Torrential rain in the walled city of Xi’an
If there’s one memory we have of Xi’an, it’s RAIN.
Four days of it. Non‑stop.
The city was drenched, we were drenched, but the pavements probably appreciated the wash — a chance to rinse off the national layer of spit. On the plus side, our clothes got a much‑needed clean.
Xi’an itself was pleasant enough.
The 14th‑century, 12‑metre‑high city walls still stand, wrapping around what’s known as the “old town”, although today it’s much more modernised.
We hired a tandem bike and cycled the full 14‑kilometre perimeter. I drew the short straw at the front, meaning Anya could pretend to pedal while I sweated my backside off doing all the work.
Being the terminus of the old Silk Road, Xi’an is a mix of cultures and religions.
The Muslim Quarter has been around for centuries and is a sensory overload — narrow lanes, hidden mosques, sizzling food stalls, and the constant smell of tasty wafting through the air.
Being the foodies we are, it wasn’t long before the grease of some unknown animal was dribbling down our chins.
The Terracotta Warriors
An hour by bus from Xi’an, the Terracotta Warriors are over 2,000 years old, built to guard the tomb of Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor to unify China.
They were only discovered in 1974 when villagers dug a well — imagine the surprise of hitting a solid soldier’s head instead of water.
In the main pit there are over 6,000 warriors, chariots and horses, though only 2,000 are on display.
No two warriors are identical.
I didn’t spot one smiling, but to be fair, if I’d been peacefully underground for two millennia and then woken by a farmer with a shovel, I wouldn’t be smiling either.
Acupuncture: not the best decision I’ve ever made
My back had been behaving since Mongolia, but I decided to try acupuncture for the first time. Big mistake.
My backstreet acupuncturist began with an “assessment”, which involved lightly poking every inch of my body while somehow inflicting pain I didn’t know existed.
My body spasmed off the table like I was being tasered.
His diagnosis? Bad back, bad spleen, bad lungs, bad knees, bad digestion, bad liver, bad kidneys, and bad memory. I told him I agreed with most of it but didn’t agree that I repeated myself. I told him I didn’t agree that I repeated myself.
By this point, a small crowd had gathered outside the curtain, drawn in by the strange screams of a Westerner being prodded like some experiment.
Then came the needles — in my head, arms, legs, knees, ankles and backside. By the end I could barely walk, my back hurt more than before, and I was £10 poorer.
It was certainly an experience… but hopefully the last time I hear the phrase, “Brace yourself, I’m just going to insert a small prick into your backside.”
Shanghai: Modern China & Free Vodka
Our final stop in China was Shanghai — ten hours by overnight express train from Xi’an.
We spent three days in this modern, Westernised city and even caught up with friends from London who happened to be there.
Our first night escalated quickly.
While having a quiet beer, a dodgy‑looking salesman, with full greasy pony-tail, in a smart suit approached us offering free entry to a new nightclub, free drinks all night, and a free ride there. After grilling him to make sure he wasn’t planning to kidnap us, we agreed.
We arrived at an exclusive club in flip‑flops and T‑shirts, immediately feeling underdressed among Shanghai’s glitterati. But true to his word, our “dodgy” salesman delivered: three large bottles of vodka, tequila, whisky and mixers appeared on our table.
We hadn’t drunk much on this trip, but I’m never one to turn down a free drink. The vodka flowed, the night was brilliant, and the next morning was… foggy.
When we asked why all the freebies, he explained that clubs need Westerners inside to boost their reputation. If drunken backpackers in flip‑flops help sell tickets, Chinese nightlife must have very low standards.
Shanghai: The New China
People say Shanghai isn’t the “real China”, but as our local friend put it: “Beijing is ancient China. Shanghai is modern China.”
If Shanghai is the future, then wealth and mass consumerism are well on their way to steamrolling ancient culture.
The city feels more like Manhattan than Beijing — skyscrapers everywhere, neon lights, and a skyline that grows upwards rather than outwards. A trip up the Pearl Tower, at 351 metres high, gave us a jaw‑dropping view of the city’s scale.
The old French Concession is now one of the coolest parts of Shanghai — leafy streets, great bars, funky cafés tucked into narrow alleys, and not a single onion soup in sight.
Final Thoughts on vast country
Once again, we barely scratched the surface of an enormous, diverse country.
But our time in China was epic — from ancient walls to modern skylines, from hutongs to skyscrapers, from Peking duck to free vodka.
China is changing fast, and who knows what it will look like next time.
But if there’s free alcohol involved, that’s reason enough to return.
