As our first “semester” here in China came to an end, we as a class were able to take a trip to Xi’an to further experience Chinese culture, practice our language, and learn more about ancient Chinese history.
The trip started with an overnight train ride from Beijing to Xi’an, which allowed us to experience a form of public transport that many of us have not seen in the US.
I found Xi’an’s most famous historic site, the Terra-cotta Warriors, to be of course extremely mesmerizing and interesting. There are over 6,000 statues that were originally built to protect the tomb of the Emperor Qin Shi Huang (founder of the Qin Dynasty). We were able to see all 3 chambers, although they have not all been completely restored for the purpose of preserving the statues. However the statues that have been restored are all so unique and detailed and amazing to see.
I also thoroughly enjoyed a particular theatrical show that we saw during our trip called the Song of Everlasting Sorrow. This performance followed the story of Xuanzong, the seventh emperor of the Tang Dynasty, and his tragic love with Lady Yang. The show was full of talented performers, plus I was extremely impressed by the technology of the production as well as the utilization of the location. The stage was an outdoor stage among the mountains, creating one of the most beautiful setting for a show I’ve seen. They even managed to light up the mountains to create and even more beautiful picture. But it wasn’t just the production that impressed me, the show also was extremely emotional through its storytelling, leaving the audience in awe throughout the whole show.
