We saw, of course, the Terracotta Warriors and Horses of Emperor Qin Shi Huang (China's 1st Emperor), Qin's Mausoleum, the Huaqing Hotpsring where we rode a cable car, the Muslim Quarter, Da Ci'en Temple Complex with fountain show in North Square and the Big Goose Pagoda and the Bell and Drum Towers. We also biked the Xi'an City Wall, which was my favorite next to the Army.
Also favorites: good samaritan travelers and our reliable and helpful taxi driver. Thank you!
Trip Preparation
Flying out of Shenzhen ("Shen-jen") was much cheaper than flying out of HK. It took me some time to research bus options, including scouring forums for recommendations and settled on Chinalink Bus. For me, the adventure began early as I needed to buy our tickets in advance.I took the MTR Tung Chung line to the Elements mall at Kowloon Station where we'd be catching the bus. Other than taxi drivers or repairmen, it was my first major encounter with service providers who spoke little to no English. The drivers or repairmen could call their dispatcher or manager that I could speak with and then they could translate, but the bus ticket sellers didn't seem to have anyone to call.
In the end, we managed to communicate enough for me to buy 2 roundtrip Chinalink Bus tickets from HK to the Shenzhen Baoan International Airport, China, departing April 10, 2009 at 8:45am. Cost of each HKD$160 (~USD$20) It was the earliest time available and far from ideal to to make our 11:25am flights and Steve was far from comfortable with it when I told him. Fortunately, as I understood it, it was comforting that we could show up early for standby, but I was nervous.
Day 1: Fri Apr 10
The big day arrived and I was excited to explore a new mainland city..and nervous we would miss our flight and not get there. As I said, Taxi to MTR to drumroll please...bus station. It was after 6:30am and there was a small number of people in line and a group in the waiting area. We were hoping we could make the 6:45. We continued to anxiously wait in line and the minutes ticked away. While waiting, we befriended someone in line who spoke Cantonese and helped us get their attention because we had tickets already. They wrote a new departure time on our ticket and pointed us in the direction of the bus; the angels sang and we boarded. Thank you good samaritan whose name I didn't get! 
right: Self portrait of my Chinalink Bus sticker so the bus co can identify fare payers after going through HK departure/China arrival Immigrations at the border.The stop went relatively smoothly other than I worried we'd get left behind as it took us a long time to get through and then we had quite a difficult time finding the bus on the other side. I still wonder if we did run so late that we ended up on the bus that was designated for the group after us. Also, I must confess something. We know while I've done some traveling, I'm just not good at it. After going through Immigration, while waiting for Steve I dropped my passport! A VERY NICE Chinese couple was kind enough to point it out to me. That was a nightmare avoided and a lovely trip saved. Phew!
Next up the airport. We had time, so we got some grub at the Blue Bird Cafe. Chosen because it had at least one vegetarian option for me.
Being early, our menu choices were limited.Steve's order: beef noodle bowl- more interesting to look at than mine.
Flight uneventful with 2pm landing. Pondered signing up on a tour through the airport, but decided against it, wanting flexibility. Couldn't figure out the taxi situation. We followed a woman and walked to a taxi in a lot next door. Steve speaks Mandarin although he says he only knows enough to get by, he and the driver chatted about the weather and places to eat. With traffic it was a long drive to the hotel, arriving after 5 at the luxurious Renmin Square Sofitel Hotel and our driver offered to drive us around to the sites the next day and gave us his card.
We found this tasty joint on the Corner of Xiwu Lu and Shang de Lu. We enjoyed it so much, we visited the dumpling lady again the following two days for our breakfast.
Local bakery kittycorner to the dumpling place. A stop here for sweets after buying dumplings was inevitable. My favorite was a crunchy cookie covered in flax seeds.
We wandered some more, coming across this park we later learned was Geming.
I've read the upstairs dining area is more regal with its 18 course buffet of artistic dumplings, but we found ourselves downstairs in the casual canteen with carts. Dumplings were delicious and more than enough food for me.
Afterward, we walked down the lane known for its nightlife, overflowing with bars, cafes and teahouses: De Fu Xiang.
right: archway that signals lane entrance found on Fen Xiang, Nan Dajie While all the places looked inviting, I wasn't in the mood to sit and have a drink and we walked back to the hotel to get a good night's sleep for our busy day ahead.
