西安 15/4
As the school randomly had tests so I didn’t need to come in til Friday I decided to go to xian as it was to be hot and sunny whereas other places were to rain. I was couchsurfing with a local. When I finally got to her place (long bus trip) I wasn’t too sure about what way to go as it was a compound. She was late, her daughter was sick so was picking her up before. Eventually she arrived. Ground floor, super chinese and it sort of had a strange classroom. No internet (not the first time, weird) the kitchen was messy chinese style, as was the bathroom etc. She gave me a thin blanket - the bed, a bunk was hard was rock (better for your back but I’m not down with it still) I napped an hour. She left giving me a key. I decided I’d make an excuse and stay with the other guy who offered to host, from Pakistan. 巴基斯坦🇵🇰 id meet him when he finished class (he was doing his masters and finishes his year) so..... I decided to stroll the city. It was intense heat! I was melting. Strolled the Muslim quarter, so different during the day than night but still super busy, selling tacky souvenirs, making the bread and crackers by hand. Strolling around the wall etc before getting the metro to meet him ( I don’t even know if there was metro the first time I went! I feel so old! Over 4 years ago) by the time I got out of the station there was a random thunderstorm. utterly soaked!! kifiyat and I tried to get the bus to drop us nearer to his but ended up getting a taxi. Bit of a maze to get there, he lives near the uni park in a Hutong on the top floor (so stairs) he’d just Moved in so not much set up (he and the last landlord had a disagreement due to rent - typical) so not much in the kitchen but he did have the fridge and kettle working. He gave me my own huge room (there was also a living room) that had a freestanding air con. He went out for a lesson before I slept - exhausted from not sleeping on the train.
Tues 16th April 大明寺
up early the next day to get the bus to daming temple 大明寺. Another roasting day it didn’t take too long to get there and, as not a holiday or particularly famous it was pretty empty. It was huge and peaceful with no one really about. it was a roasting hot day, so I relaxed for a while near one of the pagodas in a courtyard before exploring the otherside. it had a huge monument statue which i didnt really know how to get close to. reminded me of the symbol/logo for UNESCO world heritage sites.
i then got a bus back into the city and strolled around again before heading back and hanging out with Kifiyat for a while .
https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/chinese-pyramids-of-xian
Wednesday 17th april.
HANYANG MAUSOLEUM
8.00-6.30pm
65-90 rmb depending on season
to get there you need to get a bus from city library station 市图使馆 or zhaojiabao bus stop then take tourist line 4 bus to the end.
https://m.visitourchina.com/xian/attraction/hanyang-mausoleum-museum.html
yet another freakishly hot day in April. i got the metro then hopped on a local bus to go see the "pyramids of Xian' Han Yang mausoleum
https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/chinese-pyramids-of-xian
The ancient emperors of China were buried in enormous, low-lying pyramids. i had previously visited some in Ningxia in the north of China. there are Dozens of pyramid tombs in China, with the largest being the tomb of the first emperor located near Xi'an but not as well preserved as the ones in Yinchuan Ningxia. these ones are from the Qin dynasty. there are around 7 in and around Xi'an, the biggest where the terracotta warriors were found near. this one is in Xianyang. they were more like mounds than pyramids, and covered in grass, not much to see. however, you can go underneath to a museum expo and there is lots to see, its really interesting and definitely worth checking out, everything was in such amazing condition. its very informative, in english and chinese. han ying mausoleum consists of 2 graves, the emperor and empress, its the biggest one in china. i walked around them before checking out the museum
afterwards i relaxed in the grass area before get a bus back and later getting my train back to shanghai
tomb, chill and train
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