Xi'an and the Terra Cotta Warriors


Lizzy and I spent four days in Xi'an, allowing plenty of time to explore the city and take-in Xi'an's rich history.  Xi'an is the current capital of Shaanxi Province but it is also one of the four ancient capital cities of China.  Xi'an also marked the beginning of the Silk Road.

I was most excited about visiting the site of the Terra Cotta Army.

First view of Pit 1, Terra Cotta Warriors
In 2009 when I lived in Washington, D.C., I was met with perfect timing:  The Terra Cotta Warriors were being exhibited at the National Geographic Museum and my roommate was a Chinese historian giving the tours.  I remember looking at pictures of pit 1, not able to comprehend the enormity of this archaeological discovery and wondering if somehow, someday I would ever find myself in China and view the Terra Cotta Warriors for myself. 

Grounds of the Terra Cotta Warriors
As I have learned time and again, life is full of surprises.  Thanks to this student teaching opportunity through the partnership between Professor Rhea and The University of Montana and Guiyang No. 4 Experimental Primary School, I was able to make another dream of mine come true.

Terra Cotta Army, Pit 1
When traveling anywhere, one is faced with the question of whether or not to hire a guide.  Being budget travelers, Lizzy and I had to pick and choose when we felt a guide was necessary and research what we thought we could navigate and read about on our own.  Thanks to a recommendation from one of our other beloved professors, Dr. Blank, we were teamed up with Alan, an English-speaking guide from Xi’an. 

Lizzy, Alan, Natalie
In 1974, a group of farmers were digging a well and discovered the site.  One of the farmers frequently sits in the gift shop and signs the souvenir book.



The Terra Cotta army was built by Emperor Qin Shi Huang, China's first emperor.  Born in 259 B.C., Qin became Emperor during 221 B.C. was in power until his death in 210 B.C.  He was also instrumental in the construction of the Great Wall.  



It is believed that Emperor Qin had a team of over 700,000 people work on the terra cotta army.  


Four pits have been partially excavated but the mound housing the burial site has been left untouched awaiting advances in excavation technology.  



Alan also took us to visit a historic Cave House, a traditional farmer's dwelling in Shaanxi Province.   


Alan also took us to the famous Big Wild Goose Pagoda.

Big Wild Goose Pagoda



We were able to climb the pagoda for a small fee to gain expansive views of Xi'an.  Big Wild Goose Pagoda is a Buddhist pagoda and was built during the Tang Dynasty in 652.


View of Xi'an from Big Wild Goose Pagoda

After visiting the Terra Cotta Warriors, a Cave House, and Big Wild Goose Pagoda in one day, Lizzy and I planned the next days to be a bit more relaxed.  

Xi'an City Wall
During our time in Xi'an, we stayed at the Shuyuan International Youth Party Hostel was in a prime location.  We were not only close to the subway (only one line was open but it happened to be extremely convenient for our purposes) but we were also directly outside the southern gate of the city wall.

Xi'an City Wall
For a few hours during a cloudy and maybe a little polluted afternoon, Lizzy and I rented bikes and biked around the city wall.


Xi'an City Wall

The bike ride provided an overview of the different parts of the city.

Lizzy and Natalie, Xi'an City Wall

Year of the Snake

After the bike ride, we walked down to the famous Muslim Quarter and thanks to a recommendation from our guide, Alan, sampled soup dumplings at one of Xi'an's most famous restaurants.  A soup dumpling tastes exactly like it sounds!

Xi'an's Drum Tower
On the walk home, we stopped to take in the sights of the Drum Tower and Bell Tower at night.  Absolutely stunning.
Xi'an's Bell Tower 

There are many ways to travel throughout China.  I was so fortunately to travel with a friend who was on the same page on how to get from place to place.  When we realized a high-speed bullet train could take us from Xi'an to Beijing in only about 5 hours, we said, "Yes, please!"  

Bullet train after our arrival in Beijing


Travel Tips:

  • Use your hostel to book economical tours to various attractions, it's also a great way to meet people
  • If there is a particular site you are interested in, hire a private guide.  
  • If you would like to hire any of the guides mentioned on this blog, please email me at natalie.ann.rich@gmail.com for more information.

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