The Modi tour of China: Here's what the PM will see during his three-day visit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to China on Thursday will focus on strengthening the relationship between the two countries by leveraging on their growing trade and economic ties, even as the two countries grapple with contentious issues of boundary and strategic regional rivalry. [caption id=“attachment_2214060” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  PM Narendra Modi. Reuters[/caption] But in the midst of all the diplomatic talks and political reasoning, we forget that the visit is also an interaction of the two cultures. After Xi Jinping visit to India, its China’s turn is to host PM Modi. China remains one of the most culturally rich countries in the world and during his three day visit; the Prime Minister will get a glimpse of some of the best it has to offer. Three days is quite a short span of time for a visit to a country like China for a visit. Famous author and chef Anthony Bourdain once said, “Saying that I’ve been to China is like saying that I have been to planet Earth. It means, at best, that you have seen a little, a slice, a nibble of the edge.” Here’s is a look at all the places the Prime Minister is to visit and why . Xi’an: The ancient town, once the terminus of the Silk Road and a meeting point of cultures and religions, is now a busy modern day city. Although the visitors may be let down by the modern version of it, “the Ming-era city walls remain intact, vendors of all descriptions still crowd the narrow lanes of the warrenlike Muslim Quarter, and there are enough places of interest to keep even the most diligent amateur historian busy,” reports the Lonely Planet. [caption id=“attachment_2243152” align=“alignleft” width=“825”]  Men wearing Chinese ancient warrior costumes stand at the City Wall in Xi’an. Reuters[/caption] Terracota Warriors Museum: The museum houses a collection of terracotta sculptures depicting the armies of Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of China. It is one of the most significant archaeological excavations of the 20th century. The collection of over 8000 fantastic life-size clay warriors aka the Terracotta Army - is now referred to as the eighth wonder of the ancient world, according to the Terracotta Warriors Museum. [caption id=“attachment_2243156” align=“alignleft” width=“825”]  Unearthed terracotta warriors from the Xian period are displayed at a museum in the ancient Chinese capital of Xian. Reuters[/caption] Da Xing Shan Temple: Built in 265-289 in the Jin Dynasty (265-420), this temple is one of the oldest Buddhist temples in China and a birthplace of Chinese Tantric Buddhism. [caption id=“attachment_2243160” align=“alignleft” width=“825”]  Da Xing Shan Temple. Flickr CC[/caption] Big Goose Pagoda: This pagoda (Hindu or Buddhist temple or sacred building) is one of Xi’an’s most famous landmarks. The pagoda was completed in AD 625 to house Buddhist sutras brought back by Hsuan Tsang from his India tour. The pagoda attracts numerous visitors with its simple, yet appealing style of construction. [caption id=“attachment_2243176” align=“alignleft” width=“825”]  Big Goose Pagoda. Flickr CC[/caption] South City Wall: Xī’ān remains one of the few cities in China where the old city walls are still standing. It’s the most complete city wall that has survived in China, as well being one of the largest ancient military defensive systems in the world, according to Travel China Guide. [caption id=“attachment_2243168” align=“alignleft” width=“825”]  South City Wall. Flickr CC[/caption] Beijing: A powerhouse driving economics and politics of China, Beijing is also one of the most vibrant and dynamic cities of the country. Author Daniel McCrohan describes his love for the city’s capacity to surprise. “After a decade of living here, I still find something unexpected almost every day: a phrase I hadn’t heard, a mannerism I hadn’t noticed, a new shop, a new bar, or even, when I’m especially lucky, a long-abandoned temple I never knew existed,” he writes. [caption id=“attachment_2243172” align=“alignleft” width=“825”]  Beijing. Flickr CC[/caption] Great Hall of the People: Perhaps not ‘tourist spot’, but the building, used for legislative and ceremonial activities by the PRC and he Communist Party of China, is a sight to behold. [caption id=“attachment_2243174” align=“alignleft” width=“825”]  The Great Hall of the People. Reuters[/caption] And while PM Modi is visiting China, Firstpost has some cultural quirks that he should keep in mind when he is in the country here .