Xian and the Terracotta Warriors

Tang Dynasty Music and Dance Show

This show was enjoyable with lots of music and dancing and lots of hand waving with long sleeves!!! P wanted to see acrobatic show in Bejing but decided see that when we do around the world clokwise!!!

Terracotta Warrior Army
8th wonder of the world according to former President Clinton and I have to agree with him simply because what still lies undiscoverd around this vast area buried deep beneath the earth.The Warriors were re-discovered in 1974(by a farmer digging a well),having been buried for over 2000 years.All facing East in battle formation with weapons,complete with horses and chariots to guard the tomb of the emperor Shi Haung Di and to protect his journeyto the after life.Thousands still remain buried with the tomb,7000 are discovered and on view,all are life size and modelled on each warrior of his vast army at the time,no two faces are alike.Its simply awsome site!!!

Another view of Xian City Wall
Xian is an Imperial city with bucket load of history ,old city enclosed by fabulous wall (exact square) 24km built during Tang dynasty with new city built outside the wall,it has some of the best street food in China. It has fascinating Muslim quarter with Great Mosque and street food!!! There are many other historical site in and around Xian and its mighty fabulous city with lots of charm.

Our hostel located by the City Wall
Great hostel ,8 pound a night,double room ensuite,absolute luxury for us backpackers!!! but a bit noisy at night.Young American owner form Texas very charming and full of travelling knowledge.Met couple of lager swinging Koreans doctors and shared few beers with them as one does.P n V learnt to make Dunplings and we went to a dumpling party!!!

Bicycle ride on top of Xian City Wall

Everybody in China seems to owns a bike so we decided to hire some and cycled around on top of the City Wall and it was great fun-the wall is brick built 25 feet wide and 40 feet high and very long!!!! we bumped in to lots of joggers late on as it was half a marathon day on the wall. The wall and cycle ride was worth all the cycling pain!!!

Bell Tower at Xian at night

In China you see lots of city wall ,temples,pagodas and TOWERS ,they are fantastic to look at and have great views form the top over the cities and all have fantastic lights by night.All cities in China are great on neon lights and can give Las Vegas run for their money.(In China one new power station opens every week and are all coal fired and thus China has 7 top polluted cities in the world-POLLUTION is big problem in China-most cities are covered in fog all day and night and in some cities blue sky is at premium!!!-the other thing you notice is lack of any wildlife what so ever-I mean you never see any birds or insects or dogs or rabbits just nothing except people-and in China anything that moves is a delicasy and may be that explains lack of wildlife)