Xian:
Xian is the northern capital of China, home to the terra cotta warriors, historic city walls, and some great food. The city has a strong Muslim influence as well. We visited the mosque and surrounding Muslim village where we tasted different foods, including grilled vegetables and flat breads they called "Chinese pizza." Many trinkets were sold in the winding cobblestone streets of the Muslim district. We also visited an old house tucked away into the walls of this ancient city. We happily returned to our very comfortable hostel (possibly one of the best parts of Xian). It was the perfect combination of east meets west. They had a great breakfast, cozy sitting areas and rooftop patios, an underground bar (we got coupons for free drinks) decorated with terra cotta warriors and empty liquor bottle lamps, all topped off with live western music performed by Chinese singers (kind of odd). We enjoyed a late night coffee at the restaurant as well. We were located very near one of the main city walls too, so we enjoyed the views and the old surrounding neighborhood.
We were so proud of ourselves for saving big bucks by taking a city bus to see the terra cotta warriors instead of a guided tour. It was really quite simple, but our Chinese skills helped out. The museum of warriors was really different than I had expected. They were all enclosed in airline hanger-like buildings and most were under reconstruction. Apparently, this symbol of strength and continued reign after death was found by a following king who was suspected to have ordered the army be burned. Now the warriors were not wooden, but the beams that held up the roof of the underground structure were. So the beams burned, the ceiling collapsed, and the warriors have been in pieces ever since. It was still pretty amazing to see just how expansive this project was. There were several large rooms full of warriors, each warrior with a unique face! Since we saved money on skipping the tours, we were forced to stand close to a Spanish speaking tour group to get our detailed information. However, my Spanish to English translation for terra cotta warrior information was only a little sketchy. 
Terra Cotta Warriors, Xian
With our successful public bus experience earlier, we thought we would brave it again to visit an out of town site that we had heard was a lesser-known and even more impressive exhibit. Unfortunately, the public bus system failed us this time around. We waited over 2 hours for the bus to come to an outskirts bus stop, apparently where construction workers would sit and wait for day-hire jobs. We were definitely the odd ones out. A bus finally came, we asked if it was going where we were wanting to go, the driver said "yes" and we got on. The bus started off and turned the street corner, then came to a stop. The bus driver got out, lit a cigarette, and went inside a restaurant for lunch. The bus would be stopped for about 45 minutes. We were joined by 3 Chinese college students from Shanghai who also wanted to visit the site. We suggested sharing a taxi with them, but they didn't want to spend the money. And they, as would be expected, weren't in any hurry. When we finally did arrive, the exhibit was absolutely stunning. Much like the terra cotta warriors, this ruler wanted to preserve his reign and immortality in his afterlife. However, most of his statues were of average people and stockyard animals. There were even carvings of baskets of grains and food. The rows of statues were arranged in a spoke-like fashion. The roof had not collapsed on these smaller statues (they were about 3 feet tall). The museum exhibit was fascinating because they built the museum over the underground statues and made the floor of glass. You could look directly down on the intact figures in their original place and condition. Breathtaking!
The other, lesser known burial tomb
We also enjoyed riding bikes along the top of the city walls and looking out over the city. It started to rain while we were up there, but it was still really enjoyable.
And of course, we had to visit Nick, who was attending school in Xian. I'm so glad that we did, because it was really interesting to see college life in China. His school was nice, well manicured, and modern. The art students there were working hard, you could tell. There was definitely a university vibe around campus. But then when we visited his apartment, it was really quite scary. He lived in a bad neighborhood in a tiny efficiency that smelled of paint fumes and mold. He didn't have a kitchen, running water, or a bathroom. He could burn coal in a can outside his door (great ventilation) and share a bathroom with others on his floor. It was hard to compare his parent's home in ZhuZhou (riverfront views, a western toilet, big screen TV, and all the other modern bells and whistles) to this. It was, simply put, awful. He was even kind of scared walking through the streets he said. And it's hard to find a scary street in China. We went to dinner and of course he insisted on paying. We also went to see the light and fountain show, a very Chinese attraction (lights, music, water...what more could you ask for).
