Xi’an. Modern City, city of the ancients, city of technology, science and education, city of a city wall, city of the Buddha’s finger, city of Emperors, city of conquest, city of contradiction.
An ancient city of culture without culture, a contemporary culture sublimating a culture, a city finding balance in a future culture. The bright lights of a night city pagoda’s entertainment mall, wide freeways and san lun ches (三轮车s). Warmth, hospitality, overpricing, free drinks, lao wai (老外), differences and not a few similarities. Simplicity, clarity, haziness and pollution. Sixty in a class, extra curricula classes, never enough classes, I like my classes, I like my classmates, I like my school, I like my country. My country likes me.
River people, widowed people, homeless people, newly-housed people, proud people, loud people, peaceful people, people of a time, people of a place. Xi’an’s people. Silent people, singing people, walled-in people, self-determined people, educated people, un-educated people, realistic people, hopeful people. Different people.
Free will, no will. Expansion, development, disrepair, has been repaired, still needs to be repaired. Newly built, not really built, needs to be rebuilt. Does matter, doesn’t matter. What matters? Food matters. This food, that food, what food, whose food? Our food. Have much, don’t have much, don’t want much, want what I haven’t got, got what I haven’t got. Warriors, borrowers, investors, debtors, jokers, jesters, trustees, trust hers, trust whose? Winning smiles, legs for miles, public trials and McDonalds selling freedom fries.
Working life, lived life, living life, life of the past, life of the present, I like life. Xi’an’s life. Xi’an’s people. Zhong Lou, Nan Da Jie, Xiao Zhai, Bai Hui, Gao Xin, Chang’ An Lu. Happy people, sad people, living people. Xi’an’s people. We are those people.
Tags: Xi'an
西安
nice one. it has and describes everything about xian and china-life.
that’s nice!..thanks for the good post this will help me to make my custom term papers
great article with a deep meaning about life here, thanks, i enjoyed it a lot,
anna
I read your article with great appreciation. You read Xian like a Xianese, a Xianese who lived it, left it, eventually returned to it…Xian is a very special place, a place one has to take time to comprehend it, feel it, love it…
Thank you 倾城. I enjoy living here in Xi’an and will hopefully slowly get more of a sense and an understanding of the place and the people. Enjoy. R
I shared the link to this article on my facebook, hope you don’t mind…It’s such a beautifully-written ode…speaks a lot about my city.
The face of the soldier is classic, I can’t help wondering: his thoughts must have been travelling through a few thousands years lonely!