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Xi'an, China: Terracotta Army of Warriors | Our High-Speed Train Adventure Continues!
Xi'an, China: Exploring Terracotta Army & Ancient Wonders
This week our China travel takes us to Xi’an, China. It is where ancient history crashes into modern life—and somehow, they make it work like old buddies catching up over dumplings. This city was the starting point of the Silk Road, home to emperors, dynasties, and oh yeah, about 8,000 Terracotta...
This week our China travel takes us to Xi’an, China. It is where ancient history crashes into modern life—and somehow, they make it work like old buddies catching up over dumplings. This city was the starting point of the Silk Road, home to emperors, dynasties, and oh yeah, about 8,000 Terracotta Warriors who’ve been standing guard for over 2,000 years like the world’s most committed museum staff. But beyond the ancient walls and mighty relics, Xi’an is full of surprises—bike rides atop a Ming Dynasty wall, street food that'll knock your chopsticks off, and a Muslim Quarter buzzing with flavor and flair. It’s a Chinese history lesson wrapped in a jianbing, and we were all in.
We are in week 6 of our most epic adventure yet—a 10-video travelogue series through China that spans 3,350 miles, 9 cities, and approximately a million dumplings (give or take). We started this unforgettable journey in the vibrant streets of Hong Kong and zipped across the country on some of the fastest, smoothest, and downright fanciest trains we’ve ever experienced. From futuristic skylines to ancient temples, panda sightings to people-watching, this series is packed with unforgettable moments and plenty of surprises.
Thanks for following along with us.
Retirement Travelers continue their epic 10-video journey through China, exploring Xi'an, the historic starting point of the Silk Road. This ancient city seamlessly blends its rich past with modern life, offering a unique cultural experience. From the awe-inspiring Terracotta Army to the vibrant Muslim Quarter and a thrilling bike ride atop a Ming Dynasty wall, Xi'an is full of surprises. The travelers savor delicious street food and immerse themselves in the city's captivating history, making this leg of their 3,350-mile adventure truly unforgettable.
This week our China travel takes us to Xi’an, China. It is where ancient history crashes into modern life—and somehow, they make it work like old buddies catching up over dumplings. This city was the starting point of the Silk Road, home to emperors, dynasties, and oh yeah, about 8,000 Terracotta Warriors who’ve been standing guard for over 2,000 years like the world’s most committed museum staff. But beyond the ancient walls and mighty relics, Xi’an is full of surprises—bike rides atop a Ming Dynasty wall, street food that'll knock your chopsticks off, and a Muslim Quarter buzzing with flavor and flair. It’s a Chinese history lesson wrapped in a jianbing, and we were all in.
We are in week 6 of our most epic adventure yet—a 10-video travelogue series through China that spans 3,350 miles, 9 cities, and approximately a million dumplings (give or take). We started this unforgettable journey in the vibrant streets of Hong Kong and zipped across the country on some of the fastest, smoothest, and downright fanciest trains we’ve ever experienced. From futuristic skylines to ancient temples, panda sightings to people-watching, this series is packed with unforgettable moments and plenty of surprises.
Thanks for following along with us.
Retirement Travelers John and Bev return to Xi’an, arriving at Xi’an North Station after a four-hour high-speed train journey in business class. They take the metro, describe its signage and stations positively, and visit the Muslim Quarter at night, where they try candied fruit and other street food. The next day they go to the Terracotta Army. The narration says a local farmer discovered the warriors while digging a well in 1974, and describes more than 8,000 life-sized figures and about 700,000 workers involved in the mausoleum. At the site, the couple says there are three large pits; they visit Pit One and plan to go to Pit Three. On a later day, they climb the Wild Goose Pagoda’s narrow stairs for city views and walk along the ancient city wall rather than rent bikes. They say goodbye to travel companions Taylor and Alec, then board a high-speed train to Beijing.
