I have just arrived in Beijing and will go to see the Forbidden City in a moment, but before I do ...
Spent yesterday in Xi'an on the 'Eastern day trip' to see the Terracotta Army. It was amazing, so big, and so ancient. The site is enormous, with three pits full of warriors that have been partially excavated. They are all life-size, but they aren't too intimidating as you are looking down at them from a platform around the edge of each gigantic hall - the size of a basketball stadium or similar. Some of the pits that haven't yet been excavated are thought to contain chariots, and there are replica chariots at the associated museums to give an idea of the sheer scale of it all. It was very very cool (literally, too, each hall was colder than outside, so likely sub-zero!). On a grisly note, there are also the remains of many workers who were sealed inside on completion of the complex to ensure secrecy - a ploy which worked well as no-one knew anything about it all until a peasant farmer stumbled on it all when drilling a well in 1974. He was on site (well, we're told its him!) for us to meet, not a particularly happy looking chap, looked a bit as if he wished the whole thing would just go away, and wouldn't say hello or sign an autograph for less than Y5 ($1)!!
Also saw a pagoda, the tomb of the emperor which the Army guard - a couple of kilometres away, which gives some idea of the size of this complex, and many museums - there are incredible numbers of relics of pottery, bronzeware, glassware, silk, coins etc, and the ones from the Tang Dynasty (thought of as the "high point" of Chinese civilisation) are the most impressive for their craftsmanship and scale - of course, they would be grandious as the wares were used by the royal family not the everyday people.
Got the last train to Beijing at 9pm yesterday after a bit of souvenir shopping, and arrived at 11am this morning, so now its time for the Forbidden City ....
