72 Hours in Chang'an
In 2020, the first stop of my solo trip: Xi'an!
One person, one book, one backpack, and a non-negotiable determination to go, without hesitation or wavering. From the sudden flash of this historic city Xi'an in my mind to booking the flight and finalizing the itinerary, it took less than a day to arrange this short trip to trace ancient footprints and soak in the rich historical atmosphere of this ancient capital.
Trip dates: May 22-24, 2020, a total of 3 days.
Mode of travel: Round-trip flights. Xi'an has always been a very popular tourist city, with airfares consistently high. This time, due to the impact of the pandemic, my round-trip ticket cost less than the usual one-way fare. Before departure, I contacted a local solo travel planner named Tingting through online guides, and she helped me arrange the three-day itinerary at a very reasonable price.
Day 1: Mount Li - Terracotta Warriors - Huaqing Palace - Yongxing Fang - Great Tang All Day Mall - Bell and Drum Towers
Day 2: Chinese Ancestor Hall - Yan'an - Hukou Waterfall
Day 3: Mount Hua
Due to vacation constraints, the above route was customized according to my personal preferences, and Tingting arranged everything for me one by one. Shaanxi is a province rich in tourism resources; it would take at least ten days to half a month to see everything. For someone like me who squeezes a few days out of work to check in, planning the itinerary is crucial.
Total cost: All expenses for three days amounted to 2600 yuan.
Let me kick off my 72-hour solo trip in Chang'an with a picture of the most popular internet celebrity young lady---
I. The First 12 Hours in Chang'an
At 6:30 AM, I boarded an Okay Airways flight at Changsha Huanghua Airport. An hour and a half later, the plane landed at Xi'an Xianyang Airport, where the driver arranged by Tingting was already waiting. After getting in the car, we drove into the city, and the driver took me to the Super 8 Hotel on West Third Road, which is close to the Bell Tower and Muslim Quarter. After checking in, unable to wait even a moment to rest, I found a restaurant and ordered a roujiamo (meat sandwich) and millet porridge, officially starting my solo journey.
My first impression of Xi'an was that it is very grand and tidy, with excellent urban greenery. After breakfast, I took bus No. 102, stopping and starting, slowly appreciating the relaxed yet rhythmic pace of life in the ancient city of Xi'an during the day. When the bus arrived at the train station, the Xi'an Ancient City Wall at the station square came into view.
The Xi'an City Wall Scenic Area is located in the center of Xi'an, with four gates: East Changle Gate, West Anding Gate, South Yongning Gate, and North Anyuan Gate. The Xi'an City Wall was built on the foundation of the Tang imperial city, completely centered around a 'defensive' strategic system. The wall is thicker than it is high, as solid as a mountain, and the top is wide enough for vehicles and drills. The existing wall was built between the 7th and 11th years of the Hongwu reign of the Ming Dynasty (1374-1378), with a history of over 600 years. It is one of the most famous city wall structures in Chinese history from the late Middle Ages and the most complete ancient city wall structure still standing in China.
Due to the impact of the pandemic, the ancient city wall temporarily did not allow tourists to go up and experience the heroic spirit of overlooking a prosperous era and strategizing like the ancients, so I will have to leave that for next time.
Originally, I planned to take a tourist bus from the train station to visit the Terracotta Warriors. Like all train stations, I was immediately targeted by drivers offering chartered services. I ignored several people, but eventually, considering time constraints, I negotiated with a tall driver to take me to Lintong's Mount Li for 40 yuan. Along the way, this driver, named 'Dalong', was very enthusiastic. As soon as I got in the car, he started telling me about Xi'an's history and local customs, acting as both tour guide and commentator. After two hours of conversation, I decided to charter his car for the day to tour Mount Li.
The conventional route is to first visit the Terracotta Warriors and Huaqing Palace, then wander around the foot of Mount Li. Having solved the transportation issue, we decided to go in reverse, first driving up the winding mountain road to the top of Mount Li to enjoy the scenery.
