Official Sianshop Blog

xi'an transportation

2009-08-16T18:47:00.000-07:00

In ancient times, as the beginning of the Silk Road, Xian was one of the transport junctions in China. Now, it is the axis from the east to the west China even to the countries in the western Asia. The extensive transportation system consisting of aviation, railways and highways connects Xian with the rest of the Chinese cities conveniently.
Before 1949, there were a few of flights arriving in Xian even in Shaanxi Province. In the 1990's, when more and more travelers came to Xian, local aviation has received a big boost. In 1991, the newly built Xianyang Airport was equipped with more comprehensive facilities and services, making Xian one of the most important aviation hubs in China. From the July, 1992, the scheduled routes from Xian to Hong Kong which were operated by Northwest Airlines built a new way of international communication for the inland city. Later that year, in October, the first international airline of Shaanxi Province was put into use, which connected to Nagoya, Japan via a transfer at Shanghai. Now, Xian Xianyang International Airport is one of the top ten airports in China. There are about 20 aviation companies opening numerous air routes to more than 70 domestic and 17 international destinations.
In the 1930s, the city also saw Shaanxi Province's first railway between Tongguan and Xian constructed. It is one vital section of the Long-Hai Railway which links the east coast to the western hinterland, passing through five provinces of China. At present, Xian is the junction of several railways, taking transportation of the neighboring cities, such as Zhengzhou, Lanzhou and Chengdu. Xian Railway Station was originally built in 1934, praised to be one of the extra large passenger stations of China. In addition, it is a vital station along the New Euro-Asian Continental Bridge.
Being the capital of 13 dynasties in ancient times, the overland transportation of Xian has a long and splendid history. Once, Xian was the largest commodity communication and trade center on the Silk Road, stretching to the Middle East and the Mediterranean. However, the first highway was constructed in 1921 while automobiles were put into use the next year. In 1990, the 23.9 kilometers (14.9 miles) Xi (Xian)-Lin (Lintong) Expressway was accomplished, which was the first expressway in Shaanxi Province. Currently, Xian has a dense highway system, expanding to the other parts of Shaanxi Province as well as the nearby cities. In addition, with the full use of the Xian Express Loop Highway in 2000, these peripheral highways are connected to the urban area of Xian City effectively.

Subway to Terracotta Warriors Museum in Xi An

2009-08-12T18:36:00.000-07:00

Xi’an is building a subway which would connect the downtown of Xi’an and the the Linton District which is the location of the terracotta warriors and horses museum. The total distance of the subway track would be 30km. The subway and the Terracotta Warriors Museum station is expected to be completed by 2013. This is a major investment for the city to boost the world-famous Qin tomb tourism.
The underground trip from the city center to the Emperor Qin’s Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum is expected to take 50 minutes, down from the current one hour by expressway
Xi’an, famous for its buried army of terracotta warriors, mosques, pagodas and the splendid city walls, began building its first underground line in 2006, in an effort to ease traffic congestion. The east-west Line 1 will pass the terracotta warriors museum.
The Linton district receives 7.5 million tourists every year, including 500,000 from overseas. The terracotta army was discovered by chance in 1974 and the tomb that it “guards” has since been excavated, yielding many treasures.

Shanxi travel guide 3

2009-08-11T19:28:00.000-07:00

Shaanxi is also abundant in natural beauty beyond its rich historical legacy. As one of the five best-known mountains in China, Mt. Huashan, 120 kilometers (or 46 miles) east of Xian, is famous for its breath-taking cliffs and awe-inspiring landscape. The Hukou waterfall on Yellow River, the second biggest one in China, is very overbearing and magnificent. And Moutain Lishan and the nearby Huaqing Hot Springs are very attractive. Their beautiful legends will bring you into a moving love story between emperor Xuanzong and a beauty named Yang Yuhuan.
Shaanxi is both a base area of Chinese new-democratic revolution and a place with unique folk customs. The loud resounding Shaanxi opera, the joyous clattering of gongs and drums, the exquisite cut - paper art and the peasants' paintings full of a rich flavor of life attract more and more tourists' attention from home and abroad.

Shanxi travel guide 2

2009-08-11T19:21:00.000-07:00

What to see
There are many historic places to be seen. One of the oldest is the Banpo Village Remains, the site of a 6,000-year-old village which belongs to the Neolithic Age. In the capital city, Xian, you can see the City Wall, which was begun in the Han Dynasty, a century before the Christian era, and is now the largest and most well-preserved ancient wall, existing in China. Xian Forest of Stone Steles Museum boasts a largest collection of the stone tablets in China, 114 of which are engraved with 'classic' texts. In or near the city are 72 ancient tombs and remains, including the mausoleum of the Tang emperor Xuanyuan (the Yellow Emperor), who initiated Chinese civilization. There are many more ancient structures and temples such as the Big Goose Pagoda built in 652, Famen Temple, Bell Tower and the Drum Tower. The highlight of a Shaanxi tour for many visitors is the amazing Museum of Qin Terra-cotta Warriors and Horses who guard a site honored as the Eighth Great Wonder of the world.

Shanxi travel guide 1

2009-08-11T19:15:00.000-07:00

Shaanxi Province is located in the very heart of China. Boasting a population of more than 36 million in an area of over 200,000 square kilometers (about 77,225 square miles), Shaanxi includes most of the middle stretch of the Yellow River. It borders Inner Mongolia, Shanxi, Henan, Hubei, Sichuan, Gansu and Ningxia.
When to go
Shaanxi Province's climate is temperate and semi-arid in the north and subtropical and humid in the south. Annual average temperature of Shaanxi is between 8C and 16C and its annual rainfall averages from 400 millimeters to 1,000 millimeters. Spring and fall are the best times to visit Shaanxi, since the winters are cold and summer is often rainy.
History
Shaanxi Province is one of the most important cradles of ancient Chinese civilization. As far back as one million years ago, some of China's earliest inhabitants lived in this region, and began spreading their culture along the life-sustaining Yellow River. Throughout the province's long history, there are 13 dynasties who established capitals here, including the Zhou, the Qin, the Han, and the Tang. Because of this rich history, cultural relics and ruins are plentiful, and may be found preserved both above - and underground. So Shaanxi is called the 'authentic history museum' in China.

Site of the CCP Secretariat

2009-08-11T00:58:00.000-07:00

Occupying an area of 540,000 square meters (about 133 acres), the Date Garden-site of the CCP Secretariat is eight kilometers (about five miles) away from Yan'an. There are twenty cave dwellings (a kind of traditional house for people in northern Shaanxi Province, usually carved out of hills made up of compacted earth), along with over eighty tile-roofed houses and one assembly hall. It was originally a garden of a warlord and at one time had also been used as the site of the CCP Secretariat from October 1943 to March 1947. As an important revolutionary site, it has now become a famous revolutionary tourist attraction.
A lot of historically meaningful events took place in the Date Garden during the period between 1943 and 1947. The Chinese people won the Anti-Japanese War and The Seventh National Congress of CPC was held. Fully prepared for the situations following the Anti-Japanese War, the central government broke Kuomintang (KMT)'s dream to start the civil war across the country. All these events are closely linked to the fate of the whole nation.
There are 815 pieces of cultural relics exhibited within the garden, most of which are regarding its revolutionary history. In the garden some of the former residences, including those of Mao Zedong (1893 - 1976), Zhu De (1886 - 1976, a great general), Liu Shaoqi (1898 - 1976, Chinese communist political leader), and Zhou Enlai (1898 - 1976, first premier of the PRC) and the assembly halls are open to the public. Xinfu Penstock flows across the yard of the garden. This penstock was built by the Eighth Route Army (led by the Chinese Communist Party during the Anti-Japanese War) to facilitate the irrigation of nearby fields. Local people had benefited a lot from the penstock, so they called it Xinfu Penstock which means blessedness.

yan'an cave-house

2009-08-11T00:41:00.000-07:00

Located on the Loess Plateau in North Shaanxi, Yan'an is a famous tourist destination in that region. Its combination of a long history, distinctive culture and a large variety of historical sites and cultural relics provides visitors with the opportunity to see a typical North Shaanxi city with its appealing folk customs.
The tourist attractions in Yan'an largely fall within the following four categories:
Yan'an is recognized as a place changing the destiny of China as during the war times. Before the founding of New China, it used to be the citadel of the CCP for 13 years and consequently has many revolutionary sites and martyrs' cemeteries. There are many sites in the urban area of Yan'an including Wangjiaping Site, Yan'an Revolutionary Memorial Museum, Site of the Former Offices of the CCP Central Committee - Yangjialing, Date Garden - site of the CCP Secretariat, Fenghuang Hill Site, Memorial Hall for Journalism and Publication, etc. To the north is the Wayaobao Site while to the south is the famous Nanniwan. In addition, the northwest Wuqi County boasts that it was the site where, in 1935, the Chinese Red Army ended the Long March.
Yan'an has many historical sites and ancient constructions. It claims to be the birthplace of the Chinese Nation manifested by Huangdi Mausoleum Scenic Spot; about 170 kilometers (about 106 miles) south of Yan'an. The mausoleum is a memorial to the legendary Huangdi who is considered to be the Chinese first ancestor. You can go there by bus at Yan'an Long-Distance Bus Station on Dongguan Street in the city center. The buses depart every half an hour between 6:50 and 17:20. Or you can hire a car to go there. Generally, the fare is CNY 1 per kilometer and you can negotiate the price with the driver. There are also other attractions such as the Tang Dynasty Wanfeng Pagoda and Fuxian Pagoda to the north of the Huangdi Mausoleum, the Dugong Memorial Temple in the city center and the Zhongshan Grottoes in the north Zichang County.
In recent years, the folk customs and distinctive culture of the Loess Plateau have drawn tourists to Yan'an. The special cave dwellings of Yan'an and various folk art forms have attracted growing numbers of visitors. Consequently, the Yan'an Folk Culture Village, the Ansai Culture and Antiques Museum and the Luochuan Folk Museum become popular among tourists.
Natural scenery is another important tourist attraction for visitors to Yan'an. The magnificent Hukou Waterfalls of the Yellow River on the east border of Yan'an is a must-see during your trip. The only daily tourist bus bound for Hukou Waterfalls departs from Yan'an South Bus Station about 400 meters (about 1300 feet) north of the railway station at 6:50 in the morning. The fare is CNY 26 per person and the whole journey takes you about four hours. The bus will stay at the scenic spot for two hours before returning. Hired car is also a good choice when traveling there about 180 kilometers (about 112 miles) from Yan'an City. Other scenic spots including the Yan'an Pagoda Hill, the Fenghuang Hill, the Qingliang Hill, and the Wanhua Hill which boasts China's largest group of wild peonies as well as various forest parks will all provide tourists with good places for relaxation.

yan'an travel guide

2009-08-11T00:06:00.000-07:00

Situated in Northern Shaanxi Province on the Loess Plateau, Yan'an overlooks the middle reaches of the Yellow River, the cradle of Chinese Civilization. Yan'an, called 'Yanzhou' in ancient times, has a history stretching back about 1,400 years and it has long been the political, economic, cultural and military center of North Shaanxi. Nowadays it is a city which boasts one district and twelve counties. Holding a prominent place in Chinese military history, Yan'an is a revolutionary holy place in China. It used to be the military headquarters during the Chinese Anti-Japanese War (1937-1945) and China's War of Liberation (1945-1949) and was the location of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party.
This checkered past means that those who are interested in Chinese modern revolutionary history and the Yan'an Spirit which was exhibited in 1942, and is still evident today, or those who want to examine the colorful folk customs and culture of the Loess Plateau, should make sure that they visit Yan'an. The city has as many as 140 revolutionary sites, including Wangjiaping Site, Yangjialing Site, Date Garden, Pagoda Hill, Nanniwan, etc. It has also a number of historical sites such as Huangdi Mausoleum, Zhongshan Grottoes as well as natural scenic spots including Hukou Waterfalls of the Yellow River, Fenghuang Hill and Wanhua Hill. There truly is something for everyone to see.
Being of a temperate continental monsoon climate, Yan'an is an ideal place for you to visit all year round especially in summer. Yan'an used to be a poor city but, in recent years, it has seen great changes including economic advancement, especially the development of some tourism-related industries and infrastructure construction. As a result, transportation in Yan'an is convenient today. It is easily accessible by air, train or coach. As well, buses and taxies facilitate easy transportation within the city. The accommodation in Yan'an is generally considered to be inexpensive, convenient and comfortable.
In addition, the abundant special local products, delicious Yan'an snacks, distinctive folk customs and various folk art forms of peasant painting, paper-cut, drum art, and folk songs are also appealing to visitors. You will no doubt find your trip to Yan'an very special and memorable.

