Garuda Indonesia Colours Magazine October 2019 | Page 72

Travel / Xi’an
 riginally designed as military lookout points,
O
both the Drum and Bell Towers offer sprawling
views across the walled city.
mosques built in China’s Tang dynasty
(618–907 ce), during which Islam was
first introduced to China.
The architectural symbols of Xi’an
Both of these mosques sit just a short
walk from the most iconic buildings in
Xi’an, the Bell and Drum Towers. One
of my favourite things about Xi’an is
how easy it is to navigate on foot. In
cities like Beijing and Shanghai, most of
the attractions are spread out, requiring
you to take many taxi trips. Here in the
heart of the walled city of Xi’an,
though, I am able to quickly walk
between these mosques, the historic
towers and one of the city’s oldest
Taoist complexes, the 600-year-old
City God Temple.
70
From Daxuexi Mosque I walk through
several busy shopping streets, filled
with Hui street vendors selling halal
snacks, until I’m standing at the foot
of the Drum Tower. With its red façade,
green glazed tiles, and gold details,
this 36m-tall tower stands out like
a beacon in the middle of a busy traffic
roundabout. Originally designed as
military lookout points, both the Drum
and Bell Towers offer sprawling views
across the walled city. I join the
crowds of tourists in climbing
the stairs to the viewing platforms
of both towers.
Even more impressive, though, are the
vistas from the top of the city wall,
which is 14km in length and encloses
5
senses:
taste
Green Tea
E/ Refresh yourself
with the light, earthen
flavour of Chinese
green tea, which
is one of the most
popular drinks in Xi’an
and can be found in
almost any restaurant
or along any busy
street. Xi’an gets very
hot in summer so try
ice-cold green tea.
I/ Segarkan diri Anda
dengan cita rasa alami
teh hijau China, salah
satu minuman paling
populer di Xi’an dan
bisa dijumpai di hampir
semua restoran dan di
jalan-jalan kota yang
ramai. Nikmati teh hijau
dingin ini di tengah
panasnya musim
kemarau di Xi’an.
2
2
1