Chinese Whispers

Article by John McGuinness, Flight Centre

I’m definitely not what you’d call model material. “A mug only a mother could love” is probably closer to the mark. So I was somewhat surprised (and just a little bit proud), when walking the streets of Xi’an I was approached to try my hand at modelling.

My colleague James explained to the earnest young recruiter that I was only a visitor and wasn’t in the position to take up modelling at present, and we laughed about it the rest of the morning. But what was it that made me beautiful in China but… not so beautiful in my native land? The simple fact that I was a westerner was enough to put me up with the beautiful people.

In China today there is a massive embrace of all things Western. And the ancient capital of Xi’an (pronounced "she-arn"), despite being home to the famed Terracotta Warriors, a historic Muslim Quarter and a 14km city wall, is no exception.

We had arrived in the city of four million by overnight train from Beijing, a 12 hour journey that was much simpler and smoother than expected due to the brand new trains and the massive but easy to navigate West Beijing Station.

Xi’an has been home to 13 major dynasties, and according to Chinese officialdom, is one of the four great ancient civilisation capitals, along with Cairo, Rome and Athens.

From the Bell Tower at the very heart of downtown Xi’an, the city spreads outwards in all directions, marked first by the impressive and extremely well preserved city wall, built during the Ming Dynasty in the 14th century, and later by numbered ring roads that are a feature of so many modern Chinese urban areas.

There is one sight in the Xi’an region that looms larger than all others. The army of Terracotta Warriors is now famous the world over, but rediscovered just 30 years ago when a farmer put down a new well and instead of bringing up water, he brought up a terracotta head. Now these mighty statues are housed in an extensive complex of chambers, museums and courtyards.

We learnt about their 2000-year history via an impressive 360-degree theatre presentation, before visiting all three of the pits housing the terracotta infantry, cavalry complete with horses and officers of the Emperor. The fact that this massive army was built before the birth Christ to accompany China’s first truly unifying Emperor in the afterlife makes New Zealand’s history seem very young indeed.

During our time exploring Xi’an we also had a dose of the China of the future. While there are beautiful old buildings aplenty around the city, the skyline is now reaching for the stars. Chinese now say their national flower is the construction crane, and even this city of the past does not escape the omnipresent bloom.

Xi’an is a great option for those wanting to see a little more of the old China, and as an added bonus it has also provided me with the ability to tell anyone who will listen that I once turned down a lucrative modelling contract in China. What more could you ask for in a trip?


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