CHINA: Macau Chongqing to Yichang (via the Yangtze River) X'ian Beijing
3.04.09
We spent four days in Xi'an, four weeks would have been more appropriate. I felt this city to be a historic and cultural centre for China. It contained a liberal sprinkling of museums, historical and cultural artefacts.
Another point of interest, most motorcycles were electric. It was hard to find one that burnt fuel. Buses were also electric in the city, drawing power from overhead cables.
Xi'an (also Hsi-an or Sian), city in northern China, capital of Shaanxi (Shensi) Province, the cultural and industrial centre of the historic and agriculturally rich Wei River valley. Manufactured goods include cotton textiles, electrical equipment, machinery, and fertilizers. Xi'an Jiaotong University (1896) is here. Landmarks of special interest are the tomb of China's first emperor, Shi Huangdi, archaeological excavations of which began in 1977; Shaanxi Provincial Museum, repository of some of the region's rich archaeological discoveries; the Big and Little Goose Pagodas, remnants of a once famous 7th-century Buddhist retreat; the Great Mosque, which has served the city's large Muslim population since the 8th century; and a city wall dating from the Ming (1368-1644) dynasty. Nearby landmarks include the partly explored tombs of the Tang emperors (618-906); four tumuli (burial mounds), said to be tombs of the Zhou (c. 1027-221 bc) kings; Xi'an Hot Springs; and Banpo, a neolithic village (c. 6000 bc).
Xi'an, one of China's oldest cities, was the capital of the Zhou, Qin (221-206 bc), and Western (earlier) Han (206 bc-ad 8) dynasties. It was again the capital under the Sui (581-617) emperors, and, known as Changan (also Ch'ang-an and Chang An), was the capital and prosperous eastern terminus of Central Asian trade routes under the Tang emperors. Abandoned as the capital after the fall of the Tang, it began a long period of decline that lasted until the Ming dynasty. In 1936 the Chinese Nationalist leader Chiang Kai-shek was kidnapped here, and held captive until he agreed to join the Communists in a united front against the Japanese. Rapid industrialization of the city began in the 1950s. Population 6,940,000 (2007 estimate).
Terracotta Army, collection of over 6,000 life-size terracotta statues of soldiers and horses, discovered in March 1974 at Qin, near the city of Xi’an. Farmers drilling a well found a subterranean chamber containing terracotta statues. Further investigation subsequently revealed the amazing scale of the discovery. The figures, facing east, ready for battle, were individually modeled, probably as portraits of real people, and they were accompanied by real chariots, bronze and leather bridles, and objects of jade and bone. Their weapons included bows, arrows, spears, and swords, many made from an unusual alloy that was still bright and sharp when found.
The Terracotta Army has been identified as part of the burial of Shi Huangdi, the first Qin emperor of China, who began the construction of the Great Wall of China. The tomb was built around 2,100 years ago, and the Terracotta Army is thought to be part of a funeral compound that could have covered a huge area of up to 50 sq km. Ancient Chinese writings describe the building of a vast underground palace concealed under a mound to house the dead emperor. Whatever the truth of these reports, there is no doubt that more still remains to be discovered at the site. The main tomb itself is still unexcavated, but other finds already include a series of large bronzes, the earliest so far known in China, and over 70 individual burials. The site was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987.
Chinese food in China is an interesting experience. Quality excellent but the content sometimes unusual to our sight and taste.
Riding upon the ancient wall surrounding the inner city of Xi'an.
Drum Tower at the city centre
Blossom
Eric and Berit
The amazing Terracotta Army