Warriors and Walls: Exploring Xi’an.
Warriors and Walls: Exploring Xi’an.
May 2010.
I arrived in Xi’an by train from Pingyao, the journey gliding by in a smooth, slightly hypnotic two hours and forty-five minutes — another quiet triumph for China’s high-speed rail. One moment I was watching Shanxi’s muted landscapes flicker past; the next I was stepping out onto the dusty platform, the smell of fried noodles in the air, blinking into the scale of something far, far bigger than Pingyao.
Warriors and Walls: Exploring Xi’an.
From the moment I exited the station I got a sense of Xian’s aura: sombre ancient city walls and the elegant curve of traditional buildings mixed in with towering skyscrapers, modern malls and a relentless grind of traffic and streaming pedestrians. In a country jam-packed with juggernaut beast cities, Xi’an still stands out amid a leading cluster. A “must see”, as they say.
Xi’an snapped from atop Big Wild Goose Pagoda.
A metropolis once called Chang’an — Xi’an was the starting point of the Silk Road, capital to thirteen dynasties, at its height the largest city on earth under the Tang.
My first point of business was to check into my accommodation: Shuyuan Youth Hostel. Conveniently, a hostel rep was waiting for me, and a few others as it turned out. “Welcome to Xi’an!!!” she trilled, wide grin, buzzing with impossible excitement. Then she bundled us into a minivan and off we went.
Warriors and Walls: Exploring Xi’an.
A warm welcome.
Like Harmony Guesthouse in Pingyao, Shuyuan Youth Hostel was a grand, centuries-old rambling courtyard residence — grey brick, timber beams, the quiet dignity of tradition still visible.
Unfortunately, it had long since been repurposed into a full-throttle party hostel, where gap-year teens flocked to drink, flirt and generally make as much noise as possible. On this occasion, the quality of my research had fallen short.
Warriors and Walls: Exploring Xi’an.
Still, it wasn’t a total disaster. Set just inside the south side of the old city walls, the hostel placed me within easy walking distance of Xi’an’s historic core. And so, after a quick reset, I headed out on my first reconnaissance loop. Down the long and broad Nanda Street (South Avenue) I went, for about fifteen minutes until I arrived at the iconic Bell Tower.
The Bell Tower.
Warriors and Walls: Exploring Xi’an.
Built in 1384 during the early Ming dynasty, the Bell Tower once marked Xi’an’s precise geographical centre. For centuries, a great bell tolled each morning to signal the opening of the city gates. In 1582, local authorities relocated it roughly one kilometre to its present position as part of urban restructuring.
Today it stands as both a historical monument and an impressive vantage point over the city, housing a collection of ancient bronze-cast bells — some dating back over a thousand years.
The Bell Tower.
Photo courtesy of xiquinhosilva.
Where the Bell Tower announced the dawn, another voice answered at dusk. Enter the Drum Tower. Completed in 1380 — four years before its better-known counterpart — this imposing structure signalled the fall of evening with booming drumbeats as the city gates closed for the night.
Warriors and Walls: Exploring Xi’an.
Positioned to the west of the Bell Tower, the Drum Tower is the larger of the two structures and particularly handsome after dark, when its eaves glow gold against the night sky.
Warriors and Walls: Exploring Xi’an.
The Drum Tower.
Just as I had with the Bell Tower, I made sure to climb it — to compare the views and explore its impressive display of ancient drums. If you’re lucky (I wasn’t), you can catch one of the traditional drumming performances that occasionally take place here, reviving the old ritual.
Warriors and Walls: Exploring Xi’an.
I spent the rest of that first day idling around the fascinating and highly atmospheric Muslim Quarter. The smell hit me almost immediately: cumin smoke drifting from sizzling lamb skewers, sweet steam wafting from a bakery, and the warm scent of fresh bread rising from clay ovens.
Xi’an’s Muslim Quarter.
This part of the city has been alive with trade for over a thousand years. In the days of the Silk Road, merchants came from Persia, Central Asia and Arabia, many settling here. Their descendants — the Hui Muslim community — remain today, giving the neighbourhood its distinctive character.
Warriors and Walls: Exploring Xi’an.
The people of Xian’s Muslim Quarter.
I found a butcher, I found a baker, but failed to track down a candlestick maker.
