Xian has many names because it was the capital city for 13 dynasties in China over 1200 years out of its 6000 years of history. It is strategically located by the elbow of Yellow River and also is surrounded the mountains with a narrow valley to pass through. So it was the favorite city for many dynasties. Its former names include Gaojing, Changan, Xianyang, and Chanan. Among them, Changan was the longest used. It means "Long Comfort or Rest." No wonder.
The tour guide said that Xian now is the second tier city in China with the population of "only 9 million." It is the perception in light of the fact that there are many countries whose population is less than 9 million. Well...
Dancing in the Rain. - In the morning, it was raining. Nonetheless, the group went out to a park where people were doing the morning exercise. It was a simple rhythmic music which people followed for soft movements. A whole bunch of the tourists joined them despite the rain.
Xian is famous for the Terracotta Army. Terracotta, a type of earthenware, is a clay-based glazed or unglazed ceramic. Around the tomb of the first emperor of Qin Dynasty, Qin Shi Huang, a farmer discovered the head of one terracotta warrior in 1974 and it was the beginning of excavating thousands of terracotta sculptures of life-size soldiers. After digging out 6000 sculptures, the excavation is still underway and nobody could tell how long it will take to complete the excavation.
We visited a factory where terracotta army copies are made for commercial purposes.
Can you tell who this guy looks like?
Also there was a lacquerware furniture factory. Over here, I dropped a sword and broke the handle. I had to settle for a small amount of money to pay for the postage cost. Ooops!
We saw a cake shaped as an ugly dog. It looked real!
On the way out, we were invited to watch a wedding party. They just saw Caucasians and welcome them in.
There are three phases of excavation sites in the museum.
Originally, the sculptures were painted with lacquer. But over time the color has tarnished particularly after they were exposed to the sun. Germans developed chemical to preserve the color, but most of them have lost the original color.
One German guy sneaked into the site and stood among the warriors pretending to be one of them. The photo showed him along with others. Could you tell?
Excavation is still underway.
Bronze Chariots Museum exhibited bronze works, including the famous bronze chariots preserved well over time.
We watched a dinner show about China's first and only empress. She was Wu Zetian during the late Tang Dynasty. She came to power when she was 65 years old in 690 and ruled China for 15 years.
Drum Tower and Bell Tower are two symbols of Xian, located at the heart of the city. The Bell Tower was to wake people up at dawn and the Drum Tower was used at sunset to tell people that it is the end of the day. The Bell Tower was closed and we climbed up the steep stairs to reach the top.
We found Xian a charming city with taste of art and history. Perhaps, we may come back for a short living. - Jeffrey
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