Xi’an’s bustling Muslim Quarter is home to a community of Hui – one of China’s many ethnic minority groups – who have been living and working in the winding lanes for centuries. Food is an integral part of this neighborhood, and many pajama-clad residents can been found cooking all the local specialties, from hand-pulled noodles and fried […]
Xi'an
A Forest of Tombstones in Xi’an, China
The Xi’an Beilin Museum, also know as the “Stele Forest,” boasts an impressive collection of over 1,000 stone stelae, many dating to the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD). The tablets were often erected at tombs and intricately carved to illustrate the person’s accomplishments and family connections. The collection is housed in a former Confucius Temple and […]
Seeing the Terracotta Warriors at the Shaanxi History Museum
If you happen to find yourself Xi’an, you simply cannot leave town without visiting the excellent Shaanxi History Museum, one of the best we’ve come across in China. Some of the best preserved terracotta warriors are housed in a special gallery where you can admire them from an astonishingly close distance. The different styles of dress […]
The Best Noodles in Xi’an, China
My favorite restaurant in Xi’an is the wonderfully-named First Noodle Under the Sun, and I would go back to Xi’an just to eat here. It’s truly that good! We discovered First Noodle on a previous trip to Xi’an and dined there twice this visit. The house specialty is the 4-meter-long noodle, which comes folded up […]
China’s Terracotta Army: Meet the Man Who Discovered It
Last November, we went to see Xi’an’s Army of Terracotta Warriors, a truly incredible experience and one I will never forget. So when friends visiting from the States hinted that they would also like to behold one of China’s most important cultural relics, we jumped at the opportunity for a return visit. It still boggles my mind […]