"Xi'an - Ancient Capital" a Xi'an Travel Page by DSwede

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OK, for those of you who have not yet come to accept reality, China is a very old country. And Xi'an played a pivotal role in the early years of China.

Beijing is known for the Forbidden City and being the capital seat going back through the Qing and Ming dynasties, back to the early 12th century. However, Xi'an maintained the seat for much, much longer. For over 2000 years, 11 dynasties claimed Xi'an as their central headquarters.

But in modern times, Xi'an, like most of the world is changing. There is still evidence of its history, with the impressive city wall, the Drum and Bell Towers, and the Muslim quarter and mosque dating back to early 8th century (742AD). But all too quickly, high rises and modern structures are dominating the sky line and encroaching on the old. Currently, Xi'an is gaining a strong reputation in China as being a technology center, with reputable businesses and schools. The later, giving a larger population of youth, is probably a good catalyst for the development of the city, its nightlife and modernization.

After taking the public buses to see the Terracotta Warriors (the silent army buried to protect the tomb of Emperor Qin Shi Huang), I busied myself trying to get lost in the side streets. However it was not possible.

Unlike Beijing, any HuTong type neighbor hoods are not found, large modern buildings are butted directly up against many of the ancient sites.

The best, and in my searching pretty much the only, back-streets that are worth wondering are in the Muslim Quarter, immediately north and west of Drum Tower. There you can get lost (for a few hours) in a maze of continuous street vendors, food stands, stores and some interspersed historic sites. The M.Q. still has obvious ties, with the Ancient Mosque (dating back to 8th century), foods, storefronts with Arabic signs and most definitively, Muslims living in the area.

To the south are to large Pagodas, the Small and Big Wild Goose Pagodas. The Big pagoda is impressive but similarly is crowded with tourists and Chinese. The Small pagoda is beautiful to see, but has the extra benefit of being tucked on a smaller street and thereby is less frequented by the hordes of tourists.