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TRAVEL
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October14
DID YOU KNOW?
The terracotta soldiers protect the
tomb of Qin Shi Huang, which is
said to be a palatial underground
cavern filled with jewels, rivers of
mercury (ground tests in the area
show mercury levels 100 times
higher than normal) and Indiana
Jones-style booby traps. For a
number of reasons, the tomb
has yet to be excavated. For now,
you’ll have to settle for a photo of
the grassy mound that covers it,
located 2km from the terracotta
soldiers’ excavation site.
T IP S: When touring the
terracotta soldiers, skip the ticketed tram
service to the excavation site; the walk is short.
Bypass the audio tour and opt for a private
guide instead. At the site, tour the pits in
reverse – 3, then 2, then 1 – to save the best
pit for last.Don’t miss the small on-site museum,
which tells tales of the atrocities that occurred
when the tomb was being built – namely, the
thousands of artisans that were killed to preserve
the secrecy of the tomb’s location.
GETTING THERE:
Xi’an is over 1,000
kilometres from Beijing; a high-speed
train service that opened in December
2012 can get you there in 5.5 hours. High-
speed trains depart from both cities ten
times a day; those who prefer to take their
time can choose an overnight sleeper
trains. Direct flights are around two hours.
STAY:
We recommend a two-night
stay (which allows for visiting the
Terracotta Warriors and a full day
in Xi’an) at the
Crown Plaza Xi’an
,
an upscale, relatively new hotel with
reasonable rates, good service and very
comfortable rooms. It’s located in Xi’an’s
tallest building, the Shaanxi Xinxi Tower,
not far from the CBD and city walls,
making it a popular choice with business
and leisure travellers alike.
SEE:
The Terracotta Warriors are, of
course, the main draw to this city of eight
million people.
The excavation sites are
located east of Xi’an and can be viewed
in a few hours, leaving time to tour the
Tomb of Emperor Jingdi, snake through
the narrow alleys and food stalls of the MuslimQuarter, walk
or cycle atop the old
Ming city walls (now
fully restored) and
stop for a drum show
at the Bell Tower.
BOOKING A GUIDE:
Tailor-made Xi’an
Tours
is a small group of professional
guides offering city tours of Xi’an,
along with hiking, biking, hot springs,
countryside and three-day Taoist
pilgrimage experiences, too. Get
an overview of the city in the Xi’an
“Essence” tour, the company’s popular
one-day tour to see the Terracotta
Warriors, the city wall and the Muslim
Quarter. Transportation to and from the
train station can be arranged (even on
days you are not touring with them),
and the guides, in our experience,
have above-average English skills.
xianprivatetours.com
XI’AN