Xi’an and the Terracotta Army
Xi’an is the old capital of China and according to our fellow passenger on the train - the most important city in China (he would say that though). Basically we came to Xi’an so that we could visit the Terracotta Army, although there is lots to see in Xi’an too. Our hostel was a real result - it was set out like an old Chinese pagoda and our room was in the middle courtyard. It was better than some of the hotels that we stayed in on the way.
The first thing that we were told to do was sort the train from Xi’an out because it was New Year and everybody would be travelling. Unfortunately for us that was the case and all the trains we wanted to get on were booked up - flying to Hangzhou was the next best option (Trains, planes and automobiles or what - not sure who is John Candy and who is Steve Martin yet). Anyway, with that sorted we got down to the more serious business of sight seeing.
We took a public bus to the Terracotta Army site rather than a tour - basically being cheap skates and not wanting to get up to leave at 7am. When we arrived we had to walk miles through a shopping arcade that was built around the complex. This was an immediate put off as it was all fake terracotta warriors or animal furs (don’t know why). By the time we got through to the actual site I was quite tempted to buy a full size warrior - a nice gift for my brother’s new house or an even better companion for the cardboard cut out of Elvis.
Anyway, by the time we got through to the actual complex it was well worth the walk. The soldiers are really well preserved and there are three pits. The main pit is huge about the size of three football pitches and the detail of the statues is so intricate. There are archers, spearman, cavalry, generals - basically a whole army. I felt a bit like Indiana Jones and could only imagine how exciting it must have been to uncover the army.
Back in Xi’an we spent the rest of our time exploring the city. It was so busy with it being New Year and that meant the roads were even more treacherous than ever. Basically in China pedestrains are fair game and it is kill or be killed when crossing a road - pedestrian crossings mean nothing. It is all a leap of faith.
From Xi’an we decided to head to Hangzhou which is built around a lake and is a holiday resort for the Chinese. Hangzhou is known around China as one of the most picturesque places to visit - we’lll have a bit of that, we thought.