So it's been one of those weeks in deep dark China, where our family needed a visit to the local GP…. Winter lurgies and all are upon us… and after a 20 hour journey from the sunny skies Down Under, to the rather chilly (make that freaking freezing) minus temps of Xi'an -- we're a bit under the weather (literally)! Of course a local GP is not something we've managed to acquire just yet in our short sojourn, so desperate for some TLC, we hesitantly put the call out for an English speaking doctor in town. (I'm told they are few and far between.) Thankfully Little Miss Hotelier's school gave us the lowdown and the next morning we were whisked off to a hospital on the other side of town for a general consultation. Turns out general doctor's clinics as we know in the West are not so common here - got a minor ailment like a cold, the flu, a bug, it's off to hospital, pronto! Most local Chinese people (children included) will immediately opt for the "injection" which is not as lethal as it sounds. Sources tell me it's a drip containing antibiotics. One hit and you're done, no take-home tablets….no medicine! Talk about hardcore. Sounds quite tempting if you ask me, but has left me wondering why the western world hasn't taken up this 'super injection' in the fight against ill health?' Is there a method in their madness? Stay tuned. Or if you know, please let me know! So into the hospital we go (picture 'old fashioned, 1950's grandeur') we are registered at reception and escorted by rather glamorous ladies in uniform (looking more like chic flight attendants) to our doctor's room. A rather sparse but cosy retro style abode….looking anything but clinical (not a stethoscope in sight)! I hold my breath….as we begin to explain why we are there. With our trusty 'ever patient personal translator' in tow for the event, it was a little easier to communicate with our doctor whose English, to be fair… was pretty good! But if you want to go into any sort of detail about your aches and pains, be prepared to launch into a quick game of charades. I must be getting good at waving my arms around frantically in some sort of translatable gestures, because he soon got the gist and got down to business giving my girl the once over. Then with a click of his heels, he was off, leaving us to wait in his room for.. about 20 minutes while he "collected" the drugs. I began to wonder if he was ever coming back or I missed something in translation and we were meant to see ourselves out. But finally he comes back medicine in hand… (a well known global brand of antibiotics, for the record). Having been able to purchase Amoxicillian antibiotics over the road at the local chemist without a prescription, the jury is out on their authenticity and thus, their effectiveness, so I was relieved to have these babies in my clutches. Excitedly, the doctor tells us how good it is to practice his English with his bevy of international patients and does us the courtesy of walking us all the way to the check out, three floors down, all the while chatting incessantly in Mandarin and English,while I frantically try to keep up! His spirits buoyed even more when I tell him my husband works at the Westin hotel, he promises to invite us to many "events"…. What's a new girl in town to do? "Count me in!" I hear myself saying! Fanciful (and most probably farcical) thoughts cross my mind of mingling with Xi'an's rich and famous at future medical soirees! Then he practically walks us to our car.….. this is certainly a new kind of medical experience, with some very personal patient service going on. (In Australia, GP's are so flat out, you're lucky if they open the door for you on the way out!) A couple of days later my 'lurgy' is not budging, so I want to get some better medicine…. did I mention this doctor has text me each day to see how my small person is? It seems I have a direct line to Doctor Who so I easily make an appointment via a text message to him. Now that's service huh! (As long as I don't get stuck in the Tardis!) This time I brave it without a translator, confident we can get through a simple consultation. (There's always charades right?) And we do….then he tells me in his broken English he thinks I am very 'charming' (must be the charades)! I grimace not sure how he's reached this conclusion given I am not really saying too much apart from my throat hurts!! and 'elegant' (again, I wonder about this observation, given I am in puffer jacket with flat boots and dirty hair - don't get me started on the one. single. pair of boots I have been wearing while I wait for our belongings to arrive!) Never thought I'd be desperate for some high heels! (Ok, slight exaggeration… given heels are my achilles heel, 'desperate' about now, is probably an understatement!) So I smile and give a 'xie xie' (thank you) as he asks if he can have a photo. I smile meekly again thinking he will forget soon enough…..brushing it off with a vague nod. But once we've paid and swapped language tips, we are suddenly standing in the middle of the rather large, lavish (hospital need I remind you) foyer and the camera is whipped out as one of the staff members is beckoned over to take our picture. Mr Doctor in his white coat, me in my rather daggy, early morning school drop off jeans and jumper. (FYI "daggy" is Australian for "uncool!") Out of the corner of my eye, I spy another staff member slyly moving in with her phone for a happy snap of me and my new friend. (A hospital foyer it may be, I think -- but better than the underground subway on a Sunday, bursting at the seams with people and having a woman run up through the crowds yelling "Welcome to China" "Can I have your photo!?!") Oh to be the foreign species. Again, I'm escorted to the car park by Mr Doctor, telling me to 'please come again.' For the record I'm hoping a doctor's visit is not a regular occurrence but I smile and nod. He adds, if I've got time, pop in and we can practice our English and Chinese (I'm guessing I don't need to be under the weather for this event)! Would I make an appointment? He stands at the hospital entrance, waving me off like a long lost friend, who's just been to his house for Sunday lunch! I giggle to myself as we drive off from the doctors..... service with a smile! This is China. Ps, Very happy to send this crazy post over to Seychelles Mama for her series on My Expat Family. Just click the picture. … [Read more...]
