Xian is famous for the Terracotta Warriors, but we had heard mixed reviews of the site and did not want to go just because it is on the tourist checklist. It was also ludicrously expensive compared to the cost of everyday living, like many of China's sights. As it turned out, there were lots of warriors all over the city, at museums, parks, and the city wall.
It was good to see some examples of them, and also be as close as we wanted.
The city wall was an impressive piece of engineering, and gave an insight into the historical wealth and paranoia of the inhabitants. We tried to walk around the entire length, but it was too long and hot for us.
The moat and area just outside the wall is now used as parkland, and provided an oasis around the city.
To get a better understanding of this ancient city - once the biggest in the world, we visited the Xian musuem, which was very well done, and free if you show your passport / ID. The model of the city as it stood 500 years ago was particularly interesting, showing the rich merchant houses around a central courtyard, the pagodas and peasant plots.
Xian also felt like it was very proud of its history and culture, even employing people to stroll around in traditional garb and talk to the public at key sites like the wall.
For us though, it was a city of amazing food. We visited tiny eateries, judging them on atmosphere and popularity with the locals. One of our favourite dishes was this peanut sauce on rice noodle.
Near our couchsurf host's place, outside the walls but still within the busy metropolis, I relished shopping at a phenomenal indoor market for dinner ingredients. Everything was loose and I took exactly what I needed for the meal, including a thimblefull of spices that the shopkeeper thought easier to give away than to try and measure.
Having a large Muslim population, the city's food and culture was even more diverse than we had experienced in Beijing.
Our amazing couchsurf host, who grew up in the Muslim quarter, showed us around this amazing area on a Sunday. We toured various food and goods markets, watched as a kitten was sold for £3.50 / $5.00, and were given no less than 7 street snacks to try, from egg omelette-crepes to a fried mashed persimmon. One of the least familiar though was these rice cakes, made from finely ground rice flour and a jam flavouring, then steamed until the consistency becomes extremely glutinous.
It was good to see some examples of them, and also be as close as we wanted.
The city wall was an impressive piece of engineering, and gave an insight into the historical wealth and paranoia of the inhabitants. We tried to walk around the entire length, but it was too long and hot for us.
The moat and area just outside the wall is now used as parkland, and provided an oasis around the city.
To get a better understanding of this ancient city - once the biggest in the world, we visited the Xian musuem, which was very well done, and free if you show your passport / ID. The model of the city as it stood 500 years ago was particularly interesting, showing the rich merchant houses around a central courtyard, the pagodas and peasant plots.
Xian also felt like it was very proud of its history and culture, even employing people to stroll around in traditional garb and talk to the public at key sites like the wall.
For us though, it was a city of amazing food. We visited tiny eateries, judging them on atmosphere and popularity with the locals. One of our favourite dishes was this peanut sauce on rice noodle.
Near our couchsurf host's place, outside the walls but still within the busy metropolis, I relished shopping at a phenomenal indoor market for dinner ingredients. Everything was loose and I took exactly what I needed for the meal, including a thimblefull of spices that the shopkeeper thought easier to give away than to try and measure.
Having a large Muslim population, the city's food and culture was even more diverse than we had experienced in Beijing.
Our amazing couchsurf host, who grew up in the Muslim quarter, showed us around this amazing area on a Sunday. We toured various food and goods markets, watched as a kitten was sold for £3.50 / $5.00, and were given no less than 7 street snacks to try, from egg omelette-crepes to a fried mashed persimmon. One of the least familiar though was these rice cakes, made from finely ground rice flour and a jam flavouring, then steamed until the consistency becomes extremely glutinous.
