China > The Terracotta Army

I sleep quite well and deeply on the train at night. Around 6:30 a.m., I wake up. We’re still a little over an hour away from Xi’an at that point. I get dressed and freshen up a bit—just enough to wash the sleep from my eyes. I pack all my things back into my travel bag. With a slight delay, we arrive at Xi’an station at 8 a.m. Like in Beijing, this is a very large station with many tracks. Frank leads us outside. Once again, my passport is scanned at the exit. Here too, my passport is my ticket. It’s a short walk to the bus parking lot. The bus drives us around the walled inner city. Xi’an is the only Chinese city where the city wall is still completely intact. The wall is built in a rectangle and has a circumference of nearly fourteen kilometers. The hotel is just outside the city wall on the west side. When we arrive, we can go straight in for breakfast. Toast and eggs. Quite a nice change. The coffee is of good quality. The rooms are also already available, which is convenient. There’s an extra bonus: since the hotel only has double beds, everyone traveling alone gets their own room—regardless of whether they paid extra for it or not. I take a shower and change clothes in the room. At 10:30 a.m., the bus is ready again—this time to take us to the famous Terracotta Army. In 1974, a farmer accidentally found a stone head while trying to dig a well on his land. The excavation revealed more than 7,000 life-sized stone soldiers. The Terracotta Army is a massive collection of life-sized terracotta statues, created 2,200 years ago as a burial gift for the first emperor of China, Qin Shi Huangdi. The emperor believed that his soldiers could protect him in the afterlife as well, near his mausoleum. At the entrance, my passport is scanned again to open the gate. A bit further on, it happens again—why, I don’t know. We’re clearly not alone today. A stream of people walks toward the first “pit.” In this hall, the first soldier was discovered. Under a huge roof, thousands of statues have now been found. Archaeological excavations are still ongoing here.

China - The impressive army of life-size figures

I see the stone figures standing in lines behind each other. It’s an incredibly impressive sight. I have to push a little to get a spot up front. Everyone is trying to get the best possible photo. Luckily, the average Chinese person isn’t very tall. After the first hall, we visit Hall No. 3. This is the most recent discovery. The statues here seem to form a command post, representing higher-ranked military units. Finally, we also visit Hall No. 2, where excavations are still in progress. However, because the color of the statues quickly fades upon exposure to air and light, they are postponing further excavations until they can preserve the color. It’s amazing to realize that this UNESCO World Heritage site was only discovered fifty years ago. For lunch, we go to a local farmer who had to give up his land for the archaeological excavations. The man is a nephew of the “discoverer.” Before we reach the house, we have to pass through a maze of shops, restaurants, and souvenir sellers—it feels more like a fairground. Lunch consists of various dishes served on a rotating glass plate. The final dish is homemade noodles. The owner and cook come out to show us how they make the noodles from dough. It’s a delicious meal. It’s nearly 4 p.m. when we drive back to the center of Xi’an. Frank prepares us for rush hour, but fortunately, it’s not too bad. This gives me a bit of time to relax in my room. At 6:30 p.m., we take bus 221 to the city center. The bus passes under the West Gate and enters the old walled city. Four stops later, we get off at the Bell Tower. Dusk is just beginning to fall. Near the Bell Tower is the Drum Tower, which is beautifully illuminated. Behind the Drum Tower is the Muslim Quarter, full of restaurants and food stalls. The streets are crowded between the brightly lit stalls. I first visit the Grand Mosque. Xi’an’s Huajuexiangsi Mosque is one of the largest mosques in China. It’s already dark when we enter the mosque. In the twilight, we see that it is divided into five courtyards, pavilions, and halls. The mosque was founded in 742 by Arab settlers. In the street next to the mosque, there’s a fish spa. I’ve never done this before. Soon I’m sitting with my feet in a tank full of fish that immediately start nibbling at them. It tickles unpleasantly, but I quickly get used to it. The little fish eat the dead skin cells from my feet—it’s said to be healthy. Still, after ten minutes I’ve had enough. Sorry, hungry fish, but I continue wandering through the stalls and streets. Food is being offered everywhere. Sometimes there’s a chance to sample something small.

China - The street vendors of Xian

A guy is grilling meat on sticks—it looks tasty and trustworthy. Maybe the dip in the spicy sauce at the end was a bit too much. The meat tastes good but is definitely spicy. Across the street, I order a coconut ice drink. We see all kinds of dishes: a colorful rice skewer, corn waffles, squid skewers—everything is for sale here. The rest of the group heads back by bus, but I decide to stay a bit longer. I enter a shop with a large dragon hanging over the entrance—it turns out to be a silver store. With a translation app, I’m welcomed. When I type back that I didn’t know what kind of shop it was but that I’m looking for food, the girl laughs and types that the food on this street isn’t that great. We part ways laughing. Wandering, I arrive at the Bell Tower. Xi’an’s Bell Tower stands in the middle of a roundabout and marks the center of the old walled city. The streets are busy, and some people sit to enjoy the beautiful view of the Bell Tower. I decide to walk back to the hotel. It’s quite a trek—over three kilometers. I have several route options, but walking between all the shops and stalls seems the most fun. I want to walk briskly, but the streets are too crowded. I have to dodge people and passing scooters. Halfway through, I see some tuk-tuks parked. I ask one of them to take me to the small West Gate. It’s a bit confusing at first because there are two gates on the west side. I gesture once to turn right, and the driver understands where I want to go. I hadn’t thought of it earlier, but I also have a card with my hotel’s name in Chinese. The tuk-tuk stops for a moment, and the driver enters the address into his app. As we pass through the city wall, we reach a large traffic roundabout. The traffic is three lanes thick, but it’s no problem for my tuk-tuk driver. He drives against the traffic around the roundabout and drops me safely in front of the hotel. That little adventure was worth the twenty yuan, though I probably should’ve bargained. In the shop next to the hotel, I buy a beer to enjoy in my room. It’s been a wonderful day.

China - The Bell Tower of Xian stands prominently in the center of the roundabout