Ni Hao Xi’an: The Birth Place of Ancient Civilisation
Warning: this is not a history lesson but it may involve the words ancient, museum, monuments, ruins and dynasties! Three months into this relationship, it's time we learned a little bit about the new city in my life and its colorful past. Xi'an or "西安" -- literally translated means "Western Peace." I'm pretty confident though, most "westerners" as such have heard little about this enthralling city that - at first glance - is easy to pass off as merely another blip on China's monstrous radar of no less than 656 cities! But don't be fooled by this time-honoured nook, nestled in the country's north west. Xi'an along with the distinguished cities of Rome, Cairo and Athens, is hailed as one of the birth places of ancient civilization. And you thought we were in nowheresville! Impressive huh? Proud Xianese will tell you: if China were a tree; Beijing is its branches, Shanghai its leaves and Xi'an, its roots! 3100 years in the making, for 1200 of those, 13 dynasties placed their capitals in Xi'an - including Zhou, Qin, Han and the Tang dynasty (which by the way, until the Ming Dynasty in 1369 was known as Chang'an). China is a country ruled by a rich history of remarkable dynasties until 1911... and in Xi'an each one marked a period in time where the country's rulers (who typically originated from the one family until the final King was overthrown) played a major role in the city's momentous evolution. Under the Qin Dynasty in 221 to 206 BC, China was unified for the very first time. The first Emperor Qin Shi Huang - today well known for ordering a cast of thousands to construct his mammoth mausoleum and the now world-famous Terracotta Army, to guard it. Read about that 8th Wonder of the World, here. During its heyday, Chang'an was considered one of the largest and most populous cities in the world! Around AD 750 it was known as the "million people's city." Chinese records estimate around 800,000–1,000,000 lived within the city walls. In the Han Dynasty, Xi'an became the military and political centre of China - the Asian gateway to Europe. This strategic and economic importance was mainly due to its central position in China. The roads leading to several other major provinces including Sichuan, Hubei and Henan all converged here - with the mountainous country surrounding the Wei River basin - known as the cradle of Chinese civilization. There were only two roads through to the south, and two through mountainous Gansu to the west, thus forming the beginning of the ancient Silk Route. The legendary Silk Road was a series of trade and cultural transport routes 6,500 kilometers long, connecting the West with the East - linking traders, merchants, pilgrims, monks, soldiers, nomads, and urban dwellers from China and India, all the way to the Mediterranean Sea. By the turn of the Tang Dynasty (618—907) Xi'an, along with Constantinople (Istanbul) and Baghdad was one of the largest cities in the world. A cosmopolitan urban center home to many international residents from across Asia and beyond. It was also a major religious centre, mostly for Buddhism and Taoism. From my window I can see one of the few major Tang-era buildings left in Xi'an today. The Great Wild Goose Pagoda. 64 metres high, it stored the translations of Buddhist sutras obtained by a renowned Buddhist Master who returned to China in 645 after 15 years of travel across India and central Asia. So, how important is my neighbour? It was just added to the World Heritage list this year! The Tang Dynasty also saw the construction of Weiyang Palace the largest palace ever built on Earth! Covering 4.8 km² - it's almost seven times the size of the current Forbidden City, or 11 times the size of the Vatican City. Yep! If that's not enough history for you, Xi'an is also considered to be the last calling of the Stone Age. In 1953, a 6,500-year old Banpo Neolithic village was discovered on the outskirts of the city containing the remains of several well-organized Neolithic settlements, carbon dated back 6700 years! Xi'an is also home to the most complete city wall that has survived in China, as well being one of the largest ancient military defensive systems in the world. After an extension, the wall now stands 12 meters tall, covering 13.7 kilometres in length with a deep moat surrounding the wall including four gates, respectively named Changle (eternal joy) in the east, Anding (harmony peace) in the west, Yongning (eternal peace) in the south and Anyuan (forever harmony) in the north. The south gate in the city centre is the most beautifully decorated, near the Bell and Drum Towers (which were once used to keep time for the town and sound alarms). Today with a population of 8.5 million, Xi'an still stands strong as the largest metropolis in Northwest China. You can appreciate, it's an historical treasure chest and is now reemerging as a cultural and (with 50 universities) educational hub. In 2012 a report by the Economist Intelligence Unit named Xi'an as one of the 13 emerging megacities in China, home to global companies like Mitsubishi, Toshiba, Fujitsu, Coca-Cola, Samsung and Boeing. It's this plethora of historical monuments and ancient ruins in Xi'an that afford it the title Natural Museum History and make it one of the most popular tourist destinations in China. The saying goes: "Go to Shanghai and you will find a 100-year-old China; go to Beijing and you will find a 1000-year-old China; go to Xian and then you will find a 3000-year-old China." So, what are you waiting for? Come on over and say 'Ni Hao' to the new interest in my life. … [Read more...]
