Seeing the Terra Cotta Soldiers in person has always been on my travel bucket list. During a meltingly hot summer trip to China, I finally made it to Xi’an! Although I would recommend others to go at a much cooler time, it was still an unbelievable 3 days.
The Terracotta Army
There were no shades outside the Emperor Qingshihuang’s Mausoleum Museum and the inside was also stifling. I have never sweated so much in my life, but it was all worth it. You can read all about it and see all the pictures online, but you won’t know just how impressive it is until you’ve seen it with your own eyes. Every soldier has different facial features and a slightly different pose. But there are thousands of them!! Yep, my culture is amazing, since over two thousand years ago.
Tang Hot Spring Theme Park/Huaqing Palace
You won’t find roller coasters or any rides in this park. It’s a recreated Tang Dynasty style palace complex that shows how one of the Tang emperors and his wife(s) lived.
Hiking Mount Hua
It is shown as “Huashan Mountain“ on Google Maps when you google it, but that’s wrong! “Shan” means mountain in Chinese, so Huashan Mountain means Hua Mountain Mountain… It’s more commonly translated as Mount Hua. Chinese lessons aside, Hua is one of the eight most famous mountain ranges in China. It’s known for its steepness, which we experienced first hand. On the steeper steps, chain railings are provided to help people climb, but they will turn your shirt orange, just FYI.
Old Xi’an City Wall
Xi’an served as the capital of China for hundreds of years. Like all old capitals around the world, Xi’an was also fortified by tall city walls to defend against invasions. It is still well preserved today and is accessible to all who wish to patrol its top. You can even rent a bike and ride around the entire wall.
Muslim Quarter
No trip to Xi’an would be complete without eating the way through the Muslim Quarter. Bet you didn’t know there is actually a large Muslim population in parts of China.
