The city of Xian is wonderful and huge, with many very impressive parks in terms of size and flora - I can't say it enough: everything is clean here. There are so many workers who keep the streets and surroundings clean by hand, and I haven't heard a single leaf blower during my travels.

Travelling in China has been an extraordinary experience - I often get asked “How is China?” and it is not possible to summarise it in one sentence, as the country itself is so vast and every single day was such a different experience from the last. But I will try: My stay has been somewhere in between absolutely fascinating, phenomenal, awe-inspiring, and extremely shocking, disgusting and alarming - this might be the best, and on-point, summary I have.

The Terra-Cotta-Armee, the Great Wall, the Zhangianjie National Park and the Door to Heaven have definitely left the most impressive marks and delightful memories on me. Those places are one-of-a-kind, and the Forbidden City, with a small park behind it, which offers the best panoramic views over Beijing, especially at sunset. I met so many kind people, and many just came to say hello and take a picture with me. Some days I was spat on for having redish hair, sun-kissed skin, and freckles, which a young girl later explained to me (it only happened in one smaller city, so lucky me). I walked past shops that displayed buckets of instinctive sea creatures for dinner and markets that displayed half-grown chicks and split-open lamb heads to spoon out the brains, which are a delicacy. Some days, I wouldn’t meet a single English-speaking person, but kindness that didn't need a shared language. I shared food with strangers and was invited to walk and work out with local women as the sun set. I witnessed the most amazing light shows and ate the hottest dish of my life. I spent about 6 weeks travelling from Beijing towards Hong Kong, where I spent another 2 weeks. And this might be the right time to say it: Hong Kong is not China! Hong Kong has an almost Western feel, and by walking just one street, you're likely to run into each nationality on earth, but more about that another time.

In China, I spent most days walking, taking buses and fast trains, and an overnight sleeper train that took over 24 hours, which I didn't know before arriving at my destination.

The Terra Cotta Army might be the most visited spot by locals, and it sweeps me off my feet just thinking about it. It was found by accident in 1974, while 3 young men, Mr Yang Zhifa, brother and a neighbour,were drilling a well.

Only about a fifth of the 8000 unique lifesized figures are exposed and preserved due to the difficulty of preserving their colour. The Museum was extremely crowded, and it was fascinating to witness the over 2270-year-old Emperor Qin Shi Huang Mausoleum Site and a pleasure to shake hands with Mr Zhifa. And to meet “The Only One,” the only figure that has been preserved whole, without a single missing piece.

Last update in March 2026