The Bizarre of Xian and Beijing

Join us, Tressa and Zarko, two active travelers in our 60s, as we conclude our 22-day, 11-city adventure across China! In this series finale, we journey by bullet train from Chengdu into the ancient fortress city of Xi'an. We walk the imposing Ming Dynasty wall, a brilliant military trap designed to catch invading armies like turtles in a jar. Then, we come face-to-face with the legendary Terracotta Army, discovering the dark history of the laborers forced to build an underground empire for a paranoid emperor. After a stop in the vibrant 1,300-year-old Muslim Quarter for some incredible hand-torn bread and lamb broth, we head to our final destination: Beijing. We share why we deliberately skipped the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square to explore the real life of Beijing's hutongs, where 15 families share a single courtyard and public toilet. We also explain the insane lottery system 21 million Beijing residents must navigate just to get a license plate and drive. Finally, we end our journey at the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall, reflecting on the millions of lives lost to build a defense system held together by sticky rice. A huge thank you to Chinatours.com for sponsoring this series and customizing our incredible route! Check the link below to start planning your own adventure. #ChinaTravel #Beijing #Hutongs #GreatWallOfChina #TerracottaArmy #Chinatours #BZTravel #Xian