Thursday, April 28, 2016

X is for Xian. No, make that Xining

We’re up to the letter X in this year’s A-Z challenge in which I’m writing about places I’d like to visit.  There’s no countries with an X but there are some cities and towns in Asia and in the Mayan region of Central America.   I’ve spent a week once in the village of Xocenpich in the center of the Yucatan.  I’d love to go back, but since I’ve already been there, I will set my sights on places I’ve missed in China. 

Wild Goose Pagoda in Xian 
Xian is a huge city (8 million, but there are a lot of large cities in China) and a place where you can see a huge army with clay feet.  Actually, the whole army is clay or terracotta (ain't that baked clay).   Also, why would I need to go to Pisa to see a leaning tower when I could go to Xian and see the Wild Goose Pagoda that leans (and has since an earthquake in the 17th Century)?.

outside Xining 
But, the place that makes my bucket list is Xining.  I could knock out a couple of my bucket list sites by traveling overland from India to Katmandu, Nepal, and the on to Lhasa, Tibet and then take the train down from the mountains, stopping in Golmud to get a view of the Gobi before heading on to the end of the rail line that runs to Tibet in Xining.  You’re still up on the Tibet plateau with plenty of National Parks, mountains and lakes to see.  And good lamb to have at dinner.  Western China is different than the east, so visiting both Xining and Xian would be a treat.     

10 comments:

  1. That is a large city, and your photos are very inviting. Your bucket list would be incredible with that journey too!

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  2. I wondered what you would choose for X - good one!

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  3. A lot of fantasy authors use "X" and Z" and "Y" in place names because there are few on Earth and therefore it hints at the exotic.

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  4. Sounds like a wonderful idea. I hope you get to do it!

    @Kathleen01930
    Meet My Imaginary Friends
    #AtoZchallenge

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  5. Just seeing the Xian Terra Cotta Warriors is enough reason to put that city on your itinerary. The warriors are impressive when they tour, but in situ they're mind-blowing.

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  6. I know very little about China and doubt that I would ever be brave enough to go there, but I'm sure it is a fascinating and beautiful place. I wondered what you would come up with for letter "X." You handled it well. :)

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  7. China probably wouldn't be my thing but if it's yours hope you have fun there one day.

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  8. There a so many things in China I'd love to see, but I need a guide because it's a huge place and the language would be a problem.

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  9. Asia, in general, is enticing but foreboding, at the same time. Maybe it's all that European DNA...

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  10. One of my sons has spent quite a bit of time in China and Japan and Thailand and and and...I doubt the backstory would be as interesting as yours in 20 years. $working$

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