Beijing and Xi'an

China has been incredible so far: Beijing is huge and very modern: truly a world city. Construction is out of control there: tower cranes everywhere. We had the chance to visit the site of the 2008 Olympic Village: the venues look like they are going to be really cool. I can't wait to see them when they're finished. We also went to Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City. The Forbidden City almost doesn't seem real: with so many tourists, it's hard to believe that it wasn't just built as a tourist attraction, but it is stunning nonetheless. I particularly liked the Imperial Garden, and if I lived somewhere like the Forbidden City, my house would be in the garden and I would spend most of my time there.

Today (Monday the 28th), we leave for Guiyang in southwestern China. I have really enjoyed Xi'an and wish that we had more time to spend here. This area is the cradle of Chinese civilization and, according to Lonely Planet, there are over 35,000 archeological sites in the vicinity. Yesterday, we visited one of the biggest and most famous: the Terra Cotta Army, which consists of thousands of life size soldiers and horses. The site is still being excavated, but when finished, over 6000 figures are expected to be found. After exploring the 3 open pits, we returned to Xi'an to visit the Big Goose Pagoda, which is a Buddhist temple that was built for the first Chinese Buddhist monk. This monk brought Buddhism to China, and to Xi'an specifically, from India. The temple is still being used, but is open to the public. We explored the grounds, then climbed the 7 story temple to get a better view of Xi'an.

I am looking forward to Guiyang: it is off the beaten path, in the mountains, and with a large ethnic minority population. Xi'an is probably going to be the most "Chinese" of all the places we visit, but Guiyang should have the most interesting mix of peoples and cultures, as well as scenery.