It was a busy, loud, big, and sometimes sketchy city. The people weren't as friendly. The tourists were plentiful. And they even tried to charge me more for a bottle of water than they did a Chinese person. But to make it all worthwhile, the food we had at one particular restaurant, was life changing. We were in Xian for 3 nights. 2 of them we ate at this restaurant. Even here, we were asked over and over again to eat at the upstairs restaurant with an English menu (and westernized food and prices). We insisted, no, we will wait for a table downstairs. We waited, and they kept begging us to go upstairs. We held our ground, just like the guide book warned us we might have to do. But oh, it was worth it. We had yu xiang quizi(fish flavored eggplant) cabbage and gong bao ji ding (kung pao chicken). Wow. We had to have more. The numbing peppers were just right, as were the red spicy peppers. We both had 2 new favorite dishes that revolutionized the way we ordered food from here until the end of our time in China. (Yes, we had kind of been in a rut with our food orders). Our whirlwind tour of Xian came to a close, we boarded a bus near the bell tower to return to the airport. We were now headed for Beijing.
Beijing:
Our arrival to Beijing was pretty powerful. The air was so smoggy and gray, we couldn't even see the runway as we were touching down. I felt like I was in a fog for the first 2 days because, well, I was in a fog...or should I say smog. Gross! It really was a busy, dirty, loud, overwhelming city with so many people, buses, and tourists, oh my! Our hostel was pretty gross too. And of course, it was one of the more expensive ones. This wasn't going to be a luxurious vacation. This was strictly business. There were key parts of China that we had to see, and that's exactly what we came here to do. Mission number 1: Mao's resting place. We waited in line and paid to lock all of our belongings in a locker to catch a walk-by glimpse of him (or his figurine dummy) body. We sure felt out of place without a bouquet of flowers or some other grand gestural offering. We of course visited Tienanmen square which was very simply a large gray square in front of the Forbidden City. There were many tourists here as well as police. I understand there are undercover police there too. We enjoyed the trip through the Forbidden City. It was truly amazing that such an expansive structure was built. There were some fine detail pieces, but for the most part it was a lot of buildings with orange tiled rooftops. We got lost, as would be expected, but enjoyed the journey. It really was quite hot and all the cement did not help. Popsicles, whatever flavor they were, were much enjoyed! The Summer Palace was really amazing though. This is where the royal family spent their summers, but if it were me, I would have spent all year there. The park was huge, and changed with every turn. There were massive marble structures at one end, peaceful willow trees in another corner, and lily-dawned lakes in another. We enjoyed a picnic by the water. It was a great place to meander and relax. One night we were lucky enough to get tickets to an acrobatic show. The children (really really small adults) must have been made of rubber. They flew through hoops and bent their bodies in half. It was really a treat to witness, even though the cab ride to the event and the meal afterwards were ruined by traffic and pushy waiters. We also enjoyed a bike riding tour through the back lakes of Beijing. We visited (on bike and on our own by foot) some of the original neighborhoods in danger of being torn down. This is where people still get their hair cut out on the street, traditional street food is in high demand, public ping pong tables are full, and life seems to have slowed down to a halt. Don't change!! Beijing's subway system is impressive and modern, as are the Olympic buildings. The western food district was really enjoyable for us too, and we could see the expat draw to a city like this. In one moment you can be deep in China, and the next, you can be eating a slice of pizza and a glass of ice water on a ritzy street that could be mistaken for uptown Dallas. I get it. I definitely get it.
Temple of HeavenOf course we visited the Great Wall of China outside of Beijing. It was a lot longer and more rugged than I had expected. We really got a workout going up the steep steps. We went on a great day when the sky was actually blue! The trees and mountains were quite stunning with a single ribbon of ancient city walls curving with the mountain range as far as we could see.
The Great Wall of China
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