2019
China: History and Culture
May 11-12
Xi'an
Day 8
As you can see from the pictures, Day 8 was very hazy. We went to the Big Goose Pagoda where Buddhist relics had been received the night before. Therefore, we got to witness a Buddhist ceremony and hear some of their chants. This pagoda was named from a legend in Chinese History. A professor also demonstrated calligraphy for us. From there, we visited the Muslim Street Quarter and the Grand Mosque. The Grand Mosque was constructed in 742 AD during the Tang Dynasty and honors the founders of Islam in China. Afterwards, we were given free time to shop the markets in the Muslim Street Quarter.
Day 7
Our day began with a trip to the Terracotta Warrior factory building where they recreate replicas of the original warriors. Then, we traveled to the site of the pits where they were found and we met the man who discovered them, Zhao Kangmin. This massive army was created during the Qin Dynasty (221-207 B.C.E.) under emperor Qin who wanted immortality for himself and hoped the army would reincarnate and protect him in his next life. From there, we went to the Xi'an City Wall which was constructed during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Today, it is the most complete rectangular wall in China. Many of us opted to bike the 14km around it.