Everyone interested in Asian culture and the Far East has heard about the huge 6,000 life-size terra-cotta figures of armed warriors and horses which were buried with the first Chinese emperor, Qin Shi Huang in 206 BC.

If Beijing is the political heart of China, then Xi'an is its historical center. An ancient philosopher once mused that all those seeking the truth should go to China. A contemporary philosophy added that no visit to China is complete without a journey to Xi'an. This reflects the important position Xi'an holds as a famed historical and cultural city and one of China's six major ancient capitals.

I have been in Beijing for ten days now and I still have time before my internship at Beijing Review begins. Therefore, I decided to travel around a little bit in order to get to know more about the country and the people.

My decision to choose Xi'an was based on the history of the terra-cotta soldiers and the story of Yang Guifei - recognized as one of the four most beautiful women in ancient China. Xi'an also enjoys equal fame with Athens, Cairo, and Rome as one of the four major ancient civilization capitals.

You can easily reach Xi'an, which is the capital city of Shaanxi province, by plane from Beijing.

My friends and I stayed in a hostel that was at the south gate of an approximately 12 km long city wall.

According to legend, when Zhu Yuanzhang, the first Emperor of the Ming dynasty (1368-1644), captured Huizhou, a hermit admonished him that he should "build high walls, store abundant food supplies, and take time to be an Emperor" so that he could fortify the city and unify the other states. After the establishment of the Ming dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang followed the hermit's advice and began to enlarge the wall built initially during the old Tang dynasty (618-907), creating the modern Xi'an City Wall. It's the most complete city wall that has survived in China, as well as being one of the largest ancient military defensive systems in the world.

Because it was during the Chinese New Year when I visited, the wall was covered with many colorful animal figures.

On top of the wall you have a great view of the city and you become immediately aware of the big contrast: on the one side, inside of the old city wall, is the Old Town with historical constructions, such as the drum and the bell towers, some buildings, which are build in a typical Chinese way and some newer buildings. On the other side of the wall there are high-rise buildings constructed in a modern style and also some factories. You can either circle the whole wall by feet or by bike, which you can rent on top of the wall, to have a great view over the city.

We then headed for the Dayan Ta (the Great Wild Goose Pagoda), one of the most well-known Buddhist pagodas in China. From a distance you would guess, that the pagoda is made out of wood but as you get nearer you see that it is made out of brick. The pagoda, which can be seen today, was built in the year 704 for the purpose to protect some sutras, which were brought from India by Monk Xuanzang (602-664). The simplicity of the construction makes the seven-storied pagoda very interesting, remarkable and unique.

The next day we wanted to go on a day-trip to the Huaqing Chi (Huaqing Hot Spring) and to the Great Terracotta-army.

The hot spring has a history of 6,000 years! Huaqing Hot Spring is famed for both its dainty spring scenery and the romantic story of Emperor Xuanzong and his concubine Yang Guifei in the Tang Dynasty (618-907).

Regrettably, the original facility of the hot springs has been replaced by new buildings and the atmosphere is very touristy. You can even let someone drive you through the exhibit with a cart, which is welcomed by many tourists.

We then went off towards the terracotta-army. To reach the actual entrance you need to walk first along a sort of a shopping street.
Of course there were a lot of people, but luckily it was not that crowded as we expected it to be and after 15 minutes walking through booths and huge buildings, we arrived the main entrance. It was worth walking: in the first hall, the main hall, we faced hundreds of soldiers and horses, standing in file.

The burial site was found by a group of peasants who uncovered some pottery while digging for a well nearby the royal tomb in 1974. It caught the attention of archeologists immediately. They came to Xi'an in droves to study and to extend the digs. They established beyond doubt that these artifact were associated with the Qin Dynasty (211-206 BC).

More than 2200 years ago, the first Chinese emperor Qin Shi Huang initiated the installation of the army with more than 6000 soldiers, horses and chariots, because of his fear to face death. He could only imagine that life on the other side was a continuation of the life on earth and even there he did not want to go without his army. The construction began right after his accession to the throne. It is really remarkable, that all figures have a unique face, different gestures and different ornamental paintings, which regrettably fade away because of a chemical reaction as soon as they come to contact with air. It seems as if they only used a template for the shape of the bodies.

The army is divided into three parts, which are today housed in three different halls.

The formation and the arrangement of the soldiers are identical with the battle formation of soldiers at that time.

In the second hall you can occasionally watch archaeologists doing restorations of the figures, and in the third hall is the command post of the army. You can distinguish the ranks of the soldiers and army officers by their hair-cuts and their head gear.

Another highlight is the museum, in whose hall two renovated four-horse chariots and some bronze discoveries, which have been found next to the barrow, are exhibited.

The terracotta-army is an incredible, historical creation and it is a witness for how great China was already developed even in times before Christ.

After visiting the clay-army we went back into the city, which has a lot to offer. Visiting the drum tower in Xi'an is a special experience, because every morning there is a free "concert" by drummers in the inner part of the tower. It is an extraordinary experience, because the concert creates a remarkable atmosphere in the tower, which has been built in 1370. You have a great view from the top of the tower over the whole city and you can see all four city gates.

The drum tower can be said to be the entrance to the Muslim quarter, which is very famous, in the city. As a big city Xi'an lies right in between of the cultural areas and is said to be a reservoir for many religions.

Approximately 60,000 Muslims live here and the streets of the quarter, whose center is marked by the great mosque, are like a big market with all kinds of food, clothes and souvenirs. You can feel the relaxed atmosphere and it is just fun to stroll through the little lanes and to try every now and then something new.

The Qingzhen Si (The Great Mosque) is one of the most beautiful mosques in China and that is not only because of the beautiful and nice forecourt with many trees. The architectural style, which was built in the 14th century, reminds me of a Buddhist temple. The facility, which lies hidden between some really small and narrow lanes, is very quiet and amicable and that is why it is a welcome calming place, to take a rest from the hectic atmosphere in the streets and lanes of the Muslim quarter.

Xi'an is the political, economical and cultural center of northeast China and it is also the beginning of the Silk Road. Xi'an has many more sights to see besides the terracotta-army, such as the Xiaoyan Ta (The Small Wild Goose Pagoda), the Bell Tower and some very interesting museums as well.

Regrettably, we could not see all the sights, but still the city inside the city wall has many sides and offers a lot of interesting things for the different tastes: historical and cultural sites, shopping, and nightlife.