Xi'an, PRC
An overview of this central china cityDescription: Xi'an is one of the few big inland cities in China. Being away from the east coast meant it was more free from the changes of the cultural revolution during the 1970's and has recently weathered the changes of capitalism for the better. The city is famous for it's surviving historical buildings. These consist of it's extensive city walls, the Bell Tower that stands at the center of the city, the Drum Tower that stands nearby, the muslim district that has survived for centuries, and some outlying attractions like the two pagodas that housed Buddhist scripture and the terracotta warriors. Although it once stood as equal with ancient cities like Rome and Constantinople, it doesn't quite have the same feeling of past grandeur.
(some more pictures of Xi'an)
Weather: The winter is fairly mild for chinese standards, but still generally miserable. The summers are hot but dry, with the high around 40 celsius. In the Fall, the plains to the north dry out due to lack of rain and deforestation, and dust storms are common in Xi'an. This is usually in October. The Spring and Fall are reported to be so short that they're nearly non-existent. Around March or April the leaves come out on the trees lining most streets in the city, and the green is a wonderful contrast to the grey of winter.
Food: While not having a dominant regional cuisine, Xi'an has a lot of options. It's muslim restaurants serve food you wouldn't find elsewhere in China. You'll notice the muslim, or Hui minority, by their white hats. There's also a lot of good bread to be found in the muslim district and elsewhere. Again, this is uncharacteristic for China. There are lots of places to find northern foods like dumplings along with spicier southern foods from Sichuan as well. Xi'an is in noodle country, as opposed to rice, and the buckwheat noodles are wonderful. Street food such as a kind of flaky pastry pocket with a fried egg as well as pineapple on a stick are popular. Most street food costs between 1 and 1.5 yuan (12-18 cents, US), mostly changing due to the wealth of the neighborhood you're buying it in.
Feel of the city: People in Xi'an are generally friendlier than the rest of China. Buildings were either built in the last 10 years or were spared for the past few hundred years, for some reason, and continue to survive with small patches of grass and moss growing through the roof tiles. With the number of people eating on the streets and sidewalk restaurants, you get the feeling that few people cook at home. The main boulevards are wide and most roads are lined with Locust trees. Several massive shopping centers have sprung up near the city center and more and more universities are establishing themselves in the suburbs. The city walls define a kind of city center, but that's not to say that slums don't exist within in the city walls. The air pollution can get make it hard to see to the end of the next block in the dead of winter and end of summer, but there are still clear blue days here and there.
