{"id":10947,"date":"2025-09-20T22:01:06","date_gmt":"2025-09-20T20:01:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/?p=10947"},"modified":"2025-10-01T21:21:06","modified_gmt":"2025-10-01T19:21:06","slug":"xian-china-orasul-in-care-zici-ca-e-revelion-in-fiecare-seara","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/en\/2025\/09\/xian-china-orasul-in-care-zici-ca-e-revelion-in-fiecare-seara\/","title":{"rendered":"XI\u2019AN (China) \u2013 the city where it feels like New Year\u2019s Eve every night"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

I flew<\/strong> here by train!\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I left Beijing and, in just over 4 hours, I traveled more than 1,000 km! The same amount of time it takes us to cover 255 km by train from Bucharest to Mangalia (that\u2019s if nothing goes wrong along the way\u2026).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I am in the heart of China, in Xi\u2019an.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, I wanted to come here for the famous Terracotta Army<\/strong>. But this city, the former imperial capital for over 1,000 years and the starting point of the Silk Road<\/strong>, offered me some extremely pleasant surprises during the two days I spent here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

TOP ATTRACTIONS IN XI\u2019AN<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

THE XI\u2019AN CITY WALL<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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I kept walking past it, kept going through it (magic :)), but the coolest thing is to walk ON it!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I already have experience from the Italian city of Lucca, where you can also walk on the city wall, an experience I wrote about here<\/a>. That\u2019s why I was really curious to see how it would be here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Xi\u2019an City Wall is one of the oldest and best-preserved urban defense walls in China, which is why it\u2019s such an important tourist attraction!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Built in the 13th century (Ming dynasty) on the foundations of the fortified city from the Tang dynasty, it stretches 13.7 km in length, is 12 meters high, and has a serious thickness of up to 15 meters. For centuries, it protected the administrative and commercial center of the city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Between the North Gate and the South Gate there are 3 km, and between the West Gate and the East Gate there are 4 km, so the wall is rectangular.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It has 4 giant gates, one at each cardinal point, and on it there are bastions and watchtowers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I noticed that some of the paving stones are inscribed in different ways, so I asked my local guide, Selina, why.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During the Cultural Revolution (when comrade Mao Zedong decided to smash tradition and culture to the ground because they were \u201cbad\u201d and didn\u2019t fit with the new communist vision), many people took stones from the Wall for their own use \u201cat home\u201d. A wall patched here, a hole filled there, maybe even a doorstop\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many years later, in 1984 to be exact, the mayor of Xi\u2019an launched a kind of campaign, explaining to the population the historical value of the city wall and simply asking people to bring the stones back. And guess what? Many of them really were returned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Thus, today, about 60% of the wall is original! The remaining 40% was rebuilt with stones supplied by various brick factories. And since the city didn\u2019t have money to pay these suppliers, they were allowed to inscribe the factory\/company name into the stones. That\u2019s why many stones are \u201cstamped\u201d with names.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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We enter through Anyuan (the North Gate). It\u2019s an important spot for newlyweds, who come here for photo sessions dressed in spectacular outfits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In fact, I discover that the wall is a favorite place for Chinese people who want to take unique photos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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It\u2019s a common custom in China \u2013 young people rent traditional costumes, props, get their hair and makeup done, and go out for photo shoots!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Photographers are hired for a session in iconic city locations or, sometimes, specialized photographers simply approach willing clients at those spots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Since I got caught up behind this girl who had completely blocked the staircase at the North Gate, I decided to interrupt her photo shoot for a moment and take a picture with her myself \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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At the West Gate, the craze is even bigger!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dozens of young Chinese women, dressed in increasingly spectacular traditional costumes, meticulously styled and accessorized, pose with the wall as their backdrop, holding a musical instrument, an umbrella, or even a weapon. Dozens of photographers shout instructions at them about what attitude to take, what pose to strike. It\u2019s a spectacle in itself!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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And it\u2019s not just adults who take such pictures at important landmarks, children do as well. (I could\u2019ve made some decent money with my own camera, don\u2019t you think? :))<\/p>\n\n\n\n

BIKE RIDE ON THE XI\u2019AN CITY WALL<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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We climb up onto the wall and my guide rents me a bicycle so I can roll around\u2026 Even more, she waves me off, explaining that she herself won\u2019t bike. What?! How come??? Well, she says, the wall has bumpy sections, with protruding stones, missing stones, uneven parts, and she doesn\u2019t want to deal with that. She just leaves me to break my neck on my own \ud83d\ude42 And it\u2019s my birthday today\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It takes about two hours to cover the wall\u2019s 13.7 km. I set myself the goal of reaching the South Gate or, if my butt doesn\u2019t survive the saddle, at least the first gate, the West Gate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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on the wall<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Man, after adjusting my saddle three times, I take off at full speed! Why? Because I figured if I pedal like a maniac, I might just reach the South Gate before the seat eats my backside\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From the wall, I can see both the old city and the new city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I make a quick stop at the first corner, at a watchtower. But then my attention is caught by something below, at the foot of the wall:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Golden Temple \u2013 I call it\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s the Guangren Temple<\/strong>, the only Tibetan temple in Shaanxi province, basically a meeting point between Han and Tibetan culture. The courtyard is full of people, and the scent of burning incense drifts all the way up to where I am.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hop back on my bike and set off along the western side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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West Gate<\/em><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

On my way I cross paths with other cyclists, but also with many locals strolling along. The atmosphere is really pleasant!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I actually managed what I set out to do \u2013 cycling all the way to the South Gate. It took me 45 minutes with all the stops, even though my guide had estimated an hour and a half. But she didn\u2019t know I was pedaling with the fear that the seven-headed dragon would catch up with me \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n\n\n\n

BELL TOWER. DRUM TOWER.<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

For me, the two towers are perfect landmarks when you\u2019re in a city you don\u2019t know: you see them and instantly know the directions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Bell Tower<\/strong> is literally right in the middle of the road. Built during the Ming dynasty (1384), it is one of the largest towers of its kind in China. Its original role was to tell the time and to signal dangers \u2013 fires, attacks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Nowadays, it functions as an exhibition space for cultural artifacts, but it\u2019s also the perfect \u201cbackground\u201d for Chinese people dressed in traditional outfits, out taking pictures\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I was delighted by these two girls and a boy (!), they were delighted by me, and so we ended up taking a picture together:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Bell Tower is also a kind of \u201cworkplace\u201d for live streamers<\/strong> \u2013 something I was seeing for the very first time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Women, either in full costume and makeup or just in casual clothes, sell products or services live, with the Tower behind them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some of them (the streamers) have such chatter and such skill in presenting things in front of a smartphone camera that they left me speechless!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And, besides them, there are maaany young women dressed in traditional costumes, with makeup and arranged down to the smallest details, who are having photo sessions also with the Bell Tower in the background. It\u2019s a whole business, man!!! I noticed real work teams here! Look and be amazed:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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