Some of the lanes are delightfully narrow, with shops and grills spilling directly onto the pavement. On one, I stopped to watch a trio of young bakers – almost certainly brothers – stacking piles of freshly baked bai nang (白馕) bread. Each one bore the faint spiral stamp of the wooden mould. Lining up my lens at an opportune moment, I caught one of the men gently brushing the pale gold surfaces with soybean oil.
The Muslim Quarter.
Warriors and Walls: Exploring Xi’an.
One of the great joys of exploring the Muslim Quarter is a visit to the pretty and peaceful Great Mosque. Built originally in the 8th century and expanded over several dynasties, it is one of China’s oldest mosques.
The people of Xian’s Muslim Quarter.
Photo courtesy of Ronnie Macdonald.
At first glance I’m not sure I’d have identified it as an Islamic compound. In fact, there are tiled pavilions, carved wooden beams and leafy courtyards laid out in what could pass for a traditional Chinese temple. But as I took the time to absorb the details, I discovered revelatory flourishes of Arabic calligraphy.
The Great Mosque’s Heart Tower Minaret 心楼.
Travel time can be a tricky customer, and somehow it slipped away from me that day. Before I knew what had happened, night had fallen. This is when the Muslim Quarter really comes alive. Foot traffic seemed to double in an instant as the harsh light of bare bulbs flickered into life. Vendors grew louder and more animated as the crowds pressed in around their favourite food stalls.
Warriors and Walls: Exploring Xi’an.
As interesting as it was to experience, it all felt a little too chaotic for me. So I soon called it a night — but not before grabbing some dinner. I was over the moon with my choice: a fabulous bowl of moist, steamy Shaanxi-style stir-fried hand-pulled noodles (chǎo lā tiáo zi, 炒拉条子). Wide and wheaty, they came served with chunks of beef, tomato, egg, green peppers and onions.
Warriors and Walls: Exploring Xi’an.
A Muslim Quarter dinner.
The next morning I woke early for a day trip out of the city. This, as many readers are surely anticipating, was my main reason for coming to Xi’an in the first place. Sure, the city itself is a fantastic travel destination in its own right, but for many the real draw is the world-famous Terracotta Warriors.
It’s all about the warriors.
I had arranged transport to and from the excavation site through the hostel. There were around ten of us in the minivan that morning, most bleary-eyed and nursing coffees. But that didn’t dampen the spirits of our boisterous host, Jia Jia, who welcomed us, outlined the day’s plan, and cracked a steady stream of jokes — not all of which we fully understood.
Jia Jia showing off some miniature wooden clogs: gifts from a Dutch couple who’d recently taken one of her tours.
The day’s itinerary actually comprised two stops. Rather than head straight for the main Terracotta Army site, we first stopped at another mausoleum — or, as Jia Jia put it, “very interesting warm-up.”
Hidden somewhat in the shadow of its UNESCO-stamped neighbour, the Yangling Museum of Han stands as the grand tomb complex of Emperor Jingdi and Empress Wang Zhi.
Warriors and Walls: Exploring Xi’an.
As Jia Jia explained, Emperor Jingdi (188–141 BCE) ruled during a relatively stable and prosperous period of China’s Han history. His reign, together with that of his father Emperor Wen, is often remembered as the Rule of Wen and Jing, an era marked by reduced taxes, lighter punishments, and economic recovery after earlier turmoil.
Tomb of Emperor Jingdi at the Yangling Museum of Han.
“Yes, you heard that right. LESS tax.”
Like many Chinese emperors, Jingdi prepared an elaborate underground world to accompany him into the afterlife — a belief rooted in the ancient idea that the dead would continue to require servants, animals and possessions beyond the grave. Classic.
I can’t recall what I’d been expecting, but I definitely let out an involuntary gasp at the sheer scale of the excavation site. And to think that the main show, so to speak, was still to come.
Warriors and Walls: Exploring Xi’an.
Deeper into the complex, a long glass corridor runs above a series of pits. This allowed me to peer directly down into the tomb trenches where hundreds of terracotta figures remain exactly where they were buried over two thousand years ago.
Pit 18 at the Tomb of Emperor Jingdi.
Unlike the life-sized warriors of Emperor Qin Shi Huang’s more illustrious army, the figures here are quite small — roughly 50–60 cm tall — and represent a broad cross-section of imperial life.
