[Pictures from my arrival in Xi'an]
Arriving in Xi’an we had an hour ride from the airport. On the way we saw some mounds that held various tombs, big ones for emperors, fairly small ones for other top officials. Xi’an’s got a population of a bout 8 million and the core of the city, about 12 sq kms, is within an old city wall. It had been the capital back during the Tang dynasty and earlier and also the end of the Silk Road.
Much of the city is on a gird pattern with the cardinal directions each getting a eponymous street. The origin of the Chinese word for shopping transliterates as East-West and refers to going to the city’s East and West markets. There’s a beautiful bell tower in the city center and a large Muslim quarter adjacent to it. After hitting the Starbucks, finally getting net access (I also had a brief spell at the airport), and wandering a bit, we went as a group to the Muslim quarter. There was a neat range of shops and we had dinner at a kabob and bread place. It was quite tasty and cheap, although they definitely overdid the seasonings.
Recent Comments