If you have not been to Xian, you have not been to China. Often called the birthplace of Chinese civilisation, Xianyang, just north of modern Xian, was the capital of the 2,000-year-old Qin dynasty the first dynasty to unite China under Qin Shi Huangdi, its first emperor. The Qin (pronounced Chin) consolidated the warring states and steered the country towards economic growth. In fact, China got its name Chin from Qin.
For 1,000 years, the city was the capital for 13 dynasties, the most for any city, and was ruled by a total of 73 emperors. With so much history within the boundaries of the city, Xian is regarded as one of the most cultured cities of the world with historical ruins, museums and traditional relics. But most importantly it influenced the world outside of the Great Wall and the creations of the eastern terminus of the Silk Road. This is where trade and religions came into China, and this is where the Silk Road expedition formally took off.
The first city in China with more than a million inhabitants, it benefitted from the Silk Road trade and migration of merchants and the like. To keep invaders at bay, they constructed an 11km wall and moat around the city that still stands strong today.
This is the second-part of a series on the Silk Road as Eos follows a group of Pakistanis and American-Pakistanis as they traverse the historic route. The second article deals with the groups journey to Xian City.
We entered the city through one of the 13 gates through the 12-metre-high City Wall, says KM Ali. The wall protected the city which was open to many Silk Road journeys. It was in fact, one of the most impressive military defence systems in the world.
The historically signifi cant Great Mosque is the largest in Xian. It is built with classic Chinese architecture and is adorned with dragons throughout, a symbol of the emperor
Now, the wall stands between modern Xian with skyscrapers and highways, while the old city centre houses the traditional landmarks such as the Muslim Quarter and Bell and Drum Towers.
Xian is also the first city in China to be introduced to Islam. Although it is not a Muslim-dominated city, it has profoundly been influenced by Islamic culture. At the citys Muslim Quarter, as one traverses Muslim Street, a socio-cultural shift in terms of food, clothing and language becomes apparent. Spicy mutton kebabs on coal-fired grills, piles of walnuts and freshly-squeezed pomegranate juice are just a few of the knick-knacks. Thank God for no fried bugs! shares Yasmin Ali, part of the group travelling along the Silk Route.
Xian is also the first city in China to be introduced to Islam. Although it is not a Muslim-dominated city, it has profoundly been influenced by Islamic culture. At the citys Muslim Quarter, as one traverses Muslim Street, a socio-cultural shift in terms of food, clothing and language becomes apparent.
Along the city walls, narrow lanes barely a metre wide open to a large area housing the 130,000-square-foot Xian Grand Mosque. This 1,300-year-old mosque was built with the blessings of Emperor Qin to invite and retain Muslim traders and skilled workers.
The architecture is a mixture of Chinese and Muslim symbolism. The Quran was carved in wooden panels in both Arabic and Chinese, Babar Ali tells Eos.
Chinese dragons and other animal imagery are incorporated in the building structures. It is interesting that Chinese Muslims, while maintaining their religious identity, have over the millennia adopted Chinese traditional motifs in their places of worship, points out Amjad Hussain, part of the team.
Straight out of Rob Cohens The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, Xians Terracotta warriors offer you a visual journey into Chinas war history.
About an hour outside of Xian, some farmers discovered pottery pieces as they were digging for a well in 1974. It was a complete army with foot soldiers, archers, officers, cavalry and chariots. The entire terracotta army was buried below the surface and covered with roofs of wooden beams and earth. That is where they waited for 22 centuries until their accidental discovery.
Xians Terracotta Army turned out to be one of the finds of the century as archaeologists discovered three massive pits of warriors. The life-size soldiers, bigger than an average Chinese man, along with horses and archers are created from clay, applied with ceramic coating and then baked. They are positioned together ready to fight in the emperors afterlife, Mahera Omar from the team explains.
The city, in the context of its combative past, has an obscure feel to it. Surrounded by the city walls, in the presence of the terracotta army, it reminds its visitors of Chinas reclusive nature towards the outside world. Sheltered and aloof, Xian captures Chinas past, present and its future.
Source: Dawn
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