Xi’an, Shaanxi Province
Impressive or what…????
Hi All!
Here we are in Xi’an, capital of Shaanxi Province, and one time capital of China. This city of 6 million is also a walled city, following along the traditional city grid layout. This is a very modern city, very clean, with some well preserved sights. It actually reminds Quene a lot of Madrid, the wide streets, clear skys, and it’s not too cold, just yet. Much milder than Pingyao or Beijing, i’s about 700km southwest of Beijing. There is a large Muslim population in town, close to the hostel we’re staying at. Close to the mosque there is a street lined with food stalls and restaurants selling typical food, such as lamb and beef skewer kebabs for 1yuan (10 cents!). There’s also an excellent history museum.
Porcelain figure from the museum:
The centre of town is marked by the Bell Tower, where the bell is rung every hour.
Bell Tower:
Xi’an’s major tourist drawcard is actually about 30 km outside of town, and that is the Terracotta Army! Discovered by 4 farmers digging their fields in 1974, there are currently 8,000 uneartherd warriors, horses and chariots. They were originally painted, but with exposure the paint has worn off. Every face is unique, they are lifesize soldiers in complete traditional battle formation. They were created for the then Emperor Qin Shi Huang over 2200 years ago. We took a few pics, hope you like them. These excavations are commonly considered as the Eight Wonder of the World!
Teracotta Warriors in Battle Formation (pit 1）：
Semi-restored warriors：
Rows of warriors:
Espanol
Hola a todos
Estamos en Xi’an, la capital de la provincia de Shaanxi.Ciudad de 6 millones tambien esta amurallada, moderna , limpia, con monumentos bien conservados.
Nos recordo en algunas cosas a Madrid, calles anchas, cielos azules( despues de vivir tanto tiempo en Dublin sin sol, nos recordo a Espana.
On yer bike!
Now if only I could remember where I parked my bike！
Esta a 700km al suroeste de Beijing. Hay una comunidad musulmana muy grande cerca del hostal, y cerca de la mezquita hay calles con muchos restaurantes y comida callejera para los bolsillos mas vacios.
Hay comida tipica para ellos como kebabs de cordero o ternera por 1 yuan (10 cents!).
Tambien hay un Museo de Historia muy grande donde es recomendable ir con zapatos comodos
Horses and Warriors:
La mayor atraccion turistica en Xi’an esta a 30 km de la ciudad , los soldados de terracota!
Descubiertos por a4 granjeros cavando un pozo de agua en 1974, encontraron una de las 8000 cabezas que completan los soldados, caballos y armas.
Some warriors are incomplete, over 100,000 pieces have been unearthered so far!!!!
En un principio estaban pintados, pero con el paso del tiempo ya casi no les queda pintura. Cada cara es unica, dicen que es la cara del artista que las esculpio,son de tamano real y estan en formacion o posicion de guerra.
Fueron creados por el emperador Qin Shi Huang hace 2200 anyos.
Estas escavaciones estan consideradas la octava maravilla del mundo.
James & Quene
Wow that looks amazing. Was there a point where you feelt the urge to shout out “that one just moved!!”
I know one of the warriors, the one on the left !
I know him !
(How did he do to get there?)
: )
Love & love for the Marco Polos
Take care and tell us your next town to look it in the map.
Did they make terracota port-a-loo’s?
thats one big army,
must have been a long queue for the toilet, phew,
and as for getting a drink at the bar…
That top picture looks like one of my concerts in the Point Theatre,
Fair play!!
Come on Jackie Chan!!!
El que esta sentado en medio de las bicis , decia ese texto ” de no recuerdo donde la habré dejado”. Supongo
Estan tan bien hechas las estatuas que seguro que estan los enemigos muertos dentro.
juajuajuajauauajua…. lo siento, es que ya me parto con los comentarios de la peña jajajajjajajjaj…. pues no se que decir… bueno si, que me encantaría estar allí para tomar nota de las diferentes armaduras etc…. bueno, es que yo fliparía allí!!!
Ahora mismo le paso un email a Cris pa recordarle lo del blog… lo va a flipar jejje.
Me encantaría unirme a vosotros, pero, vaya donde vaya (Granada/Madrid) tengo que empezar en marzo 🙁 … en fin… otra vez será…. os seguiré por aquí que algo es algo 😀
Bueno nenitos… cuidado con los accidentes y a seguir flipándolo!!
MUUUAKA!!
Hola Imna, soy la hermana de Quene. Es genial esto de viajar sin moverte de casa… aunque nos perdemos los sabores, los olores…
Quene, mamá dice que cuando la has llamado esta mañana se le ha hecho raro que estés tan lejos, y que le dolía mucho la cabeza del fémur, que estaba muerta de dolor. Que le ha dado mucha alegría oirte, que no se lo esperaba tan pronto.
