Heading westward, we spent a week exploring the wonders of Xi’an, home of the Terracotta army, and Chengdu, the heart of Sichuan province. Since we missed it our first time around in China, Jennifer insisted that we tour one of China’s most popular attractions in Xi’an: nearly 9,000 life-sized, stone statues depicting the armies of China’s first Emperor, Qin Shi Huang. Despite a lot of hype and anticipation around what is often considered the “8th Wonder of the World”, we found both the site and Xi’an a little overrated. Fortunately, our next stop in Chengdu was a great place for us to slow down and get a taste of China’s world-famous, spicy Sichuan cuisine!

The Bell Tower of Xi’an, built during the Ming dynasty, still stands at the heart of the old city

This horse carriage statue that was part of the inspiration behind the movie The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor

Spending a lazy afternoon roaming around Wenshu Temple in Chengdu