Where Did The Terracotta Warriors Come From?

Xi’an is the capital of Shaanxi Province and lies on the Guangzhong plain in central China. Its name literally means “Western Peace”. Throughout the reign of various dynasties in China, Xi’an has been known as Chang’an, Fenghao, Daxing, Fengyuan, Anxi, Jingzhao and Xijing, before finally adopting its current name from the Ming Dynasty in 1943.

The majority of the residents in Xi’an are the Han Chinese. What is unique about Xi’an is that it has a large Muslim Chinese community. There are approximately 50,000 Muslim Hui people living in Xi’an. Islam was introduced to the northwest Chinese when Arab travellers and merchants settled down and married the local women in the 7th century. The Great Mosque in Xi’an was built for the community’s needs and also to honour the efforts of the Muslims in uniting China during the Ming and Yuan Dynasties.

The Great Mosque is a must see. It is one of the biggest, oldest and best preserved mosques in China. Its architecture combines both Muslim and Chinese styles. It is the only mosque in China that is open for visitation but non-Muslims are not allowed into the main prayer hall or during prayer times which is 5 times a day.

However, you’ve got to see the main attraction of Xi’an which are the Terracotta warriors and horses. 7,000 life-size soldies, horses, weapons and chariots were made out of pottery and placed to guard China’s first Emperor, Emperor Qin Shi Huang. Each soldier was made with detailed facial features that the Terracotta army never fails to amaze any visitor to Emperor Qin’s Mausoleum.

Xi’an was a military town during the Ming Dynasty. Come and be tantalised by the strong military towers that were built to defend Xi’an. The City Wall remains the most complete surviving city wall in China and is touted to have one of the best military defensive systems in the world. The Bell Tower, used to house the famous Jingyun Bell which has mysteriously turned silent during the Ming Dynasty. Meanwhile, the Drum Tower was built without a single nail and has 24 drums which served as a weather calendar by the ancient Chinese. Today at the Drum Tower, you can find the China’s biggest drum there and enjoy musical performances that reflect the Chinese culture.

Once you get tired of the towers, make the pagodas your next destination. There is the Green Dragon temple, Big Wild Goose pagoda and the Small Wild Goose pagoda. Each has its own special features and tales. Time your visit in May and June to view the spectacular and beautiful cherry blossoms at the Green Dragon temple. Northwest to the Big Wild Goose pagoda is the Shaanxi History Museum which has 3 exhibition halls marked by time order.

Image via Wikipedia

Hungry from all the tours, head over to the Moslem Street also known as Huimin Jie. Most of the shops here sell food items while the others offer souvenirs and local products of Shaanxi. The most popular snack here is the steamed stuffed bun. Filled with beef or mutton cooked in soup, they are bound to make you hungry for more! Also popular are the fried rice with pickled cabbage, roast beef, lamb or mutton and the yummy persimmon pies. The persimmons are mashed, filled into the dough and fried until fragrant and crispy. Don’t forget to try the various noodles, preserved meat and casserole too.

Arrive in Xi’an at the Xi’an Xianyang International Airport Xi’an. Then, get around Xi’an either by taxi, subway, bus or train. You will notice too that electric bikes are very popular among the students. You may also want to use the Xi-Han Expressway which connects Han Zhongand Xi’an through the Qinling Mountains. The reason for this is to have the bragging rights to having driven through the ZhongNan Shan tunnel which is the longest tunnel in Asia at 15 km long.