Xi'an is a conduit to a wealth of ancient wisdom

Upon arriving in Xi'an and watching through the windows of my taxi, I was instantly immersed in the culture of the city and the festive spirit of Lunar New Year. It was astonishing to me how Xi'an had developed into such a thriving modern city, while also preserving so many elements of its ancient past and, due to it being Chinese New Year, how it had combined those pieces of the past with decorative elements of the present. The clearest indicator of this hybrid of the past and present was the old city wall that still encircled the downtown district of the city. These walls were built under the rule of the Hongwu Emperor in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), back in the late 14th century, and still stand proudly today. In celebration of Lunar New Year, the top of the wall was adorned with massive lanterns of all shapes and sizes. There were lanterns of the zodiac animals (with an emphasis on the rabbit of course), traditional Chinese instruments, plants, and mythical creatures; a truly anachronistic, majestic menagerie. Walking atop the ramparts of the city wall amid towering lanterns, while fireworks decorated the horizon, is a moment I will cherish for the rest of my life and it made me very excited for my big adventure the next day, the Terracotta Warriors.