During our time in Beijing and Xi'an (pronounced "she-ahn"), we had lots of opportunities to explore China's history. The two most impressive sites also happen to be two of the most well-known: the Great Wall and the Terracotta Army.

Rather than visiting the most popular sections of the great wall, where the wall is usually obscured by ridiculous numbers of people and annoying vendors, we chose to do a tour our hostel called "Ancient Wall to Secret Wall." It cost a little more than if we had done the "do-it-yourself" route, but seeing the wall with no more than the 15 people on our bus made it totally worth it! We started on a restored section of the wall, where our guide relayed a funny story about a "crazy emperor" who ate too many dumplings. This emperor insisted on eating a dumpling every day instead of once a year as was the tradition. His reign was cut short after just 18 days. Our guide said maybe if the emperor had only eaten one dumpling a year, he might have ruled 18 years rather than just 18 days, haha.

After our brief history lesson, we were allowed to hike along the wall. Walking the steep steps was like going back in time. Going at my own leisurely pace made me wonder how difficult it must have been for a soldier sent running along its length, or worse, for the farmers forced to build it. We passed two towers in good repair and then walked a further section of the wall that hasn't been restored. It was incredible seeing how nature can take over what man once built and thought so great. Given enough time undisturbed, the wall could disappear entirely.

Visiting the Terracotta Army was equally remarkable. More than 6000 clay warriors and horses meant to serve an emperor in his afterlife have been unearthed outside Xi'an. If the sheer number alone isn't enough to impress, consider that each and every one is unique. Supposedly modeled on real men, the figures have different faces, different hairstyles, different body sizes, and even different treads on their shoes! The attention to detail is truly amazing.

All this history has been a little overwhelming and we're also getting a little tired of the hectic city lifestyle. As I write, we're on a train heading for Chengdu. We'll be visiting an old friend of Jeff's and taking a little excursion to see the pandas. Next we go to Guilin and Yangshuo where we hope to slow our pace and take in the natural beauty that China has to offer.