The stone library

My wife rejoices because the Chinese medicine (TCM) that I often dismissed has worked. No more fever and my cough has improved significantly. I feel fit, and so we head to the Xi'an city wall first. The wall we are visiting today dates back to the 14th century from the Ming dynasty. It is the only completely preserved city wall in China, which allows you to walk all the way around the city center along the wall. It is 12 meters high and equally wide at the top. I had actually planned to walk around it completely, which is about 14 kilometers, but I quickly abandon that plan because, despite the early morning hours, the sun is beating down on us strongly, and there is virtually no shade on the wall. So we walk westward from the South Gate, then back, and a bit further east. The width of the wall is impressive, and the South Gate resembles its own fortification. The dimensions actually do not allow for the term “wall” but rather “structure.” In addition to a post station, there is also a bicycle rental on the wall, so you can ride a bike around. The watchtowers are mostly souvenir shops. The descent at Wenchang Gate brings us right in front of the Beilin Stele Museum. A collection of inscribed steles accumulated over decades, which serve as important historical and literary sources. The museum is a park-like area with several pavilions. I find the countless Confucian texts interesting. Other steles tell family stories or list names for offices. At the back, you come to a huge new building where steles are displayed over several floors and explained interactively. How vividly Chinese history is depicted on these steles is illustrated by a stone-carved letter from Yan Zhenqing to Minister Guo Yingyi from the year 764, in which he complains about the incorrect seating arrangement for the eunuch Yu Chao'en. Daily politics and power struggles in ancient China. Curiously, the letter was written on the back of the stele that describes the lives of monks. The development and origins of Chinese writing are also vividly discussed in the museum, and an interactive section invites children to learn. We cannot manage to see all the exhibition rooms, but we do visit the special exhibition of the six reliefs of horses from the Zhaoling Mausoleum, which we also want to see. Horses played a special role during the Tang dynasty; their military use contributed to the dynasty's longevity and dominance. The precise representation of horses from this period is therefore particularly emphasized. After the cool museum, we return to the heat of the day and stroll towards the metro station. However, a great disappointment awaits me because the planned visit to the Shaanxi Historical Museum unfortunately has to be canceled. No tickets are available for the entire week. All reservations have been completely booked. It was one of my most important goals because the most significant archaeological relics are displayed there. Very frustrating; I was not aware that you had to reserve so far in advance. I read so much about this city, but this crucial information did not come across my screen. As if the city wants to say: “You have to come back a second time.”