Sian travel guide

2009-08-10T23:50:00.000-07:00

Xi'an is one of China's eight ancient national capitals and the home of the famous Terracotta Army. It served as China’s capital for ten dynasties, spread intermittently over a 1,100 year period from 221 BC. This was the significant year when the first Chinese emperor, Qin Shihuang, united China for the first time. China derives its name from Emperor Qin.
Xi’an is situated in the center of the Weihe Plain, bounded by the Weihe River in the north and the Qin Mountain Range in the south. Xi’an’s main tourist attractions include: The Terracotta Warriors and Horses, The Ancient City Wall, Big Wild Goose Pagoda, Small Wild Goose Pagoda, Huaqing Hot Springs, Banpo Museum, The Forest of Steles , The Great Mosque, Qianling Mausoleum and Famen Temple.
The ten dynasties when Xi’an (Western Peace), then called Chang’an (Perpetual Peace), was the capital of China are as follows: Qin (221-206 BC at Xianyang just northwest of Xi’an), Western Han (200-8 BC), Xin (8-23 AD), Eastern Han (191-195), Western Jin (313-316), Wei (535-557), Zhou (556-581), Tang (618-690), Zhou (690-705) and Tang (705-904). Xi'an has a great number of precious relics and historical sites, some dating back to its times as capital. More than 4,000 historical sites and tombs have been excavated.Xi'an was the starting point of the ancient Silk Road that extended from Asia to Europe and played an important role in cultural exchange between the East and West in ancient times. Read more about Xi'an.

Xiangji Temple

2009-07-09T18:59:00.000-07:00

Xiangji Temple, located in Weiqu, Chang’an district, 17 kilometers to the south of the Xian City, was built in the Year two in the Reign of the Emperor Zhongzong in Tang Dynasty (706AD). The main builder of the temple is monk Huai Yun for mourning the death of his master monk Shandao who was a renowned monk in Tang dynasty and believed to be one of the initiators of a branch of Buddhism, Pure Land Buddhism. Referring to the origin of name of the temple, there are two versions. One says that the temple is named after a river called Xiangji once near the temple in Tang Dynasty. Another saying tells that the temple’s name “Xiangji” roots in Sutra, which is the name of an ancient Indian Buddha, meaning heaped fragrance.

The highlight of the temple is the Shandao Dagoba, 33 meters high, built in 680AD. It was the simulated architectural woodwork made in green bricks. Experiencing the wind and storm, the top two stories of the pagoda had worn away with the baptism of history, leaving only 11 stories. There are twelve saddle-backed half-naked carved Buddhas stenciled on the dagoba, which are very delicate. Besides, the dagoba is also carved with the regular script of diamond Sutra. Undergoing the chaos caused by wars during Tang, Song and Yuan Dynasties, the temple was in disrepair for many years and today’s temple is the layout after the renovation in Year 37 in the Reign of Emperor Qianlong in Qing Dynasty.

The Site of Chang'an of the Han Dynasty

2009-07-09T01:00:00.000-07:00

The Site of Chang'an of the Han Dynasty (206BC-220AD) is located about five kilometers northwest of today's Xi'an city, the capital of Shaanxi Province. Chang'an city was first built during the period of the Western Han Dynasty (206BC-25AD). The ruins of this city are just separated by Longshouyuan Mountains from the ruins of another city, the capital of the Tang Dynasty (618AD-907AD), which was also named Chang'an. The Chang'an city of the Han Dynasty was very large in area with exquisite designs and layout. As a proof of the long history and deep culture of today's Xi'an city, this city had always served as the political, economic and cultural center during the two hundred years in the Western Han Dynasty. And this area nowadays is under state-level protection.

It took the ancient people more than 90 years to finish the construction of the whole city. It could be divided into three phases. At that time, inside this city there were numerous luxurious palaces, great mansions and big temples. The most famous places included Changle (it means forever happiness) Palace, Weiyang (it means that something has not ended) Palace and Jianzhang Palace. In the year 202BC, Liu Bang, the founder of the Han Dynasty, ordered to repair the original Xingle (it means thrived and happy) Palace from the Qin Dynasty (221BC-206BC), and renamed it Changle Palace. After that he began to construct his capital city as well as handle the state affairs in Changle Palace. According to historical records, Liu Bang ordered to build Changle Palace as soon as he and his army came to Chang'an city, and as a result, this palace was one of the earliest palaces in the city. Other palaces were built much later than this one, such as the Jianzhang Palace, which was constructed actually more than 80 years later during the reign of Emperor Wu (Wu means valiant), and Chang'an city was also renovated and enlarged at that period. The famous Kunming Lake, which was mentioned in the poem of Du Fu, a famous poet in the Tang Dynasty, was also constructed at Emperor Wu's reign.

In the year 199BC, the emperor decided to build Weiyang Palace on the west side of Changle Palace in order to accommodate his big royal family. This was the first phase in the construction of Chang'an city, during which some giant palaces were built.

Then in the year of 194BC, during the reign of Emperor Hui (Hui means kind), the original city walls were repaired and rebuilt. The whole project lasted more than four years and ended in September, 190BC. This was the second phase.

The third phase began much later, starting with the construction of Jianzhang Palace. In the year 104BC, when Emperor Wu ascended the throne, he ordered to build the Northern Palace, Gui Palace, Mingguang Palace, and Jianzhang Palace. In the meanwhile, Shanglin Garden and Kunming Lake were also constructed in the western part of the city, where Jianzhang Palace was located. When these projects were all finished, the whole construction and renovation of capital city came to an end. This was the last phase.

The whole Chang'an city in the Han Dynasty had a circumference of 25.7 kilometers, covering an area of 36 square meters. However, the shape of the city was not a regular rectangle. It actually looked like the shape of the Big Dipper. As a result, the city was nicknamed Big Dipper City. The streets in the city were all in quite reasonable layouts, with eight big main streets, 160 alleys and nine districts. All the streets were very flat and wide, and they were 12 times as wide as today’s railway tracks. On either side of the streets, trees were planted, including Chinese locust trees, elms, pines and cypresses, which were densely distributed and could create large shade at summer. In its golden time, the whole city had a population of over 300,000. It was regarded as one of the earliest big cities in Chinese history.

The positions of most original streets in Chang'an city of the Han Dynasty could not be fully figured out by experts at present. In the northern part of the city, there used to be nine big markets, of which one was specially used for book trade. All the markets had their own special functions, which could reflect the prosperity of the capital city.

According to the archeological materials and the results of excavations, the city walls of the Chang'an city were all constructed with yellow earth. With a height of 12 meters and width of 12 to 16 meters, the walls were protected by a three-meter-deep moat, which was as wide as 8 meters. According to excavation results, there were altogether 12 big gates and 36 smaller ones, and the two numbers were in accordance with historical records.

With the renovation and enlargement project finished under the order of Emperor Wu, there was no more construction work ever done after his reign. Between the Han and the Tang Dynasties, there were another five small kingdoms establishing their capitals here, including Former Zhao, Former Qin, Later Qin, Western Wei and Northern Zhou, which were all small kingdoms or states during the period of Northern and Southern Dynasties (420AD-581AD). In addition, two famous leaders of peasant uprising in Chinese history including Huang Chao in the Tang Dynasty and Li Zicheng in the Ming Dynasty (1368AD-1644AD) both used to establish their capitals here for a short period. According to historical materials from the period between the Han and the Tang Dynasties, generally speaking, there were more than 88,000 permanent families living in the city of Chang‘an with a total population of over 240,000, making it one of the biggest and most prosperous cities in the world at that time.

What's more, during the process of excavation work on the site of Chang'an city in the Han Dynasty, relics of big wooden bridges were discovered, which were quite rarely seen in China. Nowadays all the Chinese people hope that the ancient relics of Chang'an city could be protected better. It is hoped to exist so long that all the human beings in the world would be able to learn as much as possible about the great ancient Chinese civilization.

The Ruins of Daming Palace

2009-07-08T23:27:00.000-07:00

As an imperial palace with a large scale of buildings constructed in the early Tang Dynasty (618AD-907AD), Daming Palace at that time was situated in the northern part of Chang'an City, namely Xi'an, which was the capital of the Tang Dynasty. Just like all the other traditional Chinese architectures, Daming Palace was constructed facing the south, with a grand atmosphere and occupying a commanding position. This palace was first built in the year 634AD, the eighth year of Emperor Taizong, who was the second emperor of the Tang Dynasty. At that time, it was named Yong'an Palace and Yong'an means 'forever safety' in Chinese. The emperor built this palace as the summer palace for his father, who however died before the whole project was finished. Then the next year the palace was renamed Daming Palace. After that the name of this palace was changed twice, and not until the year 705AD was the name finally changed back to Daming Palace again.

This palace covered a large area at that time with a lot of terraces. It was 2.5 kilometers from north to south and 1.5 kilometers from east to west, with eleven palace gates in total. The whole palace was as large as 3.2 square kilometers. The main gate of the palace was Danyang Gate and the main hall was Hanyuan Hall, on the north of which was Xuanzheng Hall, with the prime minister and other high rank officials' offices, the imperial academy and the hall preserving historical materials on its two sides. In addition, there were another more than thirty constructions, including annex buildings, pavilions, gardens and temples. From the reign of Emperor Gaozong, the third emperor of the Tang Dynasty, Daming Palace became the political center of the Tang Dynasty. In spite of wars and fires in history, the ruins of Hanyuan Hall, Linde Hall, Sanqing Hall, Lingluan Attic, Xifeng Attic, Taiye Pool and Penglai Pavilion could still be seen today.

In the history, the area of Chang'an used to be the symbol of wealth, honor and beauty. In the West Han Dynasty (207BC-25AD), this area was the buffer zone between the capital city and Bashang Plateau, which was the most important strategic military fortification of the Han Dynasty, and it was also the only way leading to the central part of China. This piece of land was on the southern slope of Longshouyuan Montain, and the fortifications built here protected the capital city. This place had also been considered to be a valuable land with a good geomantic omen by the ancient Chinese people for hundreds of years. From the Western Han Dynasty to the Northern and Southern Dynasties (420AD-589AD), rich people and high rank officials always built their tombs here, while the poor and the other common people never had the opportunity to make use of this land. Later in the Sui Dynasty (581AD-618AD), this place was listed as the private property of the royal family. The whole area was 27 kilometers from east to west and 23 kilometers from north to south. Royal gardens, recreational constructions, pavilions, lakes, and attics were all built inside, making it a paradise of the royal family members.

After the founding of the Tang Dynasty in 618AD, it became much more important in politics, because Daming Palace was built here. Daming palace has been considered to be a masterpiece in the history of Chinese architecture. The name of the palace---Daming, in Chinese means great sunshine, symbolizing the prosperity of the Tang Dynasty. However, two hundred years later during Emperor Xizong's reign, this splendid palace was destroyed by fire in wars. The prosperity and the beautiful sceneries disappeared in the fire, but its great historical value still exists today. Even though many of the original architectures in the Daming Palace are no longer existed, but the original city walls and the city gates have been very well protected. The great foundations of Hanyuan Hall, Linde Hall, Sanqing Hall, Dafu Hall and Danfeng Gate are still standing there today, more than 10 meters above the ground. They still look wonderful and great. When visitors come to visit this area, facing the ruins of the original great palace, they will have a special feeling and understanding of the prosperity of the Tang Dynasty.

In the Song (960AD-1279AD) and Yuan (1271AD-1368AD) Dynasties, big lakes, high trees and great forest were also distributed here. Kublai Khan, the founding emperor of the Yuan Dynasty, used to live in this area. Later Anxi Palace, which was the mansion of the provincial governor, was constructed here. Marco Polo also wrote something about this place in his travelling book, and he described it in this way, 'this place used to be the imperial palace of the Tang Dynasty, and nowadays it is still quite beautiful and serene. Anxi Palace has been founded here and the architectures are so magnificent, with decorations of lacquers, paintings, golden leaves, silver adornments, and numerous marble stones. There are even precious birds and rarely-seen beasts raised inside.'

After the Yuan Dynasty, this area gradually became less and less prosperous, small villages and farmlands were distributed. Without the original prosperity, the old Daming Palace and the great past of this piece of land were forgotten little by little by many of the Chinese people.

It is said that in the Tang Dynasty when the workers were constructing the Daming Palace, an ancient bronze mirror was dug out from the ground. Then Wei Zheng, a famous official from the court found that it was actually a precious treasure of Qinshihuang, a great emperor who united China in 221BC and set up a large country. This mirror was believed to be quite powerful and magical, because people could see clearly the inside of their bodies from it. More importantly, the emperor could be able to tell the loyalty of his officials and even the future of his country from this mirror. When the construction of the palace was finished, the mirror was put inside as the most important treasure of the whole palace. Rumors at that time abounded in the capital city that great bright light from Daming Palace could be seen by people living all over the city. However, it is just a legend and still needs to be investigated by experts. But the Daming Palace, which is a typical example of the royal architecture from the Tang Dynasty, could be compared with today's Forbidden City in Beijing, because of its solemn, majesty, elegance and luxury.

the Tang Paradise

2009-07-08T23:24:00.000-07:00

The Tang Paradise, situated in Qujiang Economic Development District, south of the Xian city, is the first and largest cultural theme park of the Royal Park of Tang Dynasty in China. It is the largest simulated Tang-style building complex in the world. Located in the site of the relic of original royal garden, the Tang Paradise recurs the prosperity of Tang Dynasty from various aspects: architecture, culture, business, politics, entertainment, sports and arts. Almost everything in the Tang Paradise is in Tang style such as the cloth of the workers and actors, the music, the dance, the food and the drink. Visitors to the Tang Paradise will surprisingly to find they come back to the ancient China in Tang Dynasty.

