China's Former Capital
Written: Jul 06 '06 (Updated Jul 08 '06)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Terra Cotta Warriors, Small Wild Goose Pagoda
Cons: Not much else to see or do
The Bottom Line: Though the city itself is somewhat shabby and dirty, the fascinating Terra Cotta Army makes the trip absolutely worth it.
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| Fargust's Full Review: Xi'an |
Xi'an doesn't immediately come to mind for most people when they think of China, despite its cultural and historical significance. The city itself was established over 3,000 years ago, and served as the capital of several Chinese dynasties over the years, but today it is largely forgotten by the rest of the world.
The Hotel
We stayed at the Jiefang Hotel in Xi'an, just inside the city walls and within spitting distance of the train and bus stations. After the 13-hour train ride from Beijing, we pretty much just went to the first hotel we saw. There was always at least one staff member at the desk who spoke English, and there was a travel agent downstairs with China Eastern Airlines who helped us arrange our flight to Guilin. There was also a tour desk in the lobby of the hotel that arranged day tours to see Hua Shan (which we sadly didn't get to see) and the Terra Cotta Warriors, among other sights.
The room was serviceable, and the prices were reasonable. As in Beijing, it cost under $50 per night for a three-person room. It wasn't air-conditioned very well, but we weren't there too much, so that didn't bother us. The power went out the first day we were there, leaving the elevators non-functional. We had to climb up and down 5 flights of stairs every time we wanted to go anywhere, which got a bit tiresome after all of the walking we were already doing. The power came back on later that evening, though, and stayed on for the remainder of our stay in Xi'an.
The Sights
Terra Cotta Warriors - 4.5 stars
Though they're often cited as one of the wonders of the world, I was ready to be sorely disappointed when we went to see the Terra Cotta Warriors. There are three excavation pits and a museum at the complex outside of Xi'an. We went to the museum first, which housed a few artifacts excavated from the pits, but nothing too special. From there we went to Pit 2, which is still in the process of being excavated. There wasn't much at all to see there besides some fragments of statues. Pit 3 was smaller than Pit 2 and had a few complete statues, but just added to my disappointment. Finally, ready to leave disappointed, we made our way to Pit 1 and were astounded.
Over 2200 years ago, the first emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang, died and was buried in the hills outside of Xi'an. Before he died, he commissioned an army of thousands of clay soldiers to be built to be buried with him. Each of these soldiers is unique, with unique features, expressions, clothes, postures, etc. Their existence wasn't known of until a farmer happened upon them while digging a well about 30 years ago. To step into Pit 1 and see these orderly rows of thousands of soldiers made thousands of years ago is really pretty awe-inspiring.
Temple of the Eight Immortals - 4 stars
An active Daoist Temple, the Temple of the Eight Immortals lies a bit off the beaten path, but it's well worth the trip for those who want a taste of what Eastern religions are like. People regularly enter the buildings to burn incense and pray to statues of the Eight Immortals, each responsible for different favors and prayers. Daoist monks walk the premises, and even live there.
Big Wild Goose Pagoda - 3 stars
This Pagoda was built in the 7th century A.D. Tourists are allowed to climb up to its top for an extra fee, on top of the fee already charged for admission to the Pagoda's grounds. The view from the top is quite nice, but I found this Pagoda to not be very exciting.
Small Wild Goose Pagoda - 4.5 stars
The Small Wild Goose Pagoda, on the other hand, was wonderful. It was built in the early 8th century A.D., and it appears to be in a considerable amount of disrepair. According to its history, it was damaged by an earthquake in the year 1556, but it's still safe to ascend to its top (again, for an extra fee). The climb becomes quite trying toward the top, and the floors get smaller and smaller, but the view from the open-air top is quite astounding. The fun of climbing it, feeling like I was in Alice in Wonderland, was what made me love this Pagoda so much.
Drum and Bell Towers - 3.5 stars
The Drum and Bell Towers are situated right at the center of Xi'an's rectangular city walls. The main attraction of the towers, as we could see, was that they each featured regular daily musical performances, but it was the end of the day and we didn't feel like waiting around for over an hour to see them. We did hear some practicing, though, and it seemed that the show would have been quite entertaining.
The City
Xi'an is a very different city from Beijing. Outside of the tourist sites, there's really not that much to be seen, commercially or otherwise. In general, the city seemed much dirtier and shabbier at the street level than Beijing did, though not nearly as polluted in the air.
There's a substantial Muslim Quarter in Xi'an, and had I had one more day, I would have gone to visit, to get a more complete religious picture of China. I'm a bit sad that I didn't get to go there, but the sights we did see were well worth it.
The Final Verdict
Though there's not all that much to see in Xi'an, the Terra Cotta Warriors make the trip more than worth it.
Other Travel Reviews!
Beijing
Guilin
Recommended:
Yes
Best Suited For: Friends
Best Time to Travel Here: Jun - Aug
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Fargust
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Member: Timothy Fargus
Location: Morristown, NJ
Reviews written: 37
Trusted by: 28 members
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