Desde aquí escucho sus valvulitas, tic tic, tic tic, tic tic…
: )
Besos !
LOVE FOR REBECCA AND THE MURPHY’S
***
This is calenco, Quene’s sister:
She just texted me that yesterday night they took a train to YICHANG and from there they took a ship to go over YANGZE river to CHONGQING. They will be 3 days without Internet so she asked me to tell all you.
Soy calenco, la hermana de Quene,
me ha escrito diciéndome que ayer cogieron un tren en YICHANG y que allí cogieron un barco para ir sobre el río YANGZE hasta CHONGQING. Estarán 3 días sin Internet y me ha pedido que lo anote.
Un beso a todos…
Hi James! Hi Cristina!
We had a look at your webiste today. Myself and the same group of students that you met. We were particularly interested in the pictures of the Terracota Warriors and The Great Wall as these are important culturally and historically and the students would have been already aware of them. However most – in fact nearly all of them – have never visited either of them!
The class split into 7 groups of 4 students and their assignment was that each group had to write a message and post it on the website in their free time.
I gave them a brief update on your progress and some funny comments were made – by them not me! I told them to include these in their messages if they could but their English may not be up to it!
Anyway just wanted to let you know. I’m going to scold them if they don’t write to you :-))
I love the pics by the way. One of you must be a bit of a pro with the camera?
Good luck and take care.
Larry
Queen Elizabeth School Old Students’ Association
New Territories
hi james and cristina ! we are in hong kong tin shui wai tong kwok wah secondary school . we are mr.finnerty’s students .we saw your photos in the afternoon . i like those photos . the great wall is beautiful . i like that . i also like the terracotta warriors . they are in long time of china but they are not borken .
how about your ankle , cristina ? do you find ?
please write soon .
Hi James and Cristina , we are writing a letter in Mr.Finnerty’s class . We visited your internet site . We saw many photos from China . We saw some photos of “Thy Great Wall” and the”Terracotta Wrriors” . We heard that Cristina hurt her ankle climbing the
Great Wall. How are you feeling Cristina? Did you go to the doctor? Are you still using a walking stick? When will you marry James? Please writie soon.
Hi James and Cristina!We come from Queen Elizabeth School Old Student’s Association Tong Kwok Wah Secondary School in Hong Kong.We are in the Mr.Finnerty English lesson student’s.We enjoyed to watch their photos of ‘The Great Wall’ and the ‘Terracotta Warriors’ in the China.
‘The Great Wall’ is very long and grand.We hope can walk on ‘The Great Wall’.We think it is exciting.
The ‘Terracotta Warriors’ is very glorious.Some army were in the Xi’an.It has many many people.
We listen to Mr.Finnerty .He said Cristina is hunt.You should carefully.Get well soon.
Take care,
Rose,Annie,Mark,Alex
Hey James and Cristina! What’s up guys?
We are the students of Mr.Finnerty. We are group7, Carol,Terence, Paul and Howard.
We saw the”Great Wall”and the ‘Terracotta Warriors’in the internet,we want to go to see the ‘Great Wall’ and go to Xi ’an.We are the Chinses but we never been to ‘Great Wall’.We think you have many money~
Because you have been to many place.We like travell very much!Do you like travelling?
Carol,Tereace,Paul,Haward
Hollo James,cristiana.We are in Mr.Finnerty’s English class.How are you?We are fine.You visit ‘The Great Wall’ and the Terracotta Warriors” in Beijing ago . you took some photos is very very beautiful.I want to ask how long does the Great wall ? Today Mr.Finnerty told me Cristina broke her leg in Beijng.I know this news.I think Cristina is very hurt now .I feel very sad.I hope Cristina will quite well.
Hi James!Hi Cristina! We are in Mr. Finnery class. I am Jeff, where will you go next? ‘The Great Wall’ is very long and beautiful. ‘The Terracotta Warriors’ are so mud fan, but they are very scary, we are arfaid of them. The photo is good looking, we like it very much. Next time can you take a lot of photos? i am looking for you…LOL…Bye!!
I am the leader of group4.We did’t write ti you on Thursday.Sorry!Mr.Finnerty says that if don’t write to you this weekend then I will have to write 10 messages next week!Anyway……
Hi James!Hi Cristina!
We are some students of Mr Finnerty’s English class.
On the internet,we saw that you and Cristina were in Beijing,China.We saw some photoesof you.We saw you and Cristina on the Great Wall.My friend,Wai,he said he has been to The Great Wall.He said it was very long!
Chinnese said「不到長城非好漢」In English,it means if you don’t climb on The Great Wall,you aren’t a man!I want to climb on The Great Wall!