The Tang Paradise can be divided into six districts: the District of Tang Traditions and customs where visitors can enjoy the splendid culture of Tang Dynasty; the District of Business Exchange featured with a business and culture street in Tang style; the District of Entertainment and Sports characterized by a series of recreations and games in Tang Dynasty; the District of Theme Catering where visitors can experience the Imperial Banquet personally; the District of High-grade Hotels and the Children’s Garden. Among them, the District of Tang Traditions and Customs is the most popular destination thanks to its large-scale Tang-style singing and dancing performances called Tang Dynasty Show and the water-screen movies which is the largest in the world.

Southern Wutai

2009-07-08T20:13:00.000-07:00

Southern Wutai is one of the most holy places for Buddhists. It lies 30 km south of Xian.

On this lush and beautiful mountain stand five peaks, respectively named, Qingliang, Wenshu, Sheshen, Lingying and Guanyin. Driving by car to the top of the mountain takes only 20-30 mins. Climbing the mountain by foot offers the most enjoyable and outstandingly beautiful views.

Experience the many streams and crossing bridges, while traversing through bamboo with views of the temple resting on its slope as birds muse above. Absorb the ancient edifices of Shengshou Temple, Shengbao Spring, Zhizhu Temple, Guanying Dais, Wufo Palace, along the peaceful ascent, as an early styled replica called "Dusong Pavillion serves as a resting place for visitors.

Southern Wutai has been a famous Buddhist place as well as a resort for the emperors of a series of dynasties past. It is part of the Zhongnanshan National Forest Park which boasts the name of "natural park of plants and animals." Once inside, one will thoroughly enjoy the diverse range of views that the park has to offer in all of its seasons.

Terracotta warrior chess 2

2009-07-02T02:00:00.000-07:00

About 2000 years ago the Emperor of Qin in China recreated his entire army in detailed terracotta to be buried with him when he passed on. Now you can have your own specially crafted army ready to fight your chess battles with the Terracotta Warrior Polystone Chess Set. The remarkable detail have made Qin`s warriors one of the most well-known and respected icons of Chinese artistry from ancient times.

As the first emperor of China and the man whose name became the word “China’ in the West. His tomb, opened in the 1970`s. The man and the myth combine perfectly in this classic chess set, peopled by Emperor of China and his retinue of courtesans and warriors.Durable polystone pieces, made from a mixture of polyurethane resin and powdered stone, have a satisfying weight and texture that will appeal to casual players and collectors alike.

Terracotta Warrior Chess

2009-07-02T01:51:00.000-07:00

About 2000 years ago the Emperor of Qin in China recreated his entire army in detailed terracotta to be buried with him when he passed on. Now you can have your own specially crafted army ready to fight your chess battles with the Terracotta Warrior Polystone Chess Set. The remarkable detail have made Qin`s warriors one of the most well-known and respected icons of Chinese artistry from ancient times.
As the first emperor of China and the man whose name became the word “China’ in the West. His tomb, opened in the 1970`s. The man and the myth combine perfectly in this classic chess set, peopled by Emperor of China and his retinue of courtesans and warriors.Durable polystone pieces, made from a mixture of polyurethane resin and powdered stone, have a satisfying weight and texture that will appeal to casual players and collectors alike.

Small Wild Goose Pagoda

2009-07-01T22:30:00.000-07:00

Called Jianfu Temple, a Small Wild Goose Pagoda, it is one of the two important landmarks of the ancient metropolis of Tang Dynasty (the other is the Big Wild Goose Pagoda). Built in the Years of Jinglong reign (707-709 A.D.), 55 years after the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, the pagoda is so named because, it is smaller than the latter. It was part of the well known Buddhist temple Xianfu and was renamed Jianfu in 609 A.D. by empress Wuzetian, the only empress in China's history.

Small Wild Goose Pagoda is a fifteen-storey multi-eave, square brick structure. Originally, it was 46 meters high but now only 43.3 meters, because its steeple was destroyed. It has a square pedestal and a huge first storey, whose sides measure 11.38 meters long each. Doors on the north and south sides of the first storey have frames built of black stone. Carved on the lintel are images of arhats and designs of grasses, their excellent workmanship reflects the artistic style of the early Tang Dynasty. The pagoda has fifteen pent roofs. Each storey is very low with small windows only on the south and north sides to let in light and air. The eaves are formed by designs in the shape of chevrons and fifteen tiers of overlapping bricks, each tier wider than the one below, thus making the eaves curve inward, a characteristic of multi-eave pagodas in the Tang Dynasty. The exterior of the pagoda tapers gradually from the bottom. From the first to the fifth storey it tapers very little, but from the sixth storey up, it reduces drastically, giving the pagoda a smooth curved contour. The tubular interior of the pagoda has wooden flooring and a winding flight of wooden steps leading to other storeys, but there is little space and it is rather dark inside the pagoda. Since people cannot look at the view from the top of the pagoda, it was not built for people to climb up.

In the 1200 years history of its existence, there have even been many "magic healings" of the Pagoda. In 1487, there was an earthquake of 6 points on the Richter scale and a one-foot crack formed in the Pagoda from the top to the bottom. However, in 1521, 34 years after the quake, there came another one. The crack healed overnight, which amazed the local people. Therefore they began to call it the "Magic Healing". In September 1555, an official from the capital, named Wang He, stayed in the temple for a night on his way home. After he heard the story of the "Magic Healing" from a monk called Kan Guang who had personally witnessed the incident, out of disbelief, he engraved this story on the lintel of the Pagoda's north gate. However, when repair work started after 1949, it was found that the healing was not "magic", but "human". The early builders of the pagoda had made the foundation into the shape of a hemisphere in accordance with the geographic nature of Xi'an. The foundation therefore evenly divided the stress of the earthquakes. Thus, after enduring 70 quakes, the pagoda still stands as firm as when it was first established. Looking at this, we can only admire the marvelous workmanship of the ancient builders. In 1555, there was another earthquake in Huaxian County of this province. As a result, the top two storeys of the pagoda were destroyed and the present structure has only 13 storeys. In 1965, the Government embarked on a repair program on the Small Wild Goose Pagoda in the spirit of "returning the old to the original". The body of the pagoda was enforced with steel and concrete. Every brick, every piece of stone was checked or replaced. The stair- case of the pagoda was also rebuilt. And a lightening rod was fixed on top of the pagoda as well.

Qinling Wildlife Park

2009-07-01T22:28:00.000-07:00

The Qinling Wildlife Park is the biggest wildlife park in Northwest China, with a total area over 133 hectares. There are more than 10000 rare wild animals from over 300 species in the park. The Qinling Wildlife Park consists of two parts: the Animal houses and Enclosures District and Prairie District.

The Animal Houses and Enclosures District, with a total floor space of 130,000 square meters, house over 8000 animals belonging to 260 species, including giant pandas, lesser pandas, golden snub-nosed monkeys, Bengal tigers, kangaroos, elephants, sea lions, sea dogs, hippos, white tigers and various kinds of rare birds.

The Prairie District can be divided into to parts: the Vegetarian Zone and the Predator Zone, coving a total area of 490,000 square meters. Visitors should take a sightseeing bus into the Prairie District. In the Vegetarian Zone, there are various kinds of vegetarian from different regions around the world, such as the white-lipped deer living only in China, the rare Himalayan tahr living only in the southern region at the foot of Mountain Himalaya; the zebra, gnu, antelope from Africa and so on. The Predator Zone is located in the southern part of the Qinling Wildlife Park. Visitors can appreciate the beasts of prey in very close distance, which will be very exciting and of course the visitors’ security can be safeguarded in the well-equipped sightseeing bus

Mausoleum of Qin Shihuang

2009-07-01T22:26:00.000-07:00

Mausoleum of Qin Shihuang ( also called Mausoleum of the First Qin Empero) stands on the foot of Lishan , 30km east to Xi'an. Its south backs on to the Lishan and its north touches the Wei River. The big Mausoleum integrates with the Lishan mountains, offering unique landscape for sightseeing.

In 246 BC, after Qin Shihuang (means "the first emperor of the state of Qin" in Chinese) ascended the throne of Qin ( a state in that period), he ordered to build his final resting palace. This authoritative emperor left behind the world with great achievement and mysterious royal mausoleum as well. The construction lasted 38 years, confiscating over 720000 corvees and prisoners. Modern surveys of the site show that the mausoleum is indeed divided into an inner sanctuary and outer city. According to historical record, the mausoleum originally has 250000 sq. meters built—up area in the bottom and 115m high. Unfortunately, because of erosion and man-made breach, the mausoleum currently remains 120000 sq. meters in the bottom and 87 meters high. Around the mausoleum, there are lots of accompanying Mausoleums, which consist of 56.25 sq. km Mausoleum area. In addition to the discovered Terracotta Warriors Vaults and Bronze Horses Vault, there are more vaults containing other relics being discovered recently. As time goes by, it's bound to discover more relics. Mausoleum of Qin Shihuang boasts a Chinese history museum, therefore, it's well-known to the outside world.

Louguantai Wild Animal Breeding and Protection Centre

2009-07-01T22:24:00.000-07:00

There are many rare and endangered animals at the Louguantai Wild Animal Breeding and Protection Centre in Zhouzhi County. The Centre is based approximately 76 kilometres (1.5 hours) from Xian. It is the first crested ibis breeding centre in China. Apart from crested ibis, there are also many other rare animals including giant pandas, golden monkeys, black bears, leopards, giant salamanders, peacocks, antelope, white lipped deer, musk deer, vulture and owl.

As one of the fifty rarest birds in the world, the crested ibis is regarded as an "Oriental treasure" and has been afforded special protection in China. In the last century the bird widely spread over Asia. China, Japan, Russia and many other Asian countries were once habitats of the crested ibis. As a consequence of the widespread destruction of forests and wetland habitats, and the illegal hunt for its long white breeding plumage, the species declined dramatically to a population of hundreds. The bird, somewhat like the Chinese egret, is extraordinary beautiful, with red cheeks, a hooked beak and white plumage. It was regarded as a symbol of happiness and good luck by the ancient Chinese and was even called the "bird of auspiciousness"

Shanxi is the only habitat for this rare bird in China. The Louguantai Crested Ibis Breeding Centre is a famous breeding base for the crested ibis away from its original birth places. 21 crested ibis have been bred over the last year and there are more expected this year. To help them avoid distraction from outsiders, workers here put each "couple" in an enclosed huge netting cage.

A Giant Panda Breeding Centre is also under consideration which will be the fourth of its kind in China after that in Wolong, Sichuan, Chengdu, and Beijing

Lishan Mountain

2009-07-01T22:16:00.000-07:00

Lishan Mountain, a north-side branch of the Qinling Mountains, reaches 1256 meters and over 20 km long from east to west. From a distance, the mountain is spectacular and imposing as it appears like a bold stallion about to gallop. The mountain also has been described as being so attractive and charming that there are now many folk tales attached to it.

The mountain is home to some ancient and historic buildings. Among them is the Laojun Palace and the relics of Huaqing Palace Court. It once served as the sacred place for worshipping Laozi, the founder of Taoism.

Another is Bingjian Pavilion, a place in memory the Xi'an Incident on 12, Dec,1936, General Zhang Xueliang and Yang Hucheng ordered his army to arrest their president to persuade the leader to unite the whole country to fight against the Japanese invasion.

Standing atop the Lishan Mountain, one can enjoy the magnificent sunsets and sunrises that will make your visit memorable.

Huxian county folk painting

2009-06-30T00:26:00.000-07:00

Huxian County in Shaanxi Province is wee-known throughout the country for its unique folk paitings. Amazingly, all thoese artists are peasants who have never received any kinds of trainings on painting. They are natural painters. Those peasant artists have become world-renowned for portraying the ordinary aspects of county life on blackboards and newspapers and in large murals. Acclaimed for their inventive style, the paintings have generated interest both at home and abroad, where they've been displayed in such countries as the United States, Singapore and Australia.

Hukou Waterfall

2009-06-30T00:24:00.000-07:00

Hukou Waterfall, located at the intersection of Shanxi Province and Shaanxi Province, some 400 kilometers from Xian, is the second largest waterfall in China.

It is a great pleasure that a visitors should not miss in the Yellow River Basin. The mighty Yellow River, the second largest river in China, surge its way form the Qinghai Province to the border of Shanxi and Shaanxi Provinces where it suddenly found its way through a narrow valley blocked by mountains on both sides. The riverbed abruptly narrows down from 300 meters to 50n meters, turning the placid water to rapids. The tremendous water splashes on the rock, forming a magnificent waterfall of 15 meters high and 20 meters wide, as if the water is pouring down from a huge teapot, hence the name Hukou( means mouth of teapot). The scene can be overwhelming, water stirs up masses of smoke and clouds, with color turning from yellow to grey, grey to blue. The locals call this awesome scenery "smoke from river".

Over history, a number of prominent poets and painters once traveled here. Wowing at the grand view, they left numerous works giving high honor of the waterfall.

