Trip 2: Xi'an 1(Near the city walls)(August 28-September 2, 2009)

This is a record of my second trip to visit the 142 Key Temples of China. Links lead to articles on the temple (or other site) named.

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For my second trip, I was accompanied by my best buddy, travel companion, and wife, the amazing Lila. It was my second time in Xi'an, but the first was an in-and-out overnight business trip, so this was a real treat.

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Friday, August 28:
My wife Lila and I took this trip together. We flew to Xi'an in the morning (times unknown); on arrival we took the cheap (25rmb?) shuttle into town. There was a traffic jam in the north gate, so we got out of the bus and walked easily to our hotel. In the afternoon we went into the center of the city and saw the exteriors of the Bell and Drum Towers, etc. (3:20-5:50), and ate at Subway Sandwiches (which we did several times this trip).

• Stayed every night at Motel 168 on Qingnian Road, inside the walls near Xi'an's North Gate.

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Saturday, August 29:
To be honest, I have no recollection what we did in the morning and early afternoon; but after all, it wasn't really a "templing" day. (Lila recalls that we slept in.) Anyway, using local buses, by 4:00 we had reached the exterior of the large Shaanxi History Museum, which we discovered had reached its quota of visitors for the day. We then walked to the park surrounding Daci'en Temple and the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, where we hung out from 6:30-7:00. By 7:50 we were night-shooting back near the city center.

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Sunday, August 30:

Terracotta Warriors

By 11:05 we were at Xi'an Train Station, where we caught a bus to the Terracotta Warriors. We arrived at 12:30, had lunch at a KFC there, and shopped a little before approaching the main buildings (1:15-5:15). That evening we had dinner around 8:00 at an Indian restaurant near the Big Wild Goose Pagoda.

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Monday, August 31:

Guangren Temple

After another leisurely morning, we took a half-hour stroll along the north and west walls until we reached the Tibetan-style Guangren Temple (1:20-3:30; my #14). From there we walked down to "West Street" and took a bus to Wolong Temple (4:25-5:10; my #15). As the visit was short, I planned to return another day; nevertheless, I said my prayers then in case I couldn't get back.

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Tuesday, September 1:

Daci'en Temple

Starting a little earlier, we went to Daxingshan Temple (12:15-2:10; my #16), and had lunch in their temple restaurant. Finally, we went inside Daci'en Temple (3:45-6:00; my #17) where the Big Wild Goose Pagoda is located. Dinner was nearby, at the Small World Café.

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Wednesday, September 2:

Wolong Temple

Around 12:20 we went down to the South Gate area and looked at some of the shopping. Then Lila went to the Beilin (Stele Forest) Museum, while I returned to Wolong Temple (12:40-1:40). Afterward we took a wander in the Muslim Quarter. Picking up our bags at the hotel, we caught the airport bus, then flew home.