Day 2: Sat Apr 11
We had found our taxi driver amiable and had agreed to hire him for the day to go to the three most popular places. In the morning, our driver arrived and with a quick pitstop to see the dumpling lady for breakfast, we were off for our day of sightseeing.
1st destination on our agenda: Terracotta Warriors and Horses of Emperor Qin Shi Huang.
Our driver conveniently hooked us up with a museum guide for a tour.
right: Pit #3Some interesting points:
- Emperor Qin was 13 when construction began (246 B.C.). That's power.
- After the work was done, the Emperor had all workers killed so no one could reveal the secret location and the army remained hidden for over 2,000 yrs.
- The first of three pits was discovered by a farmer in the 70s while digging a well.
below: Pit #1
- Last estimate-over 8,000 soldiers, with horses, chariots and weapons arranged in battle formations to guard the Emperor in the afterlife.
- No two soldiers look alike; they are life-sized and their height, haircut, uniform vary with rank.
below: Pit #1
- This kneeling archer in a case was the only figure unearthed intact.
- Chinese archaeologists halted excavation until they could determine a way to stop fading and preserve the brilliant colors.
- In early June 2009, they started the third of a series of excavations, hoping to find more clay figures and unravel some of the mysteries left behind including the secret to the preservation.
- The farmer was in the souvenir shop to sign books that day. I've heard that there are actually two men who rotate.
Afterward, our stomachs were rumbling so we had our taxi driver point us in the way of a nearby restaurant for lunch. The tables were empty when we arrived but I think they forgot about us as the tables filled and emptied and we were still waiting for our fried rice dish.
Bellies sated, we were off to our 2nd destination: Mausoleum of the first Qin Emperor.
In all honesty and no offense intended, Steve and I both feel we could have skipped this. There wasn't much online so we didn't know what to expect. It's not that we minded an outdoor attraction.
We climbed up the steps to the platform, saw the foggy countryside view and walked back down.
right: looking down the steps to the mausoleum entrance/courtyard
Except at the entrance, the grounds were not restored and rather unkempt with cracked display cases with unknown contents. We took a ride around the perimeter of the grounds for RMB$16 (~USD$2) for both of us.Live and learn. We headed out and had to wake up our sleepy driver and then were on our way to our 3rd destination: Huaqing Hotsprings.
A picturesque area to walk around.
After, we meandered around some more. First we checked out the remains of the Tang Dynasty Bathing Palaces, now empty pools and then we saw one of hot spring sources.
We spotted a cable car ride going up the mountain (mountain Li) behind the springs. We had read nothing of this online and so were surprised and decided to take it. This was one of those times Steve's Putonghua skills came in handy as we learned from a security guy that once we exited through the fence to take the cable car, we would not be allowed back in so we were prepared.
right: a view from up above
We even saw someone riding horseback along the mountain.
We don't remember the signs, but it looked like there was a lot more to explore at the top of the cablecar up on Mountain Li. We didn't have the time as we had to take the cablecar back down and it was closing soon.
In the evening we headed over to the Muslim Quarter, a lively hotspot for night time with lots of outdoor food vendors, restaurants and a market/bazaar.
We tried to see the Great Mosque before finding a place to eat, but it was already closed. And it was on the darker side in the alley and my photo isn't very good. It was a bit of a maze and I'm not even sure we found the main entrance.
While often it is the case that the local hole in the walls or even the street vendors have the best food, in a foreign place, you can be taking a chance on how your stomach will take to the different ingredients/cooking methods. It can also be challenging finding vegetarian options for those like me who eat very little meat.
We walked around scouting for an appetizing locale and this place jumped out at us.
The dish to eat in Xi'an is Yang Rou Pao Mo (pronounced yang row pao mo). It's a soup dish with mutton stock. I had read in my pre-trip online research that before dinner, you are served one or two pieces of wheat flour flat bread. You break it into tiny chunks, the smaller the better. The the waiter or waitress gives it to the cook to mix. 
However, after they brought it to the table, Steve had gone to the restroom so they broke it up and mixed it. I realized it was probably because we arrived so near their closing time. We were the last customers to leave and they had begun cleaning up.
As soon as we got outside, the restaurant's outside lights were shut off so my photo was a little dark.
Dinner over, the next step would've have been to go out and experience some Xi'an nightlife I'd also read about. Unfortunately, my slightly nagging migraine during dinner began to worsen and so disappointingly, the next step was to return to the hotel to crash. Poor Steve. By wanting to stay close by, he was stuck with the expat heaven hotel bar.
