"Open your eyes..............here 's Xi'an!" (Xi'an)

Member Name: Ben Carter

Product:	Xi'an
Date:	23/07/01 (122 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Real, Eye Opener

Disadvantages: Development

As travels continued within China, high on most tour itinery's is the Famous "Royal" city of Xi'an. As the countries captial back in one of the Dynasties that blends into all others, Xi'an has jumped on this accolade and is bidding to become on of China's largest tourist attractions and draws to tourists.

While being able to boast a number of major attractions namely the Terracota Warriors, the real beauty of Xi'an is in fact the way that the desire of development is meet with traditional everyday life, as lived by the vast cities population.

Xi'an has much to offer, with a large Muslim population, parts of the city really do offer the most amazing clashes in culture, creating by definition outstanding asthetics and incredable "aroma's".

Xi'an is one of these conibations that is loosing out to the inevitable roll of global investment for tourism purposes, and for these reasons some of the beauty and charm will be soaked up and lost forever. You can't blame the Chinese for looking to create a vast stable economy, by investing and exploiting quick "cash " wins ,and for travellers and people like you and me it is easy to complain about defamation of these unsploit cities and towns, yet these areas are quick drying up and dying out.

Xi'an is a nice example of a traditional Chinese city, with examples of it's past in abundance i.e. The Great City Wall and lashings of pagodas, stalls everywhere and the blend and clash of differing cultures. The fear is, with plane loads of tourists flying out there, especially to view the prodiguous Warriors, the town will inevitablely bow to the great wheel of capatilsm and we shall start to see the "Marriots and McDonalds" pop up. "Unavoidable?!?!" you say........ perhaps - my suggestion would be to get along into China to observe for yourself the experiences and sights it offers in abundance before it's
Big Macs all round..........!!!!

Summary: