It wasn't an easy day. It rained all day! We planed to checkout the famous Terracotta Worriors today. From Citidine hotel, we walked to nearby bus station (after buying 3 umbrellas at the nearby Watson shop). We were looking around for the bus number at the bus stop (it's not easy I tell you.... everything was written in chinese... tak faham... huhu! Not many locals can speak english... which made it even more difficult to communicate) when I saw a couple - a mat salleh with a Chinese girl and asked mr hubby to ask them for the bus number. Alhamdulillah.... Tyler and Lyn (the couple who's from New York) told us that they are going to the same place... so yeah, we follow them :) Took bus number 611 to Xian Railway Station for RMB1 per person (50sen la duit kita lebih kurang).
From Xi'an Railway Station, we got into bus number 306 (cost RMB7 per person) to go to the famous Terracotta Armies Museum. Entrance ticket to enter the museum is RMB150 per entrance.
The Terracotta Warriors and Horses are the most significant archeological excavations of the 20th century. Work is still ongoing on this site, which is located 1.5km east of Emperor Qin Shihuang's Mousaleum.
The terracotta warriors and horses were stumbled upon in March 1974 by local farmers who were digging a hole to build a well. Little that they know what their discovery meant to the world! The discovery caught the attention of archeologists immediately. They came to Xian to study and to extend the digs. They had established beyond
doubt that these artifacts were associated with the Qin Dynasty (211-206
BC). It was believed that upon ascending the throne at the age of 13 (in 246 BC), Emperor Qin
later the first Emperor of China, had begun to work for his
mausoleum. It took 11 years to finish. It is speculated that many buried
treasures and sacrificial objects had accompanied the emperor in his
after life.... oh wow!
The ongoing work on this site....
Lots more that need to be discover... imagine how big this place is!!
The 1st Pit - the largest pit of all 3 pits. There are columns of soldiers at the front, followed by war chariots at the back.
Life size terracotta figures of warriors and horses arranged in battle
formations. They are believed to be replicas of
what the imperial guards should look like in those days of Qin's dynasty. Each figures has its own characteristics and unique. Amazing! Subhanallah...
So.... any of these terracotta warriors look like you??? Lol! :))
The horses... amazingly sculpted!
The site of where the farmers started digging on the well...
The 3 of us...
With Tyler and Lyn.. the 2 Americans who traveled with us :)
More on Terracotta warriors at Pit No 1.
The weather was not on our side... it rained all day :(( But alhamdulillah... other than lencun stokin dalam kasut (big time!!)... we survived :))
No. 2 Pit, found in 1976, is 20 meters northeast of No. 1 Pit. It contains over a thousand warriors and 90 chariots of wood.
One special pic before leaving the area. This photo costs us RMB10 per head... in our case RMB30 for the 3 of us.... that is guna camera sendiri. If we were using their camera, it would cost us RMB30 per head I think... *not really sure.. sorry*
After leaving this area, we went straight to the Muslim Quarter area (by bus of course!)
So the hungry!! So we were so looking forward to get something halal to eat!!!
The restaurant that we chose to eat.
Xi'an's muslim quarter is so interesting! So many things to see around here. Food wise... no problem. Lots of halal restaurants around... lalu tak lalu jer la tekak nak telan... hahaha! :D
Dinner with Tyler and Lyn :) Thanks to Lyn... she helped us a lot today! Cari bas, asking directions, ect.. she can speak and read chinese... and that helped us... a lot!! :)
So what did we eat??
Crumbled Unleavened bread in Beef Stew!
I was told that visitors to Xian must do two things: one is to see the clay figures of
terracotta warriors and horses. The other one is to taste the Crumbled
Unleavened Bread in Mutton Stew (also called Yangrou Paomo, a soup dish
that involves breaking wheat flour flat bread into a bowl and adding into a
delicious mutton soup - in our case beef soup as I don't like eating mutton).
The bread before being crumbled
Me and Izzaty breaking and crumbling the bread :D
Half way done...
The crumbled bread :)
The crumbled bread were sent to the kitchen to be cooked with soup... and here's the outcome...
It's quite a huge portion... so u guys might want to consider sharing this one bowl of soup for 2 person. It was too much for us... membazir pulak rasa order sampai 3!
Our drink ;)
Some people may be tak berselera makan di restoran yang sebegini.... how about you guys??
Kami bertiga okay jer... janji halal! And the soup was actually not bad.... sedap jugak! ;)
One last pic with Tyler and Lyn.... nice meeting and knowing you guys! ;) May our path cross again one day, insyaAllah...
Later, the 3 of us wander around the Muslim Quarters area. Just as its name implies, the Muslim Quarter is the hub of the Muslim
community in Xian City. Located to the north of the
West Street in the city center, the quarter covers several blocks
inhabitated by over 20,000 Muslims. I read from the net that there are about 10 mosques here but the most famous one is of course the Xi'an Great Mosque. While looking around, we came across the shop that belongs to the Imam of Xi'an's Great Mosque - Imam Yahya.
Imam Yahya... masyaAllah... such a very nice person. He can speak Malay too ;) Apparently his son is now studying in UIA Gombak.
Imam Yahya writing our names on colourful papers. In this pic, he is actually writing my name :)
Holding the papers with our names together with Imam Yahya and his wonderful wife.
Having a hard time choosing which calligraphy to buy at Imam Yahya's shop.... -_-
Later, Mr Hubby followed Imam Yahya to mosque for Asar prayer... (I could not pray.. so I waited for them at the Imam's shop).
Imam Yahya leading the wirid after Asar prayer..
Mr Hubby and Imam Yahya
Inside the mosque - will update and share more info of this mosque in my next post, insyaAllah.
Bought this - a very nice arabic calligraphy done by Imam Yahya...
Imam Yahya card - to those interested to get his calligraphy.
Walking in the rain in Xi'an - captured with my iphone using the instaweatherpro application ;)
Oppsss.... this is a very long entry. It's past my bedtime now... so will continue tomorrow (or whenever I'm free) on the Muslim Quarter and Xi'an Great mosque... oh yes, there are lots to tell :))
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