美食、古跡、兵馬俑：一個外國人的西安之旅

Travelers eventually face the predicament of a destination that is utterly defined by one particular attraction — the Pyramids outside Cairo or the Taj Mahal in Agra, for example. The question is less “Should I see this attraction?” and more “How could I possibly not see this attraction?” But any lingering doubts I had about visiting the famed Terracotta Army, built by Emperor Qin Shihuang in the 3rd century B.C., soon dissipated when I entered the main excavation site. The life-size, chalky-gray warriors were meticulously detailed and demonstrated a stunning, almost overwhelming show of force — exactly, I’m sure, the impression the emperor wished to make.

旅行者們終究都要面對目的地被某個景點完全局限的尷尬處境——比如開羅城外的金字塔，阿格拉的泰姬陵。與其問“我是否要看這個景點?”，不如問“我怎么能不看這個景點?”但對于是否應該看看秦始皇在公元前三世紀建造的著名兵馬俑，我所有存留的疑慮都在走入主遺址的那刻消散了。這些真人大小的土灰色戰(zhàn)士有著細致的細節(jié)，展現(xiàn)出了一種令人震撼的、幾乎是壓倒性的力量——我敢肯定，這正是秦始皇希望給人留下的印象。

But Xian, the north-central Chinese city whose name means “western peace,” is much more than its collection of warriors. It’s one of the oldest cities in China: It has seen the likes of Marco Polo during his Silk Road journey, and been home to Buddhist sutras brought from India by Xuanzang, a monk whose journey inspired one of the greatest works of Chinese literature, “Journey to the West.” Xian was also one of the first Chinese cities introduced to Islam, and its Muslim Quarter, located in the city center, is now one of the city’s most thriving tourist areas. I had a fantastic time in the ancient city during a recent four-night excursion. It’s also one of the less expensive trips I’ve taken in the past year.

但是西安，這座名稱意為“西部安定”的中北部城市，卻不僅限于這座武士收藏。它是中國最古老的城市之一：它曾目睹馬可·波羅(Marco Polo)這樣的人走過絲綢之路，還一直存放著僧人玄奘從印度帶回的佛經(jīng)，而玄奘的旅程也成為了中國最偉大的文學作品之一——《西游記》的靈感來源。西安還是最早引入伊斯蘭教的中國城市之一，位于市中心的回民街現(xiàn)在也是西安最繁榮的旅游區(qū)之一。最近，在一次歷時四晚的游覽中，這座古城讓我度過了一段美好時光。這也是我在過去的一年里花費較少的旅行之一。

One of the biggest costs? Getting there. But even that was cheap, not to mention enjoyable — my one-way ticket on a high-speed train from Chengdu to Xian cost 283 yuan, about $45. If you’re looking to take a 17-hour sleeper train, you can do that for about half the cost. A couple of tips: Get to the train station 30 minutes before you think you need to. There’s considerable security getting into the station and the trains leave precisely on time (I very nearly missed mine). Travelchinaguide.com has the best interface I’ve seen for buying Chinese train tickets online; alternatively, you can ask for help at your hotel.

最大的開銷?前往那里的路費。但也是很便宜的，更不用說是令人愉快的了——從成都到西安的高鐵單程票才花了283元，約合45美元。如果你想搭乘17個小時的臥鋪，花費只需高鐵的一半。一些小建議：到達火車站的時間要比你預想的再提前30分鐘。進站要通過多次安檢，火車也會準點開車(我就差一點誤了車)。在線購買中國的火車票，我見過界面做得最好的網(wǎng)站是Travelchinaguide.com。此外，你也可以向你下榻的酒店尋求幫助。

The journey through the countryside at 150 miles per hour took a little more than four hours. There was a notable juxtaposition of approaching Xian — a city with centuries-old 40-foot high city walls and a literal moat — in such an advanced and modern way. I emerged into the subfreezing temperatures at the North Railway Station and hopped on the subway (less than a decade old and in great shape) into the heart of the city (one-way ticket, 4 yuan), in search of the lodgings I had booked on Hostelworld.com.

