Xi'an
Our third and final stop in China was Xi'an, one of the most historic cities in China, and the capital of several dynasties, the most interesting of which, in my opinion, was the Tang (618-907 AD). As "Chang'an," the city dominated Inner Asia and was the eastern terminus of the Silk Road, where a variety of ethnicities and religions from east and west (including Buddhism, Taoism, Christianity, Islam, and Manichaeism) mingled.
The Walls
The walls around the old city are the most complete in China, having been preserved since they were re-constructed in the Ming era (14th century). Riding a bike around the walls (14km/8miles) is one of the great tourist activities in town. Unfortunately, it was not only humid the day we did the ride, but also 37 decrees Celsius/~98 Fahrenheit. As such, Trum enjoyed the first quarter of the ride, Merry enjoyed it until the halfway point, and I was doing good until the 3/4 mark. Each of us barely drug our bikes across the finish line, after we had stopped several times, at strategically placed snack shops, to buy water, Powerade, and other liquids.
Our third and final stop in China was Xi'an, one of the most historic cities in China, and the capital of several dynasties, the most interesting of which, in my opinion, was the Tang (618-907 AD). As "Chang'an," the city dominated Inner Asia and was the eastern terminus of the Silk Road, where a variety of ethnicities and religions from east and west (including Buddhism, Taoism, Christianity, Islam, and Manichaeism) mingled.
The Walls
The walls around the old city are the most complete in China, having been preserved since they were re-constructed in the Ming era (14th century). Riding a bike around the walls (14km/8miles) is one of the great tourist activities in town. Unfortunately, it was not only humid the day we did the ride, but also 37 decrees Celsius/~98 Fahrenheit. As such, Trum enjoyed the first quarter of the ride, Merry enjoyed it until the halfway point, and I was doing good until the 3/4 mark. Each of us barely drug our bikes across the finish line, after we had stopped several times, at strategically placed snack shops, to buy water, Powerade, and other liquids.
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| Looking fresh at the beginning of the ride. |
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| One of the many watch towers on the wall. |
The Terracotta Army
The most famous site in and around Xi'an is the terracotta sculptures buried with China's first, megalomaniac emperor Qin Shi Huang (3rd century BCE). This was one of the coolest things I've ever seen. The pictures don't do it justice. But, the enormous hangar built over the excavation was incredibly crowded that day...and incredibly hot.
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| Trum sweating like a fiend. |
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| There are a few classes of body types (archers, charioteers, etc.), but each face is unique. |
The Shaanxi History Museum
This museum houses artifacts from the glory days of the Tang Dynasty, demonstrating the ethnic and religious diversity of those times.
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| Probably some Sogdian Silk Road traders. |
This tower was built in 652 AD to house the Buddhist scriptures brought back to China from India by the great Buddhist monk and traveler Xuanzang. He translated many of the Buddhist classics into Chinese.
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| Merry took this picture of a Buddha image, even thought she wasn't supposed to! |
The Great Mosque
Built during the Ming Dynasty, this is the largest mosque in China, and uses traditional Chinese architecture.
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| A Pagoda-style Minaret |
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| Arabic Inscription |
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| The Prayer Hall |
The Great Mosque is located in the Muslim Quarter, where the Hui, or Chinese-speaking Muslims live.
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| A shadow puppet show |
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| The Monkey King |
The Hui know how to run a bazaar and bargain. I have not had so much fun arguing over junk I didn't need in years.
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| Mickey Mao Watches |
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| Trying to calculate a bargain |
Tang Dynasty Culture and Dance Show
Our guide in Xi'an was a young woman named "Cassie." She was a young mother, and I think she thought of me as one of her kids. She was super excited about the culture show, which features music from the Tang era, and convinced us to go. It also included a dumpling feast, with dumplings shaped like what they contained (pork, duck, etc.).
Xi'an had a lot of good food, good shopping, and interesting history. Probably would've been better if we had not gone there in August, when we had to drink bottle after bottle of water just to keep from keeling over.