HuaShan Mountain

2009-06-30T00:18:00.000-07:00

Huashan Mountian is located some 240 kilometers away from Xi'an, approximately a two and half hours drive. It is one of the five sacred mountains in China. Huashan Mountain is well-known for its sheer cliffs and plunging ravines. It is the most dangerous mountain in China for climbers.

There are five peaks in the mountain, among which the most famous three are Sunrise Peak( East Peak), Lotus Flower Peak( West Peak), Falling Goose Peak( South Peak). The Sunrise Peak is a fine place to enjoy the sunrise view in early morning, which is frequented by travelers. Huashan means flower mountain and it got the name from the Lotus Peak, which resemble a beautifully blooming lotus flower. The falling Goose Peak is the highest among the five. The two other less visited are Jade Maiden( Middle Peak, legend goes that a jade maiden once saw riding a white horse among the mountains hence the name) and Cloud Stand Peak( North peak).. The path to the 2158 summit is nearly vertical, which now is equipped with iron chains to protect climbers. The climb to its summit makes it clear how the impenetrable mountain repelled those invaders over centuries.

Renewed as a sacred mountain, Huashan boast a lot of religious heritages. Buddhism and Daoism temples, pavilions, buildings and scriptures scatter around everywhere. The most famous historical sites include Yuquan Courtyard, Zhenwu Palace, Jintian Palace and much more.

Cable cars are available and take tourists to the northern summit of the mountain. If you want to challenge your endurance and physical strength then choose to climb the mountain. However, you are kindly advised to begin your arduous journey early in the morning, even before the sunrises, this way during your trek you can be lucky enough to nourish your aching body with the breath-taking sunrise which dances over the horizon when you reach the summit at morning.

HuaQing Hot Spring

2009-06-30T00:11:00.000-07:00

At the foot of Lishan mountain and 30 km from the historic city Xi'an, Huaqing Hot Springs – also called Huaqing Palace – has been a famous hot spring resort for centuries. Lying close to the capital Xi'an, with the charming scenery of Lishan as a backdrop, the natural hot springs has held great attraction for the emperors who set their capital in the northwest China province of Shaanxi. Since the Zhou dynasty, a series of feudal rulers of Qin, Han, Sui, Tang and other short-lived dynasties took this well-sited place as their temporary palace. Huanqing Pool also served as an ideal place for the poets and scholars to compose their masterpieces. Thus it has been an integral part of Chinese culture throughout the ages; in any historical period we can find a lot of Chinese literature that has something to do with the Huaqing Hot Springs place.

The history of the Huaqing Hot Springs dates back to clan society, when primitive Chinese tribes established their villages there. In A.D. 644, the Tang dynasty ruler Li Shimen ordered the construction of Tangqian Palace on the very site of the current Huaqing Hot Springs. When the construction was completed, he held a magnificent ceremony in celebration. In 747, when his grandson Xuanzong ascended the throne of the Tang dynasty, the palace was enlarged and renamed Huanqing Palace. The palace design was based on the Chinese traditional palace building theories. The Huaqing Hot Springs made rational and efficient use of the hot spring, while reflecting the layout of an imperial palace.

Huanqing Palace also witnessed the famous romance of emperor Xuanzong and his concubine Yang Guifei. According to historical records, during the 10 years from 745 to 755, the emperor brought his concubine and his high-ranking officials to the Huaqing Palace in October, and only returned to his capital palace in the spring of each following year. During that period, all domestic and diplomatic affairs of state were handled at Huaqing Palace, which thus began to flourish as an important political center. However, in 755 two generals rose up against their emperor, bringing great damage to the whole country and especially to the capital and to Huaqing Palace, which declined from its former importance as temporary palace. Following the collapse of the Tang dynasty, Huaqing Palace lost its special status. After the foundation of new China, it has been rebuilt several times, and now after many years the ancient pool has recovered its charm and attracts more and more visitors annually.

Tour with concubine Yang Guifei's company

The new tour project was marketed in 1999. It resurrects the luxurious palace life of the Tang dynasty ruler Xianzong and his concubine Yang Guifei in the Huaqing Hot Springs, and offers an excellent opportunity for visitors to satisfy their curiosity and fulfill their dreams by experiencing the luxurious life of an emperor or his high status lady.

the Mausoleum of Yellow Emperor

2009-06-30T00:08:00.000-07:00

As an AAAA-class scenic place, the Mausoleum of Yellow Emperor is not only a beautiful resort, but also an important national relic. The Yellow Emperor, with the name of Xuan Yuan and the surname of Gong Sun, was born in the matriarchal clan society. Mr. Simaqian (a famous historian of China) spoke highly of Yellow Emperor as “He was born of intelligence and could talk soon after he was born. Being a child, he was very clever. He was honest and hardworking when he grew up. He was also knowledgeable and distinguished. He was voted as the chieftain of the Xuan Yuan tribe at fifteen and then became the emperor when he was thirty seven years old. The greatest contribution of Yellow Emperor is that he experienced fifty three wars during which he defeated Wangyu Tribe, conquered the Yan Emperor and killed Chiyou Tribe, thus he uniformed the three tribes. Yellow Emperor led China from the savage time to a civilized and demonstrated country which promoted him as the first and the greatest emperor of the Chinese nation. He was so respectable that when he died at 110, people tried their best to keep him and then collected his utilities and buried them in his tomb in memory of him. That was the early Mausoleum. Later, people added something to the mausoleum and today there are the Xuan Yuan Temple, Hanwu Immortal Base, the ancient monuments, the cypress grown by Yellow Emperor, the General Cypress and some thousands of other ancient cypresses all of which was honored by mountains of Chinese people every year.

Xuan Yuan Temple

Located at the foot of the Bridge Mountain, this temple was built in the Han Dynasty (206BC-220AD) and was expanded during the Tang Dynasty (618-907) where some sacrifices to ancestors were held even as a national activity. During the early Kaibao Time (a period of the Song dynasty), the emperor moved the temple from the west side of the Bridge Mountain to the east, where the Yellow Emperor grew the cypress by himself. People rebuilt the temple especially the gate, the passing pavilion and the hall. And again the emperor made the Mausoleum of the Yellow Emperor Temple as one of the places to hold the ceremony to offer sacrifices. That is the Xuan Yuan Temple.

The Cypress Grown by Yellow Emperor

As we know, there is a Xuan Yuan Temple at the foot of the Bridge Mountain and there are fourteen ancient cypresses in the temple among which a surprising thick one was one the right with the branches coiling like snakes. It is the cypress grown that the Yellow Emperor grew five thousand years ago with partly bared root and dense leaves through the whole year which looks like a large green umbrella. Some people described the cypress on a tablet set ion a tablet pavilion as “It’s the king of cypress with the height of fifty eight chi (chi is a traditional unit of length, equal to 1/3 meter)”, the bottom circle of thirty one chi which has been thirty chi recently, the middle circle of nineteen chi and six chi of the top circle.” There is also a proverb said “A tree is extremely thick with some tree lumps in the trunk.” It is said to be the biggest and highest cypress of the country, called “king of cypress” as well as “the father of the world’s cypresses”. It is said that the Yellow Emperor once ordered people to cut down all the trees of the Bridge Mountain and also the trees around it to enforce the Bridge Mountain people who were living in the caves to live on the land and then cultivate them. Unfortunately, the flood washed away most of the people who lived in the middle of the bare mountain and their houses. The regretful emperor swore that he would never cut down any trees and grew one cypress immediately to show his decision. The other people all learned from him to grow trees and the Bridge Mountain became dense and green in several years. Therefore, growing trees becomes a traditional moral of China and is passed down generation to generation.

The Virtues Altar

As a conjunction of the mausoleum area, the Virtue Altar is located on the axis of the Mausoleum, with Xuan Yuan Temple to the east, the county to the west, the Inkpad Mountain to the south and the Mausoleum Road to the north. The subject of the Virtues Altar is to honor Yellow Emperor’s virtues and achievement. The structure of it is special as follows: the surface of the altar is a circle with the diameter of fifty four meters, consisting of the outer circle, the middle circle and the inner circle. There are the Heaven Tripod (tripod is an ancient cooking vessel with two loop handles and three or four legs), the Earth Tripod in front of the altar and the Human Tripod in the center of the circle. The tripods are thirteen inches high and they are so large in the circle that it seems available for ten Dan heap soil and also with all kinds of carved Gods, Goddess and animals in it. (Dan is a unit of dry measure for grain in China, roughly equivalent to one hectoliter). The relieves carved on the outer wall of the altar show the contribution of the Yellow Emperor and his descendants to the human.

The Chinese Home Centric Forest of Steles

The steles stand for thirty provinces, municipalities directly under the central government and autonomous regions, the Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative Regions which circle the altar from the east, west and north side.

With the total area of 1367.2 square meters and 42.75 for each, these steles stand from lower place to higher places naturally along the slope, circled with the cypress and pine trees. The whole forests of steles take on the scenery of home centric and promoting and became a meaningful grand scenic spot of the Yellow Emperor Mausoleum which embodies the unity and inspiration of the Chinese people, together with the virtue altar.

Kind reminder:

After visiting the Phoenix mountain, the Yang Family Ridge village, the Wang Family Patio village and the Date Garden village, you can go to the Yellow Emperor Mausoleum the second day and return in the afternoon. You can also take the north-line one-day-tourist buses at the railway station. Driving your car along the west Bronze First-class road for 196 kms, you can arrive there directly. Besides, this double-way road from Yao County to the Yellow Emperor Mausoleum is pretty good. The road toll (the cost of the road and the bridges) is 45 yuan.

Huajue Xiang alley in sian

2009-06-30T00:04:00.000-07:00

Huajue Xiang is a narrow alley located between the Drum Tower and the Great Mosque in the center of the city. The 500-meter-long winding lane is a great place to pick up souvenirs and antiques. Stalls selling a wide variety of items, ranging from local art crafts including well-embroidered cloth shoes, elegantly-carved China to these fine handicrafts originated in the far southwest parts of China like some fine arts of Miao and Dong minorities line along the street.

Most of the residents in the Huajue Xiang area are Muslims-the Hui minority group. The Hui people seem to be natural linguists. Most of the touts in the alley can speak several languages so do not be surprised when finding your shop owner fluent in English.

Although it is one of the best places to purchase trinkets, Huajue Xiang is a little more than a bustling business street. In the alley, visitors will find some historical sites including the Great Mosque, the largest and one of the most important Islamic mosques in China. The traditional Chinese styled temples, pavilions, buildings and Islamic arts, religious atmosphere in the mosque well illustrate the street's rich culture.

Huajue Xiang has a long history dating back to the Tang Dynasty over one thousand years ago. The street was originally called Ziwu Xiang. But little of the tiny lane was recorded during the subsequent dynasties. Although very little is known of its long past, one thing is certain that the narrow alley has experienced ups and downs for centuries.

A leisure stroll through the alley seeing the Muslims doing their business will prove to be pleasant and interesting. The varieties of colorful goods sold there will make a feast for your eyes.

Cave Dwelling

2009-06-28T20:37:00.000-07:00

Many people in north and central China live in yaodong cave dwellings, named for the typical arched openings. The oldest caves dug right into the hillside while more recent ones are only partially dug in. They are well insulated. Some Yaodao are in very poor conditions; others are furnished with all modern conveniences.

the Great Mosque in sian

2009-06-28T20:27:00.000-07:00

Due to its location in Huajue Alley, northwest of the Drum Tower, the mosque is also named the Huajue Alley Mosque. Deemed to be one of the two most significant ancient mosques in the city of Xi'an (the other is the mosque in Daxuexi Alley), it was ostensibly founded by the naval admiral and Hajji Cheng Ho, the son of a prestigious Muslim family who is famous for clearing the China Sea of pirates and leading the great Ming naval expedition to south and west. Since the fourteenth century, the mosque has undergone numerous reconstructions. Most of the buildings extant today are from the Ming and Qing Dynasties of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.

The Great Mosque is the major spot for the religious activities of over 60,000 Moslems in Xi'an. It is also an important historic monument in Shaanxi Province. Like the Great Mosques at Hangzhou, Quanzhou and Guangzhou, the Great Mosque of Xian is thought to have existed as early as the seventh century. Unlike Arabic mosques which have splendid domes, minarets reaching into the clouds, and colorful engraved sketches with dazzling patterns, Chinese architectural elements were synthesized into the mosque's architecture. As a result the mosque resembles a fifteenth century Buddhist temple. The mosque occupies a narrow lot about 48 meters by 248 meters, and the precinct walls enclose a total area of 12,000 square meters. Unlike many other Chinese mosques, it has the layout of a Chinese temple: successive courtyards on a single axis with pavilions and pagodas adapted to suit Islamic functions. Unlike a typical Buddhist temple, the grand axis of the Great Mosque of Xian is aligned from east to west, facing Mecca. Five successive courtyards, each with a signature pavilion, screen, or freestanding gateway, lead to the prayer hall located at the western end of the axis.

Although the great mosque possesses plenty of traditional Chinese architectural features, the inner decoration is strictly in accordance with Islamic requirements. Writings in the hall are all in Arabic, and only Muslims are allowed to enter the prayer hall. The great mosque is viewed as a significant combination of Chinese and Islamic architectural arts. It has been classified a key national historical unit by the State Council of China, and listed by UNESCO as an important international Islamic cultural relic.

