ANCIENT GRACEFUL XIAN!

THE HIGH SPEED TRAIN

On our second leg in China we were to visit Xian(pronounced Shian). While Beijing was very modern,  except for the Great Wall, Xian took us back 2000 years to see the Terracota Warriors.

IN THE TRAIN

Our mode of transport from Beijing to Xian was the High Speed train. The train was beautiful, clean and luxurious. It travelled at a speed of 320 kms. per hour. At the station the passengers are checked in, and have to wait in the Waiting Room. Only passengers go to the platform. There are a number of waiting rooms, all designated for different trains. The exit from the Waiting Room takes us directly to the platform of our train. We were very excited to go by the fastest train in China. It departed on the dot and took off smoothly. There was a display of the speed of the train in the compartment, so I kept looking at the speed at which we were travelling. The city, then pastures, and then fields flew past. I had my camera stuck to the window and my eyes looking for villages and the red slanted roofs of houses which would have courtyard after courtyard and house after house. In all that long distance, I could spot only one such house and before I could take the picture, the train had moved on many frames away.

TOWNSHIP  & CROPS.

There are virtually no villages in China, they are all like modern townships. There are almost no houses, there are only apartments. One sees a thermal plant in every town. There were many fields that we crossed with standing crops. There were farmers too, working wearing straw hats. The flourishing economy was very evident with lush crops, many factories, housing complexes, and beautifully planned roads. I was very impressed by the way barriers have been erected near dwelling places. These barriers have been erected to stop noise pollution for the people living near the railway tracks.

There was tea, snacks service on the train. I did miss the "Chai, chai, chai bolo chai" heard by us on Indian trains! There was also a very hot water dispenser in the bogey, from where one could get water for endless cups of tea if you had your own tea bags.

DRUM TOWER

The station of the High Speed Train was a little away from the City of Xian. This city too is quite modern. It has a City Wall running through the city, with every corner having a beautiful Gate. Our hotel was right in the City Center surrounded by numerous Malls. Thankfully, at the center of the Road was the "Bell Tower". 

BELL TOWER

This is a beautiful building constructed in 1384 during the Ming Dynasty. The bell tower houses a huge bell, which was sounded at regular intervals. The Drum Tower is also located nearby.

TERRACOTA WARRIORS

Xian is a very ancient city with a lot of History and monuments. The most important monument is that of the "Terra-cotta Warriors". In 3rd Century BC, Emperor Qin(pronounced Chin) Shi Huang was the First Emperor of China. He did not want to die without arranging for an army to serve him after his death. He therefore got a collection of Terra-cotta warriors and horses constructed. This terra-cotta army consisted of warriors of every rank from General to soldier. These warriors were constructed to full human height, they were painted and also carried weapons. Right now there are  3 huge pits with warriors standing in formation. There are about 8000 warriors, 130 chariots with 520 horses and, 150 horses by themselves. These warriors were buried with the Emperor in his mausoleum. They have been standing in formation since the 3rd century BC!  

In 1974, local farmers discovered these pits. The government took over this site and  presently it is a big tourist attraction. The farmers on whose land these were found were given houses close to these monuments. While two farmers have died, one of them is still alive. He sits in the museum cum shop and signs the book about the Terracota army.

Hieun Tsang

 Xian is also closely linked with India. Remember Hieun Tsang? I had read about him in childhood. He was one of the first visitors to India from China. He is called Xuan Zang in China. So Xuan Zang visited Nalanda in the 7th century AD. He was a Buddhist monk and wanted to learn about Buddhism in India. He therefore set out for India in  629 AD, using the Silk Route. He went from  modern Kyrgyzstan,  to Tashkent,  then he crossed the Gobi desert and went to Samarkand. He then crossed the Pamirs and reached the Amu Dariya where he encountered a community of more than a thousand Buddhist monks.

From here he went southward to Bamyan, Kabul, and Gandhara. By 637 AD he visited all the places connected with the life of Buddha in India and Nepal and spent 2 years at Nalanda. In Nalanda he studied Logic, Grammar and Sanskrit, and the Yogacara school of Buddhism. He later travelled to Nagarjunakonda in Andhra Pradesh.  He returned to Xian the capital of the Tang Dynasty in 645 AD.

WILD GOOSE PAGODA

On his return he was greeted with much fan fair. In 652 AD a Pagoda was constructed to house the many books that he brought back from India.He worked on translating the Sanskrit books that he brought back from India till he died in 664 AD. This Library is interestingly called the “Wild Goose  Pagoda”. However this pagoda was damaged and almost all the books were lost.The Giant Wild Goose Pagoda was extensively repaired during the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644) and renovated again in 1964. There is a beautiful garden with musical fountains in the garden of the Pagoda.

Xi'an is the eastern terminus of the famous Silk Route. 

It is surrounded by hills. In the hills South of Xian are found the famous  animal "Giant panda".

Jade and gold are also found here.

There is a Muslim Market in Xian where one can find curios, memorabilia, and food stuff at reasonable rates.

DUMPLINGS

FRIED PEANUTS

Interestingly, there is a lot of bargaining in China. One has to slash prices quoted, by almost 90%. Then one has to keep bargaining and reach a price acceptable to both buyer and seller. The sellers do not understand English therefore the bargaining has to be done  first by sign language and then on the calculator.

TANG DYNASTY SHOW

We saw a very grand Musical show called “Tang Dynasty”. It transported us to another era where music is soft, dancers are elegant and graceful, lights are subdued, colours are beautiful and sets are exquisite. The show was majestic, artistic and very refined.

TANG DYNASTY SHOW

We had good Indian food at the New Delhi Restaurant. They began by serving fried peanuts and pakodas. Bottled water is more expensive than fizzy drinks, therefore with every meal most Restaurants serve Coke and Sprite.

We missed eating the famous Peking Duck at Beijing and missed eating the Dumplings at Xian. Perhaps that will be reason enough for me to go back to China again.

Xian, full of History and ancient association with India, had a distinct flavour to itself. Although very modern, it still retains its distinct touch of antiquity. I enjoyed going back in time with the Terracota Warriors and Hieun Tsang, and the Tang Dynasty show.