I recently had the privilege of visiting Xi’an, the capital city of ancient China and eastern terminus of the Silk Road. The center of Xi’an is still surrounded by the city walls that were constructed more than 600 years ago during the Ming Dynasty. For the current Xi’an government, historical preservation is an important part of the massive and rapid new development projects that have taken off in recent years; especially within the city walls, new construction is predominantly styled with traditional Chinese architectural motifs. On the other hand, this behemoth is representative of the many projects that are sprouting up outside the city walls.

After arriving in downtown Xi’an via a bus from the airport, we walked through a nicely developed street in the Muslim Quarter. Like so much of Xi’an, this area has recently undergone a tremendous restoration and rebuilding effort, so the buildings are all sparkling new but built to resemble traditional architectural styles.

Our hotel was situated within one of Xi’an’s recently completed massive construction projects, a park surrounding the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, which was first built more than 1300 years ago. The pleasant interior courtyard of the hotel contrasted with the sea of construction cranes still looming in the background. This modern park is dedicated to the memory of the Tang Dynasty, one of the great Chinese dynasties that ruled from Xi’an.

One night, we visited a small park near the West Gate where a number of elderly people were under a pagoda, singing and listening to the ancient Qinqiang style of music that originated in Xi’an more than 2000 years ago during the Qin Dynasty. Qinqiang and is a predecessor of other Chinese music styles such as Peking Opera.

Another highlight of our trip was visiting the Terracotta Warriors site, which consists of three main excavation pits. What struck me was that much of these pits have not yet been uncovered; rows of warriors still remain under the dirt. Unlike the several neatly arranged rows that are propagated in the tourist material, many rows are still sitting the way they were found, with body parts strewn around from the decay of time.

Outside the museum grounds, there were a number of shops advertising “biang-biang mian”, a type of Xi’an noodle, the name of which originates from the sound that is made as the noodle dough is slapped on the table while they are being made. A special 41-stroke character has evolved to represent this onomatopoeic word. (Chinese characters are typically composed of, say, 2-15 strokes.)

Also nearby the Terracotta Warriors is the tomb of the man they were designed to protect, the emperor Qin Shihuang (photo source). His dirt-pyramid tomb has been deemed unsafe to excavate using current archaeological techniques, but as part of the local government’s investment in historical preservation, there are plans to reconstruct the massive above-ground structures that once surrounded this site.

The following day, I walked around half of the old city walls, from the North Gate to the southern Wenchang Gate. There were a number of notable sights, such as a large plot of prime land at the northeast corner of the wall, one of dozens of such lots that I came across. The park that fills the space between the wall and moat was filled with the typical array of disco dancers, ping-pong players, and others exercising or shooting the breeze. I’ve walked through many Chinese parks, but this was certainly one of the most lively. Another site that I appreciated seeing was a row of single-room residences that share an external balcony. From the sounds and smells, I could tell that these people are living well beyond what their physical amenities would suggest. I also noted with interest and appreciation that most of these older buildings were capped with solar panels. After disembarking from the wall, I turned south towards the hotel along a local avenue that was bustling with foot traffic and small shops.

The next morning I was aiming to visit the renowned Shaanxi History Museum before my afternoon flight, but there was an enormous line outside the ticket office when I got there, so I decided to skip the museums and spend more time walking the local roads. As I was crossing Chang’an Bei Lu, I noticed a construction pit for what is presumably an entrance to the Xiaozhai station on Line 2, scheduled to open next year.

I walked through a local food street, where I stopped in a hole-in-the-wall for lunch. From the reception, I wouldn’t be surprised if I’m the only foreigner who has eaten there in at least a month. Unfortunately they didn’t serve biang-biang mian, but they gave me what they said was the closest thing. Alas, I should have walked a few hundred meters further down the road; when I continued on my way, I soon passed a storefront with the “biang” character written proudly on the awning!

As I continued on my way to the airport bus, I passed through more narrow, tree-lined, side alleys and had a wonderfully pleasant time observing the street-side grocery markets, sidewalk repair crews, and even a dog-grooming parlor.

It’s too bad that I missed the museum, but I feel that I gained a better understanding of China and the Xi’an citizenry by walking through their streets and seeing them live and work. Museums will have to wait for my next trip!