Forest of Stone Steles Museum

2009-06-28T20:03:00.000-07:00

Situated in the famous Three Schools Street of Xi'an (the three schools refer to the Chang'an School, Fu School and the Xianning School of Qin Dynasty), the steles forest was established in the second year of the Northern Song Dynasty (1078 AD) to store the Kaicheng Stone Inscriptions. Since then, the collection of the steles forest has been constantly expanding. To date the stone tablets total about 3,000 and they are stored and displayed in six steles corridors, seven steles exhibition halls and eight steles pavilions. Collections here are of high value for exploring both Chinese history and Chinese calligraphy. Here stand a number of stone tablets that bear the works of many outstanding calligraphers in ages and styles.

Chinese calligraphy boasts a long development history and basically five basic script forms, namely: seal script, clerical script, regular script, running script and cursive script. Calligraphy is an art dating back to the earliest day of history, and widely practiced throughout China to this day. Although it uses Chinese words as its vehicle of expression, one does not have to know Chinese to appreciate its beauty, because in essence, calligraphy is an abstract art. While viewing a Western abstract painting, one does not ask, “What is it?” When viewing Chinese calligraphy, one need not ask, “What is the Chinese word?” Therefore the steles museum is also highly attractive to tourists and arts lovers from outside China, although most of them cannot read Chinese. The most famous includes the Cao Quan Stele, erected in Han clerical script and famous for its elegant, ingenious inscription.

The Tang dynasty is commonly seen as the summit of China's feudal society and its calligraphy marked by the widespread and popularity of regular script also came to a peak. The most distinguished Tang stele is "the Preface to the Holy Buddhist Scriptures" in the handwriting of Wang Xizhi, a famous Jin calligrapher who was named the Sage of Chinese Calligraphy. Some poems of calligraphy are also collected here.

The first steles exhibition hall
In front of the first exhibition hall stands the biggest stone tablet engraved in 745 AD. The inscription on filial piety was written by Emperor Xuezhong Li Longji of Tang Dynasty. The Scripture on Filial Piety was compiled by Confucius's student Zen Can and the tablet bears the preface for the scripture by Li Longji. His preface was aimed to demonstrate his political philosophy, that is, to govern his empire by filial piety. Following the preface is the original text of the Scripture on Filial Piety and the smaller Chinese characters on the side are the notations by Li Longji. The base of the large stele consists of a three-layer stone platform adorned with lively vines, grass and lion flower, which is a typical decoration of Tang style. On top of the tablet there are clouds and some imaginary beasts that signify good fortune. Made of four pieces of stone and supported by a stone platform, the stele is also called the Scripture on Filial Piety on the Stone Platform.

This exhibition hall altogether houses 114 stone tablets that bear 12 important Chinese classical literary works, including Zhou Yi, or Books of Changes (6 volumes), Shang Shu (13 volumes), Shi Jing or Classic of Poetry (20 volumes), Zhou Li (11 volumes), Li Yi (17 volumes), Li Ji or Book on Rites (20 volumes), Biography of Zuo of Spring and Autumn Period (30 volumes), Biography of Gongyang of Spring and Autumn Period (12 volumes), Er Ya (3 volumes), as well as Gongyang Chunqiu, Scripture on Filial Piet and Lun Yu or the Analects of Confucius. These books are composed of 650,252 Chinese characters and were the most essential text books for China's ancient feudalist intellectuals. To preserve and standardize the correct spread of these classics nationwide in an age lacking modern printing technology, the emperor had them engraved on stone tablets, on both sides. This is one of the most important functions of the steles forest. Such practice starts from East Han Dynasty and seven times of large scale stone carvings for classics took place in Chinese history. But the steles forest that we see today in Xi'an is the only survival.

Other exhibition halls
The second exhibition hall houses the masterpieces of such famous calligraphers as Ouyang Xun, Zhu Zhuliang, Yan Zhenqing and Liu Gongquan. The third exhibition hall is all about the history and evolvement of Chinese calligraphy. Therefore calligraphies in all the styles: bone script, bronze engraving, seal style, official style, grass or swift style, regular style and running style can all be found here. By studying and appreciating these master pieces of different ages and styles, one easily obtain a clue of the development of Chinese calligraphy. The fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh exhibition hall and the Exhibition Hall of Artistic Stone Carving all have their own unique feature and charms. Thanks to the immense collection, the museum is entitled the Treasury of Oriental Arts, the Mine of Chinese Calligraphy, and the Most Ancient Stone Book Storeroom in the World and so on.

Banpo Museum in Sian

2009-06-28T19:17:00.000-07:00

In the Yellow River valley, Banpo Village Ruins is a typical representation of the Neolithic Yangshao Agricultural Village. The ruins date back 5600—6700 years. It is the earliest known agricultural village in China. The term "Yangshao culture" is used because the first example was found near Yangshao Village. The oldest Yangshao-type village is Banpo. The Banpo Village Ruins were discovered in 1953 with a 50000 sq. meter built-up area. From 1954 to 1957, the Institute of Archaeology of Chinese Science Academy organized five excavations, which obtained a great deal of precious relics. The excavations uncovered 45 houses or other buildings, 2 enclosed sheds, over 200 storage cellars, 6 pottery kilns, 250 graves ( including 73 for dead children ) and over 10,000 pieces of productive tools and apparatus . In 1958, a large hall was built over the ruins, which is the first museum for exhibiting the historic materials. The hall provides us precious and indispensable evidence to our study of the people of that period. The exhibition hall has had over 20 million visitors since it opened to the public on 1st April, 1958.
Banpo Ruins
The Banpo Ruins are divided into three areas: a residential area, a pottery manufacturing area and a cemetery. with the residential area being the body the ruins.
The Banpo people, who lived during the Neolithic period, used wooden or stone tools in their time. The women were the dominant force in that society; they took responsibility in pottery manufacturing, weaving, raising poultry and the many household chores. The men were responsible for the job of hunting and fishing and bringing home the food to feed the family.
The Banpo Ruins relates to visitors the history of the ancient Chinese people with genuine artifacts from that period.
Banpo Museum
The museum measures about 4500 sq. meter, consisting of relics display room, a ruins room and accessorial room. Most of the relics are displayed in the first and second rooms. The displayed materials are classified and categorized into stone, bone and pottery. The relics include production tools, apparatus, arts, etc. The accessorial room is for themed exhibitions of the historical items. In this museum, there is a great deal of colored pottery. Much of this pottery of plates, pots, earthen bowls, etc is with mystic and various drawings of the time.
Ruins Hall
The ruins, once part of the residential area in the Neolithic age, occupies around 3000 sq. meter.
The ruins offer the visitors a vivid picture of the prehistoric village. The earlier houses are half underground, in contrast to the later houses which stand on ground level and have a wooden framework. The residential part of the village is surrounded by an artificial moat, 300 meters long, about 2 meters deep and 2 meters wide.
The moat protected the village from attacks by wild animals and from the effects of heavy rainfall in what was originally a hot and humid environment.
In the ruins lies the cemetery where the adult dead were buried along with burial objects such as earthen pots. Some pots were used to place bones in them and were covered with lid. On those pots, there is a belief, which it is said to the passage for the dead people's soul.
There are many other storage cellars and warehouses in the ruins.

Shaanxi Historical Museum

2009-06-28T18:22:00.000-07:00

This large, modern State museum is situated at the western side of the "Wild Goose Pagoda" in Xi’an City. The exhibits on the ground and first floors are grouped into the Basic Exhibition Hall, the Theme Exhibition Hall and East Exhibition Hall. As well as the chronological dynastic displays including the Han, Wei, Jin, North and South, Sui, Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties, the pre-historical and bronze period exhibits, together with terra cotta figures and murals from tombs of the Tang Dynasty, are highly recommended.-by Angela The large-scale modern State-class museum, is situated at the western side of the "Wild Goose Pagoda" in Xian City. It covers an area of about 70,000 square meters, the architectural area of which is 55,000 odd square meters.

The Shaanxi Historical Museum, a large-scale modern State-class museum, is situated at the western side of the "Wild Goose Pagoda" in Xian City. It covers an area of about 70,000 square meters, the architectural area of which is approximately 55,000 square meters. Opened to the public on June 20, 1991, the museum is divided into three main parts for overall display, for temporary display and for display on special topics.

Xi’an was the imperial capital in ancient time, and more than 13 (the number is the largest in China, even bigger than Beijing) feudal dynasties built their capitals here including Zhou, Qin, Han, and Tang etc. Therefore to some extent the history demonstrated in the museum can be viewed a condensed history of the whole Chinese nation. The architecture of the museum is a great integration of traditional Chinese imperial palace and garden featured by imposing mansions, elegant pavilions and snaking corridors. In the meantime local architectural factors and modern design inspiration have also been incorporated into the building of the important museum. The exhibition hall houses more than 113,000 pieces of antiques unearthed in Shaanxi, one of the most important cradles of the 5,000 years old Chinese civilization. The seven categories of collection that include prehistory, Zhou, Qin, Han, the south North Dynasty of Weijing, Shui and Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing systematically demonstrate a panorama of the history of Shaanxi from 1.15 million years ago until the outbreak of the Opium War in 1840 AD.

To enhance international cultural exchange, the museum has already built a multifunctional auditorium that offers simultaneous interpretation in six languages as well as a museum library with a collection of over 300, 000 books. Shaanxi Historical Museum is also the first online museum in China. In other words, visitors now can tour the great museum at any time and anywhere simply by clicking their website at http://www.sxhm.com/e_ysldefault.asp. Pictures and relevant descriptions of all the important exhibits are available online. Visual tours and physical visits are obviously mutually complementary.

Attractions of the Museum
Welcoming Stone Lions

With a huge color photo of the Yellow River at the back, two huge stone lions, duplicate of the stone lions of the Shun Mausoleum of Tang Dynasty, stand in front of the central hall to receive the tourists from both home and abroad.

Fundamental Exhibition Hall

Taking the historical course as a clue and displaying typical antiques of different ages, the Fundamental Hall strives to illustrate the ancient social and civilization development of Shaanxi in a lively way. The 4, 600 square meters hall is divided into three exhibition rooms and seven categories, namely, prehistory period, Zhou, Qin, Han, the South and North Dynasty of Weijing, Shui and Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing. Among the 2,000 pieces of the exhibits, some especially capture our attention. Good examples are the ancient pained potteries that demonstrate the life scenes and artistic pursuit of our prehistory ancestors; the bronze utensils of Zhou Dynasty that witnessed the rise of the Zhou people in central China more than 4, 000 years ago; the bronze swords, terra cotta warriors of Qin that saw the first unification of China by Emperor Qinshihuang and the Three Colored Glazed Potteries, gold and silver wares of Tang that exhibit the glory and prosperity of the Tang Empire. Many pictures, models of historical relics and diagrams are displayed at the same time to provide the viewers a panorama of the ancient history from the prehistory time period to 1840. Xi’an was the capital city of such dynasties as Zhou, Qin, West Han, Shui and tang, therefore the exhibits associated with these dynasties are the most comprehensive and worthwhile to see.

Theme Exhibition Hall

In the west wing of the museum, the Exhibition of Shaanxi Rare Bronze Wares and the Exhibition of Shaanxi Elite Pottery Tomb Figures are the first two exhibitions with a particular theme that ever takes place in this museum. More than 600 pieces of valuable antique that are rarely seen elsewhere are on display, among which, 260 are bronze wares. After attending the bronze ware exhibitions, viewers will obtain a general idea regarding the production process of such bronze wares in the ancient time as well as their special classifications, functions and craftsmanship. Besides the inscriptions on the bronze vessels, their impact upon the development of Chinese calligraphy and seal carving are also addressed. The whole exhibition gives us an impression of historical depth and thickness. 341 pieces of pottery tomb figures are displayed in the tomb figure exhibition in the order of five different time period – Qin and Han, the South and North Dynasty of Weijing, Shui and Tang, Song, Yuan and Ming.

Shaanxi Historical Museum houses 115,000 pieces of antiques, among which, 41,000 have been registered and the rest have not been sorted out and filed. A major part of the collections were from the previous Shaanxi Provincial Museum and are typically classified as the eight categories as below:

Bronze ware

More than 3,900 pieces of bronze wares from the Shang Dynasty to Qin and Han Dynasties have been registered. Among these ancient wares one sees ceremonial utensils, music instruments, weapons, vehicles, harness and other tools and life utensils. The most valuable are the ancient cooking vessels (Duoyou Ding and Shixian Ding for instance) produced in Shang Dynasty. The inscriptions on these vessels are of very high historical value. Some important wares noted for their unique shape are the Phoenix Post Vessel and Bull Vessel of the Zhou Dynasty, the Bird Kettle of the Warring States Period and the Colored Painted Goose and Fish Lantern etc.

The murals of the tomb of Tang Dynasty

The 400 murals of a total area of 1,000 square meters were unearthed and obtained from 25 Tang tombs from 1952 to 1989. The owners of these tombs were all the members of the royal families or high ranking officials of the Tang Empire. These tomb murals basically depicted the Gods of the Heaven, imperial guards, various ceremonies, Tang architectures and some life scenes of the emperor such as his meeting with the foreign envoys and hunting, thus providing very vivid materials for studying the social life of Tang Dynasty.