以150英里的時速在鄉(xiāng)間穿行的旅程要花四個多小時。以這樣一種先進而現(xiàn)代的方式來到西安——這里有著一道40英尺高的古老城墻和一條名副其實的護城河——會構成一種鮮明的反差。我在零下的氣溫中出了北客站，坐上了開往市中心的地鐵(單程票4元，建成不到10年，狀況良好)，尋找我在Hostelworld.com上預定的住所。

I can’t always do youth hostels — I’m generally too old and grumpy to be hanging around in bunk beds comparing dry shampoos with a bunch of early-20s Australian backpackers. But every now and then I stay in one, and I’m reminded that they usually, when chosen carefully, provide for a great experience, especially for the price point.

我不能總是住青旅——要和上下鋪一幫20出頭的澳大利亞背包客玩鬧，還比比各自的免洗香波，我往往自覺老朽而暴躁。但我時不時地會住一下，只要仔細挑選，他們往往能提供一個很好的體驗，尤其是在價格方面。

That’s precisely what happened at Han Tang Inn, a homey and friendly hostel on narrow street, a quick walk from the Zhonglou (“Bell Tower”) subway station. For those on an extreme budget, $6-per-night beds in six-person shared rooms are available. I decided to “splurge,” booking a private room on the second floor with its own bathroom — at 139 yuan per night, a little more than $20, I was happy with my decision.

這正是我在漢唐驛的感受，那是在狹窄街道上的一家舒適溫馨的旅社，從鐘樓地鐵站出來走一會就能到。預算特別緊的人，可以選擇6美元一晚的6人間床位。我決定“揮霍”一把，在二樓定了一個帶衛(wèi)生間的單人房——每晚139元(20美元多一點)，我對自己的這個決定很滿意。

Like all good hostels, the inn provided plenty of cushy space, a decent selection of snacks and drinks for sale, good-enough Wi-Fi, and free in-house activities like mah-jongg and calligraphy lessons. Most importantly, it gives you a built-in crew of new friends and acquaintances — perfect for exploring and checking new places out.

和其他好的旅社一樣，漢唐驛提供了充足的放松空間，有豐富的零食和飲料可供購買，不錯的Wi-Fi，還有旅店內部的免費活動，如麻將和書法課程。更重要的是，它能為你提供一群旅社自帶的新朋友和新相識——很適合外出探索和游覽新的地方。

And in my case, it gave me an easy and affordable way to check out the Terracotta Army at the Emperor Qin Shihuang’s Mausoleum Site Museum. I don’t typically like aligning myself with tour groups, but for excursions out of town (the excavation site is about an hour east of Xian), I recommend it. Unless you’re particularly facile with Chinese, arranging solo day-trips can be difficult or costly. Instead, I paid the hostel 238 yuan and joined a 10-person group one morning on a minibus out of town.

就我而言，旅社為我提供了一個參觀秦始皇帝陵博物院兵馬俑的簡單而經(jīng)濟實惠的方式。我一般不喜歡參加旅行團，但對于城外的短途旅行(發(fā)掘遺址在西安以東大約一小時的車程外)，我是推薦的。如果你的中文不是特別流利，安排單人的短途旅行可能會有些困難或昂貴。就這樣，我向旅社付了238元人民幣，在一天早上加入了一個10人團隊，乘坐小巴出了城。

“The emperor’s Chinese name was Qin Shihuang. We also called him Ying Zheng,” explained Jia Jia, our friendly and assertive tour guide, who punctuated many of her pronouncements with a definitive “hmph.” She continued: “Emperor was a good emperor. But he was also ruthless. And he was very crazy.” The emperor, she said, while achieving the unification of China and creating the great clay army, also had a fondness for torturing his subjects and a taste for mercury, thinking it was the secret to everlasting life (it was, in fact, the opposite).

