China 2009: The City of Xi'an

Xi'an is usually associated with the Terracotta warriors, but the city itself has many other interesting features and attractions.

Xi'an has a large Muslim population of around 50,000, made up mostly of the "Hui" people, who are a mix of Han Chinese, Arabic and Persian ethnicities.  Their mixed heritage is clearly displayed in their facial features and the local dialect which they speak.

The "Great Mosque" is located in the heart of the Muslim quarters and is still used today as a place of worship.  It was originally founded in 742AD and was continually expanded throughout the various Chinese dynasties.  This mosque is unique in that it is mostly of Chinese in construction style and architecture, except for some Arabic lettering and decorations.

Walking through the vibrant night market in the Muslim quarter was quite the experience.  The area is bustling with food stalls and souvenir shops. Street-side, huge pots and frying pans cooked goat (we saw a goat skull!), lamb and mutton, rice dishes, fried pitas filled with meat and vegetable, kabobs and soups.

We were a bit concerned about the safety of eating at these establishments, since they did not seem to pay much attention to sanitary standards or cleanliness.  The table that we ate at was "wiped down" by a towel so dirty that it seemed like grease and grime were being added rather than removed.  We witnessed the plates and cutlery being rinsed in buckets on the street, while dirty water and oil was poured down a man-hole in the middle of the road.

The Muslim day market had a totally different vibe, with less focus on food and more focus on goods for sale.  Everywhere we went, vendors called out for us to buy their t-shirts, purses and other trinkets.  A very talented artist was producing beautiful scenery and calligraphy by dipping his finger in ink and drawing free-hand.  Two beautiful Asian girls in long evening gowns wandered the streets, making us wonder if they were "ladies of the night" out about in the day.  Down one alley, two men were playing Chinese Chess on the ground while surrounded by spectators.

In terms of souvenirs, the Terracotta Warrior figures were obviously a big attraction and they came in all sizes from small ones to life-sized sculptures.  We were shocked to see mopeds zipping around the streets with helmet-less small children hanging off the back and sides.  At one point, we saw one zooming by carrying a family of 5!  In Xi'an, the Caucasian man was an anomaly, so Rich attracted quite the attention.  One Muslim man took great pleasure in comparing their Buddha-like pot-bellies, as it was a sign of wealth and considered good luck to rub the belly of the Buddha.  This rubbing of the belly syndrome was even more prevalent in Beijing–more on that in a future blog.

Tipping was an interesting phenomenon in China, especially in Xi'an.  While traditionally accepting tips had been forbidden in China, more modern cities like Shanghai have evolved to the point where it is now expected there.  But in Xi'an, it was still not the norm and we found tips were accepted either with shock and then extreme gratitude, or in one case, even initially refused.  We left a tip at the restaurant we ate at, only to have the waitress chase us down the street to say that we forgot our money.  When Rich insisted that she keep it as a tip, it was a dilemma for her, since she was obviously not supposed to do so.  Should she accept, which was against the rules, or refuse and risk insulting the "White man".  In the end, she kept the tip.

Things may have changed by now, but back in 2009, taxi rides were so cheap that we could go anywhere for around 8-12 yuan (The Chinese currency was exchanging at about 7 to 1, so this amounted to just over $1 Canadian).  So, it was nothing to us to hand over a 20 yuan bill and say keep the change.  While this was the equivalent of tipping around $1.10 cents, the 80-100% tip on the fare was a big deal to the meagerly paid driver and he was usually overjoyed.

The 34 meter tall Drum Tower was built in 1380 in the Ming Dynasty and contains many ceremonial drums, decorated with symbols meaning peace, joy, luck, longevity, etc.  In ancient times the drums were beaten each night, as well as during ceremonies, and as an alarm in case of attack.  There are 24 "solar" drums, used to mark the positions of the sun in the 24 solar periods during a Chinese calendar year.  The ancient drums are for display only, but a sample drum is available for tourists to beat for a small fee.

From the Drum tower, there were pretty views of the city below.