Arrived in Xi'an at about 1330 to be met by my guide Johnny who tells me what a lovely day it is and only minus 1 degree!!! I have to admit the sun was shining so the city looked lovely but there was definitely a bite in the air. I feel rather famous as I’m being driven around in this big van all to myself with Johnny and my driver Mr. Sun.

Xi'an is the capital of Shaanxi province with a population of about 6 million people and is one of the most important cities in Chinese history: sometimes called the ''cradle of China.''

First sight was the ancient city wall which is the only city wall still fully intact in China and stretches round the old city with a moat in front of it. I got to see all 4 gates – North, South, East and West – and got to climb the wall at the East gate. I imagined it was just a wall but it is HUGE – about 12 metres tall and about 15 metres thick – you can actually cycle around the whole wall – all 13.7 kilometres!!! I opted to walk along a stretch of the wall, see the ancient weaponry and also the original warning bell that was used to warn soldiers of enemies coming. The gates all have special names; east is Changle meaning eternal joy, west is Anding meaning harmony peace, South is Yongning meaning eternal peace and north is Anyaun meaning forever harmony.

Next stop was the Big Wild Goose Pagoda considered to be the symbol of ancient Xi’an. The function of this seven storey pagoda is to dedicate the Buddha relics that Xuanzang, the Buddhist translator and traveler, brought from India. I was extremely fortunate that my guide was a Buddhist and was able to tell me in great detail the meaning behind all the different figures, paintings, calligraphy and sutras. He told me there is a saying that goes saving a life exceeds building a seven-storied pagoda (jiu ren yi ming sheng zao qi ji fu tu) – that’s especially for you Tess!! You are not allowed to photograph the figures out of respect for Buddhism but they are an absolute joy to see. Each of the different halls had a special story and the ornate architecture and carvings are a sight to behold.

We then went to the Small Wild Goose Pagoda and the Shaanxi History Museum. It is difficult to put into words the feeling you get when seeing things that are thousands and thousands of years old covering all the different dynasties. The many exhibits show the ancient culture and Johnny tells me that people believe there is still much to be unearthed around Xi’an. Elsewhere in China everyone wants to work in modern jobs but in this area many want to own land and be farmers with the dream that they will be lucky enough to uncover some ancient relics!! I’ve put some of the photos here which I hope gives you a sense of the history.


My hotel is just inside the South gate with a short walk to the Bell Tower and the Drum Tower. In ancient times they used to ring the bell in the morning and sound the drum at night (or vise-versa??). This hotel is much more to my liking and is wonderfully placed within the city when I can look out at such magnificent sights. The Bell tower looks beautiful at night and I only had to walk out of the hotel to get a beautiful picture. Believe me I wasn’t out there very long as it was freezing!!