X is for Xian
Xian (pronounced She-an) was part of my first trip to mainland China in April 2003. Visiting the Terracotta Warriors was undoubtedly the highlight – thousands of them marching towards you, as they have been for 2000 years, and many more still to be excavated. Amazing. Less pleasantly, I remember the toilet arrangements at the Small Wild Goose Pagoda being the worst I have ever encountered. And that’s saying something – there might be a book in there someday!
Tang Dynasty Theatre
Garden Hotel
Small Wild Goose Pagoda
Morning exercise
Jade factory
Terracotta warriors
Terracotta warriors
Terracotta warriors
Terracotta warriors
The Glasgow Gallivanter 
The Warriors at Qin Shi Huang’s Unesco World Heritage Site
aretruly special. Well worth a visit from the city off Xian.
It takes about an hour by taxi to reach the site.
Great photo opportunities.
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I am probably the only tourist in the world who visited Xi’an and didn’t go to see the terracotta warriors. There was heavy rain throughout my stay there and we were two independent backpackers. The friend braved it and went but I stayed dry back in the hotel. I have been to many places around China, always with a backpack and using trains and buses.
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You missed a treat! However, I wouldn’t be brave enough to tackle China as a backpacker (or anywhere, actually.)
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Backpacking is the way to go, staying in budget hotels and travelling by railway sleeping car. I don’t think I ever missed my daily shower and travelled in China for around £8 a day excluding transport and admission charges. That way I could stay in China for a month each time and niot break the bank. Trying to buy railway tickets in sign language with 20 people waiting behind us can be a bit taxing though.
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Hmm, definitely not brave enough!
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The terracotta warriors are amazing! And what painstaking work to unearth them.
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They are! And the incredible effort to make them all in the first place.
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I am so glad I am not the only person that makes comments about toilets, my husband now asks me how I rate the toilets wherever we go because I have expressed so many thoughts about them in the past. 🙂
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They are very important! And I have found some absolute shockers – definitely a book in there.
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Some shockers and some that have absolutely surprised me – I remember heading into a local market in Italy years ago, expecting to find a horrendous toilet, only to find the cleanest, albeit hole in the ground, I have ever come across. I think a book would be appreciated by so many – at least they would then know what to expect 🙂
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I don’t get the hole in the ground thing. The older I get the harder getting up and down is and you certainly don’t want to touch the floor. It must be really difficult for elderly people.
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Given the option its not my preference, coming from the UK its not the natural choice either. I remember my first experience at the age of 11, it was quite a shock. I think the majority of countries are slowly moving over to what I call a ‘proper’ toilet and what I often hear being referred to on my travels as a ‘British’ toilet. 🙂
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British, hmm, didn’t think we had the monopoly! But possible a legacy of the British Empire in many parts of the world?
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Maybe! It did shock me if I am truthful 🙂
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Oh…don’t start me on the toilets in China…you can imagine how they were 20 years before you went!! No wonder I have no desire to go back!
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It does make it very difficult. I’m glad I’ve seen what I’ve already seen but it does temper my desire to go back.
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Terracotta warriors- maybe I should add in Xi’an along with my Shanghai visit- I am just dreaming- thanks for the inspiring travel posts!
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Maybe! We went on a different trip from Shanghai so I’m not sure how feasible that is, but definitely worth keeping on your wish list.
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Stopping in from the A-Z challenge! Great blog.
Expatbrazil
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Thank you – just visited yours too.
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I’d love to see the Terracotta Warriors one day – they look so cool and mysterious!
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I hope you get a chance – they are so worth seeing.
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I could imagine how overwhelming it must have been to be so close to the warriors — to imagine the past. The building in the top picture looks stunning.
Silvia @
SilviaWrites
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Thanks Silvia – it was stunning and the warriors were just awesome to behold.
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I’ve seen a small collection of terra cotta warriors here in Dallas, but would love to see an actual exhibit like this one!
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I had seen a few at a museum in England before we went, but to appreciate the scale you really, really have to be there!
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We didn’t make it to the Xian warriers. I went with school and our teacher opted to try something new with our group and replaced Xian with the hanging temples in Datong (which were really cool) and a cave nearby with hundreds of Buddha statues. I know I’ll go back some day and check it out. We have an exhibit near by that I need to check in the meantime.
And to be honest, the one thing that always stops me from booking a trip to China immediately is the bathroom situation. I can’t even think about it.
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Sometimes you just have to grit your teeth – and hold your nose! It is a shock when even quite modern looking places have “challenging” facilities.
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Xian was a magical city for me and my two girls. We loved it!
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Xian is a popular choice today! We were only there for a short time – sure there’s much more to see, but nothing could top those warriors.
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I’d love to see this. The Minneapolis Institute of Arts had a display last year and it was amazing. Now that I have seen Terracotta Warriors and Giant Pandas on loan from China I need to find out what, if anything, the USA loans to China.
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One of the most awe-inspiring examples of human endeavour I have seen. Each one is different, and all to massage the ego of one man!
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He he he – well there was some ups and downs right? The terracotta soldiers look awesome . Happy you didn’t share the washroom-picture:-) Nice X – Anabel:-)
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I was too shocked to take a washroom picture! Think communal trench…..
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This is another must see for me. I remember when they were discovered and Reagan making the trip there. I also was amazed at how colourful they originally were. I can’t believe the scope of work and how many years it must have taken to do this army
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The past was much more colourful than we think – my favourite castle at Stirling has a reproduction ceiling which has been painted as they think it would have been from traces of colour found in the original and the Great Hall has been harled in ochre. Gorgeous! Back to the warriors – I did hear one English guy come out saying “well that was underwhelming”. What??!!
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