Xi'an, 16th - 20th August

A surprisingly clean bus collected us from the roadside in Pingyao, for the six hour journey to Xian. Our budget hotel was well located, in the shadow of city's Drum Tower. Alas, the flooring was more stain than carpet! Yuk. First things first, a visit to Pizza Hut. Never knew pizza could taste sooo good. The main attraction to the east of Xi'an, the Army of Terracotta Warriors.

Quick facts about the Terracotta Warriors:

- The Terracotta Warriors were discovered in 1974 by farmers drilling a well.
- What are the Terracotta Warriors? Guardians of the Emperor Qin Shi Huang's tomb (the first person to unify China and the man behind the Great Wall). The underground vault contains over seven thousand soldiers, horses and chariots in battle formation. The site is still being excavated today.
- Why? Archaeologists believe the emperor expected his rule to continue in death as it had in life. He clearly didn't fancy taking on the spirits awaiting him in the afterlife alone.
- Age? The site dates back to 221BC
- Each terracotta warrior has been individually crafted with different form and facial features.

Pingyao, 14th - 16th August

Possibly the best preserved ancient walled city in China and AT LAST we found some charm in China. Pingyao was a thriving merchant town during the Ming dynasty and centre of a large network of trade. Local business had become so successful that they created the country's first banks and cheques in order to facilitate the transfer of enormous amounts of silver from one place to another. The city fell into poverty in the 20th century and without the cash to modernise, Pingyao's streets have remained unchanged. Thank goodness for that. They now have a thriving tourist trade, particularly since UNESCO firmly placed them on Chinese heritage map.

We had a great couple of days wandering around the atmospheric city and enjoyed some delicious food in romantic lantern-lit courtyards. Phew!

Above: Dusty street filled with bikes and swinging red lanterns. View towards central gate of the city.

Above: Walk along the ancient city walls.

Above: What a cute, scruffy little dog! Has probably been stir-fried by now.

Above: Local residents practice Thai Chi with city wall as back drop. Not as easy as it looks, as I have recently discovered.