Xian without warriors
THE WALL
The size and solidity of its structure make us bow before the power of the Chinese emperors. It is one of those monuments that instantly transported to the past and the striking reminder of the time when most Chinese cities were fortified ( today it is the only intact wall that is preserved and it helps to get an idea of what the Beijing ones were like before they were demolished in the 1950s) .
The tour around its perimeter -preferably by bicycle because 14 kilometers cost theirs - leaves breathless by the width and breadth of the construction. Looking out over its battlements at sunset, you can witness life in the parks that surround it (with Chinese doing taichi, aerobics or dancing), and comparing the exterior and interior of the walled perimeter provides us with a vision of the past and present of China , with large shopping centers and skyscrapers defying the height of the historic center. The way of the wall is today the clearest, most pleasant street with the best views of the city.
A great wall to cover 14 kilometers
THE DRUM TOWER AND THE BELL TOWER
If the proverbial pollution of Xi'an - lately more controlled - allows us, the drum and bell towers will appear greeting us on the classic north-south axis of the city center –urban structure that is repeated throughout the country–, although that of the drum is slightly deviated to the left. They marked sunrise and sunset , and still serve as a reference today city center –the one with the bell– and welcome shows where the drums make you vibrate to the stomach (obviously, the one with the drum) .
In Torre del Tambor there are shows in which the drums are the center of attention
THE MUSLIM QUARTER
the home of the community I ran away in the city is one of those amalgamations of history that drive us crazy because at times they confuse you about whether you are in a marrakech souk or in the heart of north china . If a good part of the country already appears to us as a gigantic bazaar , these alleys multiply the effect. There are wooden and jade souvenirs, chopstick sets and mahjong boards , spices from the Near and Far East, silks, dried fruits and hijab women selling Mao's red book in a unique and unforgettable contrast.
The Muslim quarter of Xian
THE GASTRONOMY
The pasta is more than rice , Xi'an's ubiquitous dish, whether in thin, fat or wide noodles (delicious the biang biang mian , a kind of noodle soup with meat and tomato) . It is necessary to try the arab neighborhood street food , an example of food trucks beyond any suspicion of being trendy. In these stalls they serve pinchos of various origins, sweets that could be lebanese They appear suddenly kebab aromas , everywhere offers the lamb stuffed bread become a kind of local hamburger and the persimmon and pomegranate they tempt us in the form of a piece of fruit or d e freshly squeezed juice.
Pasta, Xian's ubiquitous dish
THE GREAT WILD GOOSE PAGODA
This building of 7th century and the surrounding gardens are an example of the architecture of the tang dynasty , that of the emperors who left a deepest footprint in the city (its name is the claim for performances of classical dances and dinner-concerts). Its sober pyramidal structure is also one of the benchmarks for the expansion of the buddhism in china , by hosting one of the most important schools and translation centers for Buddhist texts in the country , built around the care of the texts that the monk Xuanzang brought from India.
The Big Wild Goose Pagoda
THE MOSQUE
Among the bustle of the Muslim quarter appear the walls of the city's quiet mosque, still in use. It is a pleasure to walk through it finding the key elements of Muslim buildings - the water, patios, latticework - but mixed with chinese pagodas and structures . Among its rooms in which they exhibit study books and photographs of illustrious visitors (including the Spanish royal family) walks among the members of the local Muslim community engrossed in their ablutions or attentive to the minaret to call for prayer, with an unmistakably oriental silhouette. One of those visits that they show how fickle your ideas about countries, religions, and borders can be.
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The walls of the quiet city mosque