5/13/2007 ~ Xi'an

On the Rio: Beatles ~ Sun King > Mean Mr. Mustard

Taking a walk down memory lane...Last year on this date I was in Belize, out on an early morning w&b snorkel trip in Belize on our last day before leaving the idyllic island.

Back to the present...For my birthday weekend last month I went to the ancient city of Xi'an.

It was called Chang'an (City of Peace) in ancient times, and was the capital of 11 dynasties. In the history of world cities, the architectural scale of Chang'an in the Han Dynasty was three times bigger than that of ancient Rome. And during the Tang Dynasty was the largest and busiest international metropolis in the world as the terminal of the Silk Road which connected Europe and Asia for trade and cultural exchanges.

Today's population is around 8 million.

The extant city wall of Xi'an was first built in the early Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and was renovated in recent years.

Outside the city wall is a moat, which has now been opened as a round-the-city park.

The Bell Tower was built in the center of the city in 1582. It is a two-story wooden structure on a square base with winding corridors on four sides.

Ascending it, you can enjoy a panoramic view of the whole city and have a chance to ring the bell.

Not far away to the west is the Drum Tower which was built in 1380. Inside is a big drum for marking the passage of time every night in ancient times.

This is the gate to the entrance of a shopping area.

Here is a street shop selling dumplings.

More on dumplings next time...