Steve Perrin:
A big change today! At 6 AM we left our hotel and made
our way to the Kunming Airport. We were honored to have
a delegation led by Madame Li arrive at the airport to
wish us a safe journey.
After arriving in Xi’an we visited Small Goose Pagoda,
a former Buddhist monastery used by monks to transcribe
sacred scriptures brought home along the Silk Road. Since
Xi’an is the start of the Silk Road, we thought
that we should also buy silk jackets and prom dresses
here as well. Ms. Skawski even picked out her wedding
dress! We’ll be picking them up tomorrow! Asya from
Wilmington will share her thoughts on today.
Asya:
Hello Xi’an!
As our group ventured out from the airport, I was surprised
to see nothing but miles and miles of farmland. Where
was the glamorous city I was promised? It appeared to
be nowhere in sight. However our new tour guide, Jo, explained
that we were actually about an hour from the city’s
hub.
Since I love cities, and had just come from an amazing
experience in the wondrous metropolis called Kunming,
I was slightly disappointed by the lack of skyscrapers
and busy streets. But hope was not to be lost! As our
tour bus crept closer to the center of the romantic city
of wheat, (the grain is Xi’an’s biggest crop)
I could see more and more signs of urban lifestyle and
Xi’an quickly began to win my favor. The flashing
lights, the smells of street food, the comforting buzz
of neighbors shouting – this is what I had come
to China for!
But not all cities are the same, and Xi’an and Kunming
seem like distant cousins. One of the first things I noticed
different about the two cities was the amount of foreigners.
In Kunming I only saw a handful of foreigners, two of
which were touring the school. In Xi’an foreigners
were as common as actors in Hollywood. I saw tourists
from all over the world including France, America, Germany,
and England. When we went to lunch, I felt like a goldfish
in a cultural fish bowl. The entire bottom floor was filled
completely with foreigners. The food even reflected a
global diet. Yes, there were the usual Chinese pork dishes,
but along side those there were mashed potatoes, garden
salad and even sushi!
After lunch our group was able to watch part of one of
the many Chinese weddings being held in Xi’an that
day. Our tour guide informed us that according to the
Chinese fortune calendar, today was a lucky day and therefore
many couples had chosen it as the perfect wedding date!
The actual wedding ceremony was long over, since it’s
considered bad luck to hold a wedding after noon, but
we did see the bride go back to her hotel room to change.
In a traditional Chinese wedding, the bride changes her
outfit several times, usually wearing red, which is the
eastern color for good luck and thus worn at weddings.
Our first real stop of the day came after lunch when we
headed over to the Little Goose Pagoda. The garden was
absolutely stunning and had a reflective air. It was such
a relief to be able to walk to the Pagoda without shop
keepers shouting at you. Finally, after Jo showed us around
the grounds, we had the chance to actually climb the Pagoda.
From the very top of the Pagoda (which was 15 floors high)
you could see the entire city of Xi’an. It was striking.
From one side of the Pagoda you could look down on the
lush gardens sprinkled with traditional Chinese style
buildings. From another side you could look past the walls
of the city and watch the multi-colored tour buses mingling
with the rapidly moving specks I assumed were people.
The sight was made even better by the cool breeze that
left the scent of garden flowers mixed with city air which
could only be Chinese. As I climbed down the aging pagoda
I was surrounded by the eager faces of Chinese tourists
pushing their way to the top.
I think that the pagoda provided the essence of Xi’an.
The city is mixes old world charm along the same streets
as tourist hotels, fast food chains, and shops carrying
the latest fashions. Although I had my doubts at first,
I think that my stay in Xi’an, as the rest of the
my time here in China, will be an experience I carry with
me for the rest of my life.
Jordan and Tiffany in the garden of the monastery.
Lizzie shows off her perfect equestrian form.
Paxon and Matt try their hand at kite flying a favorite
Chinese recreation.
Xi’an is the oldest Chinese city completely encircled
by its ancient wall (it used to be the capital of China).
After dinner tonight we went for a stroll outside the
walls and admired the brightly lit parapets.
