History, Warriors....SNACKS?! Count Me In.

Xi'an

The next city along our little journey is a place called Xi'an. Xi'an is a city full of history. I loved this place!! In fact, it definitely made my top 5 list of cities in China. I can't really explain where my love for this place comes from. Perhaps it is the fascinating history surrounding it, such as the old city wall or the Terracotta Warriors. But, it might also be the Muslim Quarter in the city. Why do I love the Muslim Quarter, you might ask? Well, that is simple. Snacks. Yes. I said it. Snacks. The most delicious, creative, delightful, and bountiful snack street I have ever seen. And, those of you who know me well know that I am quite driven by such things. Who doesn't like a good party in their mouth?! Another great part of this city was my company. I had such a good time with my friends Brett, Alex and Danny. Twas quite fun indeed. Without further ado, here is a visual glimpse into Xi'an!

We were fascinated by the contents of this shop. I had to document the awe of the moment. Donuts AND Taiwan Fun Drinks?! Heck yes!

Yes. They are special, aren't they!

Alex is standing next to a map of Xi'an. Notice the large rectangle around it. That is the old city wall that we were about to explore!

The city wall was such a cool part of the city! The wall was originally built during the Ming dynasty in the 14th century. Many parts of the wall have been rebuilt and changed since then, but it is still a great piece of history! The wall surrounds the entire inner city of Xi'an. We rented bikes and rode around the wall. It was so fun! It took about 2 hours total. I felt like a kid again. I was zooming everywhere, hiding from my friends, racing up inclines, etc. It was quite the good time.

A view of the gate into the city.

Look! I'm on a wall. Fascinating...

A bike's eye view of the wall.



The gang's all here!

A view of the city from the wall.

These poles lined the wall. I loved the detailing at the top. A little baby dragon!

Muslim Quarter
The Muslim Quarter was such a cool part of town! As I mentioned before, the Muslim Quarter was a street lined with snacks and shops. I loved it. We just wandered along the street buying snacks, talking, taking pictures and just having a grand ole time.

These men were making my favorite meal from Xi'an! (Pictured below)

Here is a lamb stew. So delicious! It has a Chinese name of course. But...naturally, I can't pronounce or spell it. So, lamb stew it is!

Here is an artistic view of the street. It is quite blurry, but I kind of like it! Oh, and no...the street was not on fire.

This was the BEST. It is basically a Chinese version of an English Muffin. But...it might even be better. At least, it was more greasy. Yum.

 One of the best attractions in Xi'an was the Terracotta Warriors. These were so cool! The Terracotta Warriors are terracotta replicas that were placed around the tomb of Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China!! They were created and buried with the emperor in 210-209 BC in order to protect him in his afterlife. There is an entire army of these warriors, placed in three different pits that surround the tomb. It is estimated that there are over 8,000 warriors, 130 chariots, 520 horses and 150 calvary horses in the tombs. There are incredible details on all of the figures. They all have different faces, expressions and poses. It was quite the sight to see!! The Terracotta Army was discovered by a farmer digging a well in 1974. The farmer who discovered the warriors was actually at the museum the day we were there! I was able to get his autograph on a book. So cool! This place really is an awesome piece of history. The pictures didn't come out great, but here you go!

The columns are different rooms that the warriors were placed in. Well, they aren't exactly rooms...but I can't think of a better term for them. So...yeah.

A close-up view of the remains of the warriors. All of the warriors that have been found are broken. EXCEPT for one. I will show you him in a bit.

One of the horses! The hole in his side was left their on purpose. It helps with the firing of the clay. Or something like that.

Here is the only unbroken warrior! He is the "lucky one."

Here is a view from Pit#2. Many of these warriors are in good shape!

Rows of warriors! This is the largets pit. So huge! It was like a football stadium.



This is hard to see, but it is a panorama of the largest pit. So many soldiers!

Random Stuff
Well, that about sums up my trip to Xi'an. But, before I stop rambling, I have two more pictures to show you. I don't really know where they fit in. So...here they are.

Wild dog spotting. We barely escaped.

If you ever wondered about how Chinese people (especially children) react when they see me...here you go. Utter shock and awe. I never knew how "special" I was until I came to China.

The end.