Xi-an and the Terracotta Warriors

Tuesday 2nd October

Another early start after breakfast at 7am ready for a full day of sight-seeing. This morning we visited the famous Terracotta Army, built in 250BC to guard an imperial tomb and comprising thousands of full-size hand-carved soldiers, chariots and horses. This vast army took 40 years to complete and stretches for several kilometres, however, not long after the Emperor's death there was a peasant revolt and the tombs were attacked resulting in the destruction of many of these terracotta mannequins. The site wasn't discovered until 1974 by some farmers digging a well - they'd previously been discovered in the 1930s but local people had kept the find secret for fear of grave desecration charges. The warriors are displayed in 3 large halls built over the excavation pits - the first hall is probably the most impressive with hundreds of soldiers and horses lined up in rows - each one has been painstakingly put back together piece by piece and there is still much work to be done.

During our guided tour here Carol had problems with her newly purchased 2GB memory card and managed to delete all the photos taken that morning (fortunately there were no other pics stored on this memory card much to her relief) so we had to go back to the first hall and retake all the photos - fortunately there was just enough time to do this. The said memory card proved to be faulty and despite it's claim to be 2GB (and being recognised by the camera as such) would only hold 45 pics so Carol's celebrated bargain turned out to be a rather expensive rip-off. Fortunately we had our other camera with us and were able to take pics for the rest of the day, until we could get back to the hotel and buy an authentic replacement.

After an enjoyable buffet lunch we visited a jade factory (very beautiful but also very expensive so no purchases again!) before making our way back toward the centre of Xi-an to visit the Wild Goose Pagoda. Built in 600AD, this revered Buddhist pagoda has been restored and some of us climbed the 15 floors to the top (more steps) - the winding staircase became narrower and narrower and the ceiling lower as we approached the top until we eventually hauled ourselves through a trap-door to reach daylight and the open roof with some fantastic views over Xi-an. We weren't quite sure if the rocking feeling we experienced was due to the after-effects of being on the cruise ship for 8 nights or if the building was actually swaying in the wind! The sound of Tang Dynasty-style music drifted up from the park below as a local group in appropriate costume and with traditional Chinese instruments, entertained the tourists.

On our return to the coach offered to take a group photo for 3 young Chinese girls and one of them insisted that he get in the picture too......

We were given an unusually long time to get ready for our evening meal (nearly 2 hours) so time to rest those weary feet and put some ice on the swollen ankles (in Carol's case) before meeting in the hotel lobby for a night to remember at the Tang Dynasty Music Show and Dinner.

Two members of our party celebrated their birthdays while we were in Xi-an - Jim on Monday and Bill on Tuesday- and tonight was a fitting celebration which was much enjoyed by the "longevity stars" and the rest of us (the Chinese really celebrate age and Jacky encouraged us to revere Jim and Bill in this way). The costumes, music, choreography and food were excellent. A souvenir programme & menu was also included and we opted to buy the show DVD in a presentation case for only 150 Yuan (£10) - a bargain and a great way to remember this wonderful evening. Here are just a few pics to whet your appetite........