There are servants, soldiers, officials, livestock and farm animals arranged in carefully planned groups, forming a symbolic model of the emperor’s earthly domain.
Warriors and Walls: Exploring Xi’an.
In the Han worldview, a tomb needed to reproduce the full economic system of the living world. Sheep represented agriculture, wealth and food supply, ensuring the emperor would continue to enjoy prosperity in the afterlife.
Warriors and Walls: Exploring Xi’an.
How many sheep does one in need in the afterlife?
I couldn’t help but feel a bit puzzled by the fact that so many of the figurines had no arms. This, Jia Jia explained, was because the craftsmen who made them used clay for the bodies, but wood for the arms. They would then attach the arms with fitted silk costumes in order to give the figurines a more lifelike appearance.
Warriors and Walls: Exploring Xi’an.
Over the centuries the wood and cloth decayed, leaving the armless terracotta torsos that we see today.
Warriors and Walls: Exploring Xi’an.
Away from the pits, in a sizeable exhibition hall, I found myself struck by this majestic kneeling archer. He looked poised for action, as if I might be a threat to his beloved emperor’s tomb. Such figures represent the imperial guard responsible for protecting the emperor. Yes, even in death. When created, he would have been wearing painted armour and carrying a real weapon.
Tomb of Emperor Jingdi.
The Tomb of Emperor Jingdi is about a 40-minute drive from the centre of Xi’an. From there we climbed back into the minibus, where it was another 50 minutes to reach the Mausoleumof Emperor Qin Shi Huang. While I had been impressed by the size of the first complex, the scale of this particular project was just… staggering.
Warriors and Walls: Exploring Xi’an.
According to historians, the site took around forty years to build and involved hundreds and thousands of labourers. There are roughly two thousand terracotta soldiers and horses on display, though experts say that originally there may have been as many as eight thousand.
Warriors and Walls: Exploring Xi’an.
Emperor Qin Shi Huang Mausoleum Site Museum.
Jia Jia took great delight in wowing us at every turn. As we made our way through a network of mammoth hangars and sizeable pits, she explained how no two faces are exactly alike.
The Terracotta Army: Ready to battle with an enemy that never came.
Some soldiers have moustaches, others thick beards. Some look stern, others almost contemplative. Moreover, they represent a range of ranks and roles — infantrymen, officers, charioteers, archers — each sculpted with remarkable attention to detail.
Warriors and Walls: Exploring Xi’an.
As for Emperor Qin Shi Huang, he ruled from 221 to 210 BCE — roughly fifty to seventy years before Jingdi. A figure of immense ambition and intense ruthlessness, he was an altogether different kind of ruler. Credited with creating the first unified Chinese empire, he conquered rival kingdoms, eliminated political opponents and, some historians suggest, even developed the habit of burying Confucian scholars alive. Hardcore.
Qin Shi Huang: You wouldn’t want to bump into him in a dark alley.
Nevertheless, his achievements were immense. During his reign he standardised Chinese writing, currency and systems of measurement. What’s more, he began linking together existing frontier fortifications that would eventually form the Great Wall of China. But in the end, it is his obsession with death — and the desire to be protected in the afterlife — for which he is best remembered.
Qin Shi Huang.
“I have been waiting for you, Mr. Bond.”
On our way out came a surprise I certainly hadn’t been expecting. Sitting behind a modest wooden desk, a broad smile fixed across his face, was none other than Yang Xinman, the farmer who, together with a group of fellow villagers, discovered the Terracotta Warriors in 1974.
Warriors and Walls: Exploring Xi’an.
For a man responsible for one of the greatest archaeological finds in history, Yang’s life afterwards had been surprisingly humble. Famously, he received only modest compensation for the discovery, and in later years fell on difficult financial times. Eventually he began writing about his life and that extraordinary day when a routine dig for a well revealed an underground army that had lain hidden for more than two millennia.
Warriors and Walls: Exploring Xi’an.
By the time I returned to Xi’an’s city centre it was already late afternoon. Determined to make the most of the fading daylight, I headed straight for the city walls, entering through the South Gate. Before long I had hired a bicycle and set off along the ramparts, keen to cover as much ground as possible before nightfall settled over the old imperial capital.
