Exploring Xian

In the early afternoon, we headed back to downtown Xian for some exploration of local sites. Since it was rather cold, we bundled up for a brisk walk. We saw the Drum Tower and the Bell Tower located in the center of the town.  On our walk back, after dinner, we got a different view of these structures.

Taking a photo of the map for navigational purposes

We are used to being stopped and asked to pose for a picture, but in Xian they wanted to have conversation.

Terracotta Warriors

The primary purpose for visiting Xian was to see the Terracotta Warriors.  We woke up early and headed out to beat the crowds. Friendly Chinese national tourists helped us by confirming we were waiting in the proper place for the tourist bus.
There are three 'pits' open to the public for viewing. Two of these are still early in the excavation. These terracotta warriors, 6 ft tall, were made for the burial site of Emperor Qin Shi Huang, China's first emperor, who reigned in the third century BC.  Official estimates number the warriors, charioteers, and horses to over 9,000. Most of these are still buried. Not long after the emperor died, a rival came through and crushed many of the warriors, so many of the clay sculptures consist of tiny pieces that need to be assembled again. Fortunately, the intruders underestimated the size of the burial site and did not crush everything. The site was promptly forgotten, and other inhabitants of the area buried their dead on top of this treasure. The warriors were discovered in 1974 when a farmer was digging for a well. It is now considered one of UNESCO's World Heritage Sites.
The immensity of the site took us by surprise. The details of each sculpture and the artistry was amazing. The abilities and techniques that the artists used 2,300 years ago are incredible. Although we had seen the traveling exhibit in San Francisco, it did not compare to being on site and seeing the dirt piles knowing that under each mound is yet another part of this treasure ready for discovery. We almost forgot that we were cold.

Heading to Xian

We had the opportunity to head to Xian for a quick weekend trip.  The bullet train seemed the best mode of transportation, so we headed out to the railway station.  Getting to the railway station was an experience, we ended up getting a private escort through a "women and nursing children's lounge" filled with men in suits smoking cigarettes and back corridors.When we arrived in Xian, we took the metro to our hotel. Based on the reviews, it was almost impossible to find the hotel, but Bob had studied the maps extensively, and we had no trouble. There is no sign at the street level for the hotel, and the way to access the hotel is through the lobby of another hotel. Once on the 10th floor, we were greeted by a huge colorful sign directing us to the lobby, located in a room.  The location was fantastic, the room spacious, and it was clean - all we wanted and desired.

One of the most orderly lines we have encountered in China

Why it would be necessary to mentioned some of these things...

Boys were really excited, the internet was fast!

The Alley Food

In addition to the small mom and pop restaurants that we frequent right outside the university gate, we can also choose to eat from street vendors. The alleys that lead to the restaurants are crowded with vendors, people, and often someone pulling a full cart of something, or a moped/scooter coming through for a pick up of take-out food for delivery. It is loud, it is crowded, and it smells divinely.

Who thought up spiralizing a hot dog?

The Moon

It is rare, but it does happen.  We had a clear night and could see the moon!

Botanical Garden Visit

The sun came out, and we took full advantage of the liquid vitamin D and headed out on an exploration. We headed to the Botanical Garden which turned out to be not too far from where we live. Although it is definitely fall,  there were still a fair amount of flowers outside, and leaves had not turned - maybe these leaves never turn yellow?