29/10/2009

Day 24 - Xi'an: Terracotta Warriors & Hot Springs

Last night we had our own private cabin with Uncle Scott and Aunty Jess. We didn't get much sleep because of the noise and the rocking - but once we took some sleeping tablets it was a little bit better. There was a large English speaking tour group on the train with us and it was comforting to hear so many people speaking the language.

Our new tour guide Andrew met us at the train station for a quick breakfast of bacon and eggs (Mum devoured these in record time!) and a quick shower, before heading out for the day.

The first stop was a Terracotta warrior factory where they were making replica warriors. The warriors are made in a number of pieces using moulds. The arms, legs and body are then joined together to make the complete soldier. The heads are also a separate part, and each face is hand carved so that each warrior is an individual. I also learned how to tell the difference between soldiers, archers, captains, generals and the emperor. My favourite are the generals.

We then visited the Huaqing Hot Springs. The gardens here are really beautiful and were used as a Winter Palace by the emperor and empress.
The water pools fill with water that is naturally 43 degrees so it is like a natural spa. Mum and Dad really wanted to hop in the water and soak their bones, but the only part available to tourists was a small fountain to feel the temperature of the water and a very small pool to soak your feet, but it was really busy.

After lunch we were taken to the Terracotta Warrior Museum, it was absolutely amazing, words cannot describe the awe I felt looking at the warriors. It is a shame that later emperors destroyed nearly all of the warriors. However archeologists are uncovering the warriors and tediously putting them back together. They have been excavating the site for over 30 years and are still discovering more and more warriors. Mum and Dad let me choose some smaller warriors to take home as souvenirs.

We ended the day early at about 5.30pm as we were extremely tired from not having much sleep on the train the night before.