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I love steamed buns and was always on the lookout for vendors that looked hygienic. The place I found in Xian looked great and they had four different kinds, each with a different filling.

China 1998 - Part Three: Xian & Beijing

Dougburnett
2003-11-22 16:39:38

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that was shaped liked one of the Great Pyramids. There was also a Sphinx and a few concrete camels. One of my western companions shouted out, "Hey, I think the bus made a wrong turn," - we all laughed.

We piled off the bus in a large car park that was surrounded by tourist shops - it wasn't at all clear where the site entrance was. Luckily one of our little group knew and he led us across the road toward it. We walked past what seemed to be miles of shops and restaurants before we found the ticket office. Here we each bought a 65 yuan ticket and then had to check our bags for another 10 yuan.

Three separate buildings cover the excavation. The largest is about the size of four football fields, set two by two. The buildings are all dimly lit and only the outermost soldiers have been restored. I am a restless visitor and soon broke off from my slow moving group. As I walked, I thought about how much easier it was to see the individual soldiers when they had been shown at a museum in my hometown. What you see here is a big, dark excavation. Certainly it's impressive in its size but somehow I was unmoved. On the bus back to Xian I thought about it - I was sure glad this wasn't my sole reason for coming to Xian. If it had been, I would have been disappointed.

I have never visited a place as dry and dusty as Xian. The sky was yellow with dust and the air so dry that my nose started to bleed. Everything was covered with dust. The last time I had been in place like that was in Cairo where it never rains.

Xian is also the first place I ran into beggars. The square in front of the hotel was full of kids who would accost you as you walked through. They were quite insistent. One little girl followed me across the square tapping on my hand the whole way. When I tried to shoo her off she slapped my hand and cursed me before she left.

I decided to sit ...