Day 6 - Xian Terracotta Warriors

Warriors Rising

End of Day 5, June 14, 2014

Between the time we returned from the Great Wall and the time we boarded our overnight train to Xian, we hung out in our hotel lobby.  We were  hot and sweaty from our Great Wall walk, but had already checked out of our rooms earlier that morning.  Russ and I had bath wipes with us so we took advantage of the hotel lobby restroom to clean up and change clothes before boarding the train at 8:45 pm.

The train was made up for an overnight.  We shared a very tidy and nicely decorated 4 bunk room with Paul and Rachel from our group.

Upper and Lower Bunks, Small Space for Four People and Our Luggage

By the time we got our gear stowed, I was definitely ready to crash.  Our car was the second one on the train behind the engine which was thankfully electric and very quiet in that respect, but not quiet from the horn that blasted a every street crossing, which seemed to punctuate the quiet every other minute.  Despite a sleeping pill and earplugs, my night was not an easy one.   Russ on the other hand said it was the best night sleep he had since we left home.  Oh well, it's about the experience!

I was the first one up at 5:30 and took advantage of a quiet and clean washroom to ready myself for the day.  I made myself a cup of coffee with my cup, Starbucks Via  packet of Columbian roast, and boiling water dispenser at the end of our train car, and returned to  our compartment where everyone except for Paul had awakened.  For another hour we sat quietly watching the scenery pass.  It  was very foggy/smoggy in the early morning.

By 8:30, we  had successfully disembarked from the train and registered in our hotel.  We had an hour to shower and cleanup before heading to the World Heritage sight of the Terracotta Warriors.  

Day 5 - Another check on the bucket list

From our Silk Road Dossier " The glittering city of fabled wealth at the end of the Silk Road or the 'Golden Journey', as travelled by Marco Polo. The extraordinary buried army of some 6,000 life sized terracotta figures must be seen to be believed. We then board the train for the journey to Dunhuang."

We met our guide Linda who took us out to the World Heritage sight, via a stop at the terracotta factory where replica, full size,s half size, and quarter size terracotta figures our made to be used in movies, museums, and private homes and gardens.

Original Warriors Were Colorfully Painted.  Pigment however does not last when exposed to air.

Unlike the original figures that were made by hand, the ones at the factory are casted for mass production.  After our tour, we headed out to the Heritage sight, but had lunch first.  Many of the farmers that were displaced by this massive archaeological  site, now have nearby homes where they prepare meals for small groups.

We had a terrific lunch, with some specialties we have not seen elsewhere,  very long flat noodles, marinated crunch potatoes julienne, and sweet potatoes carmelized in a sticky, peanut brittle type sauce.

After lunch, we took a couple of hours to explore the site.  First we saw a short movie explaining the origins of the soldiers over a 38 year period in 200 BCE, their destruction during a rebellion by factions trying to  gain control after the Emperor's death, their discovery 2,000 years later by some farmers digging a well in 1974, and the archeological pits still being excavated, and figures being put back together.

Most of the warriors looked like this before being pieced back together.  An Amazing Puzzle!

Head dress, armor, facial expressions, tell from what province a warrior came.

Our biggest surprise was the immense size of the dig and the utter destruction of the figures.  Only a small portion of the estimated 6,000 figures have been excavated and pieced back together.  When originally found the figures are colorfully painted, but very quickly oxidize losing their coloring when exposed to the air.  Consequently, until the scientists can figure out how to expose the next part of the dig without jeopardizing the coloring, most of the dig is still covered.

The figures and the immensity are staggering, and have been coined the eighth wonder of the world.  This is really a highlight for us as was the great wall.  When I can post the pictures, I know you will enjoy them.

We are headed back to our hotel to relax, attend a special dumpling dinner where we will sample 30 different types of dumplings.  The contents of the dumpling are known only by the distinctive shape in which they are made.  Afterwards, we will be attending a cultural, Han Dynasty performance at the theater.

We leave in the morning at 9:30 for a 23 hour train trip to Dunhuang.

All is Well with the Worrall Travel Rs in Xian