Choking in China (Xi'an)

Member Name: edie

Product:	Xi'an
Date:	22/01/01 (693 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: great past

Disadvantages: not so great present

Of all the cities I visited on my visit to China, Xian was by far the one I was most desperate to leave. Essentially this was no fault of the city itself. Admittedly the grim Soviet style of the architecture (that all seemed to be designed in different shades of grey) and the shanty towns that seemed to make up the majority of local housing; were a shock after the austere grandeur of Beijing and brash modernity of Shanghai.

But it would have been bearable - our hotel the Garden Terrace was first class, the Dim Sum banquet at a local restaurant was one of the best meals I've ever had and great value too, endless courses of exotic dumplings (snake, rabbit, shark, pigeon and a few more traditional meats) for less than £10. While more importantly Xian has a lot to offer a visitor. Locals refer to the city, somewhat grandly, as the grandmother of China compared to Beijing's mother. But with the Big and Little Wild Goose Pagoda, Ban Po Neolithic village, Huaging hot springs, impressive ancient city walls and of course the awe-inspiring Terracotta Warriors, Xian favourably compares with the capital for historic attractions.

But there was one overwhelming reason for my distaste with Xian- pollution.

I had heard from other travellers that the heavy industry had made Xian one of the most heavily polluted cities in China and I brought cough sweets as recommended. But really nothing prepared me for the choking smog, the pollution layer that I could literally see suspended over the city from the aeroplane window as we landed.

Being in the open air was no better, in fact it was about a million times worse. I have a strong stomach but the combination of methane stink-bomb and burning rubber that seems to be Xian's special aroma made it impossible to go outside for more than 5 minutes without feeling sick, keeping us virtual prisoners inside our hotel when we weren't on a trip. After Xian I could imagine what it must have been like living in
Victorian London, the word "pee-souper", perfectly describes the thick yellow-green haze that hung over the streets and reduced visibility to a dozen yards. While my over-the-counter cough sweets offered little protection and we left Xian with sore throats and red eyes.

I wouldn't want to put anyone off visiting Xian, which has a lot of sights worth seeing. But the pollution is a factor to bear in mind especially if you are asthmatic like my friend, who had a terrible time. Avoid the summer, when the humidity makes it even worse apparently, (we were there in December) or bring one of those paper face masks that the locals wear. You'll look stupid but it will definitely make the trip more bearable. After a few days in Xian, I wished I?d had one.

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