Known as Bell Tower, this building marks the center point of the city Xi'an

The Wildgoose Pagoda at night

Xi'an is famous for Emperor Qin's grave, protected by the infamous Terracotta Army

Xi'an is surrounded by mountains. Climbing them is a popular sport

A muslim is kneading tang, a popular sweet sold at the Muslim quarter

Large places around Xi'an look the same. This is facing West

A small temple at the top of a mountain

A laborer is working hard to make paper as invented by Cao Lun in 2.000 B.C.

A girl fully dressed in traditional makeup and garment of a Shaanxi opera

People in Xi'an get old, but they never lose vitality

A muslim proudly presents his crusty pancake known as nang

Xi'an has but few insects in the city. This one is particularly active, though

An actor is being prepared for the stage and has traditional paint applied

Monks praying at the Wildgoose Pagoda

Known as one of the most dangerous mountains to climb, Mount Hua peaks at over 2.150 meters height

The drum tower near the Bell Tower marks the start of the Muslim food street

A man is practicing the flute while hiding from the sun under a bridge

This used to be the entrance of a private house. Now it is open to everyone as a museum

Aa a modern tourist attraction in Xi'an, West Tang City covers themed stores and restaurants all around the Silk Road

Carefully applying face paint

Calligraphy is especially popular along the inner South part of the city wall

Coffee shops are expensive, but sometimes the only quiet place nearby

This girl wears a full-bodied dress with rabbit ears... and leopard pattern. As long as it keeps warm

In Buddhism you may not "look down" on your god so photos are often prohibited. This angle hopefully expresses enough respect

An aerial shot from Xi'an in the Yanta district

Preparations are made for the evening's opera show

The view from my apartment