Day 18: The Ancient Walls of Xi'an and the Whispers of the Terracotta Army 🇨🇳🏺 March 9, 2026 Today, we swapped the imperial grandeur of Beijing for the deep antiquity of Xi'an — the city that was once the starting point of the Great Silk Road. The main goal, of course, was the Terracotta Army. Standing in front of these giant excavations and looking at thousands of clay warriors is an experience that literally takes your breath away. What strikes you is that every single soldier has unique facial features: from the shape of their cheekbones to the expression in their eyes. I spent over an hour at the first pit, trying to make out the fine details of the armor and the remnants of the original paint, miraculously preserved on some figures. Time seems to stand still there. Towards the evening, a completely different, yet equally exciting adventure awaited me — a walk along the ancient city wall of Xi'an. It's one of the few fully preserved ancient city walls in China, and it is so wide that you can freely ride a bicycle on it! I rented an old, slightly creaky bike and set off at sunset. During one of the stops near a watchtower decorated with red lanterns, I struck up a conversation (as much as the language barrier and active hand gestures allowed) with a local grandpa who was flying a complex kite shaped like a traditional dragon. Due to sharp gusts of wind, the kite kept trying to fall, and together, laughing, we tried to hold the reel and catch the right air current. When the dragon finally soared confidently high into the darkening sky above the old city lighting its evening lights, it became the perfect end to the day — a moment of absolute freedom and an unexpected friendly connection with this amazing place.