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Published: February 21st 2011
Friday 11th February
We have arrived in Xi'an (pronounced Shee an) in the Shaanxi Region where our new guide, who name is Ivy, was waiting with our driver to take us the short journey into Xi'an city.
The journey into the city was mind blowing in itself due to the scale of construction thats going on in the fields on either side of us. Large high rise complexes with cranes on top tower above us. Its not one high rise but a group of around a dozen folowed by another clump of another style of ten to fifteen high rise flats all with at least 30 floors. Then another clump of high rise, its relentless to the point its unbelievable.
Ivy tells us its a local joke that the Chinese now have a new animal to celebrate this year, 'The Crane'. 😊
We are sitting gobsmacked at the sheer scale of the building projects and wonder where are all the people coming from to fill the rooms. Xi'an is hosting this years EXPO which is expected to attract 12million people into the city so maybe their trying to impress someone.
The discovery of the terracotta army, in the tomb
of the first Chinese Emperor in 1974 brought Xi’an worldwide celebrity. The population is currently estimated at more than 6 million people, and it now is one of the centres of the Chinese aerospace development program. Also the importance of the Silk Road is relevant in the history and development of the City.
Xi'an is rich in history as it was once the largest city in the world in around 500 AD and Xian was once the capital of China during the Sui Dynasty from around 200 AD until around 900AD.
The center of the city is enclosed inside a large Fortified Wall which boasts at being the most complete city wall to have survived through China's long history. The City Wall is nearly 14 kilometres in length as its a perfect Square shape judging by the maps and it encircles a much smaller city of 14 km².
We passed under the archway of the north Gate and immediately we are amazed at how intact and well preserved the wall is as we glanced back. We actually can't see where it starts or ends its that big because its 20m thick at the base. hopefully we'll investigate the wall
further in the next few days.
We passed three large coal fired power stations which were spewing out large volumes of smoke into the air to the point theres a constant smog of grey in the air as we enter into the city. The city begins proper once we hit traffic and its a free for all as expected. Bike and cars jostle for space and like Beijing, green and red lights don't really matter unless someone's already thought of going before you!
A short distance up the busy road from here we spotted the Bell Tower of Xi'an which is located slap bang middle of a large and very busy Roundabout. Built in 1384 during the early Ming Dynasty, is a symbol of the city of Xi'an and one of the grandest of its kind in China. The Bell Tower also contains several large bronze-cast bells from the Tang Dynasty. The tower base is square and made of brick and timber and close to 40 meters high.
We've arrived at the newly completed Skytel Hotel which is a three star hotel not far from the main shopping area beside the South Entrance of the Xi'an City
Wall. We check in, unpack and shower before heading out.
We spend the evening wandering around Muslim Street which is well known for its culture of street food. At night the street is full of snack bars and restaurants doubled up with food stalls lining the kerb, some of which which sell the local speciality of dumplings. We ate dinner at a nice restaurant and paid around £5 for our meal and drinks before heading home past the Drum Temple which shone golden in colour.
On our route home was the equally beautiful Bell tower that we had seen earlier but now its all lit up and looks great. As we approached our hotel we could see the South Gate of the City wall shining in the distance and its looks like theres a show of some kind going on as the music is thumping. Ths music is still blaring as we doze off for the night around midnight.
Saturday 12th February
The Breakfast would've been fine at the hotel if it wasn't for the Chinese guests all smoking at the table next to us. Theres no smoking ban in China yet and its becoming apparent that a large
majority of people in this country smoke...alot! We hurriedly ate up and left the breakfast room almost choking.
Our first stop of the day is the Big Wild Goose Pagoda which is just a short drive not far from our hotel.
The Wild Goose Pagoda was built in 652ad during the Tang Dynasty and originally had five stories, although the structure was rebuilt in 704 and renovated during the Ming Dynasty and increased to Ten stories. A fire later reduced the height to only 7 stories which it has today and we noticed it does tilt to one side when looking at it straight on.
One of the pagoda's many functions was to hold sutras and figurines of the Buddha that were brought to China from India by the Buddhist translator and traveler Xuanzang (Tripitaka). We both thought of the character from the TV show from the eighties, Monkey, much to our delight so you could imagine us fannying about singing the theme tune.
Xuanzang became a monk at the age of thirteen and was concerned about the incomplete and misinterpreted nature of the Buddhist scriptures that reached China from India in the years gone by.
Xuanzang
was fully ordained as a monk in 622ad, at the age of twenty.
Xuanzang became famous for his seventeen year overland journey to India, which is recorded in detail in his autobiography and a biography, and which provided the inspiration for the epic novel Journey to the West. He travelled the Silk Road to India and encountered many people and transformed lives as he went on his journey.
Our journey through the various pagoda's and houses in the grounds of the Goose Pagoda took us past paintings, carvings and drawings depicting the journey Tripitaka had taken all those years ago.
Buddhism in China is all thanks to this guy and his mission although the paintings and scriptures we read around the buildings Wild goose Pagoda made no mention of Pigsy, Sandy or Monkey. 😊
All around the Big Wild Goose Pagoda are lots of halls and Buddhist temples with lots of Golden Shrines and monuments inscribed with messages. There's pavilions and gardens which help to make this compound a tranquil and peacful place as you would expect by being built by Buddhist monks.
We walked around the grounds and past the Buddhist Monk village where there's still about 80
monks living and using this area to practice their religion. We're soon leaving the compound observing the lovely stone carved walls and structures as we walk out and around to our waiting car which whisks us off through the city and towards our next stop.
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Fred
non-member comment
Still going strong
Well you are still bashing out the blogs, reckon it's good training if you want become a reporter or correspondent, shows good staying power. You do of course need a good secretary and I imagine Jill does a lot to encourage you, does she keep notes, Sam is hopeless, but thankfuly he does have a good memory and a wonderful sense of direction.