Xi An and the Terracotta Warriors

After negotiating our first Oversized Excessive Luggage versus travelling hurdle (everyone else had neat small rucksacks or cases!)

we spent a very comfortable night on a 'soft sleeper' train we arrived in Xi An, a medium sized walled city. There are 4 berths in each compartment so we went ladies in one and lads in the other. One group looked like they were back at uni!!

Guess which one!! the bottle is local brandy!

When we left the train we went for a delicious local breakfast of dumplings. Our favourite was the lamb in a sort of soup inside a dumpling - so yummy.

Paul doesn't look very impressed - there was not a huge range of veggie options for him!

We had the day in Xi An which is an pretty city even in the rain!,

we went to the oldest mosque which looked more like a temple but had a lovely aura of calm & quiet, compared to the market and the streets outside.

The streets were very colourful

 Spot the tourist??

 

The sweet making - pulling the toffee was interesting! Didn't try it! In the evening we walked near the city walls and stumbled across a cultural display where the walls were all lit up - very pretty.

However, Xi An is most famous for the terracotta army which was 'found' in 1974 by a local farmer digging a well. He couldn't seem to reach water so he went down the well to investigate and came face to face with life sized warriors - he must have had quite a shock! Terracotta_Army.

The size of the pits they have opened up and the numbers of warriors, horses and chariots is awesome and to think that there are many more pits yet to open, makes you realise the scale of the emperors power.

 Great horse hairstyle!

 

 The details were awesome - just look a the hair details and the soles of the shoes - amazing.

Although I do have to admit, spectacular as they are in the pits, we both felt that when we saw the 10 or so warriors and chariots on show in London a few years ago, the intimacy of the experience and being at eye level with the statues and seeing all their individual characters and details was much more enthralling.