Hotel Confessions: Cushioned by the Five Star Bubble(s)!
Eight weeks in deep, dark China and hurrah, we are finally in our own apartment (albeit attached to the hotel…which in all honestly is proving more often than not, a 'godsend')! I've come to the conclusion (relatively quickly) living in the five star bubble is an outrageously indulgent, but highly necessary comfort when one is catapulted into central China. Sure, room service delivered at your beck and call and housekeeping every second day is not to be sneezed at, and a direct line to the hotel chef for groceries is part and parcel of hotel life, especially when food 'as you know it' is unavailable and the local supermarkets are filled with just that, 'local' goods displaying a plethora of puzzling Chinese characters. But more importantly when you're in a strange land and there's an emergency, be it serious or perhaps just the need for some decent coffee, oh how I'm thankful for the five star community. Our first night in our new abode (part of the Westin Residences) we'd spent the day packing and unpacking the few suitcases we have with us until our belongings arrive……(which miraculously seemed to have evolved into a fairly hefty amount of loot!) Unpacked and sorted, we looked around and exhaled - this was our spacious, bright, new and ever so modern 'pad' that would become our home in Xi'an. (BTW, now for no other reason than sheer interest value it might be a good time to mention we live above a RollsRoyce showroom? Oh yes we do! Mind you it's not uncommon with China's current insatiable appetite for luxury cars.) As I placed my one ornament in its lone spot, we stood back and exhaled with as much enthusiasm as we could muster, all the while swatting away the underlying but ever present realization that this meant we could no longer pretend we were on an extended sabbatical. This is real. China is officially home. Any self indulgent, self pitying thoughts though were soon met with an abrupt slap when our small person's fingers accidentally met the hot plate in our shiny new kitchen. Of course every parent in this situation silently prays it's not serious and all will be soothed with a cuddle and a kiss (and a lolly or three)…. Here of all places, I was desperately hoping it wasn't a hospital visit, where I suspected there would be no English and it would be a scene resembling anything that we know to be normal. "Please no," I whispered as I watched the tips of her red raw fingers bubble up before us. It was quickly apparent it was one of those moments where an expert opinion was called for, so through tears and anxious parental pacing (thank God for the long hallway) we frantically called the hotel's weekend Manager on Duty, who instantly knew which doctors did house calls and how to call or more importantly 'what' to say. Within 30 minutes they were on our doorstep, along with two hotel staff to translate. It was just as well - because in a moment of shock, dealing with the surreal experience of these two doctors who arrived - their white mini vans with giant red crosses - like something out of the sixties, marching out in their white coats, silver 'doctor's' cases at their side was more than enough to cope with. As anticipated, not a scrap of English was to be spoken as they crowded around me and my whimpering girl on the bed. I heard the words 'Soy Sauce' and 'burn remedy' mentioned in the same sentence and tried not to look alarmed. Thankfully it seemed it wasn't too serious, and their would be no soy sauce or painkillers issued ("these are unhealthy for the body" I'm told - mind you this coming from the land who gobbles up antibiotics sold over the counter sans prescription at an accelerated rate.) I was silently thankful for the kid's Nurofen stashed in the cupboard. The next day, frazzled nerves now calmed, I had the chance to revel in the number of cupboards it seems I now have access to… in my own. private. space. Or so I thought. But it has become rather apparent, you can't just pick and choose the elements of hotel life you prefer. Nicole! if you want the hotel life, you get all of hotel life. The door bell rang at 9am sharp, someone eagerly letting themselves in - at the ready to clean my rather sparse house. Er…um…. put on the spot and slightly conflicted between my want for privacy and those oh so hard to make hotel heavenly beds. My poorer better judgement prevailed and I sent them