Up on Xian’s City Walls.
Xi’an’s city walls are among the best preserved anywhere in China. The structure that stands today was largely built during the Ming Dynasty in the late 14th century, when the Hongwu Emperor ordered the strengthening of the city’s defences.
Warriors and Walls: Exploring Xi’an.
Taking a breather.
Stretching for nearly fourteen kilometres, the walls form a vast rectangle of grey brick, watchtowers and fortified gates. In centuries past, these towers would have bristled with archers and signal fires, protecting China’s precious Silk Road city.
Warriors and Walls: Exploring Xi’an.
City Walls foot traffic.
On my last day I embarked on another half-day trip through the hostel. This time Xia Xia took me to the Shaanxi Wild Animal Rescue and Breeding Center, a wildlife park founded in 1987. I was keen to catch my first glimpse of the Chinese giant panda, and in that respect I wasn’t disappointed.
My first Chinese panda!
Covering a whopping 140 hectares, the site focused on the conservation and breeding of rare Chinese animals. That morning I watched two pandas enjoying breakfast, and also saw red pandas, golden takins, leopards, black bears, and a majestic white-tailed eagle recovering from a wing injury.
Shaanxi Wild Animal Rescue and Breeding Center.
Warriors and Walls: Exploring Xi’an.
Aside from the pandas, I was particularly taken with a pair of golden snub-nosed monkeys. In truth, though, the facilities themselves left a lot to be desired. The enclosures were simple, the infrastructure basic, and the whole place had a rather ramshackle atmosphere.
Shaanxi Wild Animal Rescue and Breeding Center.
Golden snub-nosed monkeys
From what I can tell, the park stopped allowing visitors sometime between 2015 and 2018. It continues to operate as a research and breeding centre, though its pandas have long since been relocated to animal parks across Sichuan Province.
Gorgeous creatures.
For my final evening, I knew I needed to squeeze in two more of the city’s unmissable experiences. First, I took in a show at the Tang Dynasty Palace, one of Xian’s long-standing venues for traditional music and dance.
Warriors and Walls: Exploring Xi’an.
The show recreates the ceremonial court entertainments of the Tang Dynasty. That night’s performance unfolded over two hours in a sequence of short pieces combining court dances, instrumental music, and lyrical song, all performed in elaborate silk costumes that shimmered beneath warm stage lighting.
Tang Dynasty Palace (Tang Yue Gong in Xi’an).
Dancers glided across the stage in flowing sleeves and feathered headdresses while musicians played traditional instruments such as the pipa and guzheng. Oozing visual richness, I drank in the deliberate choreography, the swirl of colours, and the sense of theatre carefully crafted to echo a distant age.
Warriors and Walls: Exploring Xi’an.
Warriors and Walls: Exploring Xi’an.
Tang Dynasty Palace (Tang Yue Gong in Xi’an).
After the show, I had to race somewhat in order to reach North Square (Bei Guangchang) in time. One of Asia’s largest fountain plazas, it is home to Xi’an’s nightly water, light, and music show. When I arrived, the vast space was already packed with expectant people. And just a few minutes later, boisterous Chinese pop music began filling the air as the fountains suddenly erupted into motion.
North Square.
Jets surged upward in time with the beat as the crowds collectively leaned forward. The water caught the light in shifting colours—deep cobalt, emerald green, warm gold—while the ancient Big Wild Goose Pagoda loomed above us all in soft amber illumination.
Warriors and Walls: Exploring Xi’an.
Big Wild Goose Pagoda.
Some of the spears of water leapt well above my head. Others spun and twisted like corkscrews. Before long I was thoroughly soaked—something I probably wouldn’t be too keen on if I were to revisit Xi’an today. But it didn’t matter to me then. I was 31 years old, on the road in China, and about to set off for my next destination.
Warriors and Walls: Exploring Xi’an.
