Xi’an

An early morning call and we head for the airport for the journey to Xian.  It's nearly 100 degrees when we arrive in, what must surely be the most smoggy city in existence.  A combination of car pollution, sand-filled winds blowing off the northern desert and construction makes this city of 6 million people a hard place to live in, let alone visit.   This is the ancient capital of China and the starting point of the historic Silk Road.  Today it has a highly educated population and houses no less than 50 universities.  The silk industry is closing down – a victim of competition and outdated technology.

Today is one of the great highlights of our trip, with a visit to the army of terracotta warriors.  Discovered in 1974 by farmers digging a well (we met one of the farmers signing autographs), the “Eighth Wonder of the World” is 2,200 years old and comprises a staggering collection of over 1,000 life-sized terracotta statues, each one uniquely different and carved in exquisite detail.  The warriors are contained in several huge hangars and the excavation is far from complete.

The first Emperor of China, Qin Shihuang was one of the greatest megalomaniacs of history.  He connected the various walls protecting China's northern borders to create the single Great Wall.  Later, he built this incredible army of clay soldiers to guard his (yet unexcavated) tomb which lies a mile from the warriors.  

The statues are all different.  Each one appears to be a personal portrait.  No two faces are alike.  They stand in military formation in infantry battle order.

The clay army was destroyed in a rebellion over 2,000 years ago and excavation and restoration has been going on for  the past 26 years.  The site is so vast that it may take another 100 years to entirely excavate and explore it.  The site receives nearly 10,000 visitors a day, although on this year’s May Day holiday, they hit an attendance record of 50,000 people.  Glad we weren’t there!  

Xi'an has several other interesting sites including bell and drum towers and a city wall, like most large Chinese cities.  The new museum is quite magnificent.  Paper was invented here.  Xi'an is one of the great cities in the history of civilization.

      Delivery Bike          Sunday Afternoon Drive               Kids                    Mother & Daughter             Clay Soldiers                Clay Horses

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