Rise and shine!
A 5am start is never something I want to hear. However, the lady who owns the hostel urged us to get up this early. This was so that we could beat the mad Golden Week crowds to the Terracotta Army. Our bus was at 7am, so we couldn’t dilly dally too much, otherwise we risk missing it. It was also raining today, the same as yesterday, so the coats were out unfortunately. On the way to the bus, we bought some breakfast in the form of bread based snacks. Nothing too flashy, but this is part of the diet of a backpacker!
We caught a local bus which would take us to the shuttle coach that is specifically for the Terracotta Army. As we had a bit of time, we munched into our breakfast, not exactly filled with excitement mind you. We arrived at the train station, and there was an absolute shed load of coaches/buses. They were on a continuous loop; they don’t leave until they’re full. As soon as one leaves, the other takes its place. So we managed to get on board the bus quite easily, and away we were! If you want more info on visiting the Terracotta Army, check it out here.
Tip!
We left from Fangzhicheng Bus Station in Xi’an and took the 306 bus, it’s only ¥7. Be wary of people who try to entice you into their bus. Don’t trust these people as they will charge more. They’re usually the first buses you see, so simply ignore them and walk around them. The normal bus drivers won’t stray far from their bus.
Fighting an army ourselves
If you’re foreign, be prepared to get bombarded by tour guides. In our case, as soon as we spoke English they were around us like flies. They’re very persistent too. To be fair, one lady who kept trying to sell us her services told us where we could redeem our ticket. We bought it on the Terracotta Army official website, you just go to the “English site” at the top or you can follow this link here. You buy tickets at the physical grounds in the big building in the middle. To redeem the tickets, there’s a small office block to the left of the big building there. Like most things, you’ll need your passport/ID.
After fighting off the army of tour guides we got lined up in the huge queues. So much for beating the crowds. As is normal in China for most attractions, you have to have your bag go through an x-ray scanner. Once you’re through the gates, it’s a short walk to the entrance to the Terracotta Army plots themselves. There’s the option of taking golf buggies to and from the grounds themselves for an additional fee.
Prepare for battle!
The exterior of the excavation sites wasn’t too bad. As soon as you enter Pit 1 (especially if it’s a national holiday) you’re faced with carnage. When you first enter, you’re on a balcony, overlooking the entire pit. Basically it’s the best view in the house…and everyone knows it. The crowd was about 5 people thick, all the way around. For those with claustrophobia, this was hell on Earth. I’ve honestly never seen so much shouting, pushing, shoving, or grabbing, in my entire life.
These are actual adults and elderly who basically see it as a free for all. There is no mercy for the young, the weak, or the old. On the upside, if you enjoy mosh pits, you’re gonna love this place! Mat and I (being 2 of the biggest people there) revelled in the fact they couldn’t move us. They tried their best, by grabbing our shoulders and pulling on us. But we stood as strong as the Terracotta Army themselves, and gave no ground. Similar to the Panda Base, I think people would actually pay for your front row spot.
The aftermath
After some time, we decided to get a different view, so we moved to the edges. You are actually closer to the Warriors here than on the balcony. After a few photos, we made our slow escape through the horde of oncoming tourists. The crowds tapered off towards the back of the pit where there are less warriors. We made it to the opposite balcony, and considered ourselves lucky, having made it out alive.
After Pit 1, there are several other pits which are smaller and house a smaller amount of warriors/horses. There are also a couple of museums with information in them, as well as shows where you can buy expensive sculptures and gems. Pretty cool, but they’re not going anywhere near my bum bag! Upon leaving the main pits, you will go through what’s almost an entire town’s worth of buildings to get back to the entrance. It was pretty cool though. There are loads of stalls offering food, toys and gifts of all kinds. However, do note that it’s more expensive than the same things in Xi’an.
Tip!
Here’s a fun fact. Almost no Chinese person (whether they speak English or not) knows that the Terracotta Army, is called the Terracotta Army in English. Every person we spoke to had no idea what we were talking about. In Chinese, they are called Bīngmǎyǒng (兵马俑) which translates to “Soldier and horse funerary statues”
The disappointing Brother
Included in the ticket to the Terracotta Army is entry to Emperor Qin Shi Huang’s Mausoleum. You can get a free shuttle bus from the main site. I don’t want to sound uncultured or unappreciative of the history at hand. This is the mausoleum for the first Emperor of China. However, it’s not half as glamorous as it sounds. There’s not a whole lot to see at this site unfortunately. You can walk around quite a lot, but the Emperor’s mausoleum isn’t open to the public, so all you can see is a mound of mud/soil on the ground.
After quite a long walk around here, we got the shuttle from the site back to the Terracotta Army main site. From there we got the same bus back to Xi’an. It took about 1 and a half hours to get back, so it was still afternoon.
Replenishment
After quite a taxing and exhausting ordeal, we decided to do some food shopping. We got the standard diabetes food, biscuits, cakes, crisps etc. However, we also made a point of buying fresh fruit, such as oranges, apples, bananas, and more. This was mainly to stave off the scurvy. I also acquired some roll-on deodorant (after my spray got taken from me). As Mat and I have flags sticking out of our backpacks, a woman struck up conversation with us. She asked us if we think China is a quickly developing and progressive country. We agreed and said there’s always a lot of construction going off and China’s really taking off. She was very grateful and happy to hear it, so much so, that she bought us a small cake each! Winner winner cake for dinner!
After shopping, we decided to go to a restaurant to eat. Boy was it a task. As is the norm, anything complicated will result in us spending half an hour to order. There was a paper menu where you ticked what you wanted, lots of dishes, main, sides, sauces, and extras. We didn’t really understand, so eventually the manager had to come over and help out. When the food came, it was actually not too bad. We just had to watch the family next to us to see what we had to do.
A long walk home
As we wanted to see the city (maybe also to save money) we walked several miles back home. Mat’s SIM card somehow ran out of credit, so we had a long visit to the phone shop. Many translations later, we finally got some more credit on his phone. I did actually have the same problem in Chengdu. Somehow I had used credit, so the guy had to use WeChat to top my phone up, and I just gave him a ¥10 note. To this day I don’t know what happened.
During our walk home, we happened upon the Muslim Quarter. It was pretty cool to see such a different style of the city we’ve been in. The food seemed much different, as well as the people and their clothes. It was an interesting and nice contrast to see. We carried on walking home in the dark until we eventually made it back to the hostel.
Honourably discharged for the night
When we got back to the hostel, it was so nice to just sit down and relax. Take a breather. Days like this are non-stop and take a lot out of you. Mat and I had a session of exploring out travel plans, as well as getting more trains and hostels booked for along the way.
We also got talking to a Chinese girl who was staying at the hostel, called Ping Ping/Jane. She asked us about our plans, and we said we’re going to Hua Shan tomorrow. This place is home to a famous mountain. She said she wants to tag along, so we agreed to let her tag along for the ride. The more the merry I say!
