Its 7am and most people in China are up and about doing their daily business.  I however am checking the engine oil levels of our Toyota Land Cruiser.

Its only been 2 days and already we’ve traveled over a 1,000 km. That’s a distance longer than the journey from Johor to Perlis.  Still, no reason to complain… Back in the 13^th century people used to travel this exact route on horseback. Possibly barebacked as well …

Today’s journey will take us to the ancient city of Xian. Just about 550km away, its rich history is somewhat dwarfed by the nearby mausoleum of one Qing Shi Huang. Merely containing a pile of clay soldiers called the Terra Cotta Army, it seems to be the only thing most westerners know about China. Well … that and their hard stance against pornography.

Qing Shi Huang was the first king of the Qin dynasty, and the first emperor of China. The clay soldiers exist to guard his tomb, which till today hasn’t been opened f

or fear of booby traps. Construction of the mausoleum started when he was just 13 years old. A fact that was probably not lost on the planners as the emporer’s taste matured with time, or at least that’s what I wager.

There are 3 pits in total, with pit number 1 being the biggest and earliest find. Our tour however was planned in reverse. We have no idea why, but I would suggest that everyone go through the place in sequence.  One essential stop is the screen room where the Chinese have filmed a 360’ degree film about the rise of Qing Shi Huang. The acting may be a little on the amateurish side, but the 360 visuals are stunning none the less.

However, what impressed me the most was the fact that the Chinese actually misplaced his entire tomb in the first place.  Amazing, as it isn’t exactly something small now is it.

Next stop before our return to the city was the Hua Qing hot spring. Originally a sleepy network of villages, the current structure was commissioned by the Tang dynasty ruler Li Shimen in 644 A.D. Historically called the Tang Gian Palace, it was then enlarged and renamed Hua Qing Palace, it made rational and efficient use of the hot spring, while reflecting the layout of an imperial palace.

The palace is essentially a large network of roman baths. Channeling fresh hot spring water to several buildings, it’s like a water theme park, except there aren’t any slides. Makes you wonder how much it would cost to maintain a place like this today with water prices being so high.

The place is famous due to Emperor Xuan Zong’s relationshiop with his concubine Yang Gui Fei. According to historical records, for 10 years from 745 to 755, the Emperor brought his concubine and his high-ranking officials to the Hua Qing Palace in October, and only returned to his capital palace in the spring of the following year. During that period, all domestic and diplomatic affairs of state were handled at Hua Qing Palace, which thus began to flourish as an important political center.

It is at this point I would have loved to explain how the Palace was changed and modified over the years, but there is literary no information available to me. At least not in a language I can decipher. One thing you might find interesting is the lack of Cultural Revolution articles available online. It appears the Chinese are not only blocking access to these sites, they are removing them as well.

Getting back to the Palace, On December 12, 1936 four trucks loaded with 120 soldiers rumbled to a halt at the gates and opened fire in an attempt to assasinate political and military leader Chiang Kai Shek. The bullet hole riddled buildings bare the scars till this day.

We end our tour up top the ancient city walls of Xian. Located not on the outskirts, but in the centre of the town, you get a great view of this frankly modern city. Apparently you can cycle on top of the walls, but after nearly 7 hours of walking, the idea just wasn’t as appealing.