City Walls

Many of China’s ancient cities have become modernized, but Xi’an has managed to retain a major piece of its history intact. Forming an enormous rectangle around the old imperial heart of the city, the Xi’an city walls date back to the Tang Dynasty, although several sections have been recently restored. You can either enjoy a peaceful stroll or leisurely ride on a bicycle (or a ride bicycle built for two!) with access provided at the major gates.

There are four main gates, although the South Gate is probably the most common starting point. The four gates form a twelve-meter high rectangle with a perimeter of twelve kilometers in length. Our perfect morning started by arriving at the South Gate with juice and pastries bought from a local bakery. After shelling out 40 Yuan for a two-hour bike ride, we spent the better part of the morning exploring Xi’an from the wall. My favorite part of the bike ride was the quiet and stillness of the walls.

China is a massive country with massive amounts of people, and Xi’an is no exception, so I was expecting to be fighting the crowds atop the city walls. However, I experienced a euphoric feeling of space being elevated from the daily grind of the city. After biking a bit away from the main gate we found a secluded and picturesque bench to break open our food goodies, and rest our weary legs.

Afterwards, as we rounded the last corner and saw the South Gate coming into view, my competitive nature got the best of me and I bet my bike buddy for a race to the finish. A perfect end to a fabulous bike ride – creamy, drippy, chocolaty ice cream cone bought on his dime.

The Muslim Quarter

The Muslim Quarter, comprised of a number of narrow and bustling streets in the vicinity of the Drum Tower, is home to Xi’an Hui population, one of China’s ethnic minorities. Xi’an is the start of the Silk Road which was the major trade route between Europe and Asia bringing wealth, power and Muslims in addition to goods.

While we wandered down through the stalls of the Muslim Quarter smelling the sweet smells of the food markets. We took in our five senses through the foods: the sizzling kebabs, spicy curry, colorful displays of dried fruit, various textures of nuts and enough tea samples to make the Irish jealous. All this unfolded before us like a variable smorgasbord. I had two goals here at the Muslim Quarter; I wanted to buy some authentic tea to take home, and an ornament for my eccentric Christmas tree. Jack, our enthusiastic guide, took those interested to a local tea house for a lesson in preparing and enjoying tea. We discovered that flower tea is not really drank by the locals, and is purely sold for the American tourists and that Oolong tea leaves are processed two different ways.

Nestled in the back alleys of the Muslim Quarter is the Great Mosque of Xi’an and dates back to 742 AD in the Tang Dynasty. The unique architecture is a blend of traditional Chinese and Islamic influences and is the largest and best preserved of the early mosques in China. The mosque has the layout of a Chinese temple with successive courtyards and pagodas adapted to suit Islamic religion. However, the great axis is aligned from east to west, facing Mecca. The narrow side alleys that surround the Great Mosque are packed with vendors selling souvenirs. You can get anything from Mao paraphernalia to jade jewelry – just make sure it’s real!

The Dumpling Banquet

No matter where I travel, the main attraction, the neon sign of life blinking me toward experience after experience, is that most primal of desires – food. In other words, I like to eat, a lot. From the cliché to the unimaginable, the more authentic the dish the sooner I need to try it. The more genuine the dish – the more memorable it becomes. My quest for this trip (and most trips) is to try everything that isn’t readily available in Los Angeles, and I’ve lived through quite a number of stomach aches to prove it. However, I was a bit nervous about China. Shockingly enough, from the first meal through the last was fantastic.

One of the culinary experiences to be had in Xi’an is a Dumpling Feast. The cooking methods for these succulent delicacies include steaming, boiling, pan-frying and deep-frying all including a myriad of flavors from salty to sweet. Anyone who loves to cook knows that we eat with our eyes, and the presentation of this regional delight should be considered an art form. Our table of twelve devoured nearly thirty different types of dumplings. The dumplings were in the shapes of frogs, chickens and exotic flowers just to name a few. The Chinese dumpling has a long history and is an essential part of celebratory meals, and this ancient city is regarded as the birthplace of the dumpling tradition.

That night as I was lying on my train bunk feeling the bumps from the tracks and listening to the low roar of the people, I thought of my experience. It’s rare for a city with such high expectations to not end up disappointing on some level, but Xi’an far exceeded even Jack’s sales pitch.

More photos from the tour:

Location

Macau is a Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China, located in southeast China.

How to get to Macau

The easiest (and usual) way to go to Macau is to fly into Hong Kong and then take a ferry to Macau. There are also ferries connecting mainland China to Macau.

Macau International Airport is served by several low-cost carriers which connect it to a lot of Asian countries as well as to Australia.

Most foreign citizens need a visa to visit Macau. The 30 days tourist visa is issued at the border crossing. Macau has a separate administrative regimen than China so if you go from the mainland to Macau you are deemed as leaving China. If you need to re-enter China make sure to have a multiple entries visa for China.

Gambling

Macau is very famous for its gambling industry. The most famous casino, and also a landmark in Macau, has been for many years Casino Lisboa. The newly opened Sands Casino managed to eclipse Lisboa though. Most casinos are located on the waterfront on the southern side of the Macau Peninsula.

