora of food that I couldn’t identify, but everything looked and smelled incredible. It’s a good thing my grandmother cannot operate a computer as she’d be disgusted to find out that I was in an Islamic neighbourhood, eating Islamic food, cooked by Muslims. Nothing pleases her more than for her to hear that I’m eating boiled meat and potatoes, but that’s not too appealing when I’m gorging on middle eastern-Chinese fusion foods. Soon after it began raining heavily (my grandmother would note that as an act of God), I thought it would be the perfect time to check out the Shaanxi History Museum. Xi’an boasts over 5,000 years of history (and don’t the Chinese like to remind you of it!) but when I looked at the finer details of the museum I discovered the museum is closed on Mondays and that particular day was a Monday. I retired back to my hostel waiting for the clouds to part.
I read a few chapters of my book, drank a beer, and took a nap and it was magnificent.
The rain eased and I was back out this time doing a lap of the city walls starting at the Gareth Southgate. I got on a bike and began the 13.7km loop. You know what, it wasn't that smooth. Some of it was renovated and made for easy riding other parts were like cycling down some cobbled streets. There’s a reason why you never saw Hayley Cropper cycling down Coronation Street, it’s because her plums would have fallen out of her basket. With my bones rattled I headed for the Big Goose Pagoda for the largest water fountain show on earth.
I waited and waited, and then it started raining. Some security guards came along with their loud whistles to move the people from standing on the small walls surrounding the fountains. The guards walked up and down continuously telling people to get off the walls only for the crowds to resume their positions 30 seconds later. I wanted to tell the guards "look, these are Chinese people. They don't care. They will stand where they want". The crowd got bigger and rowdier, people started pushing, the rain got heavier the whistles got louder and I thought this can’t be worth it. Without seeing the show I went back to the hostel and watched it on YouTube. It's called the biggest water show on earth, but I think the recent floods in Houston dispel that claim. With no regrets, I made the right decision to leave.
Day 2: Up early and off to Emperor Qin’s Terracotta Army.
The tour guide showed us around and gave us a briefing about each of the archaeological pits and the discovery of the site in 1974. Local farmers were looking for water when they found pieces of clay and a fully in-tact warrior statue at the burial site.
A brief history of Emperor Qin goes as such; he unified the 7 kingdoms of China, he standardised units of weights, currency, and built a road system throughout China. He is a very respected figure, but despite his greatness he sought everlasting life. He had the bright idea to take mercury as a way of prolonging his life, instead that polished him off early so the king's slaves excavated a site and built a clay army to protect the emperor in the afterlife. Standing almost 2 metres tall and each statue uniquely built with different styles of shoes, armour and hairstyles to represent rank.
I think that's what she said anyway. We had a small tour group but she still spoke through a PA system. Technology has advanced in China with them at the forefront of so many devices, but not the PA system. This tiny box which spilled out her voice incoherently was of no use. I got the gist of what she was saying.
They are quite magnificent. The burial site was 5 metres deep and enclosed with a roof, but over the years the roof collapsed and this damaged the Warriors. Now, archaeologists have the tedious task of constructing the world's largest jigsaw puzzle. It takes 3-4 months to assemble one statue. They estimate that there are about 8,000 statues. Since the discovery in 1974, they have assembled 2,000 and require another 50 years to assemble the remaining ones.
Each statue is a replica of the slave who made it, and once completed they'd be slaughtered and thrown in a mass grave to keep the secrecy of the emperor's resting place. I know if I was one of those slaves I'd be taking my time making my statue, breaking bits off and starting again.
The Emperor’s Tomb has been discovered but they have no plans to unearth it as it’s said that the tomb is laden with booby traps. While Qin Shi Huang never discovered the Elixer of Life, his legacy will live on forever.
All told the trip to Xi’an was alright. The Terracotta Warriors were very impressive as was the food in the Muslim quarter. If you’re planning a trip to Xi’an make sure you don’t go on a Monday.
