Xi An

Highlights:

Xi’an hummed with the weight of dynasties ancient walls, pagodas, and alleyways whispering stories from centuries past. If Wuhan was a river city in motion, Xi’an felt like a deep well: still, resonant, layered with time.

We entered through the old city walls, massive and formidable, like the bones of the past holding up the present. Riding bikes along the top was strangely meditative wind in our faces, bell towers rising, city sounds muffled below.

The Terracotta Army was everything and nothing like we expected. Thousands of silent warriors, unearthed from red earth, each face unique, their ranks frozen mid-formation. It wasn’t just their scale that impressed, but the eerie sense of purpose as if they were still waiting for an emperor’s command.

At the Muslim Quarter, the air buzzed with scent and sound: cumin, chili, lamb sizzling on skewers, the clang of cleavers on wood. We wandered narrow lanes lit by neon signs and hung lanterns, past vendors making hand-pulled noodles in rhythmic stretches.

By dusk, the Big Wild Goose Pagoda cast long shadows over wide plazas. Locals danced in the open air, fluid and joyful, while fountains leapt and flickered in time with music. Xi’an held its age with grace not clinging, but carrying.

Post by Quinnie_ | Sep 4, 2025