Xi’an was like a slap to the face when I first saw it. I didn’t know what to expect when I went there but what I found was not it. Shops, shops, everywhere and more consumerism than I ever saw in Shanghai. The town sees more domestic tourists than foreign tourist that’s for sure.
People come from all over China not just to see the tourist sites but to life the city life and go shopping. While I was there the downtown area was like an Expo. Tents were all over the place selling makeup, cars, phones, and other lifestyle items. There were fashion shows and live music all over the place. Clearly I made it to town during some Chinese holiday. But that didn’t explain the shops that are permanently there. The area has been setup to cater to the massive amounts of tourists they get (with good reason) so just be aware that you will not find traditional China here, or even big city China. It’s a city but also an amusement park.
So now on to why it has so many tourists the Terracotta warriors. Visiting this sight has got to be one the easiest things possible. There seriously is like a hundreds ways to get to the sight at all price levels. I booked a bus tour with my hostel but there is also a normal city bus that will just take you out there. The sight is a few miles outside of town so driving is the only way to get there. It’s a no brainer that you have to visit the sight, hell if you’re in Xi’an odds that’s why.
Naturally they live up to any hype you have heard and then some. The story and reality behind this massive clay army is just mind blowing. Each of the warriors is completely unique and they combine to an entire army complete with ranks, officers, and horses. The workers would work in pairs to add each other’s faces to the army and when all was said and done they were all killed to keep the secret. What you see is just the one area that has been dug out. They believe that in the area around the Emperors tomb there could be countless more warriors standing guard. The scale of everything is just overwhelming…
While in town you will also want to visit Wushan Mountain one of the holy mountains of China. By high speed train from Xi’an its about 30mins outside of town and has its own train station. Once at the station it’s easy to find transportation to the mountain. There is a very cheap bus that will take you to the visitor center, or you can haggle with one of the MANY taxi drivers that will rush to you once you leave the station.
Wushan Mountain is everything you have ever seen in Chinese movies. I had been in China for almost a month at this point but this is when I really felt like I was there. Everything about it just looks and feels Chinese, its really quite breath taking. It also has one of the longest and most amazing cable car rides in the world. But what western tourists know it best for is the plank walk. The plank walk is what it sounds like, a few planks but they are attached to the side of the mountain. It sounds super scary and if you are afraid of heights it probably is. But they make you wear a climbing harness and you clip into the walls along the way. That and seeing the fearless Chinese grandmothers and little children make quick work of it will certainly help your courage. Seriously though, the Chinese are fearless no one says no to the walk it seems. Wushan Mountain is a must if you are Xi’an. It’s an easy day trip and is just as amazing as the Terracotta warriors I absolutely recommend you visit the site.
