Garuda Indonesia Colours Magazine April 2018 | Page 91

Travel | Xi’an and Zhengzhou
1 Drums on display inside the Drum Tower
in Xi’an. It was built in the traditional Chinese
style in 1380, during the Ming dynasty.
A great city wall encircles
Xi’an and appears square in
shape, a barrier guarding and
defending against those who
would attack from outside.
when wristwatches were still far from being
invented, people told the time and the
movement of seasons by means of the stars
and constellations.
Today, the bell is rung daily at 9am, 11am,
1pm and 3pm, and the drum is beaten at 5pm.
I climbed up the Bell Tower and looked out
across Xi’an. A great city wall encircles Xi’an and
appears square in shape, a barrier guarding and
defending against those who would attack from
outside. However, the wall has never held back
the development of this once-prosperous capital
or cut off the arrival of new cultural influences
or anyone wanting to get in touch with the
historic capital.
5 Senses – Taste
SPECIALITY DISHES
Yangrou paomo is a speciality of
Shaanxi cuisine and is a typical food
eaten in Xi’an. The local mutton soup
and bread dish goes back more than
2,000 years. Noodles are the staple
of Zhengzhou cuisine, and Henan
stewed noodles, which have
a 1,300-year-long history,
are the best variety to try.
Yangrou Paomo adalah menu
asli Shaanxi yang biasa dikonsumsi
di Xi’an. Menu berisi sup kambing dan
roti ini merupakan masakan lokal
yang berasal lebih dari 2.000 tahun
lalu. Mi adalah makanan utama dalam
kuliner Zhengzhou dan mi rebus
Henan yang memiliki sejarah
sepanjang 1.300 tahun, adalah variasi
terbaik untuk dicoba.
Many believe that no visit to Xi’an, or even
China, is complete without a visit to the
Terracotta Army. Constructed to accompany the
tomb of China’s First Emperor as an afterlife
guard, the Terracotta Army is considered one
of the greatest archaeological sites in the world.
In the early spring of 1974, a number of farmers
discovered some ancient bronze weapons and pieces
89
of broken terracotta-armoured warriors while
digging a well at the northern foot of Mt Lishan,
35km from Xi’an. This great discovery initiated
the recovery of the magnificent tomb of troops
that had been buried for more than 2,000 years.
The Museum of the Terracotta Army of Qin
Shi Huang was built over the three excavated
T-shaped pits filled with terracotta figures and
has become a popular tourist attraction. Around
2,000 terracotta figures have been restored and
are exhibited in the museum.