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38 Comments
A fascinating place to visit, Leighton and a tale well told. I do love the older style of Chinese architecture, the temples and palaces here all look gorgeous. I guess the people from the emperor’s time felt lucky he chose terracotta figures to accompany him, instead of real folks, like many other other cultures did. I think I would have liked the smells coming from the Muslim 1/4 too, although the Chinese food in this part of the country sounds delicious too. What an adventure. Happy Sunday. Allan
Hey Allan, I’ve visited several Muslim quarters in various cities across China and they never disappoint. Thanks for reading about my visit to Xi’an, have a great week ahead.
i knew xian was famous for the terracotta warriors leighton but everything else here was new to me, clearly a city with many strings to its bow. you certainly got around some city walls on that trip didn’t you? i enjoyed the contrast between the ordered ranks of the terracotta warriors and the living, breathing city that surrounds them today. the idea that these figures lay buried for over two thousand years until a farmer stumbled upon them in the 1970s still feels almost mythical. by the way, yesterday i read your article about busan in wanderlust magazine, congratulations on getting the gig.
Thanks, Stanley. Getting to meet the farmer who found this haul was such a bonus, I have been trying ti find out if he’s still alive, but no solid info on that. He would be very old now. Glad you enjoyed the Busan piece 🙂
Full of riveting facts and information, liking the fact about the wooden arms and silk clothing – I didn’t know that piece of fascinating info. China is beginning to call us, what with your posts and some stuff we saw on TV when we were last at home. Keep posting stuff like this and I think you will get us hooked!
Hey Phil, I’m not at all surprised China is calling you, it’s calling us too, but sadly we are in another phase of life and it’ll have to wait. I still have a great deal of my travels across the country to publish – trying to wrap up 2009-2010 over the next month or so. Slowly, slowly.
For being the start of the silk road and once the world’s largest city, I’m surprised to learn I’ve never even heard of Xi’an. Ah okay, but the terracotta warriors – I have heard of those, I guess I just never knew exactly where they were located. Thanks for this tour of Xi’an, Leighton! So much interesting history. To spend so much time and resources preparing for the afterlife is just so different from anything we do in most places today. Also yay for seeing a panda!!
So glad to have introduced Xi’an to you, Diana. It’s a city with a huge amount going for it, even beyond its world famous archaeological haul.
It seems as though Xi’an is packed with historical treasures, and you covered a lot of ground in your time there. It’s astonishing to think that the terracotta soldiers were hidden for so long. I love the photo of you by the fountain. It reminds me of a crazy thing I did when I was young, which was going all the way to Hong Kong for just three days. Terry was there on business and mom was there too, on vacation. She had just seen the terracotta soldiers and couldn’t stop talking about how amazing it was to see them. Your photos have expertly captured the immense size and sheer grandeur of the site. The temples are stunning as well. Wonderful post, Leighton.
Hey Tricia, thanks for your lovely comment. That photo of me drenched by the fountains is quite a rarity in that I can’t think of another photo in my entire 25-year travel library where I am so unguarded and laughing out loud like that. In some ways it feels a bit like looking at another person, ha. I bet you didn’t regret those three days in HK! My own trip there is coming up at the end of this 2009-2010 thread, I’m looking forward to putting that one out.
You visited just a year after I was there! Xi’an is such a beautiful city and while the Terracotta Warriors are a huge draw, there’s a lot more to the place than that. Glad you had a fantastic time there, Leighton!
Thanks, Rebecca. Xi’an certainly is a fabulous city in its own right, I very nearly ended up working there for a year but in the end it wasn’t meant to be and I decided to go back to Beijing for a second year. You must have been very young on that Xi’an visit!
I was a teenager!
I have seen pictures of the Terracotta Warriors, but I never knew they were only discovered about 50 years ago. That is a bit mind blowing, just like it was when Yang Xinman dug them out.
Before I visited the site, I think I also assumed that the archaeological find happened a hundred years ago or something. Thanks for stopping by, Lyssy.
Such a culturally and historically rich visit Leighton from start to finish. The Bell and Drum Towers are such iconic traditional Chinese structures, the kind everybody can identify whether they’ve been to China or not. It must be strange to know that the animal protection centre is now closed off to the public – the monkeys and pandas in particular are such wondrous creatures, what a privilege to have seen them while you could. I’m with Travel Through My Lens on the fountain photo, it captures what was clearly a very joyous moment for you. I think I remember Jia Jia as being quite the character from one of your short stories?
Hey James, I appreciate the read and kind comment. Yes, I often feel overly nostalgic when I look at a cafe, restaurant, tourist site I visited that has since closed down. Hammers home the fragility of time and how precious a certain moment can be. Jia Jia was indeed a very colourful and funny person, I enjoyed fleshing out her character in that story. Cheers.
