#WhenIn Xi’an (& Hua Shan)
Shaanxi Province, home to both Xi’an and Hua Shan (Hua Mountain), is in the middle of Middle Kingdom (China/Zhongguo/中国 literally translates to “middle kingdom”, because the Chinese once believed that they were the center of all civilization). Xi’an served as China’s capital under some of the most important dynasties in Chinese history, including the Qin Dynasty (which is why Emperor Qin Shi Huang had his very large mausoleum and terracotta army buried there), and Hua Shan lies 2 hrs by car east of Xi’an and has a long history of religious significance with influential Daoist temples, towering summits, and some of the world’s most dangerous mountain trails.
Where to stay:
Unless you’re backpacking through China, the easiest way to visit Xi’an and Hua Shan is to book a trip through a travel agency that takes care of accommodations as well as transportation. We booked through a local travel agency in Shanghai that arranges trips for local Chinese people (these trips are far far cheaper than those arranged for foreigners), and even though we shared the experience with only Chinese-speaking locals, it was really fun to get to know our very caring travel companions (who were all middle-aged or retired).
How to get around:
The travel agency will book a chartered bus that comes to pick you up at Xi’an Xianyang International Airport and take you to the various destinations and their accompanying accommodations.
Where to eat:
If you book a trip tailored to Chinese people, the pre-booked restaurants will of course also cater to Chinese people, so you will get to try various traditional and local restaurants and eat only local Chinese dishes.
What to eat:
As you will be part of a larger group, the food is most often pre-ordered (and rarely very impressive), so we made a point to run off after dinner and find other restaurants, where we ordered sweet and sour battered fish, various vegetable dishes, and tomatoes with fried eggs.
What to do:
Visit Emperor Qin’s Mausoleum and learn about China’s fascinating history. I definitely recommend reading up on Emperor Qin Shi Huang and the Qin Dynasty before visiting this mausoleum (or at least watch The Emperor and the Assassin). Chinese history is really very interesting and quite brutal, and you will have a much better understanding of the man, who created this mausoleum and buried 8000 terracotta warriors, all kinds of beautiful art, many rare animal species, all his concubines, and countless other people with him when he died.
Climb Hua Shan. This is one of the most dangerous and fascinating mountain climbs in the world. With its endless intricate cliffside trails on either steep and super narrow stairs or thin and shabby-looking wooden planks, it is truly terrifically strange that people of all ages and attire (whether young people in flip flops, businessmen in shirts and slacks, or old men packed with heavy baggage) all take the hike. The views are absolutely incredible, and if you have any discomfort with hanging off cliffs at insane heights (especially given the highly precarious trail setup), then this will be quite a badass accomplishment.
What not to do:
Don’t wear impractical clothing, and if you forgot to bring appropriate shoes, don’t go buy sneakers at the local market (find a proper shoe store). Cheap shoes will come apart on the trails, and you will get to hike the rest of the mountain in interesting slippers (as if it wasn’t already enough of a challenge).
