After spending a few nights in Xi’an, it quickly became my favorite city. It definitely ranks amongst my top 10 international cities. At first, I really had no idea why. I loved the clash between the old world charm of the city with its preserved city wall and its flashy malls, selling everything from watches to diamonds.
As an American, I had this image of Xi’an as a Chinese version of a Midwestern city, as it is located inland. I imagined the people reading about politics in America, and then declaring their support for Rick Perry. This image of Xi’an that I had in my head lulled me into a false sense and then surprised me with another layer I was not expecting. During my visit to Xi’an, my hotel was next to the Muslim District, so my friends and I frequently visited there. This contributed more to the historical and conservative feel that Xi’an had. On my last night there, I had enough of the Muslim District and decided that I’d go west of the Bell Tower and explore that part of the city. What I found shocked me and shook up what I had thought of Xi’an. The first thing I saw was a transvestite performing (I’m really not sure what word to use here. The only thing she really was doing was walking around and shouting out stuff about moms and something about 25 minutes), with an enormous crowd surrounding her. She would shout out something and then the crowd would laugh. The only other person that was as much a spectacle as her was I. I saw many people take a picture of her, then point their camera to me and take a picture. After 20 minutes of struggling to understand and laughing at her kicks and jumps, I moved on. The next thing I saw was a tattoo van, and when I looked inside, someone was getting tattooed. The tattoo artist saw me and shooed me away. When I passed by again after my walk, the van had left. After turning south from the main road, I passed by a brothel. I could tell because it was 4 girls sitting on a couch with stairs behind them. I lost count of the amount of gay couples I saw (and these weren’t just ‘oh are they maybe a couple? They look so cute!’, it was ‘what the hell? These guys are kissing each other in public and I don’t even see that in Beijing!’). Whatever concept I had of Xi’an being like Oklahoma City went out the window.
Additionally, Xi’an’s close location to the Terracotta Warriors and its preserved city wall (the only city wall in China!) originally cultivated a feel that Xi’an was a city stuck in time. Despite this, it has all the makings of a modern Chinese city. There are huge flashy shopping malls with American brands and white people modeling Chinese brand clothes. There are Dunkin’ Donuts, Baskin Robbins, and McDonalds. Black Audis driven by local party officials purred next to rickshaws. People are herded away over bridges and underpasses that clearly show that the city favors cars over pedestrians.
I think one of the things that I like about Xi’an is that it has layers like my sister. The original image that people have of it is peeled away to show a completely different person. My sister, this tall blonde girl whom many tell should be on America’s Next Top Model (this is sort of a lie. I’m the only one who tells her that), may come across as just another perky blonde. To be honest, if she wasn’t my sister and I saw her at a college party, I’d just assume she left her Delta Gamma sweatshirt home and avoid her. However, for those who know her, she’s really not like that at all. She’s crazy and fun and isn’t self-conscious. And even though she’s deaf, she doesn’t let that stop her from making new friends and having fun. Also, I know she would love all the Muslim food I ate, and when I was touring the Terracotta Warriors, I found myself wishing she were with me.
I absolutely love Xi’an and its people. The first night, I went out exploring with a couple of friends. They wanted to go back to the hotel, but I wanted to blaze ahead. After an hour or so, I decided it was time to turn back for dinner. I was walking down an alley named 大学习巷 and all of a sudden, I heard a strange wail. The street was busy with restaurants, street food, and rickshaws, and no one seemed to notice it. It happened again and I suddenly realized: I was in the Muslim Quarter and this was the call to prayer. I thought it was absolutely bizarre that I was this American in a Chinese street listening to this Islamic call to prayer. It was also that moment that I decided that I really did love Xi’an.
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This post is dedicated to my sister, Tory, who I miss very much!
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