Garuda Indonesia Colours Magazine October 2019 | Page 70

Travel / Xi’an
/ ON THE MAP
Home to 13 imperial dynasties, Xian’s rich history can be
traced back to the city’s location at the eastern end of the
Silk Road, yet today we know it as home to China’s first
emperor’s life-size Terracotta Army.
Inside the old walled city of
Xi’an, amid a nest of ancient
alleys, an Islamic call to prayer
rings out. In most Chinese cities
this sound would be sending a
message to a small community
of Muslims.
But not here in Xi’an, which boasts the biggest
Islamic community in central China – a historic
neighbourhood home to more than 50,000 Hui
Muslims. Located alongside the city’s iconic Bell
Tower, the neighbourhood of Huimin Jie has for
centuries been home to the Hui people, who came
here from the far northwest of China.
Xi’an is renowned for the Terracotta Army
Museum, its massive city walls, the monumental
14 th century Drum Tower and Bell Tower, the
1,400-year-old Giant Wild Goose Pagoda, and its
proximity to the spectacular Mount Huashan. All of
these sites attract droves of visitors. Meanwhile,
Huimin Jie has become an increasingly popular
tourist destination thanks to its ancient appearance,
lively street markets, tasty halal food, and historic
mosques, including the Great Mosque of Xi’an.
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 uimin Jie has become an increasingly
H
popular tourist destination thanks to its
ancient appearance, lively street markets,
tasty halal food, and historic mosques.