China is a fascinating country, with centuries of rich history and culture, and vast landscapes of grasslands, deserts, mountain ranges, lakes, and rivers.
It can be quite the culture shock for a first-time visitor. At some point during your visit, you’ll have to deal with smog, chopsticks, and government bureaucracy—but you will be blown away at their preserved culture, authentic cuisine and traditions, like theater, they still practice today.
Visiting China was one of my more memorable trips to date!
I traveled through the Shaanxi region in October, which happens to be off-season, so I didn’t come across as many tourists as expected and the weather was nice and cool. I found the locals to be friendly, accommodating, and quite curious as to what a tall, blonde girl was doing roaming the streets of their remote cities!
Shaanxi is also home to the Terracotta Army, a collection of terracotta warriors and horses sculpted to depict the armies of Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of China. It was such an overwhelming sight to see, and something that I got to (excitedly) check off my bucket list.
With activities from visiting the Muslim Street market, to riding bikes through Xi’an, to hiking the deadliest trail in the world…
