We first bumped into Xi’an’s glorious history two blocks from our apartment—the imposing city wall’s South Gate was right in front of us.
I mean, French castles look lame compared to these fortifications.
“How do we get to the inner city?”
The Ming were smarter than us. We walked around for a few minutes, crossing streets and looking for the gates but we ended up taking the subway. Ming Dynasty, 1 – Foreign barbarians, 0.
We got off at Zhōnglóu where another Xi’an landmark was waiting for us—the Bell Tower, also built during the Ming dynasty, just like the Drum Tower, a few blocks further. We climbed this one for great views of the city.
Xi’an was China’s capital during the Western Zhou, Western Han, Sui, Northern Zhou and Tang. The city was also the starting point of the Silk Road so it’s open-minded and cultural. You will find mosques and Arabic food, for instance, because it’s home to a sizeable Muslim Hui ethnic minority.
Just like Beijing, Xi’an is hot and steamy, modern with towers and wide roads, a very efficient subway system, and air-con units dripping water (I’ve just checked again, it’s not raining, it’s the air con from the apartments above us).
Beijing and Xi’an are both full of historic landmarks. However, Xi’an embraces them playfully, integrating them into modern everyday life, while Beijing almost tucks them away for the sake of efficiency, modernity, and practicality.
We tried to visit a few museums but since they are free, it’s impossible to get tickets—yes, even through WeChat, it’s more difficult than trying to get Taylor Swift tickets!
We still visited most landmarks—we walked on part of the 14-kilometre-long city wall, climbed the Bell Tower and the Dayan Pagoda, and explored Beilin, right behind the South Gate. Plus, the Terracotta Army, of course.
And we… ahem, also made history by getting into a tuk-tuk accident.
Today, to avoid a long walk from Yongxingfang to Zhōnglóu—and mostly to avoid taking the subway to Zhonglou, it’s full of endless underground streets, Feng and I almost got lost the night before—we decided to take a tuk-tuk.
“Is this thing safe?” Mark asked, slightly concerned, as we climbed at the back of the three-wheel vehicle.
“Ah, first tuk-tuk ride for you! We took tons of tuk-tuks daddy and I.”
“Let’s just add this to the list of things you will never mention to yéye and nǎinai.”
“That’s pretty much everything we do these days…”
“Exactly. Give me your phone, I can take a video for you!”
He handed me the phone. I just had the time to ask “How do you like your first tuk-tuk ride?” before Feng shouted “No!” and I heard—and felt—the crash.
A white car had just rammed into the tuk-tuk. The windshield was broken, and there was glass everywhere but nobody was hurt. We paid the driver and quickly left before the car and tuk-tuk drivers started arguing (it was the car’s fault, by the way).
I don’t think Mark trusts our transportation choices anymore…!
Glad nobody was hurt, that’s scary
And unlikely!