Travelling around China

I can’t believe this month is already over! Time truly does fly when your fun…

I started this month off with a not so fun 19-hour train journey to Xi’an; the chosen destination for our week’s holiday.

I stayed in an very friendly hostel near the city centre which was perfect for finding cheap and tasty food, nights out and getting to and back from the various attractions we were visiting.
Once unpacked we decided to go for an evening/night cycle around the 8.5 miles long Xi’an Wall which is located around the city centre. This wall is one of the largest ancient military defensive systems in the world.

Day 2 was spent trekking through the Muslim streets which are known for their tasty street food, traditional buildings and vibrant atmosphere.

This city is most famously known for the terracotta army so everyone was super hyped for day 3. Hyped enough that getting up at 6am on a holiday to catch a taxi outside of the hostel, which took us to the train station, where we had to find a tour bus that drove 1 hour to the bottom of the mountain and then face an endless number of queues before reaching the main attraction, didn’t seem like a problem.

Even though the terracotta army are one of the 7 wonders of the world, visiting them, was not the highlight of my day as the whole centre was packed with people from all over the world. Crowds do not usually bother me, but this did affect my overall experience. It was very difficult to see the terracotta warriors so I'd recommend visiting when it isn't a holiday period.

As an antidote for the crowds we decided to take cable cars to the top of a mountain where we were treated to a first-class view of the surrounding mountains and the Chinese towns below. We also visited a traditional Chinese park and attended a lights show at the famous Pagoda statue.

As well as travelling to Xi’an for a week I also enjoyed a weekend trip to Hebei. This is a province which borders both Tianjin and Beijing. It is known for its various mountain ranges and is home to the longest glass bridge in the world.

The steep walk to the top put my fitness to the test especially because I challenged myself to run to the top. The mountains and trees looked even more beautiful in autumn which provided us with incredible scenery. We then relaxed in the hot springs. I was not told that the hot springs were located at a fancy 4 star hotel and therefore had not dressed very appropriately, nor did I bring a change of clothes…!!! Some baths were located inside Chinese huts, some were in caves. Most of which smelled of Chinese spices but my favourits included the lemon, milk, alcohol, salt and aloe vera springs.