Mount Li is located south of Lintong District, Xi'an, Shaanxi, and is a branch of the Qinling Mountains, with an altitude of 1302 meters. It consists of East and West Xiuling and is an isolated horst block mountain formed during the late Qinling orogeny, protruding into the Weihe rift zone. The mountain stretches sinuously, covered with lush trees, and from a distance looks like a dark grey steed, hence its name. Mount Li is also known as 'Xiuling' (Embroidered Ridge) for its beautiful and verdant scenery.
The winding paths up the mountain are secluded and lush with green trees. The less popular route avoids the hustle and bustle, offering more tranquility and contentment.
We happened upon a wheat field, and Driver Dalong said that southerners rarely see wheat, so I had to take a photo here as a souvenir. From that moment on, he also acted as my photographer.
On Dalong's recommendation, I saw a cherry orchard on Mount Li for the first time, and also climbed a tree to pick cherries for the first time.
Abundant fruits, a bountiful harvest! Cherries that sell for 30-40 yuan per jin locally were only 8 yuan per jin, and at the picking garden, they were just 15 yuan per jin!
We made a brief stop at an elderly woman's house on the mountainside and took the opportunity to see a traditional Shaanxi residence.
The uncle and aunt were very simple and warm. As soon as we entered the house, they poured tea and water and cut melon for us to rest, chatting with Dalong about everyday matters. Although I couldn't understand what they were saying, I could feel the kindness and enthusiasm of the elderly. When we left, Dalong bought 8 yuan worth of chives and paid 10 yuan without asking for change. The uncle insisted on giving us a bag of cherries as a return gift. Such lovely people!
The car continued up the mountain, stopping at every scenic viewpoint so I could take photos, while Dalong introduced the landscape, history, and culture.
Since the Zhou, Qin, Han, and Tang dynasties, Mount Li has been used as an imperial garden area with numerous palaces and villas. In ancient times, Nüwa 'mended the sky with melted stones' here. At the end of the Western Zhou, King You staged the historical anecdote of 'The Beacon Tower Tricks the Vassals'. Qin Shi Huang built his tomb at the foot of Mount Li, leaving behind the world-famous Terracotta Army. During the height of the Tang Dynasty, Emperor Xuanzong and Yang Guifei performed a tragic love story here. In modern history, the famous 'Xi'an Incident' also occurred on Mount Li.
Descending from Mount Li, we arrived at Huaqing Palace, formerly known as Huaqing Pool. Located on the site of the Tang Dynasty Huaqing Palace, it is an imperial garden famous for the love story of Emperor Ming of Tang and Yang Guifei, where the historically renowned 'Imperial Concubine's Bath' once took place.
If you have no other evening plans, you can watch China's first large-scale mountain and water historical dance drama 'The Song of Everlasting Sorrow' here. The production cost hundreds of millions, with a grand cast and magnificent scale, telling the lingering love story of Emperor Ming of Tang and Yang Yuhuan during the prosperous Tang era. Bai Juyi's 'Song of Everlasting Sorrow' vividly recreates that historical tragedy, with classic lines still passed down today:
In heaven let us be two birds flying ever together, and on earth two trees with branches interlocked forever!
The sky may be endless, the earth may last long, but there is always an end to this eternal regret.
Since I had planned to see the night scenery of Xi'an city that evening, I left 'The Song of Everlasting Sorrow' for next time.
'In the cold spring, she was granted a bath in Huaqing Pool, where the warm water smoothed her creamy skin.'
Back then, the Imperial Concubine 'turned her head and smiled, casting a hundred charms; the powdered ladies of the six palaces faded into nothing.' After history passes, everyone is just a speck of dust, leaving only this Huaqing Pool for future generations to reminisce.
A ten-minute drive from Huaqing Palace brought us to the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor Museum, home to the 'Terracotta Warriors of Qin,' listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site and hailed as the Eighth Wonder of the World. This is also Xi'an's calling card to the world.
The Terracotta Warriors burial pits face east, with three pits numbered 1, 2, and 3. The largest and earliest discovered is Pit 1, rectangular in shape, containing over 8,000 terracotta warriors. The warriors are mainly divided into two categories: soldiers and officers. The majority are warrior figurines, each with different attire and expressions. There are many types of hairstyles, various hand gestures, and diverse facial expressions, all vivid and lifelike. The craftsmanship of the ancients is truly awe-inspiring!
