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Guides for the Business Traveler
Xi'an (2007)
4 hours in Xi'an (2007)
2007 Business Traveler 4-Hour Guide Sponsored by Korean Air. Home to China's famous 7,000 terra cotta warriors, culturally diverse Xi'an also boasts a magnificent mosque, Gary Bowerman discovers.
 | MUSEUM OF EMPEROR QINSHIHUANG’S TERRA COTTA WARRIORS AND HORSES Discovered by peasant farmers digging a well on arid wasteland in 1974, the terra cotta soldiers are one of China's premier tourism attractions, and a UNESCO-listed Heritage Site. Visit in the morning, if possible, before the tourist coaches descend. Ask your hotel to hire a driver for a fixed return trip (around RMB5–7), and head 15.5 miles northeast from the city center.
Around 7,000 shattered clay Qin dynasty soldiers, chariots and horses were unearthed and painstakingly restored from deep underground pits. They are showcased in three large covered warehouses to protect them from the elements. For now, the viewing platforms are raised above the chambers, with the soldiers placed in infantry formation below, though plans are in place to install overarching glass walkways by mid-2008. The life-sized warriors are unnervingly human, identifiable by unique facial expressions, hairstyles relating to army rank and square-footed boots and protective tunics.
The adjacent museum is largely forgettable, and the photo shop sells photos of Bill and Hillary Clinton standing in the pit next to the soldiers. Fight your way through the exit area, where a large market offers souvenirs, fresh fruits, and, of course, replica miniature soldiers for a dollar. Entry RMB90 |  | SMALL GOOSE PAGODA Head back to the city, and make a brief stop at the Small Goose Pagoda inside the Jiangfu Temple. One of two historic Buddhist Goose Pagodas in the city center—if you have some extra time the sibling Large Goose Pagoda is easily visible (and walkable) about half a mile away. Originally 15-stories tall, the Small Goose Pagoda, built in 707 A.D., lost its upper two floors in an earthquake in 1555. Climbing to the top yields excellent views across the two perspectives of Xi'an—the ancient city and the sky-high modern metropolis rapidly encasing it. Entry RMB49 |  | OLD CITY WALL From here, it's a short walk to downtown Xi'an's magnificent rectangular fortification that protected the old city of Chang'an (now Xi'an)—once China's capital. Though increasingly surrounded by an under construction jungle of skyscrapers, the city wall is still largely intact. Initially built between the 7th and 10th centuries, the fortress walls were enhanced during the Ming Dynasty. Standing thirty-nine feet high and stretching for eight miles, the wall features classical Chinese ramparts, turrets and pagodas. It is particularly spectacular when lit at night. By day, it is easy to explore—either on foot or by bicycle (available for rental, RMB18 per 100 minutes, RMB37 for a tandem bike for 100 minutes). |  | MUSLIM QUARTER AND MARKET Take a short cab ride to Xi'an's compact old Muslim quarter close to the Drum Tower, which demonstrates the city's rich ethnic diversity. Located at the very center of this vast nation, Xi'an has always been a meeting place for Northern and Southern, Eastern and Muslim Western China. Here, in this clearly defined and friendly Muslim district, is some of Xi'an's finest traditional Chinese architecture. These historic buildings are juxtaposed with meandering street markets, narrow alleyways and fine cooking aromas. Young men grill kebabs over hot charcoals on the uneven sidewalks, women hand-spin cotton candy, and everyone else seems to be tending open-fronted carts selling sweet pastries, candied fruits and nuts, and pizza-sized slabs of freshly baked brick-oven flat bread. Inside the labyrinthine covered market, a coven of small stalls offers an almost identical range of paintings, silk garments and cheap Chairman Mao-morabilia—remember to bargain hard. |  | GRAND MOSQUE At the far end of the market—and easily missed—is a small arched entranceway that leads into a seemingly nondescript courtyard. Continue ahead, however, and these initial thoughts will be magically dispelled. Xi'an's Grand Mosque is quite simply an architectural and cultural gem. Low-roofed courtyards and ornate water gardens lead to a striking central prayer hall with intricately carved wood doors and heavy wooden beams. It feels like stepping into a long-forgotten China. Though late afternoon is the best time to visit, when the call to prayer is backdropped by a setting sun over the upturned slate rooftops, any time of the day merits a call. Entry RMB19 |
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