away….but they were not to be deterred…..before too long, two elderly Chinese ladies sidled on past our 'floor to ceiling' windows, wielding a large broom, evidently sweeping the already spotless balcony and not without having a good peek inside at us - the foreign species on the block! Taken aback but not too shocked - after all I had started to become used to a lack of privacy in my 5th floor hotel suite where maintenance men, housekeeping, laundry ladies, you name it, regularly knocking twice, walking in before I had the chance to get to the door. But things were about to reach a brand new level at the Westin Residences. The two ladies clearly not satisfied with meandering by, were now crouching down at the window of our bedroom, faces pressed hard against the window, waving furiously and smiling at us… I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Instead, I ran to another room to process (in private) what was unfolding on my balcony, before gingerly peering around to see if my daughter was still being eye-balled. Yes. Yes she was. Um…last time I checked I wasn't a goldfish, had two heads or looked liked Angelina Jolie. I gently closed the curtains with a tight-lipped smile. A couple of days later feeling a little under the weather with a winter lurgy, I had an unexpected snooze in the middle of the day (by now 'snooper' savvy, I made sure my Do Not Disturb button was on) but woke to a knock, ignored it…thinking like in any normal circumstances, they'd appropriately exit the building. But oh no…next thing a loud cacophony of "Ni Haos" echoed through the house. Stumbling into the hallway I found four faces looking at me as if to say, ah hello what are you doing here? Er Me? I live here! Who the hell are you!! It's all par for the course it seems when you take on the machine that is China. Xi'an is a city whose people until a decade ago had one five star hotel in their midst. A city that until recently established as a tourist spot very rarely saw a western face. With 8.5 million people all busily competing for a spot amongst the madness, privacy is respected in the loosest sense of the term. But alas, our curious friends aside, I am thankful for the hotel….heck my laundry is done and they serve wine 24 hours a day, even if most varieties are "out of order" unless it's the hard stuff (namely Bai Jiu) you're after. I'm thankful that (power cuts aside) in the hotel world we get a smattering of English channels like BBC, CNN and Sky News - even if the quality of the picture is influenced by seemingly outside circumstances. I'm thankful that when I've been out of the bubble into a foreign world where your brain is sapped of energy not only by the winter chill and imposing pollution, but by just going about your regular tasks like buying a coffee or a can of hairspray - not to mention fending off the constant stares, touches and chatter of passersby, more often than not chasing you down for a chance photo (yes even at midnight boarding a plane) -- I can return to the bubble and seek out friendly familiar faces to chat to in English (relatively easily) about trivial things and have a giggle at our foreign woes. Thankful that I have a driver(s) even if some of them can''t speak any English to take us where we need to go in the ancient capital that's overflowing with all manner of transport….from rickety three wheelers to luxury limos. Thankful that despite crossing five lanes of maniacal traffic, they expertly whiz us through the mighty Xi'an streets on our morning school run. For all intents and purposes, they greet us with a smile, wait patiently for us and most of all, watch our backs (not to mention teach me a new Chinese word every day). I am thankful for the staff who entertain my daughter in the lavish Lobby Bar while I catch up on some work, with a hot mocha in hand that I haven't had to chant the words 'no cream thanks' in Chinese over and over in my head before they take my order, in case I forget. I'm thankful for an internet signal full stop! Even if it's notoriously patchy and takes me three times as long to achieve anything. And as for the bigger things like visa fiascos, I'm thankful for Hotel's HR staff, fluent in English, who can fill in the blanks between our Qing's (please) and Xie Xie's (thank you's)! It's been a challenging two months, but gently cushioned by bubbles of the five star variety. For that I'm thankful! Cheers! … [Read more...]
