A Historical Trip through the Heart of China

Xian, historically known as Chang'An, was the capital of China during the Qin, Han, Sui, and Tang Dynasties, which span from around 200 BC to 900 AD. It has arguably more ancient history tourist spots than any other city in China, which is saying something. So in the four days that I was there, I was busy visiting the Drum and Bell Towers, the Muslim Quarter, Big Goose Pagoda from the Tang Dynasty, and of course, the Terracotta Warriors. Of all the sites, the warrior statues in the tomb of Emperor Qin were the highlight of my stay. Although 2 UK guys and I started the journey to the tomb with a rather dull headache (some might call it a hangover), by the end of the day, I was sincerely astonished, not because it was 2000 years old, not because there were over 6000 statues, but mostly because I could not fathom what was possibly going through the Emperor's head when he decided, "Ok, before I die, I'm going to make thousands of people build thousands of sculptures, so that I am ready for battle in the afterworld. Yes, that'd be a good idea." Of course, I guess I can say the same about every other tomb and pyramid in the world...





As for the nightlife in Xian, this is when I started realizing that the backpackers in China are of different breed compared to those in SE Asia. The people in SE Asia are mostly in their early 20's or they're on their gap year, and most of them come to Asia to party. In China, it seems like most of the travelers are Chinese, and the foreign backpackers are a little bit older, a little bit calmer, and more about culture and history. By the time I was in Xian, I had kind of accepted this fact, and there were many times when my group of friends was the only Westerners in the whole club. It's all about different experiences, I guess.

Before heading to Beijing, I decided to stop at an UNESCO World Heritage Site called Pingyao, which is the best preserved walled town in China. Many of the buildings show a great deal of age and character, a charming change from the restored historic sites of Xian. Although the town was touristy as hell, it was still nice to sit on a porch, drink some tea, and watch the world go by.



I also took a day trip to the Wang Family Palace from the Qing Dynasty, and I guess all of the Wang's that I know in the United States are descendants of this family?? Anyways, the more interesting part of the day trip was the castle that dates back from the 7th Century, and the underground tunnel built as an escape path for a possible invasion, although never used. The underground castle contained even stables, prisons, and intricate traps. Places like this really make you realize how old China's history is.



After Pingyao, I headed for my last stop in China, the massive capital that is Beijing, the municipality of which covers as much area as Belgium. Home to 3 World Heritage Sites among various other historic sites, the city required every minute of my 5 days, not to mention the 10 million inhabitants and many more summer holiday tourists. Although I was a bit disappointed with the Summer Palace and the Forbidden City, I would have to admit that the Great Wall is one of the greatest wonders of the world. It helped that I went to a rather remote area of the wall called Mutianyu, and the weather was absolutely wonderful. It was a 3 km stretch of ups and downs, but I was able to traverse the whole length twice in a matter of 3 hours, drenched in sweat, completely out of breath. But it was one of the most fulfilling days of the trip. These pictures really don't do justice:





In Beijing, I also enjoyed going to an acrobatic show, trying out strange food in the night market, and of course, engulfing a whole Peking Duck.





Unfortunately, I was so sick of the crowd by the last day that I couldn't wait to get out of the city, and the country all together. After all, it was my day of homecoming - home to Japan! I had a plane to catch at 9:30am, I left the hostel at 7:00am, but with the Beijing transportation system, I still managed to almost miss the flight. The only thing that missed the flight, though, was my bag, which I had to retrieve later. Frankly, I was so overjoyed that I was going to Japan that it really didn't matter. 3 weeks left, 1 more country, hoping for more adventures...

- Ryoji