Hello again,

We have spent the last four days in Xi'an and we have really enjoyed it here, there has been lots to see and do.

The afternoon of the day we arrived we visited the bell and drum tower, monumnets left over from the old city. The next day we walked around the old city walls that enclose the central city. The walls are a renovation of the originals that date back to the Qing Dynasty. They were very impressive and offered a different perspective on the parts of the city nearby.

We took a day trip to the Terracotta Army and went to the museum and learnt some of the history of Emperor Qin, the founding emperor of China, and his obsession with power, building the great wall and his army for the afterlife. We were impressed with the scale of the army and how each one was hand-creafted and painted, making every warrior unique.

Other sites we saw included the Muslim Quarter, Big Goose Pagoda and fountain and light show, The Temple of the 8 Immortals and the Forest of the Stone Tablets Museum. The city has loads of shops and malls all with their christmas decorations on display, it has helped us get into the christmas spirit.

Pictures to follow soon, the internet speed here is rubbish!!