By Claudia Ng

Y9’s and 10’s first camp overseas had given everyone a big surprise, with not only exciting programs waiting, but also letting students understand history. So is Xian really worth it?

The first day was exhausting, after landing, our tour guides took us to our accommodation at the Bell Tower Hotel. After a long wait, we were able to have 1 hour of freetime to unpack our belongings and settle into the new environment which would be our home for the next 5 days.

In the evening, we all went to a nearby popular indoor street for dinner.

On day 2, we visited the Hanyangling Museum to look at miniature stone warriors and animals, which had been buried more than 3000 years underground and had been found in 2001. Back then, Chinese emperors believed that the afterlife existed, and therefore making little warriors to bury, protect and cook for them was essential. It was quite interesting. There was even a workshop nearby so people could experience the digging process and how the artefacts were uncovered.

Next, the tour guide brought us to a place where visitors get to change into Han Dynasty clothing and participate in traditional Chinese games, such as chinese football, arrow shooting, and some throwing and aiming games.

The Muslim street is a very popular destination, with a lot of local foods found there like Roujiamo, which consists of marinated lamb stuffed in a freshly baked bun, or Yangrou Paomo, pita bread soaked in lamb stew. Students were given free time to walk around and explore the sites. At night, there was a fountain show which is known to be the largest fountain in the whole of Asia.

On day 3, students went to Mount Hua, a popular tourist attraction. It is so steep that a cable car is needed in order to go up.

Lunch time was spent on the north peak of Mount Hua, with an amazing view of the endless Qinling mountain range. Students and teachers spent the whole afternoon hiking around and exploring the natural environment.

On day 4, students finally got to visit the most famous tourist destination in Xian, the Terra-cotta Army of the former emperor of China, Qing Shi Huang. Archaeologists have found 3 pits containing more than 8000 soldiers in it. Though the fourth pit has nothing inside it, there are no traces regarding why that pit is empty, archaeologists decided to fill up the hole since it takes up space, and even now are still figuring out why it remained vacant. In the afternoon, students went to a workshop and had the chance to make their very own terra-cotta soldiers in the same way people had done for generations. The final place to visit for the day was the Guanzhong Folk Art Museum to watch a performance of Chinese folk art and experience the beauty of Xi’an culture.

On the last day, students went to the famous city wall, a wall that protected the city in pre-modern China. It was built for military defense in 1370 during the Ming Dynasty, and is a total of 39 feet tall and 46 feet wide to keep enemies and intruders out.

Everyone has a 20 minute free time to have a walk around the area and explore for the final time in this beautiful and culturally rich city.

In the afternoon, students and teachers arrived at the airport ready for departure all tired and worn out from such a busy and exciting week. However, although there were some exhausted faces, we were all happy inside from the various activities we experienced throughout the trip.

So, is Xi’an worth it? Well, it depends on the person. If you enjoy experiencing different cultures, eating interesting and delicious food, and spending time with friends in a unique location, then yes, it’s definitely worth it!