That morning we went to see the Terracotta Warriors (TW). We went in a hired minibus, and with us we had a local guide called Maggie. First we went to see the Big Goose Pagoda, which was on the way. This is a temple area where the pagoda itself is a tall, narrow wood-and-brick building with several storeys, it is 64 metres high. OK, but not terribly exciting. From there we went on to the TW, I think the trip took about an hour. First we stopped at the factory where they produce ”official” TW souvenirs, and they make them the way the warriors were originally made. Copies of the warriors are sold everywhere, but these are supposed to be of a much higher quality. I bought two small ones, one archer for myself and a foot soldier for my parents. I also bought a traditional silk dress in a golden fabric with embroideries for my sister in law Laila whose birthday is in August. I would have loved an outfit like that for myself, but unfortunately they don’t sell dresses like that in the size extra extra large…  I could have had one made during the trip, of course, but since I am more of a Dr.Martens kind of girl anyway, I never bothered.
 

Ticket to the Terracotta Warriors Museum

The TW museum is a large and modern museum. The whole thing started in 1974 when some farmers digging a well found some broken pieces from the warriors. The authorities were informed, and archaeologists were put on the job. As the Chinese have excellent written records, one knew of the existence of the army, but not where it was buried. The first thing we did was have lunch. We ate in the large restaurant on the premises, which had white walls, white plastic table cloths, chairs covered in ruffled white fabric, white curtains with a pink lace, and waitresses in pink uniforms. Again we had the large round table and a banquet meal.

After lunch we went to watch a surround movie about the TW. In the lobby you could buy a book about the TW and have it signed by one of the farmers who was digging the well in 1974. Then we went into Pit 1, which houses the largest collection of these 2000 years old figures. 6000 warriors and horses are lined up in that building, in the same formation that they were originally standing. Every figure differs in facial features and expressions. It is an enormous hall, with a rounded ceiling. It is forbidden to take photographs in there, but all the Chinese tourists obviously couldn’t care less, they all had to have a picture of themselves in front of the warriors. Not all statues have been restored. There are also parts that haven’t been dug up yet. The professionals are still working on the site. But someone said to me that they are deliberately waiting to dig out some parts, until technology has come so far that they will be able to preserve the original colours after digging the statues out. Pit 2 and 3 were also interesting. Pit 2 contains about 1000 figures, while the third vault contains only 68 warriors and one war chariot and appears to be the command post for the soldiers of the other vaults. But it was in Pit 1 that you could truly sense the wonder of it all (the one I sensed when I saw a few of the warriors in an exhibition in Oslo as a teenager, deciding then and there that I wanted to see this ”for real” one day). Finally there is a museum you can have a look at. On the journey back to the hotel John went forward in the bus, took over the microphone and entertained us with his singing. In part he even managed to get the rest of us to sing along as well.

Since many of us had expressed an interest in visiting a karaoke bar (karaoke is quite a big thing in China), we met that night to go for dinner and then visit one. Kath had heard about a place where they were supposed to have English songs/lyrics. We ate at a food court, where you paid 50 Yuan and could eat all you wanted, choosing from a long line of dishes (and then get back the money you hadn’t used). Unfortunately the food wasn’t very good, and the place wasn’t all that nice either. But you never can tell these things in advance.

The karaoke bar was on the 6th floor of the same building. Due to some problems with the elevator, John ended up there all by himself for a few minutes before the rest of us arrived. It seems karaoke was not the only service the beautiful young ladies working there had to offer. Besides, it seems that most Chinese karaoke bars are places you go with friends and colleagues to sing karaoke together in a private room. This was not really what we had in mind, so we left. Not far away was a night-club Kath had been to before, so we went there instead. This turned out to be a place that must be frequented by the hippest and richest young people of Xi’an (high sunglass and mobile phone factor). Judging by the interior this was a night-club that could have been located anywhere in the world. I don’t know if the same could be said about the show that was being performed on the little round dancefloor when we got there. It was a bizarre performance by 4-5 beautiful young girls. It was not a dance show, because they couldn’t really dance. It can hardly have been a fashion show, because although they changed costumes continually and walked back and forth and posed a lot, those clothes can’t possibly have been the Chinese fashion. Not that it is unusual to show off pretty girls, but there was something that just felt weird about the whole set-up. As soon as the show was finished the dancefloor was filled to the brim, it was really packed. The music was like we know it from home. Kath and some of the others had fun dancing up on the ledge around the dancefloor.