The People's Republic - Xi'an

Flag Map of the People's Republic of China

The city of Xi'an is the capital of the Shaanxi province in mainland China. It was once the Eastern end of the Silk Road and was formerly called Chang'an (meaning the Eternal City). 

My train pulled on to Platform 4 in Xi'an's large railway station after a fairly long journey from Beijing on a fairly cold evening in 2014. After climbing the magnificent Great Wall, walking along Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden city, here we were, ready to visit this ancient Chinese settlement. You can read all about my Beijing trip here.

My only impression of Xi'an was built out of my knowledge of Xi'an's terracotta army, which is the most famous tourist destination

Xi'an is wonderful blend of old and new

on spot. When we arrived and exited the station, a city of many variations greeted us. Here, the past competes with the future for attention. Sky high towers form a backdrop for a city that has the most ancient pagodas Chinese culture has ever known. Upon arrival, we were checked in at our hotel, which, as luck would have it, was certainly not facing a waste management facility this time.

The following morning, we paid a visit to the terracotta army

The terracotta soldiers are eerily real

soldiers, a very interesting tourist attraction here in Xi'an. It is a collection of life sized terracotta sculptures depicting the armies of Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China. It was a form of funerary art at the time when it was built, meant to guard the emperor, who was buried with it. Local farmers discovered it in 1974 and it has since become a UNESCO World Heritage Site, besides being a major draw for international tourists.

Visiting this historical place, is however, quite a task. One may not have to accomplish a strenuous climb, but the area sees a large flood of local tourists, all pushing and shoving their way into the enclosure. If you manage to catch a front row glimpse, consider yourself lucky. We were told to be cautious of pickpockets and suffocation. Apparent as it was, these are the two most common problems here. Although it is possible to descend the stairs leading down to the sculptures to see them up close, this facility is only reserved for VIPs.

Next on the itinerary was the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda or Big Wild Goose Pagoda, which was an originally five storeyed pagoda built in 652 during the rule of the Tang Dynasty. It was rebuilt in 704 during Wu Zetian's rule and like most other Chinese ancient monuments, has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 

Moving on from the beautiful water fountains in the courtyard, one may pay a customary visit to the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor, followed by the Huaqing Pool and the Drum Tower of Xi'an, just as we did.

A city of many shades

While all of these sights are historically significant, Xi'an has much more to boast about. There are many other relics and monuments that a traveller may choose to go to, which we were unable to visit, owing to a rigid itenary and a lack of time. 

However, we did visit a dance and acrobatics show in the city at a large, spacious local theater, which was a gracefully marvellous presentation by a set of young Chinese men and women. Coupled with stunts and dance, that evening was a wonderful display that I should probably never forget.

That marked the end of our trip to the ancient Xi'an and we departed our hotel one fine morning to fly to Shanghai on the west Chinese coast.

We departed the city's massive airport (all Chinese airports are ridiculously large and very crowded) on Spring Airlines, a low cost Chinese carrier with absolute disrespect for legroom on their economy class seats. I experimented their in - flight food service by ordering a packet of crisps after take off, only to realise that it was a mistake. 

On an air trip from Xi'an to Shanghai, it is recommendable to fly a full service airline, such as China Eastern, which might be little more sympathetic towards passenger comfort. Nevertheless, the A320 flew the 746 miles to the city of Shanghai, which was the last stop on this itenerary. The capital of Chinese commerce as it was, the brilliance of this stunning city greeted us from the moment we arrived. That however, is another story.