Inexplicably under their spell
N 34°15'16.4'' E 108°56'44.1''
Date:
16.12.2015 until 22.12.2015
Day: 171 – 177
Country:
China
Province:
Shaanxi
Location:
Xi’an
Latitude N:
34°15’16.4”
Longitude E:
108°56’44.1”
Total kilometers:
11,431 km
Total altitude meters:
13.679 m
Sunrise:
07:42 to 07:46
Sunset:
17:35 to 17:38
Temperature day max:
5°C
Temperature day min:
minus 5 °C
(Photos of the diary entry can be found at the end of the text).
LINK TO THE ITINERARY
LINK TO THE MUSIC GROUP IN THE BELL TOWER
Time is racing by. We’ve been here for over three weeks now, working on writing down our numerous experiences, archiving the more than 5000 pictures we’ve taken so far, lots of film clips, organizing new bike chains that we need because they have to be replaced, new visas because we don’t have enough time to even begin to travel around this incredible country and small repairs, such as bleeding the rear brake on my bike. In between, we take short excursions to visit the most important sights of the historic imperial city. One of these is the 13.6 km long city wall, which was built between 1374 and 1378 and is today the best preserved city wall in China. We hire a tandem on its 12-metre-wide crown and explore the wall with lots of fun and laughter. During a short break, we park our double bike at one of the old watchtowers and look out over the hustle and bustle of the city, which was the capital of the Chinese Empire for the first time during the Qin Dynasty (221-207 BC) and was repeatedly declared the capital by an emperor in the following 1120 years. At the turn of the century, 250,000 people already lived here and during the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD) it was even the largest city in the world with around one million inhabitants. I gaze pensively at the wall, restored in a smoggy haze, and its exotic-looking towers. I don’t need much imagination to transport myself back to the past of this metropolis. Suddenly, the cars driving below us turn into proud riders sitting on their horses in their armor. The animals’ hooves stir up the loamy ground and dust. To avoid being trampled underfoot, farmers, traders and beggars dodge the warriors who have just returned from a battle against the horsemen from the north. Heavily laden ox carts sink into the mire, a palanquin sways over the dusty ground, the princess sitting in it pushes the curtain aside to catch a glimpse of the miserable life around her. Does she notice her compatriots who trade in this city to sell their goods to women or men? I can imagine the huts and houses, the palaces where the emperor’s concubines once lived. I imagine the courtyards, waterfalls and ponds that might have existed inside the palace. My gaze falls on the curved golden roof of a temple whose walls are painted with red, yellow, blue and green ornaments. I notice the different roofs on some of the historic buildings, which are shaped differently depending on the status of the owner. They form the crown of the house like the crown on the head of a king or emperor.
The following day, we explore the bell tower. In earlier times, when the city wall was closed at night by four gates, the striking of its bell in the morning ensured that the drawbridges of the four city gates were lowered. The signal from the drum tower on the other side, on the other hand, was responsible for raising the drawbridges again in the evening. A system similar to our knight’s castles in Europe which protected the city from intruders. As we take our time and don’t rush through the grounds like many of the visitors, we are able to enjoy the ancient culture. As we listen to the strange sounds of two musical performances in the towers, we feel the rhythm of the drums that seem to make our bodies vibrate. With every stroke I have the feeling of succumbing more and more to the idiosyncratic charm of this old town and sense that it has inexplicably cast a spell over us…
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