“這位皇帝的中文名字叫秦始皇。我們也叫他嬴政，”我們親切自信的導游佳佳(音)解釋說。她的很多話都以斬釘截鐵的“嗯”結尾。她接著說：“皇帝是個好皇帝。但他也很殘忍。而且非常瘋狂。”她說，這位皇帝實現(xiàn)了中國的統(tǒng)一，締造了這支偉大的陶土軍隊，但同時也喜歡折磨他的臣民，并且喜歡水銀，認為它是長生不老的秘訣(實際上恰恰相反)。

There were three excavation locations at the museum, and we saved the biggest and best for last. The vast, final dig site held hundreds of soldiers, lined up in a majestic and slightly eerie show of force: infantrymen, archers, even a few horses. I was surprised when Jia Jia told us that while Qin Shihuang created around 8,000 life-size soldiers to protect him in the afterlife, only 2,000 or so have been unearthed and reassembled since local farmers made the discovery in 1974 (and only a portion of those are on public display at any given time). Many, many decades of painstaking work remain. Admission to the site, should you choose to go on your own, is 150 yuan, or 120 during the winter off-season.

博物館里有三個俑坑，我們把最大也是最好的俑坑留到了最后。這個巨大的坑里容納著數(shù)以百計的士兵。他們排列整齊，威嚴而又略帶詭異地炫耀著武力：步兵，弓箭手，甚至還有幾匹馬。佳佳告訴我們，雖然秦始皇制造了大約8000個真人大小的士兵，以便在死后保護自己，但自當?shù)剞r(nóng)民于1974年發(fā)現(xiàn)兵馬俑以來，出土和重新組裝起來的兵馬俑只有大約2000件(并且任何時候公開展出的都只是其中的一部分)時，我聽了感到很驚訝。如果獨自前往，博物館門票是150元，冬季淡季120元。

I was able to do most of my exploration of Xian solo, though, thanks to the compactness of the city center. I recommend making a quick stop at the Bell and Drum Towers, which closely resemble each other and are both located in the heart of the city. Tickets to each will cost 35 yuan, or you can buy a combo ticket for 50 yuan. The pagoda-like structures, with their distinctive upward-tilting eaves, are quite regal and majestic, and beautifully illuminated during the evening. They were constructed within years of each other during the 14th century by the Hongwu Emperor of the Ming dynasty — the Bell Tower rang to mark the beginning the day; the Drum Tower, its end.

但是好在西安的城市中心十分緊湊，我仍然可以獨自完成在西安的大部分游覽。我建議去鐘鼓樓轉一圈，那是兩個非常相像的建筑，都在城市的中心。門票各35元，也可購買50元的聯(lián)票。這兩個塔形建筑有著獨特的翹角飛檐，相當莊嚴雄偉，在夜晚燈光的映照下很美麗。它們由14世紀的明洪武皇帝在幾年內相繼建成——鐘樓鐘鳴，是一天的開始;鼓樓鼓響，則是一日的終結。

Another duo of complementary sights is the Giant Wild Goose and Small Wild Goose Pagodas, both south of the city walls. The larger of the two is one of Xian’s most famous structures, a sandy-colored Tang dynasty pavilion constructed in 652 A.D. to house sutras and icons brought from India by the Buddhist monk Xuanzang. The seven-story pagoda occupies the spacious and peaceful grounds of Dacien Si (Mercy Temple), which costs 50 yuan to access.

另一對相互照應的景點是大小雁塔，均在南端的城墻以外。兩座塔中較大的一座是西安最著名的建筑，這座土色的唐代建筑建于公元652年，用于存放僧人玄奘從印度帶回的佛經(jīng)和典籍。這座七層寶塔位于空曠安寧的大慈恩寺內，門票50元。

Meandering around the temple grounds on a chilly day, I saw men and women lighting incense and worshiping at Sakyamuni, the main hall of the monastery. From there I entered the pagoda (this requires a separate 20-yuan ticket) and climbed the nearly 250 wooden stairs leading to the top. Created to protect the 657 volumes of Buddhist scriptures Xuanzang brought back, the pagoda yields another benefit: the views from the top are excellent, if slightly hindered by smog.

