Shaanxi

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Any trip along the Silk Road must begin at its starting point: Xi'an, modern day Chang'an, one of the great ancient capitals of China. Most famous today for being the home of the terracotta warriors, the silent army that has guarded the tomb of Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China, for over two thousand years. Qin Shi Huang was the first to unify China, build the Great Wall, standardise the writing and introduce common coins and measures. In his spare time he prepared for his afterlife by building a mighty tomb complex, complete with underground halls and corridors and even a river of mercury, which was guarded by thousands of statues, each individually modelled, with distinct features and hair styles. They have not changed much since I first came to visit over 12 years ago, yet they remain as impressive as at first sight, and perhaps the most astonishing thought as you walk past the sea of soldiers is that you only see a fraction of them, the majority still lies undisturbed underground.

The one thing that has changed since 1996 is that there is now a KFC at the entrance to the terracotta army. The wave of development has hit Xi'an full force, and if western chain stores are any measure of that, there were two McDonalds, two Starbucks and one Haagen Dazs on the same intersection as our hostel. Luckily we were also within walking distance of the muslim quarter with its bustling night market selling local specialities such as yangrou paomo, a mutton dish with bread and noodles soaked in broth, and chewy rice cakes with dried plums and crushed nuts. Hidden among these busy alleyways is Xi'an's mosque: curiously a distincly Chinese looking place, with Chinese arches and a succession of buildings culminating in one main hall. If it wasn't for the Arabic writing above the arches one might easily mistake it for a temple. Xi'an may have a long and strong muslim history, but this is still very much the Chinese heartland...

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Photos

At the museum ticket booth
"Tickets for foreigners and other domestic visitors" - I guess I'll queue up here then..