Officer figurines---
Bronze chariots and horses---
Cavalry figurines---
Standing archer figurines---
By the time I finished visiting the Terracotta Warriors, it was dusk, and the ancient city of Xi'an was already aglow with lights! Without a moment's delay, Driver Dalong took me to Yongxing Fang in the city center, kicking off the curtain of Xi'an's nightlife.
Yongxing Fang is located on the original site of the Tang Dynasty residence of Wei Zheng. The government has reconstructed ancient 'fang' (neighborhoods) and 'si' (shops), added arches, leisure green squares, inner streets, well rooms, and imitation antique decorations on building facades, combining Guanzhong arches with traditional folk architectural complexes to form an ancient neighborhood layout, showcasing the block form and historical life atmosphere of ancient Chang'an, as well as traditional folk living spaces.
Speaking of Shaanxi cuisine, it is renowned throughout China and the world! The variety of noodle-based dishes alone is endless! Potstickers, soup dumplings, lamb and bread soup, stir-fried lamb and bread soup, hulutou bread soup, spiced beef in flatbread, potted meat in flatbread, Qishan minced noodle soup, pulled noodles, biangbiang noodles... Regarding the character 'biang' in biangbiang noodles, I truly admire the people of Shaanxi for creating this character, said to be the stroke character in Chinese, so complex that it cannot be typed with any input method!
According to local legends, there are two origins for the character 'biang'. Whether it was a frustrated scholar or one who passed the imperial exams, the character 'biang' has become famous in Guanzhong: "A dot flies to the sky, the Yellow River bends on both sides, the character 'eight' opens its big mouth, the character 'yan' walks inside, twist left, twist right, stretch west, stretch east, add a horse king in the middle, heart character as the base, moon character as the side, leave a hook to hang sesame candy, push the cart to Xianyang."
Don't think only people from Hunan and Sichuan can eat spicy food. In Shaanxi, people also can't do without chili in their meals.
The wine-bowl smashing at Yongxing Fang has become a popular internet check-in spot in recent years. Legend has it that after drinking the rice wine from the bowl, guests smash the ceramic bowl to 'seek good luck and safety.' It costs 5 yuan per bowl of rice wine, with a minimum of three bowls to smash. I tried it, but to be honest, the rice wine had no alcohol taste at all, it was just sugar water. But smashing the bowl was quite a vigorous throw.
If daytime Xi'an is an 80-year-old elder, full of vicissitudes and depth, then nighttime Xi'an is an 18-year-old maiden, radiating vitality and temptation. After checking in at Yongxing Fang, we hurried to the Great Tang All Day Mall to catch the 21:30 fountain show. Although still in a special period, there were still many tourists visiting Xi'an. The Great Tang All Day Mall was a bustling, crowded place. Driver Dalong drove around the perimeter streets, and I could already feel the enchanting charm of Xi'an under the night sky. Unfortunately, there were many people and cars around, and we spent half an hour finding a parking spot. By the time we reached the scenic area, the fountain show had ended, but we happened to catch the Great Tang Unshakable (a kind of performance) show.
Aerial view of the Great Tang All Day Mall, brightly lit and dazzling! (Photo from the internet)
The Great Tang All Day Mall is located at the foot of the world-famous Giant Wild Goose Pagoda in Xi'an's Qujiang New District, stretching 1500 meters from north to south and 480 meters from east to west, covering a total area of 967 mu (about 64.5 hectares) with a total building area of 650,000 square meters. Set against the backdrop of the prosperous Tang culture, with Tang-style elements as the main theme and experiential consumption as the feature, it runs through three theme squares: Xuanzang Square, Zhenguan Culture Square, and Kaiyuan Celebration Square. Through lights, sculptures, landscapes, cultural relief columns, inscriptions, waterscapes, three-dimensional transportation... historical figures and heroic stories are organically combined with modern culture, perfectly interpreting the grandeur of the Great Tang All Day Mall, highlighting the nation's grand image, and creating a joyful atmosphere of a prosperous Tang era where people live in peace and contentment.
Below the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda, a prosperous and stable era.
Fire trees and silver flowers, a land of song and dance.
