Trip to Xi'an

This weekend (4 July 2008) we traveled to Xi’an. The trip started off on a better foot than Shanghai because we didn’t have to trek through the rain to the train station. After getting on the 13-hour train ride without a glitch, we arrived early in morning in time for breakfast at our hotel.
After enjoying some American-style food of eggs and bacon, we set out on our journey of the city.

Xi’an is the capital of Shaanxi province and the national capital of at least 12 dynasties. The name in Chinese literally means Western Peace. Home to the world-famous Terra Cotta Warriors, the site is prized as the eighth wonder of the world. Before going to the warrior museum, we went to a factory where Terra Cotta warrior figures are made in the liking of those made so long ago. I didn’t understand why we went to the factory, which was largely a tourist trap and sold all kinds of ceramics, carpets, clay figures and other sorts of souvenirs. I believe the real archeological relics are far superior to the fake duplications seen in the factory. After our short visit, we finally set out for the Terra Cotta Warrior and Horse Museum.

Discovered in 1974, the Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses are the most significant archeological excavations of the 20th century. The mausoleum of Emperor Qin took decades to finish and holds more than 7,000 warriors. It is said that after his death, Emperor Qin had concubines sealed in for the afterlife. He also had anyone who knew of the tomb’s location sealed in alive in order to protect the location of his mausoleum. I didn’t know this information when I last visited the site, and seeing it again, I was able to imagine how horrible it would be to be sealed inside. I was excited to see if any further uncovering had taken place during the past two years, but regret to say that the museum looks as it did before. In fact, there were places in the first pit which houses the majority of the relics uncovered, that appears to be ‘re-covered.’ I seem to recall more warriors and horses being seen in the pit, but this visit showed more dirt and unearthed areas. Even so, seeing the site again and getting the chance to explore the area again was exciting.

After a mediocre lunch nearby, we traveled to the imperial hot springs. Huaqing Palace was built by the Tang emperor Xuanzong near the hot springs at the foot of Li Shan. After exploring many of the hot springs used by the emperor, his concubines and his chef, we took a cable car up to the top of the mountain for a better view of below. Outside the city’s center, we weren’t able to see the heart of Xi’an, but were able to see vast mountain tops and the area around the Huaqing Palace. The sunny, clear day made our trek worthwhile and we were able to enjoy our time, however short, atop the mountainside.

Completely exhausted and dirty, all the students were ready for a hot shower at the hotel. Unfortunately, we stopped for dinner before going back to check in. The food, which left much wanting, was quickly eaten, and we finally were able to get cleaned up before heading to the south side of the big Pagoda.

Before traveling to Xi’an, some of our university friends told us about a unique performance shown nightly. A group of us went to the Big Wild-Goose Pagoda to enjoy the water-light performance. The entire area was filled with thousands of people hovering around the water spots. Unsure about the shows’ location, we wandered around the area, until we saw several people, too near the water spouts, get sprayed by water as the show began. We quickly made our way to the edge of the water fountain areas, to see strong water currents shoot into the sky in accordance with music. Bright lights danced along the water, as well as many people. I thought the people playing the water and stepping on the holes would negatively affect the show, but not was inhibited and the crowds enjoyed getting wet.

After the show, we saw fireworks in the distance, yet couldn’t get close enough for a better view. We did, however, see a carnival being held near the pagoda and made our way over to investigate. We soon found a cotton candy stand with more than a dozen flavors, such as honeydew, banana, milk, chocolate and strawberry. After paying 3 yuan, we stood in line as a man spun candy onto a stick, making each one double the size of my head. Having chosen blueberry and strawberry flavor, I anxiously waited my turn. It was absolutely mouth-watering and the best part was that, like all other Chinese food, it was served with chopsticks for eating.

The next day we began our site-seeing early and headed first to the ancient city wall. Xi’an is one of only two cities with intact surrounding walls in China. The last time I traveled to Xi’an, I was also able to visit the wall. This time, though, I rented a tandem bicycle with a friend and we rode around the entire wall (13.7 km). The day was beautiful, and it was nice to enjoy the wonderful blue sky and clean air while we biked around the city.

Once done with the wall, we set off for lunch. I was upset to arrive at the same location as our dinner the night before. Although Xi’an isn’t as large as Beijing, it is still a big city and therefore I preferred to dine at a different location, especially since we were only in the city for two days. When I came before, I was with a group of 300 people and we were able to find accommodating restaurants throughout the city, without ever eating in the same location twice and staying there for five days. Many of the other students felt the same way, so we decided to set out on our one for a different restaurant. We found a small place nearby and enjoyed fried noodles for lunch, which is a local favorite in Xi’an.

After lunch, we visited the Big Wild-Goose Pagoda again. I was able to take some beautiful pictures of the grounds and largely relax as we wandered through the area. The inside of the Pagoda was closed and tourists were unable to go to the top. The trip was concluded with a wonderful supper arranged by our director. It definitely made up for the lack in flavor and judgment from our tour guide at the restaurants previously taken. We enjoyed authentic Shaanxi food and tried many new things. Once dinner concluded, we were dropped at the train station for our long ride back to Beijing. This time, our train car was largely filled with our group members and many of the cabins were completely UF students, as opposed to a few of us sprinkled in with Chinese travelers.

The trip was a great experience, with many highlights, including our bike ride around the city wall and our night water and light performance at the Big Pagoda. It was wonderful to see the city again, especially under such beautiful weather. Unlike Shanghai, the entire weekend was clear and sunny, even hot. I look forward to going back and seeing even more scenic spots throughout the city.