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Writer's pictureSimon De

I am finally in China.

Updated: Sep 13


The city of Xi’an


The famous central Bell Tower of Xi'an.


I'm not sure why it was so surprising, but I have been rather impressed by the sheer scale of things in China, from the arrival at the enormous Hong Kong airport, to the city of Xi'an and its nearly 13 million souls. For the most part Xi’an is centrally laid out in a grid fashion, complete with tree lined avenues, quaint (albeit slightly smelly at times) back alleyways, and seemingly endless apartment tower blocks which personally I find a bit of an eyesore. However, the core of Xi’an is most certainly not an eyesore.


The core quadrangle of Xi'an (which is reminiscent of the Forbidden city in Beijing) comprises the densely packed old city that is itself surrounded by both a moat and the massive Ming Dynasty / 14th century city wall, which has been impressively maintained and decorated. At the centre of the old city is the Bell Tower. I stayed a short walk south from the Bell Tower towards the South Gate, this was convenient as I was also easily within walking distance of the Muslim Quarter and its market.


A tourist's overview of central Xi'an.

I did not create this image.


The Walls of Xi’an


A peek through the ramparts at night.


The walls seemed to be a massive hit with the locals, and I felt very much alone as a tourist, seeing perhaps only a handful of other Westerners in about 40 minutes visitation at the South Gate walls. The gate houses spaced along the wall have been impressively lit and entrances have been adjusted to allow traffic around them whilst retaining the ancient gate entrance and a drawbridge. There is an inner courtyard within the southern gate which has been done up as an outdoor theatre; although I caught glimpses of it and could certainly hear it and witness the light effects, barriers have been erected on the inner part of the top of the walls to prevent visitors from getting a free show, which isn’t very socialist of them, not that I’m complaining.


The walls themselves are enormous, certainly the largest I have seen in person, and likely more robust to a medieval conqueror than say the Theodosian wall of Constantinople (the remnants of which stand in modern-day Istanbul). At nearly 15km in circumference and wide enough to permit at least 4 regular sized cars to drive down them side-by-side, they are an enormous piece of engineering. As mentioned below in the history section, the present walls were built relatively late in the history of Xi'an, during the Ming Dynasty. The local Chinese government/administration in Xi'an has actually done a decent job in my view of integrating them into the modern city (a rare occasion to see me praising anything government does), with space between the walls and the moat nicely manicured, and with plenty of spaces for greenery. The green areas between the walls/moat and the rest of the city throughfares looked like a typical spot for locals to congregate, particularly elderly out for their daily Tai Chi etc. (I noticed many doing this or something equivalent on my way to the train station on my last day in Xi'an).


Wall gatehouses and entrance passageway.


Curiously, everywhere on the walls and outside at other major landmarks it seemed to be overflowing with young Chinese girls in a form of native dress, I still am not quite sure what it was all about, but I was well pleased that I was not one of the poor suckers (men) being forced to take innumerable photos.


Ladies in local dress.


A few daytime shots of the wall.


 

Muslim Quarter & Market

Moving on from the walls after a stop to retrieve the camera tripod I had forgotten on a prior visit to the walls, I visited the Muslim quarter, which includes several streets festooned with restaurants, street food vendors and shops selling various curiosities. The general throng and bustle, combined with the muggy weather and mix of smells both appealing and not made the area feel alive in a way that few if any Western markets can manage. I can imagine that being a Silk Road trader visiting such a place in centuries past would have been an absolute assault on the senses, and very likely without the sight of many cheap trinkets, which I did find distasteful. One vendor sold, among other things, antique furniture. If I had a home of my own, I would certainly like to acquire a few pieces, antique Chinese furniture, woodwork and lacquerware has always impressed me, both for the detail/quality and the colours. Few better combinations than East meets West in my view.



After wandering about for some time, I was dying to eat. I settled for a beef pastry with cabbage and a mix of other vegetables whilst I walked along the street trying to find a suitable spot to sit down and to endeavour to stop sweating like a hooker in church. Eventually nearing a turn to yet another street crowded with shops I settled on a less flashy looking place with two quizzical older Uyghur women out front, and an image of Dan Mien (thick hand pulled noodles with beef, vegetables, and naturally, several spoons of Chili oil). Unfortunately, I am a savage and don't take many food photos given that I don't remember until the item is half eaten, which is an unpleasant thing to see. As the only Westerner in the establishment, I naturally got a few looks and one of the ladies seemed keen to have a glance or two, she doubtless looked away realising that my noodle slurping game was not up to snuff, Chili oil (which I should have had more of) in the eye as well, of course. Frustratingly, the heat and the jet lag did not help the appetite, so I wasn't motivated to try anything else. The following night after seeing the terracotta warriors I ventured out again to re-do a few failed photos given the previously forgotten tripod, and to seek out a restaurant; however, I ended up in the bar district so the meal was delayed and I settled belatedly on some sort of crab lo mein and headed back to the hotel after enjoying some live music. Singing voices in native tongue is always amusing.