I measured this magnificent, dazzling Great Tang All Day Mall step by step until my legs were about to break. Even during this special period, the crowd could roll into ten thousand human balls; I can't imagine how crowded it would be during normal times! Chang'an over 1,400 years ago must have looked like this too! While feeling the pinnacle of prosperity, I inwardly sighed at the national expenditure to build such an 'All Day Mall.' How much electricity does the government use every day to keep this 650,000-square-meter 'All Day Mall' brilliantly lit and the 10,000-square-kilometer Xi'an city streets shining? The driver seemed even more endearing, despite also having cramping legs. His professional dedication made him drive me around to visit the old city wall, Muslim Quarter, and Bell and Drum Towers one by one late into the night. Half of Xi'an's beauty was captured through the turning of his wheels.
Xi'an Bell Tower---
Muslim Quarter is also a food culture street. We arrived close to midnight, yet some shops were still open. Unlike Yongxing Fang, in the eyes of locals, Muslim Quarter is the authentic food street.
Xi'an Drum Tower---
II. The Next 24 Hours in Chang'an
After a fulfilling and perfect day with Driver Dalong, I woke up early the next morning, washed up, took a taxi to the Shaanxi Provincial Stadium, and according to the itinerary arranged by Tingting, shared a car to the revolutionary holy land---Yan'an.
Does a breakfast for one seem too much? Well, actually, today's round trip to Yan'an is over 700 kilometers, and the car ride is long, so I bought extra food to eat on the way.
Luggage for one: backpack, sun hat.
The luxury VIP business bus arranged by Tingting was clean and comfortable, with charging ports throughout the ride, and the ceiling was a starry sky!
When I was in elementary school, the texts described the Loess Plateau as covered with yellow sand, barren hilltops with few trees, and muddy torrents rushing into the Yellow River during rain. However, passing through cities like Tongchuan, Huangling, and Luochuan, the hills I saw along the way were now covered with trees, lush and green.
It's hard to imagine seeing such a beautiful river in northern Shaanxi. It has a very simple name: Hulu River, the mother river of Fu County!
The Huangdi Mausoleum at Qiaoshan in the northern part of Huangling County is the tomb of Xuanyuan Huangdi, the ancestor of the Chinese nation. On the way, we visited the Chinese Ancestor Hall in Huangling County, the hometown of our ancestor Huangdi.
Upon arriving in Yan'an, you must visit the traditional local dwellings of Shaanxi: cave dwellings (yaodong). Yan'an's yaodong are divided into earth yaodong, brick yaodong, and stone yaodong. In the old days, the furnishings inside were very simple, only essential items. Today, most yaodong have kept up with the times, with richer furnishings.
The people who work from sunrise to sunset on the Loess Plateau have not only shaped a simple, hardworking, and tolerant character but also created a vigorous, bold, and unconstrained folk song---Xintianyou (a type of folk song). It is powerful, bold, melodious, and deep, having been passed down for thousands of years on the Loess Plateau. The open and unrestrained singing echoes across the yellow ridges, generation after generation.
Hukou Dougu (drum dance) is a unique art form among traditional folk drum dance arts in northern Shaanxi. Although I have never seen the majestic momentum of Ansai waist drum, I was shocked today by the high-spirited, bold, and unconstrained Hukou Dougu!
Tawny skin, sonorous voices, bright smiles, the folks in Yan'an are so warm!
The group meals in Yan'an were quite good!
Bidding farewell to the locals, we descended along the winding mountain road. The mountains stretched endlessly, the sky was vast, and at the foot of the mountains, the Yellow River surged day and night, winding eastward.
The winding Yellow River carries ten thousand miles of sand, waves tossed by the wind from the edge of the sky!
Throughout history, there has been no shortage of poems and quatrains describing the Yellow River. As a very distinctive natural landscape of the Yellow River basin, Hukou Waterfall perfectly interprets the Yellow River's majestic, earth-swallowing, and torrential power!
Hukou Waterfall is located in the southern section of the Qin-Jin Grand Canyon, with this side of the canyon in Shaanxi and the opposite side in Shanxi. Because the water surface suddenly plunges from a 400-meter-wide river beach into a deep groove only 30 to 50 meters wide, it forms the world's largest yellow waterfall.
