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As mentioned above, I've been several times to Shanghai and immediate surroundings (Hangzhou, Suzhou, and some of the smaller townships between the cities). But I'm interested in visiting Xi'an. Anyone here been there?
As posted earlier, been there once as a tourist. Top tourist attractions there are the Terra Cotta Warriors/Mausoleum of Emperor Qin Shihuang and the Bell Tower.
As posted earlier, been there once as a tourist. Top tourist attractions there are the Terra Cotta Warriors/Mausoleum of Emperor Qin Shihuang and the Bell Tower.
What's the city like? Were the terra cotta warriors interesting? What about the rest of the city?
Urumqi is okay, hot but dry in summer. It has a big sky like Montana. The nearby Heavenly Lake with Tian Shan as background looks like Switzerland. The Kazakh herdsmen are friendly. (I went in early '80s which was less of a tourist trap back then)
What's the city like? Were the terra cotta warriors interesting? What about the rest of the city?
Xi'an has a very rich history. If you are interested in Chinese history, it's one the places that you must visit. The Tang and Han dynasties had their capital here, and both are considered the greatest points of Chinese history.
The Terra Cotta Warriors are indeed very interesting. There are so many of them, and each one is unique. They're made just to be buried with Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China. He was the one who conquered the small kingdoms and after that unification, China became an "empire". The Qin kingdom had their capital here. This was all rediscovered and excavated after the Cultural Revolution, and there are still parts that remain unexcavated. This explains why it has been preserved and lasted to this day, despite being more than 2000 years old.
Chang'an (the old name of Xi'an) is also the start of the Silk Road during the Tang Dynasty. It was the largest city in the world at that time. The modern city is still big and is still a very important cultural and educational center, with reputable universities located in the city. However, its heyday were during those days when trading was largely done using caravans crossing mountains and deserts. The city is inland, and as modern shipping is usually done with ocean/sea freight, it lost some of its former glory to the cities to the east on the coast.
I have been reading about Changsha the capital of Hunan. My neighbor I hang out with at my condo pool is from there. I was eating Hunan style food way before Thai food. He said the four super cities are Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzen.... but that is mostly size based. South China seemed to have the most attractive ladies.
I have been in Suzhou. We drove there from Shanghai and went straight to the "Old Town/Garden" (or whatever it's called.) The garden was nice. The immediately adjacent market street was interesting. I did not see any of the rest of the city except for a small bit driving to the garden. It looked like a normal, typical Chinese city to me.
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