Expat in a New Country? My Top Ten Survival Tips
Latest Column for Expat Focus.... I've been living in the middle of China for almost two months now. It's my second expat posting, so while I'm not a newbie to "expat life", having bandied about the term 'culture shock' on this column many times, I've got to say, in all honesty I had rather naively forgotten how confronting moving to a new country could be. Arriving in Xi'an, North West China, I knew no one - not a single soul, bar my husband and 3 year old daughter. We arrived at the Westin Hotel - our new home, in the middle of a grey, wet night. A short flight from Hong Kong, but I went from living next door to the world's 7th tallest skyscraper on the 43rd floor to a five story hotel that stands opposite a 1300 year old wild goose pagoda. Chalk and cheese to say the least! It's fair to say, my first week had me lost in a blur of speechlessness, afraid to breathe for fear of being overwhelmed by the rawness of such a contrasting culture. China is a place where road rules seem non existent -- cars, busses, bikes and pedestrians all competing for the same spot with the same vigor, their hands heavy on the horn but not the break. Someone once said, "In China, whatever's bigger, gets right of way!" As a pedestrian, crossing the road is taking your life in your own hands. Undecipherable Chinese characters flash vibrantly on neon-lit signs from the side of buildings, strange looking three-wheeler motorbikes rattle on by, loaded up with precariously balanced goods. Cars mount footpaths for faster access….most toilets are holes in the ground and spoken English is minimal. There is a distinct lump in my throat and that sinking feeling lingers in the pit of my stomach as I desperately try to keep my head above water and tear free, reminding myself this is all part of the 'journey'. To read more click here...to Expat Focus … [Read more...]
Xi’an’s Terracotta Warriors: The Largest Jigsaw in the World
Mention Xi'an - one of China's 656 cities and more often than not, you'll (understandably) get a blank look. Followed by: "How do you say that? EX-ee-arn? See-arn?" For the record, the general consensus round these parts seems to be Shee-arn - with a slight T sound on the S... which of course if you're a westerner who's never learned Chinese before, sounds about as foreign as having er, mustard on your toast! Mention the "Terracotta Warriors" though and there's usually a collective "Ahhh oohhh ...yes, yes! I've heard of the Terracotta Army!" There's no doubt this legion of clay soldiers has put Xi'an, the ancient capital of China back on the map. If China's on your bucket list and you love a bit of historical mystery - it's usually Beijing, Shanghai and then Xi'an, for a glimpse of these now, world-famous warriors. Of course it was only a matter of time before I went to check out this global phenomenon myself. I'm sure it won't be the last - have visitors, our clay friends will no doubt top the list of must-see sights! They have been declared the 8th Wonder of the Ancient World. (FYI, there are seven 'official' wonders - including the Grand Canyon and the Great Barrier Reef - but visiting former French President Jaques Chirac was so impressed, he thought they should be added to the list!) After witnessing the miracle of these majestic warriors on display, I must say I'm inclined to agree! Incredibly, they were only unearthed in 1974 - just 40 years ago. So how an earth did an estimated 8,000 life-size pottery warriors and horses slide under the radar for a mere 2,200 years? The story goes -- they were so far underground (and most of them smashed into a million pieces) that previous farmers on the land at XiYang Village, east of Xi'an had simply dismissed any fragments of clay found over the years. That is until one day local peasants drilling a well in search of water happened to run into these blokes again… well, pieces of broken pottery along with some pretty impressive ancient bronze weapons! Initially thinking they'd found jars from an old kiln, instead exposing the pottery head of a soldier, they knew they'd uncovered something out of the ordinary and called the village head, who in turn called the government to investigate matters further. And as they say, the rest is history! Exploration and excavation began on what they call the 'first pit' in earnest and one by one this army of troops was revealed; some missing arms, legs, heads, some in a thousand pieces and some still in tact, still standing, perfectly formed!! I'm no history buff, but to put it in simple terms….here's how the Terracotta Army came into being. It was 247 BC and there was a 13 year old boy who'd just became King of the Qin State. (Qin translates to China.) At the time China was made up of seven kingdoms and this young boy who was smart and ambitious set out to unify China. By the age of 39 he had successfully completed his mission, calling himself the First Emperor of China. Emperor Qin of the Qin Dynasty. Clearly as well as being industrious, he also carried a bit of an ego because soon after becoming King he designed his own mausoleum where he would be buried when he died (with a piece of gold in one hand and a piece of jade in the other to protect him in the afterlife)! Bearing an overwhelming fear of death, the Emperor believed that life underground after death was a continuation of life on earth. Thus, his mausoleum wasn't just any old grave, it was the largest tomb in the world! At 56 square kilometres, standing 100 metres high, he drafted a labour force of 700-thousand