Xi’an II

What trip would be complete without some interesting weather. Yesterday’s event was due to a sandstorm north of the city. It tended to make the day look overcast but the real treat came in the form of rain – and for a little while in the afternoon, snow – that mixed with it. We were speckled brown from the sand shower and, at its worst, the windscreen of the car was coated with a paint-like mixture. The sudden change of weather for the colder even caught our guide ill-prepared; it had been sunny and very warm the previous day.

Either way, we did mainly indoor things. Went to see the Terra-cotta warriors of Qin Shihuang, the first emperor of China. One of the pits excavated was housed in a building that was the size and shape of an aircraft hangar. In that area alone, there is an estimated 6,000 figures. Thanks to Lucy, our guide, we learned quite a bit. She was exceptional. She knows her stuff and could answer the questions we posed. She explained that they are comfortable that they know the dimensions of the pit excavated based on the alignment of the surviving soldiers (many were destroyed in a peasant uprising a few years after the army was buried). The soldiers on the flanks face out instead of ahead and the soldiers at the rear face back instead of ahead, guarding the column from attack, but also helping the archaeologists determine the size of the group.

We were also able to go by the mausoleum of Qin Shihuang. Due to the bad weather, I was disinclined to get out, but it was something I wanted to see. It is currently unexcavated so it is nothing but a large mound. But the rumors of what they may find inside are stunning: jewels denoting the heavens, rivers made of mercury. There is also the little matter of booby traps. Qin Shihuang was rumored to have had traps installed to deter potential tomb robbers, traps on a Raiders of the Lost Ark-type scale.

Had some interesting dining experiences yesterday. Ate some food at dinner I would never had a chance to try at home. Also created a bit of a stir when, at lunch, I filled out the offered comment card. The food was unexceptional but the controversy that ensued when I checked the box marked “common” to describe it seemed a bit disproportional.

• Around the World
• Asia
• China
• Xian