Northwest China
Xi'an
Everyone comes for the buried army, and they should. But Xi'an was the end of the Silk Road for eight hundred years, and that shows up in the kitchens more honestly than in any museum case.
The road ended here, and the food remembers it.
Days in Xi'an
-
Handmade Noodle Class in a Xi'an Family Home
One day, roughly 09:00 to 21:00
Market shopping, then hand-pulled noodles in a family kitchen, and the Silk Road food quarter after dark.
-
Terracotta Warrior Clay Workshop in Xi'an
One day, roughly 08:30 to 20:00
The excavation with a specialist, then a studio session shaping and firing your own figure with the artisans who supply the site.
Questions
Is the Terracotta Army worth the trip?
Yes, and it rewards a good guide more than most sites — the interesting material is why each face is different, which is not signposted.
What should I eat in Xi'an?
Wheat, in every form. Hand-pulled noodles, flatbread soaked in lamb broth, and the Hui quarter's stalls after dark.