Xi'an

The night before we left for Xi'an we went to a show at a local bar. A few classmates of mine from Delaware who are all in Beijing for a year on respective and various scholarships formed a band and were playing at a bar run by a Frenchman. A bunch of us went and a few other UD kids on scholarship in Beijing were there too, so it was a little impromptu reunion.

The next morning we flew to Xi'an. I had been looking forward to this part of the trip since I signed up for the program. When we landed I looked out the window and was surprised by the extremely limited visibility on the tarmac. This summer had certainly had its share of smog and haze, but this was far worse. Several classmates asked me if it had been equally bad when I was there this past summer, but I replied that it had not been that awful. A major contributor to the increased pollution is coal burning for electricity to keep warm in the winter. Many of us, myself included, quickly felt the effects of the poor air quality. Compounded by the dry air, we have developed coughs and colds. Hopefully the less polluted, more humid air of Shanghai will help relieve of us our obnoxious/inconvenient ailments.

After collecting our bags and making the 40 minute drive from the airport into the city, we went to the city wall, where I had biked and ran this summer. Thanks to the upcoming new year, there were countless decorations on the wall that somewhat resembled gaudy paper maché creations made by a preschooler. Fluorescent pinks, greens, and yellows covered oxen, people, dinosaurs (I don't know why), and various other scenes that lacked any clear connection to the new year. We had been told not to venture too far down the wall (8-9 miles in circumference) because we were departing in 45 minutes for dinner, but a few choice individuals decided to circumnavigate the wall on their bikes anyways. Because that trip takes about 90 minutes, the rest of us waited on the bus until they returned. Once we were on our way, we went to dinner. It happened to be at the same restaurant where I met my professor for lunch this summer when he came through Xi'an. After dinner we went to the hotel and got settled in. I walked to a nearby convenience store with a couple of friends to get ice cream (of course), then called it a night.

Our first morning (yesterday) in Xi'an we got up and ventured outside of the village to the neolithic of Banpo. It dates back approximately 6,000 years and is cited as the first settlement in the area. Since Xi'an and Shaanxi Province are credited as the birthplace of Chinese civilization, Banpo is the...birthplace of the birthplace? There were remains of villagers and the outlines of housing structures. It was interesting to see artifacts that were so incredibly old. We made our way further outside of the city to the Terracotta Soldiers. It was cool to see them again, but it did feel a bit repetitive to spend the better part of three hours there--mostly because there is so much to do and see in Xi'an and we had only a brief stay to do as much as possible. After the Soldiers we went to the Hot Springs where the old Tang Emperors were said to bathe with their concubines. It is located at the foot of an extinct volcano (fun fact), which keeps the water around the 104 degree spot. It felt a little artificial, but the grounds were pretty nonetheless--and the backdrop of the mountains/volcano was gorgeous. When we got back to the city I took a few friends to an Indian restaurant near where I lived this summer. When we walked in the place was full of Indians and Chinese--making us the minority. By the end of the evening we were pretty exhausted from the long day, so we made our way back to the hotel and crashed.

Today we went to the Muslim Quarter and the mosque in the morning. We wandered around the market place and I found many of the merchants with whom I had become friends this summer. They provided plenty of entertainment to my classmates who were wandering the alleys with me. Because the merchants knew me from before they gave most of my friends discounts on their purchases. Once we had wrapped up at the Muslim Quarter, we went to the Forest of Stone Tablets. It sounds rather ominous, but in reality it is a collection of enormous stone tablets with Chinese text on them that are several hundred years old. It was really interesting to see how small and perfect and beautifully the characters were carved into massive slabs of rock...and, of course, the grounds were beautiful.

While everyone else went to the Shaanxi Provincial History Museum (where I worked this summer), I went across the street to my old apartment to see my friends. Two of my friends from the summer where still in town, so I got to see them for an hour or so and catch up. I had been looking forward to seeing them since I left Xi'an in August, so I was extremely happy to have the opportunity to see them again. All too soon I had to rendezvous with my group to go to the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. It was a bittersweet goodbye to my friends from this summer, not knowing when I would se them next, but I am so glad I got to see them this afternoon. We then went down the street to the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. At one point--about 1,000 years ago during the Tang Dynasty--it was the tallest structure in the world. The emperor at the time built it for a monk who brought back Buddhist scriptures from India so that he could translate them all into Chinese. I had visited grounds this summer, but they are absolutely gorgeous so I did not object to a repeat. (I should add that today's weather was fantastic--nearly 50 and clear blue skies, which made the day's adventures even more enjoyable.)

I certainly wish we could spend several more days in Xi'an--I really love this city...pollution and all. Tomorrow morning (very early) we leave for Shanghai. More adventures to come.