Ceramic tomb figures of different time period

More than 2, 000 pieces of tomb figures in the collections of the museum have been registered which belong to dynasties including Qin (221-206 B C), Han, Bei, Shui, Tang, Ming and Qing (1644-1912 A D) etc. The ceramic and multiple colored glazed potteries are made in the images of civil and military officials, servants, guards, maids, foreign businessmen from the middle Asia, Gods, horses and camels among others.

Porcelain wares

More than 5, 000 pieces have been registered as collections of the museum, some of which date back to the prehistoric civilization, many more are the green porcelain wares of West Zhou Dynasty, glazed ceramics of Han, three colored glazed ceramics of Tang, ancient glass, colored glazed, green ceramics of Rao kiln of Song Dynasty and suchlike. Exhibits here are ordinary family utensils, stationery and tomb utensils.

Building materials

The 1,000 registered materials that belong to the historical periods from Zhou until Qing, include ceramic tiles, bricks, stones and metal constructions components.

Bronze mirrors of Han and Tang Dynasties

Some of the registered 800 bronze mirrors carry elegant patterns, designs and poetic lines of auspicious implications.

Gold, silver and jade wares

Among the 2, 000 registered items most notable and rarest are the jade ceremonial utensils of West Zhou, the gold woodpeckers unearthed from the Qinggong Tomb of Spring and Autumn Period, the jade queen of West Han, the gold and silver bamboo smoke stove, the beast head agate cup unearthed in the He Family Village of Xi’an in 1970, the eight arris gold cup and the gold walking dragon.

Ancient coins

Over 10, 000 registered valuable ancient coins have been displayed and other 50, 000 pieces of coins that weight 7, 000 kilograms have not been sorted out and exhibited yet. One can easily see rare species that can not seen elsewhere such as the seashell coins of West Zhou, the knife coin of the Warring States Period, Half a Tael of Qin, gold and silver coins of West Han, Tang and some other countries as well as the coins in circulation during the reign of emperor Wang Mang.

Aside from the eight major categories mentioned above, the wide range of Chinese painting and calligraphies, ancient books, Buddhist inscriptions, fabrics, bone wares, wood wares, lacquer work, metal wares, stone wares and seals will also make the museum a worthwhile place to visit.

the Qinling Wildlife Park

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the Former Residence of General Zhang Xueliang

2009-06-26T01:34:00.000-07:00

The Former Residence of General Zhang Xueliang, located at No.69 Jianguo Road, Xian, is a courtyard housing three three-storied brick-and-wood-structured western-style buildings. It has been turned into the Xi'an Incident Memorial Hall today, the historical relic under the national protection.

Zhang Xueliang, born on 3 June 1901 and dead on 14 October 2001 in Honolulu, Hawaii, United States, is a very famous patriotic hero during the Chinese People Anti-Japanese War. His nicknamed is the "Young Marshal" for him becoming the effective ruler of Northeast China and much of the North China when he was only 27 years old on 4 June 1928. On 6 April 1936, Zhang Xueliang met with Premier Zhou Enlai to plan the end of the Chinese Civil War. In the Xi'an incident (12 December 1936), Zhang Xueliang and another general Yang Hucheng detained Chiang Kai-shek, the head of the Kuomintang government, and forced him agreed to form a united front with the communists against the Japanese invasion. This is the well-known Xi'an Incident, also called Double-12 Incident. As a result, the incident secured the second cooperation between the Communist Party and the Kuomintang. General Zhang Xueliang had made a great contribution to the liberation and revolution of Chinese people. But he had spent over 50 years under house arrest by Chiang Kai-shek and his son after the Xian Incident.

The Big Wild Goose Pagoda in Sian

2009-06-26T01:28:00.000-07:00

Standing in the Da ci'en Temple of a southern suburb of Xi'an, the Big Wild Goose Pagoda is one of the most famous Chinese ancient structures and has been viewed as the landmark of Xi'an. Originally built in 652 AD during the reign of Emperor Gaozong of Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD), it functioned to collect Buddhist materials that were taken from India by the hierarch Xuanzang. Xuanzang started off from Chang'an (the ancient Xian), along the Silk Road and through deserts, finally arriving in India, the cradle of Buddhism. During 17 years of traversing 100 countries, he obtained Buddha figures, 657 kinds of sutras, and several Buddha relics. Having got permission from Emperor Gaozong (628-683), Xuanzang, as the first abbot of Da Ci'en Temple, supervised the building of a pagoda inside it. With the support of royalty, he asked 50 hierarchs into the temple to translate Sanskrit sutras into Chinese, totaling 1,335 volumes, which heralded a new era in the history of translation. Based on the journey to India, he also wrote a book entitled "Pilgrimage to the West", which provides plenty of valuable materials for studying the history and society of India at that time. The pagoda was thus named because the architectural style was imported from the wild goose pagoda of India. To distinguish the smaller pagoda of the same architecture built later in the Jianfu Temple of Chang'an (the ancient name of Xi'an), people called it the Big Wild Goose Pagoda.

First built to a height of 60 meters (197 feet) with five stories, it is now 64.5 meters (211.6 feet) high with an additional two stories. It was said that after that addition came the saying "Saving a human life exceeds building a seven-storied pagoda". Externally it looks like a square cone, simple but grand, and it is a masterpiece of Buddhist construction. Built of brick, its structure is very solid. Inside the pagoda, stairs twist up so that visitors can climb and overlook the panorama of Xi'an City from the arch-shaped doors on four sides of each storey. On the walls are engraved fine statues of Buddha by the renowned artist Yan Liben of the Tang Dynasty. Steles by noted calligraphers also grace the pagoda.

The multi-story pagoda was an architectural marvel. It was built with layers of bricks but without any cement in between. The bracket style in traditional Chinese architecture was also used in the construction. The seams between each layer of bricks and the ‘prisms' on each side of the pagoda are clearly visible. The grand body of the pagoda with its solemn appearance, simple style and high structure, is indeed a good example of ancient people's wisdom and talent. Pictures of the Heavenly King and of Buddha are on the doorframes and horizontal bars on four sides of the pagoda's base. These stone sculptures display peak workmanship, and show vivid shapes and smooth lines. They now serve as an important source of materials for the study of painting and sculpture of the Tang dynasty. Out of these artistic works, the one on the horizontal bar of the west door is the most precious. It is a rare piece of art, now used for the study of the Tang architecture. Inside the temple where the pagoda is situated, there are two small buildings: the one on the east side houses a bell, and the one on the west side a drum. The bell, an iron cast from the Ming dynasty, weighs 15 tons. Together with the drum, the bell was used to strike the time for the monks in the temple.

Inside the Great Hall of the Buddha in the temple there are the three incarnations of Sakyamuni. The one in the middle is called Dharmakaya., the one on the west side is Bao Shen Buddha, and the one on the opposite side is called Ying Shen Buddha. In the Doctrine Chamber stands the Amitabha Buddha. On the wall at the east side of the chamber there are three rubbings. The one in the middle is called Xuanzang (Monk Tripitaka), who carried the Scriptures from India to Chang'an.

Ancient City Wall in Sian

2009-06-26T01:24:00.000-07:00

The first landmark visitors will encounter in Xi'an is the ancient city wall, which stretches round the old city. The northern side runs parallel to the railway. Xi'an was originally a walled city, and even today the wall is considered a landmark dividing the city into the inner part and the outer part. The city wall is massive - tall, long and thick. The South Gate and North Gate are the two main entrances to the inner city. The city itself is neatly arranged along the city wall.

History

Xi'an City Wall was erected in the 14th century Ming Dynasty, under the regime of

Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang. When Zhu Yuanzhang captured Huizhou, long before the establishment of the Ming Dynasty, he was admonished by a hermit named Zhu Sheng, who told him to "build high walls, store abundant provisions and take your time in proclaiming yourself emperor." This advice Zhu Yuanzhang heeded. Once the whole country was unified, he sent orders to the local governments to build city walls on a large scale. Zhu assured that "out of all the mountains and rivers in the world, the area of Central Qin is the most strongly fortified and strategically impregnable." The current city wall is an enhancement of the old Tang Dynasty structure, as a result of the emperor's wall building campaign.

The Structure of the City Wall

The first city wall of Xi'an was built of earth, rammed layer upon layer. The base layer was made of earth, quick lime, and glutinous rice extract, tamped together. It made the wall extremely strong and firm. Later, the wall was totally enclosed with bricks. A moat, wide and deep, ran around the city. Over the moat, there used to be a huge drawbridge, which would cut off the way in and out of the city, once lifted.

Xi'an's city wall, after its enlargement in the Ming Dynasty, stands 12 meters high. It is 12-14 meters across the top, 15-18 meters thick at bottom, and 13.7 kilometers in length. There is a rampart every 120 meters. The ramparts are towers that extend out from the main wall. The ramparts were built to allow soldiers to see enemies trying to climb the wall. The distance between the ramparts is within the range of arrows fired from either side. This allowed soldiers to protect the entire wall without exposing themselves to the enemy. There are altogether 98 ramparts; each has a sentry building on top of it.

The Gates

The gates of the city wall were the only way to go into and out of town. Therefore, these gates were important strategic points, which the feudal rulers racked their brains to try to defend. In Xi'an's case, the north, south, east and west gates, each consist of three towers: the gate tower, which holds the drawbridge, the narrow tower and the main tower. The gate tower stands proud of the wall. It is used to lift and lower the drawbridge. The narrow tower is in the middle. Its inner walls have square windows to shoot arrows from. The main tower is the innermost one, ande forms the entrance to the city.

South Gate: Being the most ancient one, the South Gate was built in the beginning of Shui Dynasty (582 AD) and called Shangan Gate. It was called South Gate when the new imperial city was built by Han Jianshuo and renamed Yongning (permanent peace) Gate in Ming Dynasty. Today it is noted for its closeness to its original condition as compared to all the old city gates, but an arrow tower has been at its side. Every day cars, pedestrians and bicycles are going through the gate.

Zhuque (Red Sparrow) Gate: Before the Zhuque Gate, the main entrance of the Tang Forbidden City is the famous Zhuque Avenue, the Avenue des Champs Elysees of the ancient Xi'an, where the emperors of Shui and Tang often held various parades and ceremonies here thousands of years ago. The remains of the Gate were rediscovered in 1985 when the city wall of Ming Dynasty was opened. The depict of the gate in the literature works of Shui and Tang were testified by the unearthed site. As described, the gate was truly imposing and built by huge block of marbles and engraved with plenty of imaginative and pretty patterns. The new gate we see today was actually built in 1986 precisely according to its original look.

Hanguang Gate: The Hanguang Gate is in the west wing of the southern face of the imperial city. At the end of Tang where Han Jianshuo built the new city, the middle and west entries were closed down and only the east entry was left untouched. When the North Song Dynasty came a couple of centuries later, the east entry was also blocked out. In 1984 the ancient city wall was restored, and the Hanguang Gate relics was rediscovered whose doors, pillars and foundation were made of granitic rocks. Now the restoration of the whole site is still under process and will soon open to tourists.

West Gate: The West Gate, originally the central gate in the west wing of the Tang Forbidden City, was preserved after the construction of the new Forbidden City by Han Jianshuo at the end of Tang Dynasty. It was moved southward and renamed Anding (safe and stable) when the city wall was expanded in Ming Dynasty.

Wenchang (Prosperity of Learning) Gate: The Wenchang Gate in the south of the Forest of Stone Tablets Museum was rebuilt in 1986. On the top of the wall, there stands the Pavilion of Kuixin (Star of Chief), which is the only non-military establishment of the ancient city wall. Kuixin, or Star of Chief, is also called Kuisu and among the 24 constellations. In the ancient China, Kuixin was deemed to be in charge of learning and scholarship so people respectfully called him Wenqu Star or Wenchang Star. If somebody was chosen by his red brush, he would be a Zhuangyuan, or a NO. One Scholar. In the past, the Pavilion or Shrine of Kuixin were widely built and worshipped in the Temple of Confucius and schools. Inside the pavilion, tourists can see the typical image of Kuixin, or the Star of Chief: slovenly, sot-like, staggering, wearing messy hairs and big whiskers, holding a brush and a wine gourd. Therefore the city gate near the Pavilion of Kuixin is named Wenchang, or the prosperity of learning.

Tunnels

The narrow tower and the main tower are connected by tunnels, in which soldiers could be stationed. From the tunnels there are also horse passages leading to the top of the wall. There are gradually ascending steps, made so that it was easy for war horses to ascend and descend. There are all together 11 horse passages around the city.

Watch Towers

A watch tower is located on each of the four corners of the wall. The one at the southwestern corner is round, probably after the model of the imperial city wall of the Tang Dynasty, but the other three are square-shaped. On top of the watch towers there is a corner rampart, higher and larger than the ordinary ramparts. This shows the strategic importance of the corners of the city wall in war times.

