Marking the halfway point of our time in China, we took a weekend trip as a class to the city of Xi’An.  Everything was very interesting, even the train ride over there was something to remember.  Lasting about 11 hours, I was in a relatively small room with 4 beds and 6 people.  Although it wasn’t the most comfortable night’s sleep, I was able to make friends with some young kids and their parents.

In Xi’An, we of course visited the city’s most famous attraction, the Terracotta Soldiers. The Terracotta Army was built according to the command of Qin Shi Huang to protect him in the afterlife. Built in the 3rd century BC, it remains one of the most greatest wonders of China. It was awe-inspiring to see the lines of thousands of soldiers, each with a unique face, each with its own uniform and weapon. One could only imagine the countless hours of expert work taken to create such a detailed display. The feeling of amazement was tinted by sadness for the incredible mistreatment of those who worked on the soldiers, all of whom were killed afterwords in order to maintain secrecy.

Among the other things we did was a bike trip along the city wall and attend a performance of a classic Chinese poem and piece of history, “The Song of Eternal Regret.”  Everything was very enjoyable and was a good way to split up the time in Beijing.  Afterwards, I am ready to continue studying.