Xi'an: Working like a Warrior

Another sightseeing trip, I mean work trip to China. From the likes of these photos, you might think that I joined an organized group tour of the Mainland, but I assure you I do in fact still hold a corporate job. Somehow over the past few weeks "Professional Mainland Sightseer" has been added to my job description. Fine by me, I'll choose Terra Cotta Warriors over excel spreadsheets any day.

Xi'an was once the cultural hub of China...the cradle of Chinese civilization.....the beginning and end of the Silk Road....and now unfortunately feels more like a tour bus terminus. By far the highest saturation of Caucasians I have yet to see in China. I guess that just means more cash flow for Shangri-La? As I worked on the repositioning of our current Xi'an property, our itinerary was jam packed with tours of all of our competitor hotels along with all of the cultural highlights the city had to offer.

The Bell tower, Drum tower, and old city wall were first on our list. Battling the rain and fog we climbed the "must-see" towers to admire the intricate details of these Ming Dynasty edifices. We then treated ourselves to lunch at one of Xi'an's most famous dumpling restaurants where somehow the supply of dumplings seemed to never end. But of course we had to sample them all... overextending your stomach capacity is just part of the fun in Chinese dining.

our new friends at the Drum Tower

The oldest city wall in China

Next up was the Terra Cotta Warriors. These soldiers and their accompanying horses have been around since 210 BC, and now 8,000 of them populate 3 large pits in the outskirts of Xi'an. Also known as "Qin's Amry," the warriors were meant to accompany Emperor Qin in the afterlife. Although the workmanship was indeed impressive, I can't seem to get out of my head the rumor that the Terra Cotta soldiers are just one big hoax master planned by the Chinese government.... only in China.

warrior excavation


warrior carnage

Our last evening in Xi'an was quite memorable - the Tang Dynasty dinner show extravaganza. I think my 3 Chinese colleagues were mortified to find themselves in such a glaringly commercialized tourist trap, and I still can't decide if it was more entertaining watching the show or watching them squirm in their seats.

that's me in the center with my Chinese boyfriends/colleagues
hard at work.

A Hong Kong battery recharge was much needed after 2 whirlwind days of sightseeing and market research with the Shangri-La army.