Xian

On my two previous trips to China I wanted to visit Xian but couldn't because of time constraints.  This time I made it a point of going there.  Of course, everyone has heard about the Terra Cotta Warriors but there is more to Xian than that.
We ended our Silk Road trip in Dunhuang and from there we flew to Xian.  Xian was an old capital of China and is usually considered the start of the Silk Road from China.  It's Chinese name, 西安, means Western Peace.  Today it's an important industrial, cultural and educational center for the northwestern part of China.  Many big multi-national countries have operations here.  There are also many universities here.  It's fast becoming one of the big cities in China, currently a population of around 8 million.  In ancient times, this was a wall-city.  The walls still exist.  In fact, you can rent a bicycle and ride along the ramparts around the old city.

Rampart above the city wall with guard post on the left

The Bell Tower

Most Americans associate Xian with the Terra Cotta Warriors.  In 1974, a farmer while digging for a well, made a monumental and historic discovery.  The sculptures depicted the army of Emperor Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China.  They were buried with the emperor to protect him in his afterlife.  The sculptures are life-size and include horses and chariots.  For more than 2,000 years, they were buried and preserved under about 16 feet of earth.  Four pits were discovered although the public was shown only 3 pits.  When they were first discovered, the soldiers were exposed to the open air and sunlight and as a result, lost their color.  After that, they built enclosures around the pits. It was an amazing experience to see something that was built over 2,000 years ago and still so well preserved.  The sculptors were superb because the soldiers were life-like and the details so real.  I was fortunate that the farmer who discovered the site was there that day.  I bought a souvenir book for him to autograph and I also took a picture with him.

Picture with farmer who discovered the Terra Cotta Warriors

Pit No. 1 - About the size of a football field

The soldiers are life-size

Close-up detail of one of the soldiers

Wait a minute....is that Bill Clinton?

Xian has a sizeable Muslim population, probably due to it being on the Silk Road and influence of the Islamic traders.  They are concentrated mostly in the Muslim Quarter, a very popular tourist spot.  Here you can find all kinds of food native to this area.

Muslim Quarter

Shop selling dried preserved foodstuff

Kebabs are popular here

Dried persimmons, a nice snack

The Great Mosque, with Chinese architecture

Being an old capital, you'd expect a lot of historic sites around Xian.  There are.  However, we only have 3 days there and we want to be selective as to where we go.  For me, the interesting thing is walking around the streets and watching the locals.  I especially enjoyed the Muslim Quarter because it's so different from other parts of China.  It's fascinating to see the Islamic culture influence on the Chinese.
Another place we went is The Ruins of the Imperial Hot Springs.  This is where Emperors in the past come here to enjoy the hot springs.  Today it's also a popular tourist place.  In the evening they have a very impressive lights and laser show about a classic Chinese story.

Grounds of the old Imperial Hot Springs

Another View of the Hot Springs

Modernized version of a classical story