Day 1: My first full day in Xi’an and I was up early with a carpe diem mind set. First, I headed for Shuyuanmen, a street known for all things artistic from paintings to displays of calligraphy. Shop after shop of calligraphy brushes, they were mildly interesting, but I had a biro in my bag and I was getting hungry. I was starting to get annoyed by the layout of Xi’an. I turned off Calligraphy Street onto Picture Frame Road then turned again onto Florist Alley. It seemed every road had its speciality without a restaurant in sight. I walked and walked and finally came across a Biang Biang shop.
A type of noodle that gets its name from the sound of whacking the stretched noodles against the counter. It also seems to have the most intricate of all Chinese characters. With some noodles and fire in my belly, I was off again.
My next stop was at the bell and drum towers. I’d already seen the bell and drum towers in Beijing and I suspected them to be pretty much the same. Climb lots of stairs to see some fellas banging on a drum. No need to pay £4 to see that.
 |
| Selfie-sticks are degrading |
At the rear of the towers is the Muslim quarter. In this region are so many street food vendors selling an array of delicious treats. There was a plethora of food that I couldn’t identify, but everything looked and smelled incredible. It’s a good thing my grandmother cannot operate a computer as she’d be disgusted to find out that I was in an Islamic neighbourhood, eating Islamic food, cooked by Muslims. Nothing pleases her more than for her to hear that I’m eating boiled meat and potatoes, but that’s not too appealing when I’m gorging on middle eastern-Chinese fusion foods. Soon after it began raining heavily (my grandmother would note that as an act of God), I thought it would be the perfect time to check out the Shaanxi History Museum. Xi’an boasts over 5,000 years of history (and don’t the Chinese like to remind you of it!) but when I looked at the finer details of the museum I discovered the museum is closed on Mondays and that particular day was a Monday. I retired back to my hostel waiting for the clouds to part.
 |
| Eating meat that belonged to that carcass. |
The rain eased and I was back out this time doing a lap of the city walls starting at the Gareth Southgate. I got on a bike and began the 13.7km loop. You know what, it wasn't that smooth. Some of it was renovated and made for easy riding other parts were like cycling down some cobbled streets. There’s a reason why you never saw Hayley Cropper cycling down Coronation Street, it’s because her plums would have fallen out of her basket. With my bones rattled I headed for the Big Goose Pagoda for the largest water fountain show on earth.
Day 2: Up early and off to Emperor Qin’s Terracotta Army.
The tour guide showed us around and gave us a briefing about each of the archaeological pits and the discovery of the site in 1974. Local farmers were looking for water when they found pieces of clay and a fully in-tact warrior statue at the burial site.
A brief history of Emperor Qin goes as such; he unified the 7 kingdoms of China, he standardised units of weights, currency, and built a road system throughout China. He is a very respected figure, but despite his greatness he sought everlasting life. He had the bright idea to take mercury as a way of prolonging his life, instead that polished him off early so the king's slaves excavated a site and built a clay army to protect the emperor in the afterlife. Standing almost 2 metres tall and each statue uniquely built with different styles of shoes, armour and hairstyles to represent rank.
 |
| Top centre: You can see some red paint remains on the body armour which has somehow lasted over 2,000 years |
They are quite magnificent. The burial site was 5 metres deep and enclosed with a roof, but over the years the roof collapsed and this damaged the Warriors. Now, archaeologists have the tedious task of constructing the world's largest jigsaw puzzle. It takes 3-4 months to assemble one statue. They estimate that there are about 8,000 statues. Since the discovery in 1974, they have assembled 2,000 and require another 50 years to assemble the remaining ones.
Each statue is a replica of the slave who made it, and once completed they'd be slaughtered and thrown in a mass grave to keep the secrecy of the emperor's resting place. I know if I was one of those slaves I'd be taking my time making my statue, breaking bits off and starting again.
The Emperor’s Tomb has been discovered but they have no plans to unearth it as it’s said that the tomb is laden with booby traps. While Qin Shi Huang never discovered the Elixer of Life, his legacy will live on forever.
All told the trip to Xi’an was alright. The Terracotta Warriors were very impressive as was the food in the Muslim quarter. If you’re planning a trip to Xi’an make sure you don’t go on a Monday.
