China Odyssey Tours Organizes Annual Company Trip to Xi'an

The ancient capital of Xi'an witnessed the joy and laughter of the excited and young team of China Odyssey Tours this summer. The company organized an annual trip for us as an employee benefit and, for a travel company, what better way to learn about the destinations than putting employees in them?

The reason why we choose Xi'an as our destination is that Xi'an is one of four ancient capitals of China, the birthplace of Chinese civilization. For more than two millenniums, various dynasties rose and fell in Xi'an. History leaves us nothing but an ample amount of historical sites. We were fortunate to visit the vast majority of them during the 4 days.

Group photo of China Odyssey Tours staff members taken on Mt. Huashan

On the first two days, we were treated to a city tour of Xi'an. The astonishing Terracotta Warriors, the drawcard of Xi'an, is the defining highlight of this trip. We had the chance to watch the different countenance of each warrior up closely. Standing in front of such a historical wonder, one could do nothing but marvel at the wisdom of ancient people. The enormity of the site is astounding as much. It is said that it will take decades if not centuries to excavate the remaining part. Also included in the tour was relaxing cycling on the well-preserved Ancient City Wall, whose width allows for several people to cycle in parallel. We also had a calligraphic class on the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, and spiritual enlightenment on the unique Chinese-style Great Mosque.

Staff members of China Odyssey Tours cycling on the Ancient City Wall of Xi'an

The third day was a fun-filled adrenaline rush Mt. Huashan tour, a huge excitement for mountain lovers. The final destination that we visited in Xi'an is the Donghan Village, a place noted for paper-cutting and peasant painting, a happy journey for folk culture buffs.

One of the delights of visiting Xi'an is the food and snacks. A great variety of snacks on the food stalls of Muslim Street lured us to gobble them down. They're both delicious and low-cost.

History, culture, folklore, and gourmet delights accompanied us on the way. This Xi'an trip is not ordinary sightseeing but an experience of the five-thousand-year Chinese civilization for all staff members at COT. We highly recommend travelers, especially first-time travelers to China, to check out Xi'an, a land steeped in history and culture.