Xi'an Nights

Night time really is the best time to see Xi'an. Everything is lit in colored lights, the smells from woks and hot pots fill the air, and the streets seem less crowded. Here are just a few of the highlights from the past several weekend nights in the city.

BIG WILD GOOSE PAGODA LIGHT & FOUNTAIN SHOW

Probably the most romantic spot in Xi'an is Da Yan Ta (the Big Wild Goose Pagoda). It's grounds have a fountain show three times a day. The fountains are choreographed to traditional chinese music that plays from loudspeakers all over the park. The after dark show is lit up with many colored lights.

Colored trees line the fountains. You can see the pagoda lit in the background.

XI'AN CATHOLIC CHURCH

By far the oldest structure of European influence in the city, Xi'an's catholic church looks like it belongs in in medieval Portugal rather than China. The church has a dedicated following of chinese catholics, however the community is a small one. It also attracts an interesting mix of expats. When I visited the church I encountered mainly Scandinavians. The church is very beautiful, unfortunately my pictures are not. 

JUPITER?

This definitely makes my top five strangest experiences in China. After a nice dinner of Korean BBQ I stumbled upon a small crowd on the sidewalk. In the middle of the crowd was what looked like anti-aircraft cannon shining a green laser into the sky. It turned out it was a giant telescope mounted on the back of a tricycle. The tricycle owner was charging 10RMB for a look through his telescope.

Unbelievable. Simply unbelievable.

I had recently taken Solar System Astronomy in college so I figured I'd see what his telescope could do. It turned out the guy's telescope was very good. He used the laser to calibrate the telescope lens at Jupiter. Despite the light and air pollution of Xi'an, I was able to see four of Jupiter's moons and make out the stripes on Jupiter's surface. $1.50 can't get me a close up of Jupiter on any sidewalk I've ever been on in America.