Xi'an - Terracotta Army, Hot Springs & Mosques

"Rome in the West, X'i'an in the East." The starting point of the legendary Silk Road, Xi'an is one of the most ancient continuously inhabited cities in China. In fact, it has been a royal capital for 11 dynasties since its semi-mythical beginnings some time around BC 2200. Both Nara and Kyoto, the original imperial capitals of Japan were styled after Xi'an.

Most visitors come here for the UNESCO World Heritage Terracotta Warriors, but there is infinitely more to the city and it surroundings than that. The lofty Ming walls - ones of the few remained in China - surround the inner city and you can have a walk on top of them around the whole city without ever having to climb down. The Forest of Stelae Museum houses a large array of stones with ancient engravings - best enjoyed with some initial knowledge Chinese history and calligraphy, yet quite impressive with a good explanation by a knowledgeable guide.

In the heyday of the Silk Road Xi'an was the proverbial melting pot of nations. Islam arrived here at a very tender age in 650 with Prophet Mohammed's uncle. Nestorianism - a heretical Christian school - made its début there even earlier, in 635, inspiring the later medieval tales of the Prester John's mythical Christian kingdom in the East. Its only vestige nowadays is the Nestorian Stele, but Islam is well established and thriving.

For a very "un-Chinese" experience, stroll through the Moslem Quarter and sample the delicious lamb skewers, roasted carp and mutton bread soup - heavy on tangy herbs and ground coriander seeds, delicious but nothing like Chinese food you would expect. In the market you can find another local speciality famous throughout China - various dried fruit and exotic nuts galore.


For a time of peace and serenity linger on in the tranquil Great Mosque that looks very little like a mosque. Its garden is full of exquisite stone carvings that, in break with the Islamic teachings, are not shy of animal motifs. Foreign concepts need to be translated into Chinese by way of explanation, and very often the Chinese renditions grab the essence of their subject sharply and succinctly. Islam in Chinese is Pure Religion, describing concisely the purest form of modern monotheism.


To get the biggest possible kick from the Terracotta Army, you need to read on its historical background. It is a very poignant story of the country's mightiest man who was scared of death and thousands of his subjects who slaved decades to build his tomb only to be all slaughtered so as the secret of their ruler's grave remained hidden. And it very well did for over 2 thousand years, until not such a long time ago. Even now, the emperor's tomb itself - said to contain mercury rivers and gemmed ceilings - is yet to be excavated.

Apart from the Terracotta Warriors, there are many more worthy sites in the vicinity - like the palatial Huaqing Hot Springs, the place where back in the 7th century Tang emperors indulged in sensuous luxury with their concubines and where centuries later in 1936 the course of modern Chinese history was turned around in the infamous Xi'an Accident. These days, it is a venue for grand costume performances harking back to the dynasties of the yesteryear.

On the way to the magnificent Hua Shan, one of the 4 most important mountains in Taoism and reputedly gods' favourite abode, there is the unjustly overlooked Xiyue Temple. Built for exclusive avail by the Imperial Court for important Taoist sacrifices and ceremonies, it uses the breath-taking backdrop of the Hua Shan Mount in the Chinese technique of "borrowed landscape" - with a truly ravishing result.

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