Xi'an was China's capital for more than a thousand years and the starting point of the Silk Road. We had only two days, and between the city walls, the Terracotta Army and the Muslim Quarter, it became one of the most fascinating stops of the whole trip.
Four hours by train from Chengdu
We pushed our train back a little because we needed rest. Travelling with kids is tiring. Chengdu station is enormous: just buying the tickets meant a kilometre and a half on foot. That's deliberate. If you book online, they simply scan your passport at the gate. Every station has bags scanned and a metal detector, so it's very safe, if a bit slow. The real difficulty is the language. Even at tourist sites, almost nobody speaks English. Apart from that, I couldn't find anything bad to say about this country.
Chang'an, "eternal peace"
In ancient times Xi'an was called Chang'an, which means "eternal peace". It was the political, economic and cultural centre of China in its golden age, under the Han and Tang dynasties. At its peak under the Tang it was the largest and most cosmopolitan city in the world, with over a million inhabitants. As the start of the Silk Road, it connected East and West, and that legacy still shows in its culture.
Bell Tower and city walls
The Bell Tower, built in 1384 under the Ming dynasty, stands at the exact centre of the city, where the four main avenues meet. It was the timekeeping and military command post of the ancient capital, and it's the largest and best-preserved bell tower in China.
The city wall was built between 1370 and 1378 on top of earlier Tang fortifications. It runs for about 14 km and is one of the most complete ancient military defence systems in the world.
The Terracotta Army (and the crowds)
On day two came the moment we had waited for. It was also a battle: getting a steady shot was impossible, with people pushing from every side and cutting in front of me. "Not even in basketball!" The Terracotta Army was discovered by chance in 1974 by farmers digging a well. Thousands of life-size clay soldiers were buried to protect China's first emperor, Qin Shi Huang, in the afterlife. It's considered one of the greatest archaeological finds of the 20th century.
The Muslim Quarter
We ended the trip in the Muslim Quarter. Its origins go back to the Tang dynasty and the arrival of Silk Road merchants. Today it's the heart of the Hui Muslim community and a pedestrian-only food paradise of halal street food. Seeing Chinese and Muslim culture blend together, and learning how that mix began, was one of the highlights of the trip.