China - Day 6

China Day 6:

From Ms. Hardwick: We made it to our final stop in Chengdu and are excited to join our hosts and homestays tomorrow evening.

From Jennifer Varghese ‘19:
For our last day in Xi’an, we traveled to the Dayan temple. The pagoda, which is dedicated to followers of Buddhism, is the biggest in the area. Since we didn’t have tickets nor time to explore inside the temple, we were given free time to roam the grounds around it. My group took time to appreciate the scenery and capture each moment on camera. From the flowering trees to the playful statues in the garden to the patio, where people gathered to enjoy the clear view of the pagoda, photo opportunities were endless as was the fun. After a very relaxing and peaceful hour, it was time to head off to lunch. The food, while similar to our previous meals, was delicious as usual and the room was filled with conversation. After eating our fill, off we were to the train station. When we reached the station, we got our tickets, ate a mid-day snack, and then boarded the bullet train to Chengdu, reaching speeds over 240 km/hr. Most of the ride was scenic and offered great photo opportunities while others took advantage of the time to take a nap. As we arrived in Chengdu, there were fields full of beautiful yellow flowers welcoming us into the city. We then met our tour guide, Alan, and headed off to dinner. Then, it’s to the hotel to get a good nights rest for a day on the mountain tomorrow.

From Braxton Bond ‘21:
Today we went and visited the Dayan Temple, which is home to the largest pagoda in Xi’an. There, we were allowed an hour of free time where we went sightseeing, purchased different fast foods, and learned about the history of the area. This was an interesting experience because we got to explore independently as well as see all different ages enjoying the temple in their own ways. After, we had another delicious round table lunch. The food was authentic and bursting with flavor as ever. When we had finished lunch, we departed from Xi’an on a lavish high speed train to our final stop, Chengdu. When we arrived we were introduced to our third and final tour guide, who welcomed and told us about the new city. Finally, to end our day everyone went to a scrumptious round table dinner, and we finished things off at our new hotel.