Xi’an：Armies, Mountains and New Ink
It has been nine days since I left the Kung Fu school and thankfully, the experience is quickly fading into a distant past. Every facet of life that was lacking during my time there has returned in full force. Due to the hardships I recently endured, my sense of appreciation has also been greatly enhanced to enjoy it all the more!
After arriving in Xi’an, the first couple lazy days were spent waking late and taking excessive amounts of long, hot showers before delving back into exploration and interaction. First, I had to pay respect to Shaanxi’s most famous tourist draw, the Terracotta Warriors. It is touted as the eight wonder of the world, but I left feeling a little less than impressed after first seeing at least a million replicas sprawled throughout every nook and cranny of Xi’an.
What impressed me most about Shaanxi was Hua Shan; one of the five sacred Taoist peaks. I have been looking forward to this climb since last year when I heard about the perilous near-vertical stairs carved into and across its steep granite cliffs. It took an intense five hours to make it most of the way to the top. Luckily we went at night because the rigorous workout combined with the sweltering daytime heat would have been unbearable. What was lacking in mountain vistas during the pitch black ascent was insignificant in comparison to the absolutely clarity and radiance of the starry sky. Never before have I ever seen so many crisp specks joined by cloudy galaxies in the blanketing great expanse of infinite above. It was a breathtaking experience… quite literally thanks to the strenuous hiking.
After midnight, Carrie (a Chinese backpacker who accompanied me) and I rented a tent just past the North Peak to sleep for a few hours before waking in time for sunrise. As we started out in the morning the absolute darkness shifted into faint shadows as the sky began to illuminate from the east. For the first time in our ten hours on the mountain, we saw the sheer granite cliffs diminishing into the valleys below and the distinct curve of horizon in the distance. The effort throughout the night was paid off with a scene that no photo or skilled linguist could ever capture.
Click here for a panorama from Hua Shan
A few other days were spent lazily enjoying the cities antique charms; photo exploration of the Da Yan and Xiao Yan Pagoda, spending an afternoon bicycling around the Ming City Wall, eating and bargaining in the Muslim Quarter stalls, attending musical performances and enjoying the views at the Bell and Drum Towers. There was also the usual amount of great dining and drinking experiences that can’t be related in so many words.
Click here for a panorama from the Xiao Yan Pagoda
One of my encounters on the bar street led me into a conversation about tattoos and I made arrangements to get more ink while in the city. It wasn’t in your typical parlor, but rather a nail shop that moonlighted in permanent body markings. I was a bit skeptical, especially after I had to convince the owner to change to a new needle. But for the $15 price tag and relatively simple design I took the chance and now have the start of a leg piece which I have been considering for some time; a list of my name written in all of the local script from the countries I’ve visited.
Obviously, my share of amazing experiences will skew any opinions towards a city, but I was thoroughly impressed with Xi’an. It has a lot of allure and a great balance between functional modern appeal and traditional charisma.
See my Miscellaneous Photos from Xi’an
I am happy that most of the first negative impressions I had of China are fading away; it seems as though the majority of my qualms are habits of the North. Regardless, it seems that one thing will always be the same… the driving here is literally anarchy. Some major intersections don’t even have traffic lights, and navigating the streets is almost always a free-for-all where the bold and daring succeed. One particular surprise was when the bus back from Hua Shan followed a row of vehicles (including a police car) into the opposite lanes, forcing oncoming traffic onto the sidewalk. Nobody seemed to find this odd, not even the pedestrians or bicycles that almost got clipped. Some cultural differences will never make sense to me.
See all of my photos from Shaanxi Province
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Tags: - Panorama, - Photography, - Reflection, - Transport & Travel, Asia, China, Hua Shan, Terracotta Warriors, Xi'an
Adam Shane
Great pictures, Adam! I’m glad you’ve regained your positive attitude… looking forward to hearing about the rest of China!
Holy crap dude, nice shots!!!!
Its not too late to come back for the competition you know….
HAHA, JK. Cant wait to join you man. Maybe catch you in SEA?
– G