Around the Wall

Today was the most fun I have had in Xi’an. We were going to take a really long bus ride to hike a mountain in a remote village. After yesterday’s fiasco to get to the Terracotta Warriors we decided we weren't quite up for it. We stayed in town to ride bikes around the ancient city wall and get lots of shopping done. We got quite a few gifts for people, especially my sister. Happy Birthday Sarah!

Xi’an is one of the oldest cities in China. The inner city is surrounded by an ancient wall that was built in the 14^th century. The wall is 40 feet tall and 8.5 miles in length. Along the wall there are four gates: North, South, East, and West. We are closest to the South which is the busiest side because that’s where they do all the shows so we entered and exited there.

We made our way up through the gate and made a few stops for some photo ops. Look at this awesome warrior!

This guy was going to town on the drum. He was really into it.

So naturally Wayne had to give it a try!

Once we were there we were trying to find where you rent bicycles. For a really good price you can ride around the entire perimeter. Some might think I am crazy but I think this was way better than seeing the Terracotta Warriors. It was so much fun to just ride around the wall, see all the sights, and get a great work out. We were able to go all the way around in an hour and twenty minutes with one stop to take photos and explore. We had a blast the entire time. 

In China the girls wear shoes with really think soles. Every inch counts!

We unknowingly timed it perfectly because as soon as we were finished biking around, we returned our bikes, and it was time for all the performances to begin. You would've thought it was planned. Even though at this point we were starving we were really excited to see the show. We squeezed through the crowds to get a good look at what they were doing. 

In was in the same courtyard that we entered in the beginning. The warriors put on this show where they ran around with spears in formation and played drums. I couldn't really get a good look at it but it still was cool to watch. Afterward we made our way down to get a front and center look at the next performance which were acrobats. I enjoyed that a lot. They did some crazy flips, stacking on top of each other, and squeezing into barrels. At one point they had about 4 or 5 barrels stacked on top of each other. One of the boys climbed to the top and he was going to dive in. On his way in he wasn't centered I guess because they all came tumbling down. It was a bit scary for a moment but like true performers they kept going. He was limping later so I don’t think it was easy for him to do. It was a great show though. 

Afterward we left to go get some authentic Chinese food at a Muslim restaurant and it was just as good as it is back in Zhangjiagang. I love Chinese food! I ordered my favorite fried eggs and tomatoes with rice while Andrew got beef, potatoes, onions, and bell peppers (which is another favorite). Hannah got her favorite garlic stems and beef while Wayne stuck with a traditional bowl of hand pulled noodles. It was the perfect ending to a fun filled day. We hope you all are doing well! Thanks for reading and we'd love to hear from you!