Battlements

Along the outer crest of the city wall there are crenellations or battlements. Under each of the 5,984 crenels there is a square hole, from which arrows were shot and watch was kept. The lower, inner walls are called parapets. They were used to prevent soldiers from falling off the wall, when traveling back and forth.

The Drum Tower in Sian

2009-06-26T01:06:00.000-07:00

The Drum Tower, facing the Bell Tower on the other side of the square and a national key culture relic, was built in the 13th Year of Hongwu (1380 A D), four years before the building of the Bell Tower. According to legend, in ancient times there once hung a drum for telling time. The drum was struck at dusk, hence the name "Drum Tower". With an area of 1,924 square meters, the Drum Tower is rectangular in shape, 52.6 meters long, 38 meters wide and 7.7 meters high. Like the Bell Tower, it is a triple-eaved, two-storey structure. The main difference between them is that the roof of the Drum Tower was covered with glazed bricks. There are many antiques shops in the tower, where tourists can both sightsee and shop.

Bell Tower in Sian

2009-06-26T01:01:00.000-07:00

Erected in 1380, the Drum Tower is the counterpart of the Bell Tower, which is 300 meters to the southeast. Like the Bell Tower, the Drum tower was used to tell time. An enormous drum once declared the hour at dusk, but later it was only used to warn of attacks.

Standing 34 meters high, the tower was until recently one of the tallest structures in the city. The base is made of stone, while the upper stories are wood. The base of the tower is 1337.4 square meters in size, with a height of 8.6 meters and a length of 35.5 meters. The whole building is 36 meters high with its "blue brick" base and a "brick and wooden" body. It's a two-storey construction with colored "dougong" on the eaves. "Dougong" refers to the sets of brackets on top of the columns supporting the roof. They are quite unique in Chinese construction, and make the building more stable and beautiful.

A legend has it that in the Ming dynasty, continuous earthquakes killed many people, and according to a popular explanation an evil gigantic dragon in the huge undercurrent below the city caused them. Later the dragon was trussed up with a 300-meter iron chain, and people built a tower over the place to contain its spells forever. Another story concerns the first emperor of the Ming dynasty who was born into a poor family. As an orphan following his parents' deaths, he herded sheep for rich landowners. Later when he ascended the throne, afraid of being deposed by others of "real dragon" (i.e. royal) descent, he ordered bell towers to be built all over the country to repress the "dragon spirits". Xi'an was considered the central place where "dragon spirits" ran rampant.

A huge iron bell made in the Year of Chenghua Ming Dynasty (1465～1487) hangs in the northwestern corner of the Bell Tower. On the body of the five-ton bell there is the Eight Diagrams of Taoism. The bell is in fact a new bell. The original bell, known as the Jingyun Bell, so named because it was made in the Year of Jingyun of the Tang Dynasty, was much larger and heavier. The old Jingyun Bell is now part of the collection of the Xi'an Steles Forest Museum. As regards the replacement of the bell, a story goes that after the Bell Tower was moved to its new location, the Jingyun Bell could not ring, even though the architecture and interior decoration of the tower had been changed little. Consequently a new bell had to be made.

The Terracotta Warrior Army Museum in Sian

2009-06-26T00:45:00.000-07:00

The Terracotta Army Museum lie 1.5 km east to the Tomb of Qin First Emperor.

The Terracotta Army figures lie underground for more than 2000 years. In 1974, farmers digging a well about 1500 meters east of the tomb uncovered one of the greatest archaeological sites in the world. The firstly discovered site of Terracotta Army was named Vault One. In 1976, the other two vaults were uncovered 20-25 meter close to the Vault One, and were named Vault Two and Vault Three respectively. Excavation of the underground vaults of earth and timber revealed thousands of life - sized Terracotta Army in battle formation - a whole army which would accompany its emperor into immortality. The excavation was a real big shock to the whole world - the vaults are so big, the figures are so vivid and the number of the figure is so incredible!

Every figure differs from those around in facial features and expressions, clothing, hairstyle, gesture. The horsemen, the longbow bearers, the archers, the senior officers and generals were positioned in strict accordance with the ancient directives on the art of war. Many of the figures originally held real weapons of the time, such as bronze swords, longbows, arrowheads, spears, dagger-axes and other long-shaft weapons. Surface treatment of theweapons made them resistant to rust and corrosion so that after being buried for over 2000 years they were still sharp.

The Terracotta Army figures supply abundant and real objects of military, culture and economy to the study of the history of that period. The Terracotta Army figures excavation was regarded as one of the greatest discovery in the 20th century. In Dec. 1987, the UNESCO ranked the Tomb of the First Emperor (including the Terracotta Army Vaults) into the list of World Cultural Heritages. Standing in the exhibition hall, one would be shocked by such a grand ancient army formation, which will lead you back to the ancient warring situation. The tomb is a treasury for the Chinese people and for the whole world as well.

The museum mainly consists of three vaults: Terracotta Army Pit No 1. Terracotta Army Pit No 2. Terracotta Army Pit No 3 and an Exhibition of the Bronze Chariot.

Terracotta Army, Pit No.1
This vault opened to visitors in 1979. It measures about 210 meters long and 62 meters wide and the bottom of the pit varies from 4.5 meters to 6.5 meters below ground level. Ten earthen walls were built at intervals of 2.5 meters, forming 9 circling corridors. About 6000 terracotta figures of soldiersand horses face east in a rectangular array, each one either armed long spear, dragger or halberd. The vanguard appears to be three rows of infantry who stand at the easternmost end of the army. Close behind is the main force of armored soldiers holding weapons, accompanied by 38 horse-driven chariots.

On the southern, northern and western side there stand one row of figures serving as the army's defense wing. Standing in front of such grand ancient army array, one would feel the footstep of the marching soldiers.

Terracotta Army Pit No.2
Excavated in 1976, Vault Two stands about 20 meters north to Vault One. As the highlight of the whole mausoleum, it uncovers the mystery of the ancient army array. It consists of four units, measuring 94 meters east to west and 84 meters south to north and 5 meters deep., forming a 6000 sq. meter built-up area. The first unit contains rows of kneeling and standing archers; the second one is a chariot war array; the third unit consists of mixed forces with infantry, chariot and trooper standing in rectangular array; and the last one includes numerous troopers holding weapons. The four units form a rigor battle array.

Unit 1

This section is at the eastern end of the pit. 60 crossbow bearers surround the main force in standing position. The main force in the middle is comprised of 160 kneeling or squatting crossbow bearers.

Unit 2

64 chariots were arranged in square formation with each row of eight. There are four clay horses in the front driving each chariot and in the back of each horse lines 3 soldiers.

Unit 3

In the middle, this section contains 19 chariots, 264 infantries and 8 cavalrymen in rectangular array in 3 rows. In front of each horse stands one cavalry soldiers, one hand pulling the bridle rein while the other drawing the bow. 8-36 infantry soldiers were set to the back of each horse in addition to 3 drivers.

Unit 4

In the left of the army, 108 cavalry soldiers and 180 pottery horses were arranged in rectangular array in 11 rows.

Terracotta Army Pit No.3
Vault Three, the smallest one, was uncovered in 1976 and opened to visitors in 1987. It measures 17.6 meters east to west and 21.4 meters south to north and the bottom of the pit varies from 5.2 meters to 5.4 meters below the ground level. It's

obvious that vault to be the command post for the soldiers in other pits. The three vaults stand like an equilateral triangle.

Exhibition of Bronze Chariot
The Exhibition Hall of Qinling Bronze Carriage opened on 1st, Oct. 1983. The two colored-drawing bronze carriages displayed in the hall were discovered 20 meters away from the west side of the Tomb of Qin Shihuang in Dec.1980 and were elaborately fixed before exhibition.

The carriages have about 3400 parts each and were four horses-driven. The second one is 3.17meters long and 1.06 meters high; the bronze horses vary from 65 cm to 67 cm high and 120 cm long, and totally weights 1234 kg.

They were mainly made of bronze. There are 1720 pieces of golden and silver ornaments weighting 7kg on the carriage. The carriages were so well-made and so vivid that they boast the best preserved and the highest rank and the earliest known bronze relic in China and it's the biggest bronzeware ever found in the world.

Transport about sian (4)

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Local Transport
Public Buses
Xi'an has a very convenient and advanced public bus network. Ordinary buses charge one Yuan per person, while buses with air-conditioning ask for two Yuan. And if you have got a bus card, you can have a 50% discount. Mini buses, whose first numbers are 5 or 7, charge 50 cents for the first three stops and an additional 50 cents for another four stops. Service hotline: 029-9600135

Sightseeing Buses

Being a very important tourist destination, Xi'an currently offers nine tourist bus lines whose numbers starts with the Chinese character "游" (the pronunciation is "U"), which means "a sightseeing Bus". In these lines, U 1, U 2, U 3, there is only one bus per day except the golden weeks ( May Day and National Day ) and no bus in low season ( from January to March ).

Inquiry telephone No. : 029- 84031313

U 1
Route: From the train station to Mt. Huashan
Service hours: departing from train station at 8:00 am– back from Mt. Huashan at 5:00 pm
Fare: 22 Yuan

U 2
Route: From the train station to Taibai Mountain via Famen Temple
Service hours: departing from the station at 8: 00 am – back from Taibai Mountain at 4:00 pm, passing by Famen Temple at 3:00pm
Fare: 25 Yuan for Xi’an to Taibai Mountain; 22 Yuan for Xi’an to Famen Temple

U 3

Route: from the train station to Qianling Mausoleum
Service hours: departing from the train station at 8:00 am– back from Qianling Mausoleum at 3:00 pm

Fare: 18 Yuan

U 4
Route: From the south gate of Tang Paradise to Hanyang Mausoleum
Service hours: 7:00 am.-5:00 pm buses from the south gate of Tang Paradise to Hanyang Mausoleum; 9:00 am.-6: 30 pm buses from Hanyang Mausoleum to the south gate of Tang Paradise
Fare: The starting point is 2 Yuan and the total route costs 6 Yuan.

U 5 ( No. 306 )

Route: From the train station to Terra Cotta Warrior Army, passing by such famous tourist sights as Li Mountain, Huaqing Pool, and the Mausoleum of the First Emperor
Service hours: 7: 00 am – 6:30 pm buses from the train station to Terra-cotta Army; 8:10 am-6:10 pm buses from Terra-cotta Army to the station
Fare: The starting point is 2 Yuan and the total route costs 7 Yuan.

U 6

Route: From the First Branch of the Qinchuan Factory to the train station, passing by Iron Stove Temple and Big Wild Goose Pagoda
Service hours: 6:40am –7:30 pm
Fare: The starting point is 0.5 Yuan and the total route costs 3 Yuan.

U 7

Route: From the train station to Xi'an Vocational and Technical College, passing by the Bell Tower, the South Gate of City Wall and Small Wild Goose Pagoda
Service hours: 6:400 am – 7:30 pm
Fare: The starting point is 0.5 Yuan and the total route costs 3 Yuan.

U 8 ( No. 610 )

Route: Starting from the train station to the south gate of Tang Paradise, passing by Revolution Park, Bell Tower, Small Wild Goose Pagoda, Daxinshan Temple, Shaanxi History Museum, Big Wild Goose Pagoda, Qujiang Sea World and Tang Paradise
Service hours: 6:30 am – 7:30 pm
Fare: 1 Yuan

U 9

Route: from Jinhua North Road to Qinling Wild Animal zoo, passing by Big Wild Goose Pagoda
Service hours: depart from Jinhua North Road at 6:00 am – 7:30 pm; back from Qinling Wild Animal zoo at 6:00 am – 8:00pm
Fare: For ordinary buses the starting price is 1 Yuan and the total length costs 4 Yuan. For air-conditioned buses the starting point is 2 Yuan and the total length costs 5 Yuan.

Taxis

About 10, 000 taxis are now running in Xi'an. The starting rate is 6 Yuan for for the first 3 kilometers plus 1.5 Yuan per extra kilometer. For taxis in Chang’an District, the fares are 5 Yuan for the first three kilometers and 1.4 Yuan for per extra kilometer respectively. The night rate (applied from 10 pm to 6 am) is 7 Yuan for the first 3 kilometers and 30 cents added to the normal additional kilometer rate. Tourists can also rent a taxi for a whole day inside the city of Xi'an at the cost of 200 Yuan. A taxi for a day to Hua Mountain or the Famen Temple costs 300 Yuan, and one to the Taibai Mountain costs 350 Yuan. It takes 80 to 100 Yuan to get from Bell Tower to airport by taxi. Tourists can easily take a taxi anywhere except the four main streets- the south street, the north street, the west street and the east street. There are a number of taxi stops in the four streets for travelers to wait for buses. When deciding to rent a taxi on a daily basis, tourists should negotiate the fare with the driver before coming to a final deal.

Taxi Service Hotline: 029-84264509

Subways

Subway No. 2 from North to South and No.1 from west to east are both under construction now. No. 2 will open to the public in 2010 and No. 1 in 2013.

Tips

Due to possible traffic jams, travelers are advised to set aside enough time when leaving for the train station or airport.
The public transportation network in Xi'an is among the best in China. If you are not in a hurry, there is no need to rent a taxi.