在一個冷風颼颼的日子里，我繞著大慈恩寺閑逛。我看見善男信女在主殿焚香敬拜釋迦牟尼。我從這里登塔(需另收20元門票)，爬了大約250級木臺階一直到塔頂。這座為保存玄奘帶回的657冊經(jīng)卷而建的大雁塔還有另一個好處：塔頂?shù)娘L光非常好，盡管略微受到了霧霾影響。

(Air quality is a problem throughout China, and asthmatics and those with delicate respiratory systems should take particular notice. The government is testing measures to stem the problem in different cities, including Xian, which is experimenting with building-sized air purification towers.)

(空氣質量是中國的一個普遍問題，哮喘患者及其他呼吸系統(tǒng)脆弱的人士應特別注意。政府正在不同城市試驗解決該問題的方法，其中也包括正在嘗試建造大型空氣凈化塔的西安。)

To the northwest is the Small Wild Goose Pagoda (built in 707, it’s slightly younger), and while the pagoda itself is currently being restored, the area is worth visiting for a couple of reasons. The Studio of Chinese Calligraphy and Painting, in addition to traditional artwork, has a small museum dedicated to Mao Zedong that I found to be more honest and critical than I expected. It cites the “lost generation of the Cultural Revolution” and the era’s “disastrous blow on traditional Chinese culture.” A friendly employee at the shop directed me to the spacious, modern Xian Museum (free admission), which has diverse array of installations: contemporary paintings from the Taklamakan Desert region, relics from the Tang and Sui Dynasties, and, in the basement, an exhibition detailing the history of Xian.

在西北方是小雁塔(建于707年，歷史略短一些)，雖然最近在修繕塔身，但這個地方仍有兩個原因值得一看。這里有一個中國字畫展廳，并且除了傳統(tǒng)藝術品之外，還有一個小型的毛澤東博物館，我發(fā)現(xiàn)它比我預想的更誠實，更有批判性。博物館引述了“文革時期失落的一代”和那個年代“對中國傳統(tǒng)文化的致命打擊”。商店里一名友好的員工指點我去寬敞現(xiàn)代的西安博物館(免費入場)，里面有各式各樣的藏品：來自塔克拉瑪干沙漠地區(qū)的當代繪畫，隋唐時期的文物，地下展廳有關于西安歷史的詳細展覽。

Don’t forget that the city’s ancient walls are an attraction in and of themselves. Accessible in different locations around the city, I found it easiest to enter by the main southern gate (Yongning), the most elaborate and ornate of the entrances. Tickets are 50 yuan, but I was able to score a half-off discount by showing my high-speed rail ticket from Chengdu. The ambitious can rent a bicycle on the parapets — 45 yuan for three hours — and bike the approximately 8.5 miles around the entire wall. (Given the subfreezing temperatures and poor air quality, I decided to just walk the walls for a while. I wasn’t disappointed — the views were good, and provided a nice vantage point of much of the surrounding area.)

別忘了本身就值得一看的古老城墻。在城里不同位置都有入口，我覺得最簡單的是從所有入口中最為精美華麗的南門(永寧門)進入。票價50元，但我出示了成都到西安的高鐵票，獲得了半價優(yōu)惠。有魄力的可以去護墻上租一輛自行車——3小時45元——環(huán)繞整座城墻騎行大約8.5英里(約合13.7公里)。鑒于氣溫低于零度且空氣質量不好，我決定只是在城墻上走一走。我并沒有失望——風景很好，并且為觀看四周提供了一個不錯的有利視角。)

Convenient to Yongning gate, on Shuyuanmen Pedestrian Street, is Zui Chang An, the first of many outstanding restaurants in the city I sampled. I’ve done my share of eating in the world, and I’ll say that Xian has some of the tastiest and most accessible regional cuisine of any country I’ve visited. At Zui Chang An, you can get a very good version of a Shaanxi specialty called hulu ji, or calabash chicken. Steamed or stewed (or both, in some cases) and then fried and served inside of a gourd, this whole chicken (68 yuan) has tender, fall-apart meat that went well with a side of spicy, numbing cucumber seedlings (22 yuan).

