Xi'an

I am writing this post (not to be posted until after my trip!) at about 1am from my hotel room in Xi’ning, which is the political, economic, scientific and technological, cultural, and traffic center of Qinghai Province. It has an altitude of over 7,000 feet, which, surprisingly enough, has not had too much of an effect on me (yet!).

We just finished our visit to Xi’an, China, which was the first leg of our two-week journey around China. Xi’an is a city of around 6,000,000 people and is considered the historical center of China. It served as the capital city for many Chinese dynasties. It has a variety of museums and historical sites, including the terracotta warriors at the tomb of Emperor Qin Shi Huang.

To get to Xi’an, we took an overnight train from Beijing, which was an interesting experience. There are four different types of tickets you can buy for most Chinese trains. There are hard seats, soft seats, hard sleepers (six bunks with mattresses to a compartment without a door), and soft sleepers (four bunks with mattresses to a compartment with a door). Our tickets were for hard sleepers, and we were all mixed in with Chinese people. In my compartment, it was my friend Becky and I (each in the middle bunk on opposite sides of the compartment), a Chinese woman, and three Chinese men. Quarters were close – you can’t even sit up on your bed – you’re pretty much forced to lay down or hang out in the narrow hallway outside the compartments the whole time. Most people know that I am very protective of my personal space, so this was definitely a journey outside my comfort zone. The worst part of the whole experience, however, was the old guy in the top bunk above me who snored like no other. It was so loud that I initially thought the sounds were somehow made by the train.

The crowded waiting area at the Beijing train station:

I really enjoyed Xi’an. I didn’t really know what to expect before arriving here. I knew it was home to the Terracotta Warriors and that my friend Katie, who just a few summers ago spent a lot of time there, had spoken often of how much she loved the city. Nevertheless, I certainly didn’t expect the bustling, modern metropolis I found Xi’an to be. As we drove to the hotel from the train station, I saw designer stores, many Western restaurants and shops (and Western people, for that matter!), and noticed that the air seemed a little cleaner than that of Beijing.

I loved seeing the Terracotta Warriors, and also the city’s Muslim quarter. I’m not sure why, but Xi’an has a number of Muslim residents. The great mosque in the Muslim quarter was fascinating. It was nice to see one of China’s minority groups. My favorite activity was when a group of us rented bikes and rode around the long wall that used to surround the ancient city and which now exists as one of the city’s main landmarks. It was a refreshing way to see the city.

Me, Becky, and Scarlet in front of the Terracotta Warriors:

Tucker, Me, and Winnie at the start of our biking adventure around the Xi'an wall:

Xi'an at night (if you look closely you can see strings of kites above that temple-like building: