The home of the Terracota Warriors, so - with the camera full of film - let's get them out of the way. There are 8,000 life-size Terracotta Warriors and horses in all. Touted locally as the 'eighth wonder of the world', they are a must on every visitor's itinerary.
The main dig, which is in a room the size of an airport hangar, contains 2,000 warriors and horses - all with distinctive expressions and sculpted to look as if they are in motion. Though there are signs that say the taking of photographs is prohibited, everyone does. Don't miss the gift shop, where you can purchase the coffee-table book and have it signed by the elderly peasant who sits nearby. He is the farmer who, while digging a well in 1974, stumbled upon the third-century BC burial grounds of China's first emperor, Qin Shi Huangdi. He has cheerfully cashed in on his accidental celebrity ever since.
What with all the hype, I practically feel like I know the Terracotta Warriors by name, what else is there to do? Located in Shaanxi province, Xian is now an industrialised city with a population of almost seven million. It features in this month's issue of National Geographic magazine owing to another archeological wonder. The Han Yanling exhibition, which opened in September 1999, includes a Han Dynasty mausoleum dating back to BC153 that spans 12 kilometres. Emperor Lui Qi was buried here with some 50,000 painted, miniature pottery animals and warriors. The site, therefore, dwarfs that of the Warriors and the dig is still very much in progress. It's also well worth checking out the Shaanxi Provincial History Museum, a striking complex of Tang-dynasty style pavilions that houses a collection of 113,000 historic and cultural artifacts unearthed in Shaanxi. The Muslim residential area is also worth a look. This district is teeming with curio shops and vendors plying street food from wooden carts. Its biggest attraction is the wooden Great Mosque, which was built in AD 742.
So Xian is a treasure trove of cultural relics. But what if I'm burned out on the whole expanding-the-mind thing? You will be astounded by the natural beauty of the surrounding area. Its fertile great plains and imposing mountains are reminiscent of the American West. Travel 30 kilometres out of town to admire the views as you dip your toes in the huge imperial bathing pools of Huaqing Hot Springs at the foot of the Lishang mountains.
China has been crazy about building walls. Besides the 7,200-km Great Wall, there are walls around every major city. What's so special about Xian's city wall? The 14-km Ming dynasty wall, which is 12 metres high, encircles the entire city. It is considered the best preserved of all China's walls and offers a fine vantage point from which to witness life in the city below. Stroll a section to build an appetite, then head to De Fa Chang Dumpling restaurant (tel: 86 29 721-4060), a favourite of President Jiang Zemin. This place is renowned for its brightly coloured dumplings, which are gievn the shape of the food inside, from miniature ducks to lotus flowers.
As far as accommodation is concerned, the 80-year-old De Fa Chang (tel: 86 29 723-1085) on Bell and Drum Towers Square is charming and well located. Double rooms start at RMB280 (HK$264). If you are looking for more luxury, try the Shangri-La Golden Flower (tel: 86 29 323-2981). A double room there costs US$170 (HK$1,325), but if you pay the 15 per cent service charge the hotel throws in round-trip airport transfers and a buffet breakfast.
