Wednesday morning we enjoyed our second day in Xian with an early morning Starbucks coffee retreat! Then we walked to the Southern Gate of the Xian City to ride bikes of the top of the Xian City Wall. The Xian City Wall was built about 1500 years ago to protect the city of Xian and overlooks all of today’s innermost city area of Xian.
Riding bikes on top of the wall was one of the coolest things I have ever done. It was so neat to see such a busy and crowded city from a “bird’s eye view”. As we rode bikes we were even with the rooftops of houses that covered the city! Melyssa and I rode leisurely around the entire Xian City Wall, it took almost 2 hours! The bricks that make up the city wall made the ride a little bit bumpy, but the experience and view where more than enough to make up for the bumpy ride.
After the bike ride on the City Wall we walked through an old side street where vendors were selling paintings, jade, wood carvings, Terra Cotta Solider replicas, silk, dried fruit...and so much more. The number of vendors selling items on the street are countless!
Then Melyssa and I went to the Bell Tower, which marks the center of the city of Xian. Then we went to the Drum Tower, that compliments the Bell Tower and is right across the busy Xian City street.
Melyssa and I then ventured to a predominantly Muslim part of Xian and ate Muslim food and Muslim noodles. There were tons of vendors selling dried fruit, roasted walnuts…and at the end of the street, there was a meat market! There were slathered animals hanging from the ceiling, animal parts in bins, and there was even a cart of meat in the road. Melyssa and I decided to turn around because it was so sickening!
In the Muslim area of Xian there is also a historical Muslim mosque called “The Great Mosque” which Melyssa and I went to visit next. After the Great Mosque, we were off to more tourist attractions rooted deep with Asian history, like the Small Wild Goose Pagoda. We were able to go inside of the Pagoda and we walked up 13 flights of stairs, all the way to top. Then we walked at least 2 or 3 miles to the Big Goose Pagoda!
At night time there is a really famous water and light show in front of the Big Goose Pagoda. The Pagoda is introduced by a huge courtyard with fountains and is very “park-like”, with lots of trees and benches. At night time there is definitely an “amusement park” feel to the environment as kids and families wait for the light show to begin. There were tons of carnival games and cotton candy! The light and water show was choreographed to music and lasted about 30 minutes. Little kids would run through the fountains as water spouted into the air and people would jump out to get pictures in front of the water. Melyssa and I had a great time!
When the light show was over, there were hundreds, probably thousands of people trying to get back home. Xian does not have a central subway system, so transportation is a little tricky! After an hour of trying to wave down a taxi, Melyssa and I decided we were going to start flashing money! So I ended up stopping a taxi, that had already refused to take a guy somewhere, flashed a decent amount of money, and before he even knew where I wanted him to take us, he shook his head “yes”! It was the most hilarious situation, and that was the fastest taxi ride I have ever taken!
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