Terra Cotta Warriors Shopping Mall

We were taken by a shuttle from the parking lot to see the terra cotta warriors, but tourists are channeled through a California–type outdoor shopping wall on the way back to the parking lot.

Terra Cotta Warriors Shopping Mall

Terra Cotta Warriors Shopping Mall

These warriors greeted us.

Terra Cotta Warriors Shopping Mall

Terra Cotta Warriors Shopping Mall

And these headless ones as well. These look almost like the real thing.

Terra Cotta Warriors Shopping Mall

Terra Cotta Warriors Shopping Mall

You could have Chinese food for dinner.

Terra Cotta Warriors Shopping Mall

Terra Cotta Warriors Shopping Mall

Or go to Subway instead. I always get a kick out of seeing American chain restaurants in foreign countries. There are so many that they must be popular.

Terra Cotta Warriors Shopping Mall

Terra Cotta Warriors Shopping Mall

There were a number of stores selling tourist items and many outside vendors. Kathy said there usually are more outside vendors here, but it was getting late in the day. This one sold nuts, fruit, and vegetables.

Terra Cotta Warriors Shopping Mall

Terra Cotta Warriors Shopping Mall

All kinds of bright–colored things.

Terra Cotta Warriors Shopping Mall

Terra Cotta Warriors Shopping Mall

I don’t know exactly what these are––dolls?––but they are cute.

Terra Cotta Warriors Shopping Mall

Terra Cotta Warriors Shopping Mall

Shadow puppets. You could buy them unframed as well.

Terra Cotta Warriors Shopping Mall

Terra Cotta Warriors Shopping Mall

Roasted sweet potatoes.

Terra Cotta Warriors Shopping Mall

Terra Cotta Warriors Shopping Mall

Dates.

Terra Cotta Warriors Shopping Mall

Terra Cotta Warriors Shopping Mall

More dates and nuts.

Terra Cotta Warriors Shopping Mall

Terra Cotta Warriors Shopping Mall

Pomegrantes.

Terra Cotta Warriors Shopping Mall

Terra Cotta Warriors Shopping Mall

I assume that these are fox tails and skins. First time we saw these for sale.

Terra Cotta Warriors Shopping Mall

Terra Cotta Warriors Shopping Mall

This vendor was really trying to make a sale. He didn’t.

Terra Cotta Warriors Shopping Mall

Terra Cotta Warriors Shopping Mall

Carrying the unsold pelts. I guess tourists do buy these; otherwise, they wouldn’t be for sale here.

Terra Cotta Warriors Shopping Mall

Terra Cotta Warriors Shopping Mall

Packed–up for the day.

Terra Cotta Warriors Shopping Mall

Back to the Center of Xian

Back on the bus going back to the center of Xian through the countryside.

Back to the Center of Xian

Back to the Center of Xian

These look like farmers’ houses. They look very bleak this time of year.

Back to the Center of Xian

Back to the Center of Xian

Close–up.

Back to the Center of Xian

Xian

Our next adventure of the day was to climb the city wall. Here, we saw our first extensive display of Spring Festival decorations. Very colorful, very pretty, and very festive.

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Xian

More decorations.

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More decorations.

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Xian

Going through a tunnel to reach the stairs.

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Xian

These was a large decorated square at the end of the tunnel.

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The rose.

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More decorations.

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The band.

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More decorations.

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The singers.

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Close–up.

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The stairs up to the top of the wall––I counted 66 of them.

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Xian

A little icy on top of the wall.

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View of Xian outside the wall.

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View of Xian inside the City Wall.

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Another view.

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The hotel seen from the top of the wall.

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Xian

Hotel and Chinese lanterns.

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Close–up of the hotel.

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And of the Chinese lanterns.

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Decorations on top of the wall. that’s Leng and Saieu in the photo.

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Xian

More Spring Festival decorations. It looks like there will be a big party here.

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One side of the arch.

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A dragon.

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A close–up.

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Decorated eggs.

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Back down from the wall.

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It is getting dark and the hotel is lit up.

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Xian

The lit–up drum tower. Photo taken from the bus.

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Photo of the drum tower taken from the street. China becomes magical at night.

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Xian

Photo taken while walking to our restaurant––not the drum tower but other buildings.

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At our restaurant. We are to have an Imperial Dumpling Banquet for our dinner.

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The restaurant. There is a buffet here but we were served at our tables. More and more small dumplings were brought to our table––two for each of us. I counted 18 different kinds of dumplings, which makes 36 per person. I think we were all stuffed. The ones I thought had the most distinctive flavor were the walnut dumplings, almost a dessert.

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Xian

Some of the dumplings. Back to our hotel. We needed to pack our check–in bag and place it in the hallway by 8:30 p.m. that night. It would be picked up by a service that would check–in our bags for us at the airport. We were to fly to Shanghai the next day. I wish that we had two full days in Xian. It’s an interesting city with much to see that with our short time here we didn’t get to see.

Xian