Xi’an: Another Must See on the List of Must Sees (iii)

Like Rome and Athens, you can feel the history the moment you arrive in Xi’an. Also known as Chang’an, the city was one of China’s major historic capital cities (along with Beijing, Nanjing, Hangzhou and Kaifeng). It is also considered the birthplace of China’s ancient civilization. The layout of the city, with its still-standing city wall, help make visitors feel like they have traveled back in time, or better yet, how little the historically significant parts of the city have changed over the centuries. If you are a history buff, Xi’an will be one of your favorite cities in China. There are 3 places that you should definitely check out if you want to explore the city’s history: the city wall, the Shaanxi Provincial Museum, and of course the Terracotta Warriors.

The City Wall:
Be sure to spend a day biking around the old town wall of Xi’an when you first arrive if you want to get a good introduction to the orientation of the city. As I mentioned above, the layout of the city is very important, and was even more important during imperial times when the city layout had to reflect the arrangement of the cosmos (the emperor was, after all, a leader of the universe). I am not going to bore you with facts and reasons for the orientation of the city, but it is worth reading up on before visiting. Then, when you are biking around the city wall, you can see firsthand a birds’ eye view of the layout and everything will make more sense. This is also a great way to get your bearings right for future exploration of the city. And frankly, the ancient wall is amazing. Even if the ancient walls of other Chinese cities had not been torn down, Xi’an’s wall would still be one of the most imposing of them all; it is an architectural marvel with interesting sites at every guard tower and gate. I consider other attractions along the wall, like the Huagang Gate Site and the Forest of Steles, as part of the city wall. (to be continued)

Posted at 10:27AM Dec 30, 2008 by admin in China Travel  |  Comments[2]