Ancient meets Modern China

A pack of warriors
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As the train hurtled through the Chinese countryside we noticed the scenery changing from the sub-tropical green of the south into the semi-arid browns of the north. Given the fat conductor had turned the lights out at 9.30pm to satisfy his own craving for laziness, by 9am in the morning much of the group at started getting cabin fever.

Xi'an is one of China's most ancient cities. Originally settled in 3000BC it is famed for beings its capital for 13 dynasties and being the original starting point for the Silk Road. Today it is unsurprisingly dealing with unprecedented construction and growth and outside the 14km of city walls spreads another Chinese monolith of steel.

The extent of the main excavation
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The group travelled together early to the mildly impressive Great Goose Pagoda. From there we split up and travelled ourselves around the city. First up was the Muslim Quarter with its narrow winding streets and stalls of incredibly trashy souvenirs. Emma and I left with a Mah Jongg set which I suggest we paid too much for and hid from mountains of other rubbish designed to trap tourists into believing they are getting authentic souvenirs. Nearby was the Bell and Drum Towers which gave Xi'an its own form of the Arc de Triomphe.

Examples of the detail in the works
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The next morning we were out to Xi'an's most famous sight, The Terracotta Warriors. Dubiously dubbed as the 8th Wonder of the World, first impressions showed a tourist magnet of gigantic proportions developed beyond belief for the upcoming Olympics. Back in 1974, well diggers stumbled across the ruins of infantry units made of clay. Excavations since have uncovered 8000 units of army units designed to protect the Great Emperor Qin in his afterlife. The skeptic inside of me can't help but wonder if the Chinese are pulling a swifty on us but none the less the sheer scale and wonder of it all is impressive.

Some Roast Beijing Duck at King Town
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Despite the historical sights, Xi'an may well be remembered for King Town restaurant. Here we battled the language barrier to dine like kings in what was a fairly plush restaurant. We opted against the local delicacies of duck jaw, chicken feet and goose intestine for a more standard and moorish fare.

Xi'an does have its little charms making it a far more rewarding city to travel. Near the South Gate is an area which looks to be a reconstruction of ancient Chinese hutongs (old streets) filled with local artists and slightly more appealing souvenirs. This finally gave us a glimpse of the China we expected and was a welcome relief from the six lane roads and constant pedestrian battles.