Xi'an....Do the warriors in reverse order Pits 3,2,then 1!

---

Arriving very late into a rainy Xi’an, we risked our lives on a tuk-tuk amongst the unordered traffic and thankfully spotted the Bell tower YHA hostel that had room for us!

The next day had been a long time coming. Having wanted to see the Terracotta Warriors for a long long time, I was very excited and hoped they would live up to my expectations. After the bun fight of boarding the 915 bus at the train station, we were on our way!

An hour later, and we marched past the standard tourist trap shops, which thankfully are not allowed past the entry gate, creating quite a nice are for the terracotta warrior pits and museum. The best advice we were given was to look at the pits in reverse order. Pit 2 and 3 were very interesting, and great to see, but the real awe was in pit 1. I thought it was incredible, and really surpassed my expectations, taking my breath away! So good in fact, we popped back for a final glance before we left.

It is tastefully done, with plenty of information to read, and you can walk round each pit completely. I’d be interested in going back in a couple of decades to see how many more they have unearthed….so far there are around 2000, with an estimated 4000 more underground.

Each warrior is different and so detailed, it is so impressive. They were made in honour of the first emperor, and then they were all buried! They were only found because someone decided to dig a well.


As for the rest of Xi’an, we enjoyed another day and a half there - the bell tower and the drum tower were good - I enjoyed the music performance in the bell tower. The Muslim quarter had a real street vibe to it and was interesting to walk around, as well as a visit to an ancient mosque over 1250 years old, and still used. A slow stroll through the manic night markets was a sight as well - always lots to see and take in as Xi’an life goes by! Beware of sharp wooden sticks around the squid sellers - a very popular (and tasty) snack - barbecued squid on a stick.

We watched the fountain show in front of the big goose pagoda which was impressive, but be warned you may get wet if you stand near the fountains as people like to redirect the spray with their feet! Lots of kids were running around in it getting wet!

The traffic in Xi’an is crazy - there is no order, cars on pavements, silent scooters coming towards you and no lane-etiquette! Be prepared to risk your life each time you cross the road!

Next stop…the capital! I think I’m ready for the 15million inhabitants of Beijing!

J x

---

Photos

Pit 2
At times, it seemed like a mass grave, the figures are so life like.