Trip to Xi'an, China for Buddha's Birthday

Dear Buddha,

Thanks for having a public holiday so that we had a three day weekend where we could travel to China!

Thanks,

Christine and Tim :)

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In other related news, we made our first foray into China this past weekend.  We had Friday off of school so we took a just under 2.5 hour flight up to Xi'an, China.  We decided the overall theme of the weekend was, "Thank Goodness for Nice People."  You don't need to know any Cantonese in order to function in Hong Kong.  There are some things that are described in British English but that is about as difficult as it gets in HK.  In Xi'an, we met a lot of people along the way to and from the warriors that didn't speak much English (bus drivers especially).  We don't speak any Mandarin.  Thanks to a lot of pointing and gesturing, they told us when to get off of the bus each time.  I really appreciate their patience with us!!!

Xi'an is about 40 minutes away from the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor where the Terracotta Warriors and their horses are.  We both read a book earlier this year (The Terracotta Army by John Man).  It was a really entertaining read and we didn't feel like we needed a tour guide when we were there.  It was a great book to read ahead of time.  We definitely eavesdropped on the English speaking tour guides when we were there and heard a lot of facts we already knew (yesssssssssss!)

The courtyard with Pit #1 directly in front of you

We got in late on Friday so we just had time for some dinner and seeing the sights right around the hotel.  We got up early (earlier than a school day!) on Saturday morning.  The book and websites talked about how it gets busier as the day goes on.   I am so thankful that we did, because we arrived at the Mausoleum at about 8:40 - 10 minutes after it opened.  There were no lines or waiting anywhere!  We decided to check out Pit #1 first (the one with the most restored figures).  As soon as we entered, we realized that we were part of the first 25 people that day.  It was silent and peaceful and the room had a reflective mood.

What you saw as you walked in

Good morning!

Standing at attention

It stayed that way for about 20 minutes while we slowly made our way around the pit whispering in hushed tones.  As soon as the tour groups started arriving at 9am, the room was almost instantly filled with loud and the magic was broken.  The attention turned to the languages from around the world that all of the guides were speaking.  It was really incredible!

The pit made me think of digging a big hole the size of several football fields, throwing in 1,000-4,000 different jigsaw puzzles that all look very similar, burying all of it for several thousand years and then someone else accidentally discovering it and figuring out what was underneath the surface and then putting everything back together.  It is pretty mind-blowing.

Pieces waiting to be removed

Warriors being pieced back together

A face looking out

After seeing Pit #1, we headed to Pit #2 (about the same size as Pit 1, but not as much has been unearthed) and Pit #3 (the one containing commanding officers), we headed to the exhibition hall and got to see some more neat artifacts.  Some of the warriors they had on display there still had the pigments on them.  They were originally painted quite colorfully.

Kneeling Archer

We then headed to the on-site restaurant and had some lunch.  It turned out to be a buffet of Chinese food.  It was much different than the Chinese buffets that we have seen in the US.  My favorite part were the two stations where chefs constantly made fresh noodles from scratch.  There were two different techniques, one was similar to using a potato peeler and the other was kind of like making taffy.  They were so delicious!

Lunch

After lunch, we headed back to Pit #1 to see it once more.  The lighting in that room changes throughout the day and it was really fascinating to see it throughout the day.  After walking through half of the room we decided it was time for a bathroom break.  We turned the corner and found THIS:

Epic Cuteness!!!

This super ridiculously cute puppy belonged to the cleaning lady at the bathroom.  It LOVED Tim so much that it followed him around the little courtyard where the bathroom was located.  There is something about cooing over how cute a puppy that all means the same in every language :)

Ok back to the warriors, after the break we headed back to Pit #1 to say our goodbyes.  It was a surreal day at the site.  I am so thankful that we were able to take that trip!

Pit #1

On the way out, you pass through a village filled with tourist shops and noodle places.  There was also quite a bit of artwork too.  We got some more water and got back on the bus to Xi'an.

A Well Named Establishment :)

When we arrived, we walked around the older part of the city (that is where our hotel was) and then found a neat place to eat.  The food was delicious and the service was so good.  Again - thank goodness for people who were patient with us because we didn't know any Mandarin!

Tim guarding himself from splatter (much like the waitress did) :)

We took pictures of the Bell Tower and the Drum Tower (two big historical things in Xi'an).  They are both lit up at night so well that it doesn't matter if you use flash or if you don't use flash - you get a perfect picture every time.  It was pretty incredible!  We also found the night market which had so many different sights and sounds and smells (lots of stinky tofu :/).

The Bell Tower

The Drum Tower

The Bell Tower from far away

Simba and Stitch at the Bell Tower

The next morning we got up early again and headed to catch the airport bus.  While it was a short trip to China, I am still really thankful that we were able to go and experience it.  I am looking forward to seeing the Great Wall in a little under a month! :)

Much love to you all,
Christine (and Tim)