Day 3: Sun Apr 12After our long touristy Saturday, we took it easy on Sunday. That isn't to say at all that we didn't see anymore tourist sites, our pace was just a bit more leisurely.
Breakfast: sitting on a street bench after a visit to the dumpling lady.
Then it was into a taxi, which dropped us off at the South Gate entrance of the City Wall. We paid to enter, walked through the tunnel and then once on the other side, climbed up the steps to the top.
Although I'm not much of a bike rider, I was really looking forward to renting bikes and exploring the City Wall. Steve enjoyed himself as well although he hadn't realized it was as big as it was: about 9 miles long enclosing the "city proper" and it takes 90-120 minutes to bike. Views on top the City Wall:
right: North Square
We found food.
for Steve, jiaozi (dumplings) with meat. Flattish, not like I usually see dumplings
left: Chau fan (fried rice) with egg and veggies right: Chinese cabbage of sorts
After lunch, we walked around exploring the square and the park.
In the complex there was also carnival games.
I was too slow on the draw to get the photo of the giving, but Steve handed over a stuffed animal prize he'd won to this little girl. She didn't quite seem to know what to make of the situation
Dayanta, the Big Wild Goose Pagoda
We didn't feel the need to pay to get into the base and/or climb the Big Pagoda. We were content to see it from a relatively short distance.
We caught the dancing fountain show, which takes place where these people are now walking. It is Asia's largest music fountain square.
During the music and fountain show, the water would shoot up in various directions.
One of several women walking around, taking photos of people in front of the fountain. I presume for a fee although I didn't see money exchange hands.
After the show, we walked around some more and then when ready to go, debated over our next move. I made a suggestion and Steve agreed. (Another vacation where I drag Steve around to all the tourist sites.) So, once again we went looking for a taxi, which was craziness because we found an area where people were getting into them, but there was no actual line.
Steve did an excellent job of securing one (after letting a family with a young child go first) and we got dropped off a short walk from the Bell Tower (zhonglou).
Discounted tickets are offered to enter both the Bell Tower and its twin sister the Drum Tower. The sign says it's so that visitors can get a better understanding of "morning bell and dusk drum." Hey, why not. First, the Bell Tower.
right: Somebody ringing the Jingyun Bell. We didn't pay to ring it, but I posed in front of it later for a photo.
The bell is 247cm high and weighs 6500 kg. It was cast during the Tang Dynasty and was the national bell" of the Jingyun period.
Inside the tower there are several music shows a day, but we had missed them.We did walk around looking at the large bells on display.
right: a night shot of the Bell Tower taken later in the evening
The Bell Tower, built in 1384, is 118 feet high and was moved in 1582 to its present location.
Foodcourt on the 7th floor.
right: spinach filled crispy pastries and noodles -once mixed up turned out to be quite a bit spicier than I expected and would've preferred but I really liked the noodles themselves. I'd assumed they were rice noodles, but later learned Xi'an's cuisine (like most northern China) is wheat based.
left chicken satay right: flavored bubble tea-good but different than what we're used to with tapioca in it.
We also had dumplings, but one photo's enough
After dinner, we went back outside where night had fallen.
right: The Drum Tower at night (taken our first night en route to De Fa Chang dumpling restaurant)
There used to be a huge drum in the tower that gave the tower its name.
It was built in 1380 during the Ming Dynasty. It's 34 meters high and has been renovated many times since 1949.
This is the large drum on a platform outside the tower that people pay to beat. We didn't pay; I just posed in front again.
On one side of the Drum Tower is the Muslim Quarter market. We hadn't seen it before, but we spotted it being high up on the tower.
A walk though is how we ended our last night in Xi'an. Steve even bought a souvenir, a to remember our trip by.
Xi'an was a great city and we had a wonderful time. People do it an injustice when they say you only need to go for 2 days. If that's all you have, like we did, such is life, but there was so much more to see of the city.
Steve said I should do a Xi'an travel guide. While I did read a lot online, there were things we learned on the trip (kinda like on the job training) that would have been nicer to have a heads up on. We knew next to nothing about the Mausoleum and could've skipped it. Although it turned out all right, getting a taxi at an airport should not be so challenging. We were also fortunate to have a taxi driver act as our chauffeur as we knew nothing about how to hire a driver. Cable car? Who knew.
See all our Xi'an photos on Flickr.
