Favorite Thing: This is a general tip which is not only adaptable for Xi'An but for China as well.I will tell you something about the point of the compass.
For the emperor of ancient China these terms were very important, you will notice it if you see the construction of the cities,especially of the capitals. Xi'An was the first capital of China and here we have an example of a construction in such a way.
The center of Xi'An is the Bell Tower. Bei Dajie leads to the North Gate. 'Bei' means North, 'Dajie' means Main street. Dong Dajie leads to the East Gate. If you want to go to the South Gate (and you are at the Bell Tower, of course) take the Nan Dajie.Finally, Xi Dajie leads to the West Gate.
It doesnt mean you can't get lost in Xi'An anymore but with this knowledge you know how to get to the center of the city.
As I told you, these terms are omnipresent in China. For me it was easier to remember these vocabulary when I used these mnemonic:
Beijing means Northern capital, Nanjing is the Southern capital, Donjing is the Eastern capital. (you will be surprised when I tell you, Dongjing is not located in China,it means Tokyo in Chinese)
Maybe you noticed there is the term 'Xi' in the name of Xi'An. It means: Western Peace.
I could tell you some more examples but I just wanna repeat...
Bei - North, Dong - East, Nan - South, Xi - West. No, no, I am not a teacher.. ;-)
Chinese use another direction... to the middle, the center. This is called: Zhong. For example, 'Zhong Guo' literally means: Empire of the Middle.
In the Chinese language there are more Bei, Nan, Xi or Dong. Even if these tones are equal they may have different meanings.I think,if you see any steet sign,the meaning should be the point of the compass.But if you remember the chinese caracters... THEY are unique.
Maybe my tip was helpful for you, one of the most important tip: don't forget to take the address of your hotel with you.It should be in Chinese,taxi drivers often don't know the english name.
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on Aug 24, 2003
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