Xi’an was an amazing daytrip.
I took an overnight sleeper train from Beijing, and arrived in Xi’an just under 12 hours later. Having traveled by train several times, I think are trains probably the best way to travel in China, especially if you have the time. Trains are cheaper, more comfortable, and a great way to meet the local people. The only draw back is that trains are slower than traveling by plain. On my way to Xi’an I was in a cabin (6 people per cabin) with 5 other Chinese people. My ability to speak some Chinese impressed and intrigued them, and soon they were chatting away.
Arriving in Xi’an early in the morning, I took the bus from the train station straight to the Terracotta Warriors. This was about an hour outside of the city. The Terracotta Warriors were truly amazing. The vast scale of the excavation project, as well as the immense detail of the warriors was breathtaking. Especially since these statues were made over 2000 years ago with much more archaic technology.
After the Warriors, I returned to Xi’an for a Shaanxi lunch. After a nice local lunch at a Xi’an restaurant, I rented a bike and biked on top of the city wall. The wall’s circumference is about 13.8 km and biking above the city a great way to get a birds eye view. Due to great weather and little pollution, the bike ride was very nice.
For dinner, I went to the Muslim district in the northwest part of the city (inside the city walls). This district is known for its amazing food and its distinctive cultural influences from Xinjiang province and the Middle East. I was not disappointed. I had one of the best meals of my stay in China in Xi’an. The surrounding district was also very nice to walk around and do some shopping. The only problem was I had a train to catch to go back to Beijing.
Xi’an was an amazing city, and one day was nowhere near enough to explore it. Hence it is definitely worth a longer stay, and I look forward to going back again. Next stop is Guangzhou, in the south of China for a four-day weekend!
Location: Beijing, China
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I always knew that Emperor Chin Shi Huang commissioned a bunch of terra cotta soldiers, but I didn’t think the whole clay army was THAT extensive. The power and wealth of the Chinese dynastic emperors must have been unfathomable, just like the wealth of the Tsars and Yupsovs here in Russia.
Details, Jason, details! You say “This district is known for its amazing food and its distinctive cultural influences from Xinjiang province and the Middle East. I was not disappointed. I had one of the best meals of my stay in China in Xi’an.” But you neglect to explain or describe the food at all … so, what was this meal that was so good?