Besides casinos, people also like to gamble on greyhounds. The greyhound racing is one of the very popular activities in Macau.

What else to do in Macau

The best way to explore Macau is by walking. The Peninsula is compact and there are dozens of attractions to discover. Although known for its casinos, Macau is filled with attractions mixing the East and the West, the European and Chinese cultures. Most of the attractions are on Macau Peninsula but there are plenty of nice things to see on Taipa and Coloane islands.

One of the interesting things to see is the statues of Bodhisatta Avalokitesvara, located right near sea, close to Sands Casino and MGM Grand. Although it represents a Chinese deity, the statue has a distinct European design.

You should also head to the top of Macau Tower (see photo) for some incredible views.

If you are in the mood for theme-park activities as well as shopping, check out Fisherman’s Wharf.

Macau also has some nice Museums to check out. Buy a pass which allows you to visit all of them and is cheaper than the individual fees. Don’t miss Macau Museum.

Did you know?

Until 1999, Macau was administrated by Portugal. As a result Portuguese is still widely spoken in the region. English is spoken in the tourist areas while Chinese is the official language.

What does the terracotta army comprise?

The army is formed by figures which vary in height and are all life-like and life-sized. The tallest of them are the Generals. The army includes warriors, chariots, horses, officials, acrobats, strongmen and musicians. Currently it’s estimated that the army comprises over 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots with 520 horses and 150 cavalry horses most of all still buried in the pits.

History

The emperor buried his army with him with the only purpose to serve him in the after life to rule another empire. It’s estimated that Shi Huang Di’s army was buried in 209-210 BC.

The emperor’s necropolis was built to serve as an imperial palace, complete with office, halls, walls and entrances. It is believed that the craftsmen working on the complex were all buried alive when they completed the necropolis in order to not divulge any secrets.

Studies have shows that most likely 8 head moulds were used and then clay was used to give them the individual features. After the figures were done, they were places in the pits in practice military formation according to rank and duty.

There is evidence of a big fire that burned the wooden structure of the tomb. According to the historical records, General Xiang Yu raided the tomb not long after the emperor’s death. Legend say the fire lasted for three months. Because of the incident only one statue remained intact. But despite the fire, much of the army survived in various stages of preservation.

Museum of Qin Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses

The army in the three pits which form the museum is located outside the Emperor Qin Shi Huang’s Mausoleum. The museum covers 16,300 sq m / 4 acres. The largest pit is Pit 1 and it was opened for the public in 1979. The first pit contains soldiers and chariots. Pit 2 comprises over a thousand warriors and 90 chariots. The last one comprises only 68 warriors, a war chariot and four horses. Most of the clay figurines discovered in the pits have been restored to their former grandeur.

Opening Hours

The museum is opened daily from 8 AM to 6 PM

Admission Fees

High Season (Mar 1 to Nov 30): 90 Yuan
Low Season (Dec 1 to Feb 28/29): 65 Yuan

The National Museum of China

The National Museum of China stretches more than 300 m / 984 ft to the north and to the south along the east side of the Tiananmen Square. The predecessors of the museum are the Museum of Chinese History and the Museum of Chinese Revolution, which shared the same building.

The Museum of Chinese History

The Museum of Chinese History is actually Beijing History Museum and was built in 1912 and opened to the public in 1926. It displays three periods of China’s history: the Primitive Society (500,000BC to 4,000BC), Slavery Society (2,100BC to 475BC) and Feudal Society (221BC to 1911).

The Palace Museum

The Palace Museum (see photo) was established on the basis of the Forbidden City, which used to be the imperial palace of the Ming and Qing Dynasties. The palace covers an area of 720,000 square km. The Palace Museum was established in 1925 and it represents the China’s largest and most intact ancient building complex. It has the country’s largest collection of art works, including paintings, potteries, toys, documents and many more.

It is China’s largest museum and in 1961 it was included n the List of Key Historical Monuments under State Protection, while in 1987 it was put on the World Heritage List of UNESCO.

The National Art Museum of China

The National Art Museum of China ((Wu Si Street) is an art museum displays, collects and researches the work of Chinese artists in modern times. There are 13 exhibition halls filled with more than 60,000 fine art works like Chinese paintings, prints, sculptures, iconography, shadow play works, paper-cuts, embroideries and many more.

Beijing Ancient Coin Museum

Built over the reconstructed Zhenwu Temple at the Wucheng of Deshengmen, the Beijing Ancient Coin Museum exhibits Chinese ancient coins from different dynasties. It also features temporary exhibitions.

Beijing Art Museum

Beijing Art Museum is located within the Temple of Longevity, which was built in 1577 under the reign of Wanli Emperor. Beijing Art Museum was founded in 1985. It houses collections and exhibitions and its aim is to preserve, to study and develop the Chinese cultural heritage. Among the collections you can see the valuable Chinese paintings and calligraphies of Ming and Qing Dynasties, ancient coins of China and the modern Chinese and Japanese arts, crafts and paintings.