Sichuan Country
From Xi'an to Wuhan
26.09.2007
This morning we went to the Muslim Quarter in inner city Xi'an. We arrived just as the stalls were opening, so there weren't too many people around. We visited the Great Mosque in the middle of the shopping stalls; it was very serene in there, compared to the outside. The mosque itself was closed to the public, so we looked around the gardens and markets.
I am particularly impressed with Xi'an's city wall. It is over 600 years old and in great nick. High and very wide, it is what I had expect the Great Wall to be (instead, the Great Wall is more like the Great Flight Of Stairs). Apparently, the bricks were fired for many months.
Later, we boarded a domestic flight to Wuhan. I had expected Wuhan to be just a passing-through town between the airport and the Yangtze River boat, but it is actually quite a lovely agricultural town; fish, lotus, citrus and rice are grown here. It is the sort of rural China I was hoping to experience. Also, I am glad to be here because this is Sichuan country and I love the stuff they make.