For years, the central government has been committed to controlling desertification and sand on the Yellow River basin, actively building a green and beautiful homeland. The environment has improved, the weather is clear, and there was no heavy rain upstream in Gansu. The Hukou Waterfall I saw today was not as muddy and turbid as I had imagined; instead, it was relatively clear, with stones visible. The surging Yellow River water collides passionately with the rocks on both sides, sending up several meters of mist that drifts with the wind. A beautiful rainbow hangs among them, a truly spectacular sight!
Amid the mist of Hukou Waterfall, I felt the summer coolness at the roaring plunge. When no worldly concerns weigh on the mind, every day is a good day. This scene and moment couldn't be better!
When I set out early in the morning, the ancient city of Xi'an was still sleeping in the dawn. When I returned at dusk, Xi'an was already aglow with lights, radiating charm!
It was still early. After returning to the hotel and washing up, I took a taxi to wander around South Street. The taxi driver was very warm, chatting with me about Xi'an stories along the way. I found a place to eat. It's not easy to order for one person, so I got some skewers, starting from 20 down to 5 after bargaining. In the end, I still wasted most of the fried bun. The boss was from Gansu and immediately asked what alcohol I wanted to drink. Maybe he thought solo travelers are full of stories. Stories call for wine, so 'Brave the World' (a beer brand) suited me!
Here are some night photos of South Street to end today's tiring journey.
III. The Final 48 Hours in Chang'an
Good morning, Xi'an!
I woke up naturally in the morning and went to the alley opposite the hotel to find breakfast. The breakfast for locals in Xi'an is diverse: various buns, pancakes, porridge, soy milk, eggs, hulatang (hot and sour soup)... Last year in Xinjiang, I had a bowl of hulatang, and I really couldn't get used to the taste. But the buns and pancakes were delicious and cheap. After a hearty meal, I began today's challenge: Mount Hua!
After a two-hour bus ride, we arrived in Huayin City, Shaanxi. Mount Hua, anciently known as 'West Mountain' or 'Taihua Mountain', is one of the Five Great Mountains. I've heard from many friends that even riding the cable car up West Peak makes them tremble, let alone looking down at the bottomless abyss, which is enough to prove Mount Hua's steepness. Today, there were few tourists, and I took a cable car alone, allowing me to enjoy a 360-degree panoramic view of the thousands of peaks and sheer cliffs of Mount Hua.
I got off the cable car at 11 AM and started climbing. I reached West Peak at noon, South Peak at 1 PM, East Peak at 1:30 PM, Middle Peak at 2 PM, and North Peak at 3 PM. In four hours, I successfully conquered all five peaks of Mount Hua!
If you don't want your knees shattered, the easiest route is ascending via West Peak and descending via North Peak. The North route is extremely steep. Every time I stopped to rest while descending, my calves would slightly cramp. Locals often climb Mount Hua by going up the night before, reaching East Peak's Chaoyang Terrace by dawn to watch the sunrise, then visiting the other four peaks in order, and finally arriving at West Peak's Lotus Peak to watch the sunset.
Let me introduce the five peaks of Mount Hua according to the climbing route.
1. West Peak (Lotus Peak). Altitude 2,082.6 meters, one of the main peaks of Mount Hua, named for its western location. The peak has a giant rock shaped like a lotus petal. In Li Bai's poem, 'Rocks form lotus, clouds form a terrace,' hence it is also called Lotus Peak or Hibiscus Peak. West Peak is dotted with scenic spots such as Cuiyun Palace, Lotus Cave, Giant Foot, Axe-Split Rock, and Sheshen Cliff, accompanied by many beautiful myths and legends, among which the story of Chenxiang splitting the mountain to save his mother is the most widely spread. One can see a complete sunset from West Peak, but due to time constraints, I could only enjoy the beautiful mountains.
2. South Peak (Landing Wild Goose Peak). Altitude 2,154.9 meters, the highest main peak of Mount Hua and also the highest among the Five Great Mountains. The ancients respectfully called it the 'Chief of Mount Hua.' Ascending South Peak, you see endless mountains stretching as far as the eye can see, with thousand-meter precipices and deep ravines standing tall. Standing on the summit, you feel like 'reaching the top, you command all mountains under heaven; stretch out your hand, you can pluck the stars.'
