Huaqing Hotsprings

XI'AN, which means western peace in Chinese, is now one of China's 10 largest cities. As the capital of the Shaanxi province, it bustles with a population of 7.5 million, endless rows of shopping malls and traffic jams much like those in Kuala Lumpur on a rainy Tuesday evening.

However, this ancient capital of China retains its charm with an interesting mix of old and new.

Called Chang'an (meaning perpetual peace) in the old days, it was once the starting point of the famous Silk Road and an international metropolis comparable with the city of Rome at that time.

The Silk Road was an interconnected series of routes through southern Asia used by traders plying their goods -- among them silk -- from Chang'an in China to as far as Europe.

The name "Silk Road" was actually a translation from the German word "Seidenstrasse", which was first used by German geographer Ferdinand von Richthofen in the 19th century.

As the starting point of the Silk Road, Chang'an prospered culturally and economically. With so many different nationalities trading and some eventually settling down in the city, Chang'an had played host to numerous foreign envoys and established diplomatic ties with many countries.

Though the Silk Road era was over 2,000 years ago, Xi'an still retains its ancient reputation as a truly international city.

This largest and most developed city in the northwestern part of China is also home to some 1.5 million Muslims, about 20% of its population, who are of Hui descent.

Xi'an has a Muslim Quarter -- the equivalent of other cities' Chinatown. The Quarter is a maze of narrow streets lined with shops and stalls selling everything from snacks and clothes to trinkets.

Though the city is crowded, like many major cities in China such as Shanghai and Beijing, it's rather peaceful and a place you feel safe venturing out on your own.

My friends and I were given free taxi rides while trying to get to two different bookstores. The first taxi driver kindly told us that the place was within walking distance -- 20 minutes to be exact -- and taking a taxi would be wasteful (in her words).

The second cabbie suggested we took a bus and ferried us to the nearest bus stop which was about 10 minutes away.

And no, they didn't know we were from the media and our accents would have told them we were not locals. No charges at all for our ignorance. But you can imagine what are the chances of this happening if we were in KL.

Without a doubt, the Terracotta Army Museum is the highlight of every tour to Xi'an. But the city also boasts of other places that are definitely worth a visit.

The Big Wild Goose Pagoda

The Big Wild Goose Pagoda is located in the southern part of the city, sharing the grounds with the Temple of Great Maternal Grace.

First built in 652AD, the seven-storey pagoda stands 64m tall, offering a great view of Xi'an from its top.

This pagoda is famous for the Buddhist sutras and scriptures brought back by the legendary Chinese monk Xuanzang in 645 after a 17-year pilgrimage to India.

Xuanzang also took on the arduous task of translating the Indian Buddhist texts to Chinese, and was credited with writing or compiling a well-known commentary (the Cheng Weishi Lun) on these texts.

So famous was Xuanzang's journey that legends grew around it and even inspired the Ming novel Journey to the West (with the Monkey God as one of the characters), a great classic in Chinese literature.

Next to the pagoda is the Temple of Great Maternal Grace (Da Ci'en) which was originally build in 589AD. It was rebuilt in 647 by Li Zhi (who became the Tang Dynasty's Emperor Tang Gaozong in 649) in memory of his late mother, Empress Wende.

A huge statue of Xuanzang now stands in front of the complex.

Huaqing Hotsprings

The Hot Springs Palace (also known as the Winter Palace) has several sites with interesting names such as the Nine-Dragon Pool, Lotus Flower Pool, Crabapple Pool and the Hall of Fluttering Frost.

These are actually bathing pools of the Chinese emperors, their concubines and high-ranking officials.

Step into its narrow entrance and you'll be greeted by a voluptuous statue of the famed Yang Guifei (aka Lady Yang -- one of China's four great beauties) in a big pool where the water is glassy green with a temperature of up to 43°C.

The water contains lime, sodium carbonate, sodium sulphate and other minerals, and is said to be the remedy for diseases such as dermatitis, rheumatism, arthritis and muscular pain.

Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty loved to spend winter here in the company of Yang Guifei, his favourite concubine, in the Hall of Fluttering Frost. The hall gained its name from its surroundings which was constantly shrouded in mist rising from the pool.

According to historical records, the Lotus Flower Pool and the Crabapple Pool were specially built by the order of Emperor Xuanzong for his beloved.

There's a small area where visitors can experience a delightful splash of the hot spring at a cost of one yuan (less than 50 sen). The warm stream of water felt so good I wished I could soak in the pool. After all, the temperature then was hovering at a breezy 16°C.

The Ming Walls

First constructed during the Tang Dynasty for security and defence purposes, the wall is said to be the most complete city wall that has survived in China. It has been destroyed, rebuilt and repaired many times over several hundred years.

Covering a distance of 13.7km, it has four gates -- Changle (eternal joy) in the east, Anding (harmonious peace) in the west, Yongning (eternal peace) in the south, and Anyuan (forever harmonious) in the north.

The south gate, Yongning, is the most important one. It is only opened for important ceremonies held for foreign dignitaries. The Malaysian delegation, led by Transport Minister Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy, was accorded the honour of a grand welcome at the gate accompanied by spectacular drum and dance performances.

At 12m tall and about 18m thick, the gate has a deep moat surrounding it. The Shaanxi provincial government has added a park circling the wall, making it a popular place for city dwellers and their children to relax and browse through the numerous small stalls selling various goods.

Grand Mosque of Xi'an

The Muslim Quarter in the city of Xi'an is also home to the magnificent 1,250-year-old Great Mosque of Xi'an. The mosque sits in the centre of the Quarter and is unlike any mosque we have in Malaysia.

Malaysians are accustomed to mosques with Moorish designs (dome, minarets and all) but the Great Mosque looks like an old Chinese mansion, complete with pavilions, pagodas and courtyards -- not a dome or minaret in sight.

Called Daqingzhen Si in Mandarin, it is one of the largest mosques in China, covering 13,000sq m and divided into four courtyards.

According to records, the mosque was built in 742AD during the Tang Dynasty. It has undergone renovations and expansion during the Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties.

Walk through the wooden archway and you will be greeted by a long straight path lined with rooms on both sides. Pagoda-like structures stand in the middle of the path and at the end of it, is the prayer hall. Its serene atmosphere offers visitors a much-needed respite after a long day of touring.

Although the courtyard is open to the public, the prayer hall is restricted to Muslims only. It has to be one of the most beautiful mosques I've ever visited.

New breed of Chinese

One person who stood out throughout the Malaysian media four-day visit to Xi'an was Zhang Yun, the 25-year-old Chinese translator for all official functions and press conferences.

Zhang (right) is a good example of the new generation of Chinese with global appeal. Speaking English and Mandarin flawlessly, her duty was to provide the Chinese translation for English speeches, comments and answers made by the Malaysian delegates comprising Malaysia Airlines officials and Transport Minister Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy to the Chinese audience.

On numerous occasions, many of us, including members of the Malaysian Chinese media, agreed that she did such a good job at the translation that her version was better phrased and more beautifully expressed than the original!

So it came as a surprise when I found out that this friendly native of Xi'an is actually a graduate of Computer Studies from the city's Northwestern Polytechnic University. In fact, she's a second-year candidate for a doctorate in the field.

Although a computer expert, Zhang's other passion is communications, especially in the field of broadcasting. So, while working for her doctorate, she's also freelancing for the Shaanxi TV station's international department.

Zhang is no stranger to foreigners. This capable young woman had taken part in a United Nations-sponsored youth programme in 2002, working with students in New York. That explains her poise and confidence.

The writer went to Xi'an on Malaysia Airlines' inaugural flight from Kuala Lumpur to the city.