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Arrived in the city of Xi'an on a Thursday, 6 Sept. The temperature
was lower than expected. It was only about 25˚C and drizzling.
I was caught unprepared. Dressed only in a pair of shorts and thin
T-shirt! Immediately I asked the traffic controller outside the
train station on how to reach the city centre. She guided me to take
a bus from the train station to Dong Da Jie (东大街).
But I couldn't find any budget hotel in the shopping street of
Xi'an. I walked around and came to Baiyuanmen (Muslim
Quarter). Paid a pedicab driver to bring me to a budget hotel
nearby. He did a good job and ended up in a hotel in the
Muslim Quarter, which charged RMB100 for a decent king-sized bed
room. It came with hot water and TV too!
Baiyuanmen has been home to the Hui community of Xi'an for
centuries. The narrow lanes in this area are filled with butcher
shops, small eateries serving Muslim food, local products stores and
mosques. An interesting place to explore, especially during
daytime, when one can see the busy butchers in action.
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