More mind-blowing than the train speed (1200 km from Beijing to Xi'an in 4 hrs) was the number of tower blocks along the way
Xi'an City Wall is one of the oldest, largest and best preserved in China
The wall forms a rectangle around the city centre and you can walk or cycle its full 14 km length
Full moon rising at South Gate, Xi'an City Wall
Traditional dancing at South Gate, Xi'an City Wall
A building next to South Gate, Xi'an City Wall
The Bell Tower, in the centre of Xi'an, is a popular place to dress up for photos
Xi'an's Drum Tower
The main street of the wonderful Xi'an Muslim Quarter
There was plenty of great food to be had in the Muslim Quarter
Our favourite was 'bang bang' noodles, named after the sound when the noodle maker slams the dough on the bench (not to be confused with the similar 'biang biang' noddles)
Jacqueline Jackson at the Great Tang All Day Mall, a spectacular 1.5 km strip with sculptures, performances, activities and shopping
Xi'an is probably most famous for the Terracotta Army
Buried in 210 BC, the army was intended to protect Qin Shi Huang, China's first emperor, in the afterlife
The army was only discovered in 1974. There are an estimated 8000 figures, including warriors, horses and chariots, most of which are still buried
Most figures had broken into fragments but many have been painstakingly restored, and the work continues
Putting the emperor's horses back together again
A small courtyard in the beautiful Xi'an Great Mosque
Jacqueline makes chilli paste in the Muslim Quarter
The Small Wild Goose Pagoda was built in 707 AD and retains most of its original structure
The Giant Wild Goose Pagoda was built in 652 AD but has had rebuilds and extensive renovations since then
We scammed our way into a guest-only hotel bar for a great view of the wall
In the morning the wall was virtually empty and perfect for a lap on a rental bike