I have always been so fascinated by the Terracotta warriors. I really loved reading about your visit to see them and the history behind them. What a thrill to get to see the performance there at the palace. I love how even in the pictures it feels graceful and beautiful. The markets seem a little crazy, but also worth it for the great food finds there. I never would have guessed there would a Muslim quarter there in Xi’an- what an interesting coming together of history and culture.
There’s a very cool Muslim quarter in Beijing too, which is also well worth visiting and also has a mosque (Cow Street Mosque). The palace show was a little touristy but absolutely worth it I’d say. Thanks for reading about my experiences in Xi’an, Meg. 🙂
Wow it looks absolutely incredible, what an amazing experience to see it for yourself. The city itself looks really interesting, and well the Yangling Museum of Han is one I couldn’t miss! 🙂
Yes, one could not go to Xi’an and visit the mausoleum dedicated to the revered Empress Traveling Han. Thanks for stopping by Hannah. 🙂
The terracotta warriors have been on my list for quite a while, but I’ve never read about the rest of the city before. It looks like it has enough to keep you busy for a few days. The stamped bread in the Muslim Quarter reminds me of Uzbekistan. I wonder who started it and then spread it along the Silk Road. Maggie
Glad Xi’an appeals Maggie, the city has so much to offer. As for where the stamped nang bread originated, Uzbekistan is a fairly safe bet, along with central Asian regions including Kazakstan. Some historians reckon maybe Persia.
What a memorable visit. I read that many of the terracotta statues were smashed and the craftspeople had to painstakingly glue together again.
Yes, that’s right, there was a fair bit of reconstruction. At the tomb of Emperor Jingdi they even left dozens of statues smashed up to show in what state many of them were found. Thanks for reading, Mallee.
The display of terracotta warriors is fascinating. And it’s truly impressive the scale and size of everything. Interesting to hear that the arms for many of the figurines were made of wood, which is why they didn’t survive over time. They look a bit strange now with no arms. You look like you thoroughly enjoyed the water in that last picture!
Thanks Linda, Xi’an is a fabulous city that I very nearly ended up getting a job in some years back. It’s a bit of a regret actually, as I believe it would have been a great experience and a contrast to my time in Beijing.
Your post, Leighton, brought back vivid memories of our first trip overseas together in 2013, when we also visited Xian after learning about its existence on The Amazing Race, an American TV show. We also stayed in a hostel and hired an excellent guide who showed us much of the city using public buses. We never toured the Muslim Quarter – I’d have loved that!
Thanks for your message Annie. So you were there just three years after me, did you also see Yang Xinman at the site? I recently read about your experiences in Chengdu, another incredible Chinese city. Sadly I haven’t published that location yet, so much to do, so little time.
Wow, I didn’t realize how large this historic site was, thank you for sharing this.
Hey Allie. Yeah, the complex is huge, though it’s really that main hall that is vast, the remaining rooms and spaces are much, much smaller. Thanks for reading!
This was one my most memorable sights in China, as a former potter, the constructions of the armies and horses were amazing! Thanks for showing more about the city. I did walk the wall, but as usual, I never have more than a day or two.
I think I remember a post/posts you did on Xi’an some time ago? Glad that this brought back some memories, it’s a fabulous city with a handful of great day trips to be had in the surrounding area.
I have never posted my China trip (2011) or southeast Asia travels (2010). Maybe I’ll reprise them sometime soon, when I’m not traveling as much. The time will come.
I’ve always wanted to see this (and China in general)! The terracotta army was an insane endeavor, it’s difficult to imagine nowadays that leaders used to have so much power that things like this, pyramids etc could be built at all. Same way I feel about subways, in most cities it would be impossible to build a new one from scratch now.
As infuriating as I found China at times (especially the living and working parts), there is a piece of my heart that still belongs there. Thanks for stopping by, Petra! 🙂
This was one my most memorable sights in China, as a former potter, the constructions of the armies and horses were amazing! Thanks for showing more about the city. I did walk the wall, but as usual, I never have more than a day or two
Mm, I can imagine this site hitting home, as a former potter. I guess we all wish we had more time for our travels, even someone like me who tends to spend longer in places than most. Thanks for reading and commenting!