xi'an adventures: ancient walls and tired feet
xi'an is... well, it's a lot. i'm sitting here after walking around the city wall for what feels like forever, and my feet are basically screaming at me. but it's been a wild few days, so i guess i should tell you about it.
so, xi'an. anciently known as chang'an, it's this place that's been a capital for, like, a million years. or 3,100 years, whatever. that's older than some civilizations, which is kind of mind-blowing when you're standing in the middle of it all. someone told me that it was the eastern terminus of the silk road, which explains why there's this mix of han chinese traditions and central asian influences everywhere. it's not just chinese food, you know? there's this whole cultural melting pot thing happening.
the weather here, by the way? i just checked and it's... there right now, hope you like that kind of thing. it's about 14 degrees celsius, feels like 12.89, and the humidity is at 36. not too bad, actually, except that i didn't pack enough layers for this temperate monsoon climate they've got going on. the seasons are apparently all very distinct, but i'm here during the in-between times when it's neither hot nor cold, just... present. and it's been dry, which is nice because the wei river apparently floods sometimes. historical site selection makes sense now, huh?
the city wall is... wow. it's one of china's best-preserved, wrapping around this huge area. it's 13.7 kilometers of ancient brick, and you can actually rent bikes and ride around the top. which, by the way, is how i ended up with these tired feet. but it's worth it, you get this amazing view of the city and can really appreciate the scale of things. the bell tower and drum tower are central landmarks, visible from the wall, which is pretty handy for orientation.
and then there's the terracotta army. east of the city, near mount li. it's this whole underground army of life-sized clay soldiers from the qin dynasty. someone told me that they were only discovered in the 1970s, which is crazy to think about. like, all this time, they were just... there. waiting.
if you get bored, there's actually a lot nearby. hua shan is just 100 kilometers east, and apparently it's this sacred taoist mountain with hiking trails. and there's the gansu corridor west toward xinjiang cities like urumqi and kashgar. the qinling mountains are to the south, dividing north-south china geographically and climatically. they're dramatic, according to the info i read, though i haven't made it there yet. maybe when my feet recover.
the city's got this dense urban core that evolved from ancient walled cities, with about 5.4 million people living here. and they're all really proud of their history, which is understandable when you consider xi'an stands out as one of china's four great ancient capitals. it's the middle kingdom's heart, apparently, defining china's westward expansion and its role in the silk road.
air quality can be a bit tricky sometimes, being on this inland plain, but so far it's been okay. winters are cold and dry, so if you're thinking of coming then, pack warm. and be prepared for crowds at the historical sites. this place is definitely a busy hub with efficient rail and highway access.
so yeah, xi'an. it's ancient, it's overwhelming, it's exhausting, but it's also pretty incredible. my feet might never forgive me, but my camera is full and my brain is buzzing with thousands of years of history. if you're into that sort of thing.
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