 

The History of Xi’an

Before we discuss the terracotta warriors, it's probably helpful to explain a bit about the history of Xi'an. Situated in the Shaanxi province, Xi’an (formerly known as Chang’an in its time as an Imperial capital city) has benefit from abundant rainfall and quality soil, and the area has likely been inhabited since the Palaeolithic, with firm evidence of Neolithic sites present. In short, Xi’an has been central to the development of Chinese civilisation, and it is likely no surprise that the Silk Road would have transited through or ended at such a major hub. Xi’an’s time as a major centre most likely begins around 2000 BC and would have been centred around the state of Zhou, a group who lived under threat from both the Shang peoples and the warlike Xunyun peoples (otherwise known as the Xiongnu – a group we will hear about more in future posts). A quick glance at a composite map showing the overlapping kingdoms and dynasties in and around modern-day Xi’an allows one to quickly realize how many varied cities, townships, palaces etc. existed in and around Xi’an, a testament to prolonged habitation and development. Numerous smaller cities and centres have risen and fallen in the broader region. The Shang civilisation (which the other Age of Empires fans will recall) appears to have been eclipsed around 1050 BC, and what became the Western Zhou civilisation in met its end around 770 BC; however, the Eastern Zhou continued until roughly 221 BC. It is later in this period 247-221 BC that Qin Shi Huangdi would become king of Qin and later Emperor of China and form the Qin Dynasty (221-210 BC). Qin Shi Huangdi reigned for a total of 37 years and consolidated control over China, leaving an enormous and lasting impact upon it, not least its namesake. It was in the second year of his reign that Qin Shi Huangdi commenced construction on his enormous mausoleum complex in the Lishan Hills. The mausoleum covers around 56 sq. km, contains (among other notable excavations) the famous terracotta army, and of course, Qin Shi Huangdi’s own massive tomb, which has yet to be excavated – legends abound! More is written on the mausoleum and the terracotta army below. Further dynasties would inhabit the region in and around Xi’an (Chang’an) and unrest would be commonplace following the death of Qin Shi Huangdi. In 652 AD construction began on one of the present-day Xi'an landmarks, the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda, which unfortunately I was unable to see. In 904 AD Xi’an was extensively destroyed and the capital city moved to Luoyang. Xi’an’s importance would revivify during the Song Dynasty, and it is at this time that Muslim travellers (presumably Silk Road traders) would come to inhabit Xi’an. In 1370 during the Ming Dynasty the city wall in its present incarnation was constructed. Xi’an remained a major civil centre for future dynasties of China and experienced its fair share of conflicts during the modern period, from early revolts in the 1910s, to the rise of Communism in China.


Emperor Qin Shi Huangdi.


A special thanks to Philip Spilberg for the excellent book “The Silk Road – China and the Karakorum Highway – A Travel Companion” by Jonathan Tucker, which has (and will continue) to prove invaluable for this purpose.


Credit for the above historical section is due to Jonathan Tucker whose work (named above) I have paraphrased herein.

 

Xi’an History Continued – The Mausoleum of Qin Shi Huangdi (“QSH”) (aka. The Terracotta Army)


Even before I had considered travelling the Silk Road, visiting this famous site was most certainly on the cards. Although I have not yet had a chance to visit Giza or the Valley of the Kings (in Egypt) my view presently is that the QSH Mausoleum and terracotta army laid out in the Lishan Hills must easily rival both those famous sights of Egyptology in scale and importance for their respective civilisations and human history generally.


After a cab ride up to the Lishan Hills from Xi’an, I finally arrived at the QSH Mausoleum site. I did not bother to check the temperature, but it was incredibly hot, and I was thankful for both one of my silly hats and the covered museum exhibits. Unfortunately, however, the heat and my waiting cab booking prevented me from visiting Mount Lishan, within which sits the unexcavated tomb of QSH.


As for the exhibits of the terracotta soldiers, they are a truly impressive sight. There are in fact three presently discovered locations (pits dug into rammed earth, effectively) containing terracotta warriors at the QSH Mausoleum site. Pit #1 is the largest and most famous, with its warriors arranged in rows in a massive structure, itself akin to a very large aircraft hangar. Many parts of this are still under excavation. There are two smaller Pits #2 and #3. Pit #2 is the smallest of the three but contains well-preserved terracotta chariots and horses and for some reason the lighting enhanced the experience. Pit #3 is significantly larger than #2 and is particularly interesting because it is still under active excavation, and because the rammed earth and timber structures used to hold the terracotta warriors remains relatively intact, providing insight into how the Mausoleum was constructed. There is in fact a further pit, however, rather than containing terracotta soldiers, it contains sculptures (many of which appeared to be bronze) of local waterfowl (ducks, geese, cranes) arranged around water features (allegedly made of mercury) to sustain and amuse the emperor in the afterlife. I do recall reading that the ancient Chinese used to take mercury pills as one of the efforts to seek immortality, fortunately, chemistry and the study of the body has advanced since then. The more detailed exhibits containing artefacts and dioramas make clear that the entire QSH Mausoleum complex is essentially supposed to be a city with palaces and entourage in support of the emperor. One diorama and light display combination was particularly good at explaining each location and providing a 1/650th scale interpretation. Unfortunately, the footage I attempted to take of this and the images themselves either didn’t turn out or simply didn’t do it justice.


The image below provides a good overview of the scale of the QSH Mausoleum Complex. If you see the largest of the three Terracotta Army squares on the right-hand side, that will give some sense of the scale here.


Lastly, one of the more interesting aspects of the terracotta warriors themselves is their individual construction and what they were buried with. It is well-known that each of the warriors has unique facial features, and in some cases, armour, weapons and pose. Both officers and rank & file soldiery are included. One thing which I learned anew was the fact that many or all the terracotta warriors were in fact buried with real weaponry; the mausoleum exhibits several fine pieces including swords and other weapons like halberds. It is shocking to think that not only was the entire QSH Mausoleum complex built at grand scale, but the individual terracotta figures themselves were buried with then valuable items and weapons to sustain their roles in service to the emperor. In any case, further words cannot do justice to this site, so here's a few more random photos. I do hope they excavate the main tomb in my lifetime!



Next up, trains to Tianshui and Lanzhou.


Thanks for stopping by.


Simon

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