Evening in Xi'an

Trip Start Aug 17, 2010

Trip End Dec 15, 2010

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Where I stayed

Shuyuan Youth Hostel Xi'an

Flag of China Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
Thursday, September 2, 2010

Well Xi’an is definitely in the city and a half class. It really is something else and can see why the Xi’anites do rate it as the number one city in China - as it was for many many years.

I went out for the evening with one of my room-mates, Sharon from Malaysia who speaks excellent Chinese! I guess there must have been some huge changes to Xi’an over the last 10 years or so but the centre - despite its modern buildings - seems somehow to stay in keeping with its architectural traditions. The centre has broad leafy avenues running East-West and North-South with new buildings surrounding them with excellent pedestrian underpasses at frequent intervals.

At night the nearby gates, drum tower and bell tower are nicely lit up as are the surrounding buildings to present a lovely view. To the North West of the Bell Tower is the old Muslim Quarter with the which has a maze of narrow streets, with great scenes of all sorts of things for sale and being cooked. A great photographic opportunity but my camera seems to have died a death so will look for another one tomorrow and repeat the experience.