Xi'an-Home of the terracotta warriors

Forest of Stone Tablets Museum
Writing on stone tablets-before paper!

More than 2,000 engraved stone
 tablets  from the Han dynasty.

I finally got to see the terracotta warriors!

City wall entrance

Xi'an is known to be the birthplace of Chinese civilisation. It is 3,000 years old which means there is so much history in this ancient city. It was also known to be the capital for 13 dynasties. 

We travelled for about 15 hours from Suzhou to Xi'an. First, we caught the fast train then changed to a soft sleeper train. In China, for long distance travel or overnight travel you can choose to book a hard sleeper or soft sleeper. A soft sleeper has four beds in a cabin but a hard sleeper has 8 beds. 

We chose the soft sleeper. This was a first for me! We slept in a cabin with two bunk beds and our cabin mates were two total strangers. Just as well my travelling buddy had done this before so I was in good hands:) Before the trip we packed tea, coffee, enough fruits and packaged food just in case the train food wasn't to our liking. 

There's so much to see in Xi'an. Our tour guide Michelle was  very energetic and also knowledgeable. She planned our two days there with cultural experiences and entertainment. We visited the Forest of Stone Tablets Museum, the terracotta warriors,the Muslim quarters, the Great mosque, Ancient Wall of South Gate of Yan'an and the Shanxi History Museum. 

On our last night we went to see the  Tang Dynasty Music and Dance Show. Beautiful performances!! It's a must if you are visiting Xi'an.