3. East Peak (Sunrise Peak). Also known as Chaoyang Peak, it offers an open view and is a famous spot to watch the sunrise. Upon reaching the summit, the steep ridges are like a screen, the wilderness like silk brocade, the Yellow River meanders away, and the sky seems to stretch to infinity!
4. Middle Peak (Jade Maiden Peak). The peak is covered with lush trees and has a quiet environment. Middle Peak is the easiest to reach among the five peaks. After ascending West Peak, you visit South Peak and East Peak in order, then head back from East Peak and soon reach Middle Peak. Compared to the steepness of the other peaks, Middle Peak is much gentler and can serve as a rest stop during the climb.
5. North Peak (Cloud Terrace Peak). On the north side of Mount Hua, there is a peak surrounded by precipices. Crowned with auspicious clouds and connected to the earth's veins, it stands proudly and uniquely, like a cloud terrace. Hence its name, Cloud Terrace Peak. Tang Dynasty poet Li Bai wrote in his poem 'Song of the West Mountain Cloud Terrace Sent to Danqiuzi': 'Three peaks stand back as if to topple, green cliffs and red valleys hold high palms. The White Emperor's golden essence moves primordial qi, rocks form lotus, clouds make the terrace.' North Peak has many climbing locks and extremely steep trails, making it an excellent test of courage and perseverance.
At 3:30 PM, I took the cable car down from North Peak to the bus transfer station. Looking up, Mount Hua appeared before me in another majestic posture, confirming the line from the poem: 'Mount Hua towers abruptly into the sky, sitting firmly amidst thousands of peaks.' Just as I was regretting not seeing any waterfalls or streams on Mount Hua this season, a clear spring naturally flowed from a crevice on the mountainside, truly 'nine-layered cliffs cut into the blue sky, three cascades of spring water splash like evening rain'!
Many friends ask, if they want to climb Mount Hua at night like locals, how long does it take? Currently, due to the pandemic, Mount Hua scenic area does not allow visitors to enter after 3 PM. Those wanting to experience the fun of night climbing must wait for the local tourism bureau's notice. It takes 8 to 9 hours to climb all the way to the summit.
After leaving Mount Hua, I arrived back in Xi'an at 7:30 PM. I had a bowl of biangbiang noodles in a street restaurant, then headed to the airport, happily ending the three-day trip!
Now, traveling to Xi'an is relatively safe. The local government has implemented thorough prevention and control measures. Before entering any scenic area, you must register for a local health code on your phone, and only with a green code can you pass. The weather in Xi'an can be checked on your phone. You can prepare clothing based on the weather forecast before your trip. Sun protection is essential on sunny days, and masks are a must. There aren't many other things to worry about. Just bring a good mood, feel the enthusiasm and charm of the ancient capital of thirteen dynasties, eat well, and have fun!
Postscript---
Three days, 72 hours, tracing the historical context of the ancient city Chang'an: from the Banpo ruins of the Neolithic Age to the Three Sovereigns, Five Emperors, Yanhuang and Chiyou; from the clattering horses of the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods to the heroic domination of the Three Kingdoms; from the cultural prosperity of a unified dynasty to the flourishing Kaiyuan era of long-term stability. The green pines and cypresses of Mount Li accompany the evening glow through changes of cold and summer. The imperial capital's Wild Goose Pagoda morning bells send away continuous beacon fires and welcome prosperous years. Every dynastic change marks the arrival of a new era. Emperors, generals, beauties, and talents of the past have long been buried in the river of history. Only the mountains and rivers remain, the night is still young, leaving future generations with a soft sigh.
Today, Xi'an's Giant Wild Goose Pagoda stands tall, its city walls remain the same; the imperial tombs, Qin bricks, and Han tiles all display the glory and honor of past emperors. High-rise buildings rise one after another, restaurants and shops stand everywhere. Xi'an, with a civilization of over 5,000 years, passes through the sounds of bronze bells and Tang and Song poetry, perfectly blending with modern culture and art, giving birth to a myriad of new forms!
Seventy-two hours, though rushed, I still sensed a bit of the charm of this ancient capital of thirteen dynasties. It is like the prelude to a story, waiting for me to return another day to continue the unfinished brilliance!
--------The end!
