China > Cycling on the Xi'an Wall

At breakfast, I meet most of my fellow travelers again. Today we have a free day in Xi’an. With a large part of the group, I’m going to cycle on the city wall. Frank guides us to the West Gate, about eight hundred meters from our hotel. In the park surrounding the wall, people are doing their morning exercises. The entrance to the West Gate lies right in the center of a large roundabout. We reach the ticket office via an underpass. When I try to pay for a ticket for the wall, it turns out my Alipay doesn't work here. For no one, actually. Paying in cash isn't possible either. Frank pays for the tickets. He hands me a long strip of thirteen tickets, which are scanned shortly after. The wall of Xi’an is about nine meters high and eight meters wide on average. It has been damaged during various wars, but restored each time. On top of the wall, you can rent bikes. The saddles are set low and can’t be adjusted. There must be a hundred bikes, but I already seem to have the largest one available. For some fellow travelers, it looks like they're riding children's bikes. When I check the gears on mine, they don’t work.

China - Everyone is ready to cycle a lap on the wall

I’m told this is intentional—too high a speed could be dangerous on the wall. Sigh. We first cycle toward the South Gate. There's a section here where cycling is not allowed. You can return your bike here and continue on a new one a bit further down. I decide to turn around and complete the full loop of the wall in the other direction. I do swap bikes for one with a higher saddle. It’s still not ideal, because now the handlebar is too low. It's a bit of a struggle. From the wall, I have a nice view of the buildings inside the walled city. I look out over a Buddhist temple and a schoolyard. On the outside of the wall, it’s also worth stopping now and then. Tall apartment buildings stand close together. I can’t imagine the lower floors get any daylight at all. After more than two hours of cycling, I arrive at the South Gate. We return the bikes and get our deposit back. I walk the last bit to the gate. Around the South Gate, girls in traditional Tang dresses are having their pictures taken by professionals—a funny sight.

China - The Roujiamo, the special burger from Xian

We leave the wall. On the way to the Small Wild Goose Pagoda, we look for a restaurant to grab a bite. Frank recommended a Roujiamo, a special Xi’an burger. In a small local restaurant with barely four tables, we spot a picture of the burger. The elderly couple confirms it’s pork—or at least, that’s what the translation app says when I scan her handwritten note. The sandwich is a bit disappointing. It’s rather dry. At the pagoda, there are lots of buses unloading groups of Chinese tourists. It looks like we need a ticket. At the booth, I show my passport. My details are registered, but I don’t have to pay. Just registration. I enter the park with the flow of people. The pagoda was built in 707 during the Tang Dynasty. Originally it was 45 meters tall, but after the devastating Shaanxi earthquake in 1556, only 43 meters remain. Due to restoration work, the pagoda cannot be visited inside. No work is visible anywhere, and it’s unlikely to reopen soon. We exit the park via a side entrance and find ourselves in the Xi’an Museum.

China - A bit of squeezing in the tuk-tuk

We’re basically just following the Chinese tour groups. Inside, it’s far too crowded to really view anything, but it is convenient to use the restroom. We’ve seen enough of the city for today. Outside the park, we take a tuk-tuk. With some squeezing, the five of us just manage to fit. I sit up front with the driver. Today’s driver also has a relaxed approach to traffic laws and red lights. He drives against traffic and, like yesterday’s driver, takes the roundabout the wrong way around. He seems to know what he’s doing though—we arrive at the hotel safely again. Back in the room, I take a shower and make sure I’m ready in time for the evening program. We take the metro back to the area near the Small Wild Goose Pagoda. We need to change lines once. At the theater, a dance performance about the Tang Dynasty is staged. The music, dancing, costumes, and decor are surprisingly beautiful. The cast consists of an impressive number of performers. After the show, we return by bus toward the Bell Tower. Due to the evening rush hour, it takes a while for bus 45 to arrive. In the restaurant, we have a private room with a large round table. The dishes are served on a rotating glass disc. And again, the food tastes great.

China - A dance performance about the Tang dynasty