May 18

May 18, 2015

Ni hao (hello!) from Xi'an! Our second morning in Xi'an began with a visit to a local farmer's home within the city of Xi'an. The wife invited us into her apartment for some morning tea, and we learned that she runs the family farm, which is 4 mu (in China land is measured in mu; 1 mu = 1/6 acre, so 4 mu = 2/3 acre). She raises corn, wheat, soybeans, cherries, and kiwi. All wheat is sold locally for flour, and the soybeans are sold to the government. Cherries are the family's most profitable crop on the farm and are sold at the local wholesale market. The wife also creates and sells crafts to support the family income while serving tourist groups during the busy tourist season.  Her husband builds bridges in Xi'an, and their two children also work in Xi'an.

Our next stop was the Terra Cotta Warriors replica factory and museum. The terra cotta sculptures include Chinese warriors, horses, and chariots that were built during the Qin Dynasty to guard one of the emperor's tombs. The terra cotta warriors were initially discovered by a local farmer who was digging for water in the Xi'an district. At the replica factory we saw how the replicated terra cotta warriors are constructed, and we were able to visit the actual excavation sites at the museum. The sheer number of detailed statues was impressive! There are currently 2,000 statues on display with a total of 6,000 at the museum.  We also had a buffet style lunch at the museum and saw how Xi'an's famous noodles are made.

Our last stop of the day was the Xi'an Yin Qiao Biological Science and Technology Company. Yin Qiao is the largest dairy processing plant in the Xi'an district and has received several pristine awards throughout China and Asia. We sampled some of Yin Qiao's milk and yogurt products out of the company's selection of over 100 products of fluid milk, infant milk powder, and yogurt. Yin Qiao processes 800 to 1,000 tons of local milk per day, which is purchased from local farmers, company-owned farms, and joint-venture farms. Yin Qiao was initially started by 3 local farmers and has grown into a company that generates dairy products with a high consumer demand. After a Q&A session with the company managers, we visited the processing plant and took a tour through the facilities to see the plant's processing setup and equipment.

Xie xie (thanks!) for sharing another day of our trip with us!

Ben and Erin