Xi'an Travel Blogs, Travelogues and Travel Journals

       After checking out of our hostel and dropping out bags off at the luggage storate area near the reception, Jason and I walked to the South Gate of the Xi'an city walls, which was conveniently located near our hostel. We paid 40 RMB each and received a ticket that would allow us to climb up and around the ancient walls, which were built in 1370 under the direction of the first Ming emperor. We climbed the steps up the 39 ft walls, built on the foundations o…

I spent three weeks in March of 2007 traveling through China. Recently, a friend planning a trip there asked if I had any advice, so I drafted these tips for him.

XI'AN:  wow.   We were amazed at the terracotta warriors.  Pit one had 6000 soldiers standing in formation.  We were told each one took 3-4 months to put together as they were like a 3 dimensional puzzle.  They were originally discovered by 3 farmers during the huge drought in 1985 (I think)  they were digging a well:   they kept finding pieces of pottery then  finally found a head.  they were really upset by it and tossed …

I can't believe I'm moving on to Xi'an now ... my Beijing 'experience' was to short :(   ... but I am looking froward to Xi'an, China.  I know when I get there I'll have little time to contact my friend, Gary, who I met 3 years ago in Economics at Laurentian University (Sudbury, Ontarion, Canada) ... now he's back home, in Xi'an, having just completed his 4 yr degree.  I'm waiting for the train to arrive so that I can not only tour the famous landmarks of Xi'an, …

Mini suite de patati et patata.It's a money thing:Le contraste de niveau de vie entre les gens est frappant. Certains vivent dans une opulence évidente, d'autre dans une classe moyenne, d'autre dans une pauvreté triste. On a vu des gens qui vivait dans pas plus grand que mon garde-robe. 2 lits supperposés, le linge en dessous pèle-mèle et une porte. C'est tout. Pas de cuisine. Pas de salle de bains. Juste une place pour dormir. Et la porte a coté, c'est une histoire completement d…

People i met here, who contributed to and improved my trip: Juliana (Russia) We arrived in Xi'an on Wednesday night and after a longish walk, eventually found the 7 Sages Hostel. We got an early night in preparation for a big day ahead of us. We awoke early on Thursday and caught the bus to see the World famed Terracotta Warriors. The site comprised of 3 pits, each containing a range of soldiers, horses, weapons etc. By far the most impressive was Pit 1 containing whole legions of troops and…

Or Terror Otter Oreos, as Dragon calls them. Unearthed in 1974 by a farmer digging a well, over 6,000 hand-carved life-size clay soldiers are the highlight of a visit to Xi'an. Dating back about 2,000 years, the Oreos all face east, to protect China's first emperor, Qin Shihuang. Some are still left under the earth to stop their original paintwork from eroding. The colourless ones that remain all stand to attention in rows in what looks like a massive warehouse. When you first walk …

Four of us from the group went out for a few beers in an expensive 'foreigner'  bar (Expensive for China, just over a pound a beer) the night before going to see the Terracotta Warriors. I only had three beers, I didn't really fancy having hangover the next day whilst sight seeing in 37 degrees heat. Most of the group met at 8 o'clock in the hotel reception, after checking out we grabbed two taxi's to the train station to catch a bus to the Terracotta Warriors. The bus journey…

Country of contrast! :) i've been in nine cities in China and would love to visit some others:)

Xi'an was great ! The Terra Cotta soldiers were amazing in person !

Gran Pagoda de la Oca SalvajeMuseo de los Guerreros y caballos de TerracotaMausoleo de Qin Shi HuangMezquitaBarrio MusulmanEste día es una de las visitas turísticas mas importantes de la China actual, visitar el museo de los Guerreros de Terracota en la tumba del emperador Qin Shi Huang.

O dia-a-dia na grande China...

This was the most significant trip of my life to date, as it was the trip that sparked my obsession with traveling. I have been consumed by the desire to travel ever since and it has now become a lifestyle. On this trip I worked in various Traditional Chinese Medicine hospitals throughout China to further my education, while doing some sightseeing in between. There are only pictures included, as this trip was too long ago for me to make any insightful comments.

This is my adventures in China in the summer of 2008. I spent 37 days in China traveling around with my brother. I am slowly, very slowly adding pictures and journals about what we did. So far this includes the Great Wall at Mutianyu, Sanjiang and Shaolin Temple. Eventually it will cover everything we did.

Arrived in Xi'An about 1pm to a very hot 38 degrees.  Luckily we could head straight to the hotel and have a shower before doing anything else.  Xi'An is located on the banks of the Yellow River and has a history going back to 1000BC.  It was the capital for many dynasties and the home to 13 emperors.  It was also the starting point for the Silk Road which led to an exchange of cultures, technologies and ideas.  Indeed, Buddhism found its way to China via Xi'An and th…