people to build it. It took 38 years! Constructed between Xi'an's Mount Li and the Wei River for good Feng Shui…it was an underground treasure house. This subterranean palace contained replica rivers and streams in quicksilver; pits of rare birds and animals, bronze chariots and horses, plus precious stones; while his outer coffin was made of molten copper and surrounded by candles made of whale oil to ensure they would burn eternally. Guarding the entrance to this palatial tomb stood the Terracotta Warriors, each one made to reflect individual real-life soldiers. Every single one was different. Made from local clay - that is clearly unique - allowing the warriors to survive to this day -- it's believed the torso and arms of the soldiers were hollow, using thick clay coils in the middle, with the clay moulded around the outside. The legs were solid and the facial features sculpted by sharp bamboo. It's thought they were put into the natural air to dry before being fired at around 1000 degrees. Remember this is 2200 years ago but the technology used has been praised as quite remarkable. Each warrior was painted in bold, bright colors, believed to be a layer of lacquer on the surface and then colored with paint made of minerals. The Emperor's obsession with his mortality, made him determined to find the elixir of life and at 50, he reportedly took a potion to ensure his longevity which ironically contained mercury and killed him! The following year the Qin Dynasty was vehemently overthrown and the Terracotta Warriors surrounding the mausoleum smashed to pieces and burned, submerged for the next 2,200 years…. That is until, their miraculous discovery! Following the discovery of pit no 1, pit no 2 and 3 were also uncovered in 1976. All three pits are five to seven metres below ground level, the warriors lined up in battle formation, standing on paved pottery bricks with a wooden roof covered by layers of thick fibre mats, fine soil and tilled earth to conceal the army. Each pit is different in shape - pit three the smallest at 520 square metres - pit one the largest at 14,000 square metres. First opened to the public in 1979 as 'Emperor QinShihuang's Terra-Cotta Museum', 2000 square metres had been excavated and 1087 terra-cotta warriors and horses were on display. The XiYang Village became world famous. In 1986, the Queen of England came to visit the site and wanted the main founder of the warriors to sign something for her, but as a peasant farmer he was illiterate. From that day on a famous Chinese calligrapher was called in to teach him to sign his name. And it seems he's never stopped. When we visited, the former farmer, now 80, was there signing book after book! Standing inside these massive hangar-like structures (the original site of the pits) it's a breath taking sight. Rows upon rows of life-size warriors stare resolutely forward, in a ghostly manner. Each section of warriors is representative of infantrymen, cavalrymen, archers and charioteers all with varying weapons according to rank, along with different hairstyles and clothing to mark their authority. Seeing them assembled as they originally would have been, it's hard to comprehend this spectacular excavation process. In the beginning there were just two people reconstructing these soldiers, piece by piece, bit by bit. By 1990 there were 24 and today hundreds of skilled men and women from all over the world work on piecing together thousands of clay fragments, in piles waiting for connection. If the workers can find one piece that fits in a day, it's considered "a lucky day!" To complete one soldier it takes around seven years and many cannot be restored. There are no new pieces used. And what's even more incredible? There are still many hundreds of warriors buried, yet to be unearthed. As technology expands, there is a tendency to leave the warriors until more is known. You may remember I said these warriors were painted bright colors, bold blues, reds and yellows? When they have been uncovered, in the past, many of them still wore flakes of colored paint - which in the open air quickly oxidates. It's hoped over time, archeologists will discover new technologies to keep them in their preserved state. Also uncovered near the mausoleum were two sets of bronze chariots, namely the biggest bronze work in the world. A chariot weighing 1100 kilos! It's believed these (modeled at half the size of a real chariot, horse and driver) were to be used by the Emperor when he went on inspection tours in his afterlife. In the last 20 years, it's become the biggest museum in China bringing in 40,000 visitors a day. Considered to be one of he most important archaeological discoveries of the 20th Century, there's no denying Xi'an's gone to the pot! The terracotta type that is! A jigsaw that once completed will surely stand the test of time. Visiting Xi'an? Fast Facts: Where: The site of the Terracotta Warriors is around 45 minutes (or 35 kilometres) east of Xi'an city. When: Open all year round. Costs: CNY150 (March 1 - end of November) CNY120 (December 1 - end of February) Time: Allow yourself at least half a day to see this spectacle. What: Wheelchairs available. BYO child's stroller recommended. Eat: There are tea houses/restaurants plus tourist stalls selling memorabilia. How: Find more information here. Tips: If you can, I recommend hiring a tour guide to take you through the pits so you can understand the fascinating history behind the phenomenal Terracotta Army! … [Read more...]
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