西安: Fun and Final Thoughts

This last post of the longer-than-anticipated Xi'an series is just a general wrap-up of my second day in the City of Western Peace. While Joanna and Lucy had to get back to Beijing the day before, Liz and I stayed for an extra day to see what we could see.

The morning started off a little like this...

...and maybe it was the great night's sleep I had at the hostel, but it just felt like a jumping kind of day, so...

From there it was an impromptu trip into the Big Goose Pagoda complex. See me through the tiny opening of the brass thingy below?

And then, the impromptu Big Goose Pagoda dance...

Now for the impressive, artsy photo of this gigantic tower:

The temple that surrounds this tower was actually a very beautiful example of Buddhist artistry. Unfortunately, though, since it is an actual temple where people come to worship, no pictures were allowed in the prayer alcoves. But believe me when I say that some of the statues and murals on the wall were absolutely breathtaking. There were also some sutras housed there, which would have been more enriching to see if I could have actually read the Chinese explanations.

After our tour of the Big Goose Pagoda, the only other activity of note for the day was our 90 minute bike ride atop the city wall of Xi'an. Xi'an is apparently one of the few cities left that has retained its original fortification over the centuries. Of course, there has been some upkeep, but the experience is still great for getting a closer sense of what it meant to be called a "city" in imperial China. The perimeter of the wall was so small that Liz and I were able to bike to the opposite side in about 30 minutes' time. If only I could bike to the opposite side of Beijing that fast...

But I digress. I admit, what I was most excited about was getting a bird's eye view of real Xi'an. The whole inner side of the wall couldn't all be shiny storefronts. Well, it wasn't, but it wasn't much of anything else either. Surprisingly (or not), most of the view was construction pits and demolished areas. Xi'an must be caught up in the modernization craze too.

The views along the outer part of the wall, though, more than made up for it. Unlike Beijing, Xi'an very obviously still has its moat, which made for terrific pictures taken by one Liz Lee. She was also fighting a dying camera, so for her to aim and shoot in the single second the camera woke up and still get these pictures was nothing short of amazing.

And then there's me!!

All in all, I really enjoyed the slower pace of Xi'an after spending weeks submerged in the mad rush of Beijing. It was actually a really special trip. I can't describe the exact quality of what made it special, but again, believe me when I say that something about Xi'an makes you think about what it really means to be "experiencing" China. 

Maybe this is it. One always hears Beijing described as a juxtaposition of ancient and modern China (imperial sites vying for attention with the Olympic stadium, hutongs alongside megamalls, etc.). When you are in Beijing, that message is being yelled at you from everywhere you look. Xi'an, I would say, holds that same message; Liz and I were even joking about making a juxtaposition photo series. But whereas Beijing is loud, bold and in your face, Xi'an is a little more quiet, a little more graceful, maybe, about getting the point across. 

I don't know what will happen to Xi'an in the next few years as it continues to modernize, but I hope it retains some of the charm it has done so well to preserve up until now.