Night Life

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Today we saw the Terracotta Soldiers and the Banpo Neolithic Village site. Blah, blah, blah... Nothing good ever happens until the evening.

We went to a jiaozi banquet and Tang Dynasty show in the evening. They brought more and more and more and more dumplings: far too many to eat. They could have lasted us for days. But they were good, so we kept eating them. And they are folded into the cutest, most delicate shapes: rabbits, and frogs, and stars... They also served rice wine with our meal, which was sweet and warm. I liked it.

The show was the same as one I had seen when I was in China six years ago, and I enjoyed it just as much.

Tonight I decided not to go to Fantasy. Instead I went to the Xian night market with a big group. It is especially festive this weekend because there is an opera festival going on. And it is unlike anything I have ever seen in America. Vendors trail long strings of miniature kites. Carnival games are set up on the sidewalk, and all sorts of different foods are available for consumption.

A few of us went with Professors Cathcart and Youtz into an old high official's home, which is now the Xian Art Academy. This is a beautiful courtyard style construction from the Ming Dynasty. We also watched a traditional shadow puppet show while we were there. I almost wish I were studying there, rather than at Sichuan Daxue.

I returned to the hotel and fell asleep before Clare came back, and she did not wake me up.

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Photos

Breakfast
Scrambled eggs and pumpkin flavored baozi.

The site of the well
the soldiers were first found in.

Creepy terracotta soldier.
Raising money for children.