Friday, 27 December 2024
We arrived at Xi’an Railway Station (not the Xi’an North Railway Station) at 05:25. I made my way out of the platform and stood looking at directions. I also asked at a convenience shop. I waited until 06:00 then went to the washroom to freshen myself and perform ablutions. No prayer room to be seen so I just chose a quiet spot. No one gawked, no one disturbed me. After prayers, I went to ask the guards the way to the bus stop as I wanted to take a bus to the Terracotta Army Museum. The guard pointed at something and said I could take a train instead. Then I went to the other exit and this time fared better as one of them spoke English. I even went back to him again when I tried to communicate to the officer at the metro station that I wanted to buy a three-day pass which cost RMB40. He actually came with me, helped me with my bag, spoke to the officer and even showed which way to turn to the platform. Syukur Alhamdulillah. (Note: on hindsight, I was better off not buying the three-day pass as I didn’t take the metro all that often and the fare was quite low.) By the way, passengers need to check their bags through security and if you have water bottles, remove them from your bags and show them to the guard.
After changing trains and lines twice, I finally reached the last station, Qinlingxi (Qingling West). Again, another round of asking around and I was shown to Exit D. the station guard helped write down in Chinese the bus number and destination. I went out of the station and saw the bus pulling up. I wanted to pay my fare in cash, however, the driver didn’t want to accept it. I waved my note around but it seemed everyone paid using their phone tapped to the fare reader. One elderly woman kindly got up and paid my fare and when I insisted on paying her in cash, she refused. I thanked her.
The bus trip took 25 minutes and we had to walk about five minutes across the car park to get to the ground entrance. I was immediately approached by a staff who asked if I wanted a Chinese or English guide. I said English and another girl came over. She told me the cost was RMB300 and when I asked if that was the final rate, she showed me a card stating the cost ranged from RMB300 to RMB500. Rightttt. After storing my bag (no charge), we walked to the entrance to the pits. I had bought my ticket beforehand on Trip.com and had my passport scanned. We walked first to Pit 1. There were a lot of people here and we walked around the pit. The soldiers were damaged by earthquake and fire over the centuries and the local archaeologists had to spend time painstakingly brushing the statues off the dust. Some had ‘merged’ with other soldiers and had to be disentangled. After Pit 1, we headed for Pit 3 then to Pit 2. There are also glass displays of intact soldiers, some who bear resemblance to current people. After that, we walked past the shops to the main entrance (different route to entice tourists to shop!). Farms outside Xi’an plant pomegranates and persimmons so those two were the top items on sale (pomegranate juice and dried persimmons).
I decided not to go to Emperor Qinshihuang’s Mausoleum and made my way back to the bus stop for the bus to metro station. Again, the driver waved away my attempt to pay for my fare. I rode the metro to Guangjijie Station and took exit C and after deciding which way to go, turned right and walked to Campanile Hotel. Check-in was a breeze and I was in my room within minutes. I showered and rested and decided to leave at 17:30 for the Great Mosque. I was happy to see that the Drum Tower was only six minutes’ walk away and on the way to the Great Mosque. I walked along a covered bazaar and came upon the Great Mosque. I took some photos before a local man gestured to me the way and then showed me where to sit. It turned out that I was the only female - and I don’t think there’s a designated women area. The congregation prayers were at 17:50 and I saw a group of men which I surmised consisted of the imam and his entourage. I stayed for a short while after prayers before leaving to explore Huímínjiē (Muslim Quarter). I must have walked a few km that evening alone, exploring. I finally had a bowl o noodles at a restaurant in a side street. A bowl of noodles generally cost more than in Zhengzhou. Mine cost RMB12 and it was good only that I didn’t enjoy the meat fat and soup taste.
I explored further before returning to my room.
I walked more than 25,800 steps or 17.6 km today.
Saturday, 28 December 2024
I went down for breakfast and lingered over my meal. The hotel didn’t serve halal food but there were vegetarian options. I left after 09:30 and took the metro to Dayanta station. I walked around the park before getting to the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, built in 652 A.D., and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There were people twirling ropes and as I neared the pagoda, there were people dancing in a square. The locals are really good at socialising and keeping fit. I bought the entrance ticket (RMB30) then went into the grounds (you’d need to pay extra to enter the pagoda). I spent about an hour there before taking the metro to Yongninmen station. I went in search of Beilin (or Steele) Museum and asked for directions. One hotel I went to informed me that the museum was closed for renovation but as the girls at the tourist information kiosk didn’t mention this, I decided to find it to satisfy myself. Well, a few thousand steps later, I found that the museum was indeed closed for renovation. So I turned back and headed for the Bell Tower. I bought a Bell and Drum Towers combo ticket for RMB50 and went to explore the tower.
Next, I headed for the Drum Tower. There’s a daily performance (09:30, 10:15, 11:00, 11:45, 14:00, 15:00, 16:00 – if my memory serves me right) so I stayed to watch before returning to my room to perform prayers and rest. I ventured out after evening prayers to find another mosque and then had dinner at another eatery. Tonight, I had dumpling soup. Then I browsed the shops and stalls, pondering what to bring back home.
X
I walked more than 29, 500 steps or 20.5 km today.
To be continued