離永寧門不遠的書院門步行街上有一家餐廳，名叫醉長安，它是我在這座城市品嘗的許多優(yōu)秀餐廳中的第一家。我在這個世界上品嘗過的美食已經(jīng)夠多的了，但我得說，在我去過的所有國家中，西安擁有最美味、最便宜的一些地方美食。在醉長安，你可以品嘗對陜西特色菜葫蘆雞的一種非常出色的演繹。它的做法是先蒸或燉(有的店是又蒸又燉)，然后再炸，最后放在葫蘆里上桌，整只雞(68元)的肉嫩滑酥爛，與麻辣味的配菜黃瓜苗(22元)很搭。

Getting a good breakfast near my hostel was no challenge once I discovered Ma Lao’s Diced Meat Spicy Soup, a small shop on West 1st Road. I went one morning with a fellow traveler in search of a peppery bowl of hu la tang, or hot, peppery soup, and found a long line of locals — always a good sign. The thick, tangy broth, filled with mushrooms and bamboo shoots, positively made my hair stand on end with its sharp, black pepper flavor. Along with a side of flatbread, brimming with herbs and onions, it made a for a filling and eye-opening breakfast. Two bowls and bread cost just 17 yuan.

在西一路上找到小店老馬胡辣湯后，在我住的小旅店附近享用一頓美味的早餐就不再是挑戰(zhàn)了。有一天早上，我和一名旅伴一起去尋找胡辣湯，發(fā)現(xiàn)了一個當?shù)厝伺牌鸬拈L隊，這永遠是個好兆頭。濃稠辛辣的肉湯里滿是蘑菇和竹筍，濃烈的黑胡椒味讓我的頭發(fā)都豎起來了，很是暢快。跟胡辣湯搭配的餅上滿是香料和洋蔥，這樣的早餐吃起來讓人很滿足，而且大開眼界。兩碗胡辣湯加餅總共只要17元。

The Muslim Quarter, which begins roughly at the Drum Tower and extends north and west through a considerable swath of the city, is certainly geared toward tourists but is worth walking around for its frenetic energy, brightly lit signs that would give Vegas a run for its money, and, naturally, its tasty street food. Beiyuanmen Street, which extends northward from the Drum Tower, was a natural place to start an impromptu food tour, and I launched my exploration from there.

回民區(qū)大致上是從鼓樓開始，向北部和西部覆蓋了這座城市的很大一塊區(qū)域。它無疑是面向游客的，但也值得一逛，因為這里有著瘋狂的活力，可以與拉斯維加斯媲美的明亮招牌，當然，還有美味的街邊小吃。從鼓樓向北延伸的北院門街是開始一次即興美食之旅的好地方，我就從那里開始了我的探索。

Dodging bicycles, a crush of pedestrians, and the occasional pedicab, I wound my way through the barrage of colorful LED lights and street hawkers selling pomegranate juice, chunks of durian and roujiamo, a sandwich stuffed with chipped beef and hot, spicy oil (15 yuan). My favorite snack was a juicy stuffed pancake called xianbing, which was full of diced beef and fresh chives (10 yuan). In the hectic Muslim Quarter, your best strategy is to relax and go with the flow: The different foods and sheer variety of choice can overwhelm, but not once was I disappointed.

我躲避著自行車、一群群行人，偶爾還有三輪車，穿過五顏六色的LED燈，以及賣石榴汁、榴蓮塊和肉夾饃的街頭小販。肉夾饃是一種夾著牛肉碎和辣椒油的三明治(15元)。我最喜歡的小吃是餡餅，一種含有多汁餡料的薄餅，里面充滿牛肉碎和鮮韭菜(10元)。在繁忙的回民區(qū)，你最好的策略是放松下來，隨心所欲：不同的食物和各種各樣的選擇讓人眼花繚亂，但一次也沒讓我失望。