Xi’an - Booties, Buddhas and Dumplings and Walls and Warriors

Xi’an was a nice contrast to the bustle and politics of Beijing. After getting off the plane we were met by our guide Sally and headed straight to our first destination, a Han Dynasty Mausoleum with wonderful views of small warriors, clay pots and other artifacts. The statues were naked (and anatomically correct) and Sally explained that in the time of the emperor they would have been clothed in silk and armor and put into place. This is different than the famous Terra Cotta warriors that we would see on the second day where the armor and clothing were made of clay. The museum was very well done with glass floors so you could walk directly over the pits under excavation, but the most amusing thing – by far – was the bright blue booties we had to wear to protect those glass floors.

The next destination was the Wild Swan Pagoda, a working Buddhist temple in a park closer to downtown. Most everything has been recently renovated, but it was pretty to look at and get reminded of the Buddhism I learned in India. Unfortunately the tower was closed because it had been damaged by the earthquake which occurred in May.

For dinner, at the suggestion of our guide we went to a dumpling banquet and Tang Dynasty show. We were served 14 different kinds of dumplings over the course of about an hour – everything from pork dumplings shaped like little pigs, fish dumplings with tails, fig dumplings, fried dumplings – dumpling soup, the courses just kept coming. After getting stuffed, we watched a great show with singing, traditional musical instruments and beautiful dancing and fell into bed exhausted and full.

Day 2 Xi’an - Walls and Warriors
Our second day in Xi’an was damp. It never rained hard, but it rained steadily pretty much the entire day. We started at the city wall. It is one of the few in China that is still complete, delineating the borders of the old city. If the weather were better we could have bicycled on the top, but instead we just took the opportunity for a couple of pictures. Since my sister never did learn how to ride a bicycle, she was very relieved that it was raining.

Before visiting the actual warriors we visited a factory where they make reproductions of them. It was interesting to learn how the process worked. For example, the heads are made separately and then inserted into the necks because if they were made in one piece they would explode in the kiln. Mom succumbed to the “garden size” statues and bought a couple. Then we visited the actual warriors. My grandparents had the opportunity to visit Xi’an in 1984 when there was little more than a tent covering the warriors. Now there are three main pits with enclosures and museums. The number of figures is overwhelming – close to 6,000 between the pits. It was special to be there and think of Grandma and Grandpa covering the same ground. As long as someone remembers you – whether you leave a huge tomb full of warriors, or just memories with people who love you, you continue.
Our final tourist stop was to visit the mosque in the old part of the city. It was a mosque but entirely Chinese architecture which was unique. Anne finally got to do some shopping in the bazaar and we all ate this dried peanut paste – kind of like the inside of a Butterfinger candy bar as we walked through the streets.

That was Xi’an. I’d like to go back and ride a bicycle on the wall and maybe eat some more dumplings. I’ll post links to photos in the next day or two.

G