Hey James + Quene,
All looks pretty cool!!!Missin yas loads,the photos are cool-wed love to be there now!!So are yas learnin the language yet?Bet yas wont be gettin any snow ovr der now,we probably will,cant wait!!Well we will let yas go,hopes yas hav many good trips!!!
So talk 2 ya l8r
Marie & Antoinette xxxxxx
Hi All,
We are in Yangshuo, (the mecca of all backpackers), the landscape is amazing (like this old chinese paintings, we actually thought there weren’t real..but here we are looking them with our very eyes). The weather is not so great , there is a cold wave in China from Siberia …. we just thank we are not in Beijing now or even Xian.. After a never ending trip to Yangshuo we will enjoy the last week in China 🙁
But happy because we are looking foward to see the sun again.
Thanks for your posts and comments … , we have more nice photos to saw you ..soon!
Hola a todos
Estamos en Yangshuo, la mecca de los mochileros. El paisaje es increible ( como las tipicas pinturas chinas que pensabamos que no eran reales ..pues si )
Hace mucho frio , estamos disfrutando de una ola de frio en China de Siberia (menos mal que no estamos en Beijing o Xian ahora).
Pues despues de un viaje interminable estamos Yangshuo .. solo nos queda una semanita en China.. es una pena , pero estamos deseando volver al calorcito.
Gracias por los comentarios …nos partimos de risa… pronto pondremos mas fotillos increibles de nuestras andaduras..
Besos pa to’s
Quene & James
jet,jolly,ken,ella :
The terracota warriors were found broken but there are many archeologists putting all the pieces together so everybody can enjoy their beauty. They’ve found 8,000 so far, but they say there could be thousands more undiscovered in the area!
Mabel, Mandy, Lee, Frankie
My leg is better now and I am not using the stick anymore but I have to be careful , I didn’t go to the doctor because I don’t speak chinese and I thought will be difficult to explain myself..but I took rest and put ice 3 times a day…and watch a lot of basketball on TV. 😉
Rose,Ainnie,Mark,Alex:
We are very happy you can see a bit of China from or website and I hope one day you can visit these places as well.
Carol, Terence, Paul & Howard:
We love to travel and we don’t have a lot of money, we were saving for years to be able to do this trip. China and India and south America are very cheap compare to our countries so we can afford it .. We are very happy you liked the photos .
Shirley, Tommy, Rachel & Kevin:
The great wall is very long , 6000 km , we just walked 10 Km
you can find more info here:
http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761569621/Great_Wall_(China).html
Did you know you can see the great wall from space..?
Amazing !!!
Jeff Mak, Harry, Yuki & Jason
we glad you like the photos thanks.. we have many more nearly ready , so you can enjoy the rest of the trip.
Hi Hei,
I hope one day you climb the great wall as well , but before make sure you warm up your muscles very well so you dont hurt your ankle 🙂
Marie + antoinette
It is funny that we are having conversations with families with the help of the two books in chinese we have.. James always shows the photos of all the family.. Here they only can have one kid ( two for farmers) and they are surprise he has 2 brothers and 4 sisters and 4 dogs..!!! Hope you are all keeping well. It’s getting cold here too, snow already in Beijing, but not down here in Yangshou, just yet, but it is verrrrrry cold!!!
Kisses to all..
More photos are being cooked in the oven..nearly ready for you.. :p
J&Q
James you never told me you had four sisters!
And 4 dogs..!! 😉
Richie,
I’ve also got 2 brothers.
So how’s New Zealand?
James
joer, se os suelta unos mesecillos por el mumdo y hay que ver la que montais!! los niños tienen trabajo extra en las escuelas, los colegas ya no estan seguros de cuanto conocían a cerca de vuestras familias…. en fin… no se sabe que será lo siguiente…. pero pa estar a la orden del día mejor me leo vuestro último post que ya he visto un oso panda por ahí…. a ver que estareis tramando con los pobres animalitos…. bueno me callo ya… será la fiebre…. será que mañana cumplo 32 (ya que estamos todo sea dicho…),no se, pero me da la sensación de que no digo nada mas que sandeces…. bueno… me piro de aquí y me voy con vuestros osos panda!!
Ciao! besotes!!
Stop changing the subject 🙂
HAPPY BIRTHDAY INMA!!!
32… oohh so young!
Hi,James and cristina.We are Mr finnety class students.We like the Chinese New Year. We have ten day holidays form this festivel. Welike Chinese New Year because we can have many holidays,we can eat many candles and many delicious food. I willhave many lucky money and red packet. We will go to our grandmother’s home to visit her. We will go to the flower market too.
Hi !
HI Frankie,
just wondering why you posted your comment here, this is an older post from when we were in china!
Make sure you go to this address http://blogs.bootsnall.com/JamesM/ as it always has the latest post where you can post a comment!
Glad you had a good CHinese New Year, sounds like it was lots of fun!
James & Cristina