Today we left Beijing early in the morning and headed off to the station to catch the bullet train for our 4-hour journey to Xi’an. This sounded like a long trip, but the train was comfortable enough and the time went quite quickly. It also helped that we had a meal on the train that was ordered ahead from one of the stations and then delivered to our seats. Travelling by train at least gave us the opportunity to have a bit of a rest and see more of the country on route. I thought it was a shame that some of the countryside was a bit spoilt by a sudden onslaught of high-rise flats – lower rise buildings would have been more in keeping with some of the surrounding scenery.
When we finally arrived in Xi’an, we checked into our hotel and then went to explore the City Walls in the city centre. The Xi’an City Walls, also known as The Fortifications of Xi’an, is the most complete city wall in China and one of the largest ancient military defence systems in the world. It was built in 1370 to fortify the city and is over 8 miles long with four main Gates: North, South, East and West.
We went into the South Gate of the City Walls which is called Yongning Gate and is the most beautifully decorated and popular with tourists. The Gate area was really interesting to observe and walk around with more of China’s amazing architecture which you can explore a little of inside here, too. There is also a large bronze bell, which is really impressive. It certainly felt a lot hotter in Xi’an, so some of our time here was spent keeping in the shade. To walk the whole route of the City Walls would take you a few hours, so we obviously didn’t attempt that in the extreme heat.
The evening was full of more new experiences and saw us begin by indulging in a Tang Dynasty music and dance show that included a dumpling banquet. The tables were all set up in front of the stage, so it was a little like attending an award ceremony of some kind. The show was full of colourful costumes, stage sets and dancing to showcase the Tang Dynasty culture. The dumplings were delicious and came with a variety of fillings, including, tomato, chicken, fish and pork.
Our evening was finished off by a little excursion into the centre of Xi’an which Alison told us would be a welcomed surprise. She went out to purchase fans and Chinese costumes. She then had us all changing on the coach to transform ourselves into Chinese god and goddesses. There were one or two mumblings in the background about not wanting to dress up, but we all conformed in the end and what a ball we all had!
Xi’an itself is a large historical and cultural city and is one of the most important regions in the history of China. Xi’an was also part of the Silk Road route that connected China with the Mediterranean. At night, Xi’an is like a neon exhibition, as everywhere is lit up in amazing colours and alive with many people and music. There is dancing on the streets and stalls everywhere emanating aromas of Chinese cuisine, and even the sweet scent of candyfloss – apparently it is like this every night! We were continually asked to have our photos taken with people, too, so we felt like real celebrities. What an incredible experience that we would not have missed for the world.
When we arrived back at the hotel, four of us were getting in one of the lifts when the hotel robot appeared and got in with us – I think it was a little unnerved by our Prescence, as it started twirling round. It then got out on the next floor and went on its way. I believe they are used for ordering things to the room.