John and Bev of Retirement Travelers return to Xi’an by high-speed train and spend several days revisiting the city. They use the metro, comment on the clear signs and station design, and explore the Muslim Quarter at night, sampling candied fruit and street food. At the Terracotta Army site, they talk about its discovery and the scale of the mausoleum; they visit Pit One and say they are heading to Pit Three. On a later day they climb the Wild Goose Pagoda and walk along the ancient city wall instead of renting bikes. After saying goodbye to their companions Taylor and Alec, John and Bev continue by high-speed train to Beijing.
John and Bev explore Xi’an’s Muslim Quarter and Terracotta Army, climb the Wild Goose Pagoda, walk the ancient city wall and continue to Beijing.
Xi'an Terracotta Army, Muslim Quarter and Ancient City Wall
3:23 The couple says Xi’an’s metro has clear signs, clean stations and efficient service that makes moving around the city easy. They also pause to admire the station design. These are their observations during this visit, not a current service guarantee.
4:54 They walk through the Muslim Quarter in the evening, describing its neon signs, street food and shouting vendors. They stop for candied fruit and browse other snacks, showing a busy nighttime food area rather than recommending a particular stall.
6:44 At the Terracotta Army site, the couple says there are three large pits. They visit Pit One and say they are heading to Pit Three, joking that they hope not to miss Pit Two; the narration does not say they visited every pit.
8:18 The Wild Goose Pagoda has narrow staircases leading to the top. John and Bev describe the climb as a workout and say the view from above takes in temples and trees in one direction and skyscrapers in another.
8:40 At Xi’an’s ancient city wall, they skip renting bikes this time and take a leisurely walk instead. Their narration points out the views where older parts of the city and modern buildings sit alongside each other.
3:23 The couple says Xi’an’s metro has clear signs, clean stations and efficient service that makes moving around the city easy. They also pause to admire the station design. These are their observations during this visit, not a current service guarantee.
4:54 They walk through the Muslim Quarter in the evening, describing its neon signs, street food and shouting vendors. They stop for candied fruit and browse other snacks, showing a busy nighttime food area rather than recommending a particular stall.
6:44 At the Terracotta Army site, the couple says there are three large pits. They visit Pit One and say they are heading to Pit Three, joking that they hope not to miss Pit Two; the narration does not say they visited every pit.
8:18 The Wild Goose Pagoda has narrow staircases leading to the top. John and Bev describe the climb as a workout and say the view from above takes in temples and trees in one direction and skyscrapers in another.
8:40 At Xi’an’s ancient city wall, they skip renting bikes this time and take a leisurely walk instead. Their narration points out the views where older parts of the city and modern buildings sit alongside each other.
0:03 Xi'an's long history
1:16 High-speed train to Xi’an
2:13 Arriving at Xi’an North Station
2:37 Metro and air quality
3:23 Xi’an metro impressions
4:33 Evening in the Muslim Quarter
5:40 Heading to the Terracotta Army
6:00 The warriors and mausoleum
7:35 Climbing the Wild Goose Pagoda
8:40 Walking Xi’an’s city wall
9:15 Farewell and train to Beijing
0:03 Xi'an's long history
1:16 High-speed train to Xi’an
2:13 Arriving at Xi’an North Station
2:37 Metro and air quality
3:23 Xi’an metro impressions
4:33 Evening in the Muslim Quarter
5:40 Heading to the Terracotta Army
6:00 The warriors and mausoleum
7:35 Climbing the Wild Goose Pagoda
8:40 Walking Xi’an’s city wall
9:15 Farewell and train to Beijing
How long was the train journey to Xi’an?
John and Bev say the high-speed train journey took four hours. They traveled in business class and arrived at Xi’an North Station.
What did they try in the Muslim Quarter?
They browsed the evening street-food area, sampled candied fruit and looked at other snacks among the neon signs and busy stalls.
How many Terracotta Army pits did they visit?
They say there are three large pits, visit Pit One and then plan to head to Pit Three. They joke about not missing Pit Two.
What did they do at the Wild Goose Pagoda?
They climbed its narrow staircases to the top and described the city views, with temples and trees in one direction and skyscrapers in another.
How did they explore Xi’an’s ancient city wall?
They skipped the bikes on this visit and walked along the wall instead.
