Planning a Trip to Xi'an

Bring lots of wet tissues, tissues, antibacterial hand wash and toilet papers for convenience!

A remarkable city historically .... a major point on the Silk Road in China and the starting point westwards ... just being there makes you feel you are on the Silk Road adventure ...of course, Xi'an is now otherwise small and dusty and, from a tourist viewpoint, synonymous with the Terracotta Army - a bewildering archaelogical find... hundreds of human-sized terracotta warriors discovered accidentally by a local man who, incidentally, is still there (at least was there when I went in 1998) and is a bit of an institution himself ... he is a simple person, you can click a photo with him, look at him, and talk to him if you know Chinese ... Xi'an is on the train route from Beijing to the South and a changing point for heading west to Urumchi or Lhasa, southeast to Hunan or Canton, or southwest to Szechwan or Yunnan ... the train ride itself is fascinating in this region, co-passengers chat away over swig after swig of vodka or mug after mug of green tea, and bite after bite of assorted foods brought with them or bought along the way... food and drink are often shared and, depending on the folks in your compartment, you may discover unique slices of Chinese life ... from folks headed on long tough journeys to Central Asia, to genteel Chengdu elders, to Cantonese couples or singles...

A remarkable city historically .... a major point on the Silk Road in China and the starting point westwards ... just being there makes you feel you are on the Silk Road adventure ...of course, Xi'an is now otherwise small and dusty and, from a tourist viewpoint, synonymous with the Terracotta Army - a bewildering archaelogical find... hundreds of human-sized terracotta warriors discovered accidentally by a local man who, incidentally, is still there (at least was there when I went in 1998) and is a bit of an institution himself ... he is a simple person, you can click a photo with him, look at him, and talk to him if you know Chinese ... Xi'an is on the train route from Beijing to the South and a changing point for heading west to Urumchi or Lhasa, southeast to Hunan or Canton, or southwest to Szechwan or Yunnan ... the train ride itself is fascinating in this region, co-passengers chat away over swig after swig of vodka or mug after mug of green tea, and bite after bite of assorted foods brought with them or bought along the way... food and drink are often shared and, depending on the folks in your compartment, you may discover unique slices of Chinese life ... from folks headed on long tough journeys to Central Asia, to genteel Chengdu elders, to Cantonese couples or singles...

Terracotta Warriors - it is extremely easy to get a student ticket here since the ticket sellers don't even bother looking at an ID. Just have any picture ID ready in case and say "xuesheng piao". Your ticket is now half the price.

Bargain for Terra Cotta Warriors souvenirs at the small stalls on the streets, learn some mandarin, bring a phrasebook with you. You will get a lot cheaper if you know and understand a bit Chinese.

Visiting the Muslim Quarter is a must for some of the tastiest food in China.

Xi'an est une ville chinoise connue grâce à son armée en terre cuite (site découvert il y a quelques années par hasard et qui attire aujourd'hui un grand nombre de visiteurs). On y trouve une armée en terre cuite grandeur nature...

Xi'an is a beautiful fortified city. When in Xi'an take the time to walk on the top of the walls, where you get an impressive view of the city. Also, you may visit the impressive Terracotta army or the Wild Goose Pagoda, both worth it.