Transport about sian (3)

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Bus
Xi'an is a key point in China's central and western national highway system; important expressways passing by are the Xibao, Xitong ,Xiling and Xihan Expressways.
Now the 3rd ring road has been finished construction and is open to the public. The total length is 89.7 kilometers. It takes about 1 hour to complete one lap around Xi’an city in the road by taxi. But there wil be no public buses in recent days in the 3rd Ring Road.
Xi'an also has many long distance bus stations:

Xi’an City Bus Station

Address: 19 Fengqing Road;

It can be reached by Buses No. 10,15,18, 21, 43,107, 205, 206, 224, 504, 506, 509, 722 and 900.

The travelers can take buses here to get to Yulin, Yan’an, Tongchuan, Baoji, Xianyang, Weinan, Hanzhong, Ankang and Shangluo, etc.
Tel: 029-84261907
.
Shaanxi Province Bus Station (Shangdemen Bus Sation)

Address: The southwest of the Xi'an Train Station Square;
Buses No. 5, 6, 9, 13, 14, 103, 105, 25,39,228, 239, 30,40,41, 42, 103, 105, 108, 251, 240,241, 201, 205, 206, 229, 500, 602, 603, 607,608,610 and 611 pass the station.
The long-distance bus station offers bus service to other provinces including Ningxia, Gansu, Hubei, Shanxi, Henan, Hebei, Inner Mongolia, Zhejiang and Shandong as well as to some cities in Shaanxi.

Tel: 029-87427420

Xi’an West Bus Station

Address: 92 Zaoyuan East Road
It can be reached by buses No. 1,23, 50, 59, 103, 104, 106, 210, 222, 223, 224, 225, 234, 303 and 407
This bus station mainly offers bus service to other provinces including Shandong, Henan, Shanxi, Hunan, Hubei, Sichuan and Inner Mongolia as well as to Hanzhong, Baoji, Zhouzhi and Hu County in Shaanxi province.

Tel: 029-84630000

Xi’an East Bus Station

Address: 17 Changle Middle Road
City buses No. 4,11,13,15,38,42,43,105,203,231,232,233,237,303 and 401 pass here. Travelers could go Shanxi,Zhejiang,Sichuan, Ningxia, Henan,Hubei Provinces and many counties in Yulin, Yan’an and Weinan by long-distance buses here.

Tel: 029-82597222

Xi’an North Bus Station

Address: 9 West of the North 2nd Ring Road
It can be reached by buses No. 1,18,33,37,38,39,211,510,601,702,901,3-16,108,No.2 2nd Ring Road and 909.
Travelers could take lang-distance buses here to Yulin, Yan’an, Tongchuan, Weinan, Baoji and Xianyang etc.

Tel: 029-86523019

Xi'an South Bus Station

Address:78 Zhuque Street; It can be reached by buses No. 5,18,46,210,401,K605,4-01,410,908,5,18,46 and 210.
Travelers can take buses to the cities of Ankang, Shiquan, Xunyang, Shangluo, Hanzhong and Hu County , etc from here.

Tel: 029-85246080

Sanfuwan Bus Station

Address: 353 Changying West Road;
Buses No. 32,519,723,519,519,723,20,28,209,213,507,706,708,712 and 717 can get here.Long-distance buses here can take the travelers to Zhejiang, Anhui, Shandong, Shanxi, Tibet, Qinghai, Hebei,Henan,Shanghai and some cities and Counties in Shaanxi.

Tel:029-83136062

Transport about sian (2)

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Train
Xi’an Railway Station is not only a passenger transportation station of top grade, but also an important spot of the Euro Continental Bridge in China. Longhai Railway (Lianyungang to Lanzhou) runs through Xi’an. The line and other routes connect Shaanxi Province and other cities in China by train.

Xi’an Railway station links the Xihou Railway (Xi’an to Houma) in the east of China, Baotian Railway ( Baoji to Tianshui) and Lanxin Railway ( Lanzhou to Xinjiang ) in the northwest of China, Baocheng Railway ( Baoji to Chengdu ) in the Southwest of China. The Beijing-Tibet Railway also runs through Xi'an. Tourists could take long distance trains here to almost all the important cities in China, including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Nanning, Urumqi, Zhengzhou, and Tibet etc. There are also a lot of railways Inside Shaanxi Province, Xiyan Railway (Xi’an to Yan’an- the city in the north famed for its glorious revolutionary history), Xihan Railway (Xi’an to Hancheng), Xiyu Railway (Xi’an to Yuxia),Xiantong Railway (Xianyang to Tongchuan) and Xikang Railway (Xi’an to Ankang). The railway lines develop towards all directions as a net. A traveler could take a train to go to many municipals and cities from Xi’an. It is very convenient to take a train to reach the other cites and some counties in Shaanxi Province.

The Railway Station lies in the north of Xi'an and close to the Shangde Gate. From the city center (Bell Tower), it takes about 15 minutes and 10 Yuan to get to the station by taxi. Alternatively, buses No. 5, 6, 9, 13, 14, 103, 105, 25, 39,228, 239, 30, 40, 41, 42, 103, 105, 108, 251, 240,241, 201, 205, 206, 229, 500, 602, 603, 607,608,610 and 611 pass the station.

Travelers should book tickets either hard seat or berth ten days in advance at the ticket offices in Xi'an. Train Ticket Offices in Xi'an: All branches or offices of the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) offer train ticket booking services.

Transport about sian (1)

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Xi'an lies in the Guanzhong Basin of Shaanxi Province.It is the political, economic and cultural center in the northwestern region of China. It provides a link of communication between Southwest, Northwest, and East China. And as a key transportation port and important municipality in the vast west China, it's easily reachable by bus, train and air. The urban public transportation system of Xi'an is also among the most advanced and convenient in China.

topEdition HistoryEdit Air
Xi'an Xianyang International Airport is situated in the suburb of the city of Xianyang, 50 km from the downtown of Xi'an. It takes about 80 to 100 Yuan and less than one hour to go to the airport from central Xi'an by taxi. As the fourth largest airport in China, there are several flights to and from Xi'an to the major tourist stops such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Urumqi and other cities. There are also a few flights to Lhasa and Hong Kong as well as international flights to Thailand, South Korea, North Korea and Japan. The airport has opened up airlines directly bound for Taiwan. The airport shuttle buses run from 6 a. m. until 6 p.m. Six bus routes connect the airport and central Xi'an. The departure time of the buses at airport depends on the arrival time of the flights. The buses leave at the starting point in downtown at every sharp hour. The bus fare, regardless of route and direction, is 25 Yuan per person. For further information, please dial 029-88791384 or 029-88798780.

Six Bus Routes:
Route 1: Airport – Bell Tower ( Meilun Hotel ) – Xi'an Hotel
Route 2: Airport – Qinfeng Hotel-Train Station (Liberation Hotel)
Route 3: Airport – Qindu Hotel-Xishaomen – Torch Tower (High-tech Economic and Development Zone)
Route 4: Airport – Tangcheng Hotel – Oriental Hotel – International Trade Center ( Xiaozhai )
Route 5: Airport – Queen Hotel – Jianguo Hotel
Route 6: Airport – Xianyang Train Station – Weicheng Middle School – Xianyang Municipal Government – Minsheng Shopping Mall – Caihong Hotel

It is easy to take a taxi to the airport in Xi'an, the fare is between 80 and 100 Yuan.

Brief introduction to sian

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Xi'an, anciently known as Chang'an (meaning "eternal peace"), is the capital of Shaanxi Province and the biggest city in the northwest of China. It boasts a mild climate, fertile soil, beautiful scenery, abundant products, and numerous historical relics and sites.

Extending 116 kilometers from north to south, and 204 kilometers from east to west, Xi'an covers an area of 9,983 square kilometers (including the urban area of 1066 square kilometers), with nine districts and four counties under its jurisdiction. According to the 2003 census, it has a population of 7,160,000.

Xi'an has a long history. An old saying in China tells the unique position of this legendary city: "If you want to see China of 100 years ago, visit Shanghai; China of 500 years ago, Beijing; China of 2000 years ago, Xi'an." During its 3,100 years of development, 12 dynasties, including the Western Zhou (1046 BC-771 BC), Qin (221 BC-206 BC), Western Han (206 BC-25 AD), and Tang (618-907), made their capitals here for over 1,100 years, leaving abundant legacies to the city. During the Western Han and Tang dynasties, Xi'an was China's political, economic, cultural, and foreign exchange center, where people from all over the world lived in harmony. It was also the first stop on the Silk Road, linking up the oriental and western civilizations. The saying "In the east, there is Rome, in the west, Chang'an," best described the position of Xi'an at that time. Nowadays, Xi'an enjoys an equal fame with Athens, Cairo, and Rome as "one of the four major capitals of ancient civilization".

Xi'an boasts more than 4,000 historical sites, with over 120,000 pieces of unearthed cultural relics. There are 314 historical sites under protection, 84 of which are under provincial-level and national-level protection. Famous places of historical figures and cultural heritage include the Museum of Terracotta Warriors and Horses, Mausoleum of Emperor Qin Shi Huang, Banpo Village Remains, the City Wall of the Ming Dynasty, the Forest of Stone Steles Museum, the Bell Tower, the Drum Tower, Huaqing Pool, and the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, and Small Wild Goose Pagoda. The Museum of Terracotta Warriors and Horses is praised as "the eighth major miracle of the world". The Mausoleum of Emperor Qin Shi Huang is the first Chinese historical site listed on the World Heritage List. The Neolithic Banpo Village Remains (approximately 7000 BC to 5000 BC) evidences early human activities in a matriarchal society. The Forest of Stone Steles Museum holds 3,000 stone steles of different periods, from the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-25 AD) to the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912).

The natural landscape around Xi'an is also marvelous. Huashan Mountain, one of the five best-known mountains in China, is famous for its breath-taking cliffs and unique beauty.

Norbulingka

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NorbuLingka is named the Summer Palace, located west of Lhasa. The beautiful garden was first built in the middle 18th century. That's where they deal with affairs and hold religious activities. The garden covers an area of 46 acres, with 370 rooms of different sizes. In the garden people worship Buddha, spend their holiday, and study the Tibetan-style palaces.

NorbuLingka covers an area of 360,000 square meters, made up of the Galsang Phodrang Palace, the Gyianse Phodrang Palace, and the Daain Myingquelin Phodrang Palace. Each palace is divided into three sections: palace, the front section and the garden. In the garden there are altogether 370 rooms dotted with pavilions, waterside pavilions, hills and lawns. In summer, various flowers, grasses and trees were planted around. Now it has become an open garden in Tibet.

The Galsang Phodrang Palace was a winter palace built by the Qing Dynasty High Commissioner for the 7th Dalai Lama. Phodrang means "palace". The 7th Dalai Lama named it after himself. Since the palace was built, it has become the place where Dalais under 18 years old learn Tibetan language and sutras from the masters and where they are initiated into monkhood. After they come into power, they will still recite sutras, study history, read scriptures and appoint officials and discuss government affairs。

The Gyianse Phodrang Palace and Gyianse Lingkas were built during the time of the 13th Dalai Lama. In the Gyianse Phodrang Palace there are hall of worship, kanpu house and storehouse etc. Also in the palace there are many splendid murals with a full view of Mount Wanshou and Mount Wutai and some bearing strong Han characteristics in symbol of "blessing, wealth, longevity and happiness" Daain Myingquelin Phodrang Palace (Eternally Unchanging Palace), also called New Summer Palace, was the second palace added here in 1956 for the Fourteenth Dalai Lama. It was completed in 1956 with an area of 1080 square meters. It has not only features of religion and monastery but also those of splendid palace and sumptuous villa.

Setting feet on the steps of the New Palace, you can see a pair of tiger whips hung on the two sides of the gate, which is a symbol of power. It also shows that nobody is allowed in without permission. This pair of whips is one meter long. It's said that the whip was first used by the palace vanguards. Later, every time Dalai went on an inspection tour, a special guard would hold the whip in front to drive away the walkers. Inside the red-painted gate, you will see huge pictures of lion and tiger on both sides, which shows the dignity of the government head's house. In the middle of the New Palace is the Dalai's throne decorated with gold and gemstones. The murals in the New Palace are especially attractive. The topics include Tibetan history, the biographies of Tubo Kingdoms and Dalai Lamas and the whole story that Songtsen Gampo sent his minister Dongzan to Tang Dynasty to seek a marriage alliance. Another story described vividly in the murals is that Songtsen Chitsong served a banquet to claim his uncle, which settled the problem who was the heir's mother. The vivid description tells people how the little King claimed the envoy from Tang Dynasty as his uncle without hesitation. One more story is: in 1652, the Fifth Dalai went to Beijing to have an audience with the Shunzhi Emperor and was conferred as Dalai Lama and granted golden volumes and golden seals. The latest murals described the fourteenth Dalai's attending the National People's Congress in Beijing via the then-opened Kang-Zang Highway in 1954, and his visits all over the country; all the gifts presented by the Central Government are displayed here.

The constructions, murals and decorations in NorbuLingka are the quintessence of the Tibetan temples and palaces.

Ganden Monastery

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Ganden monastery is the greatest and the oldest of the six Gelug Sect's monasteries, which is called one of "the three principal monasteries' (the other two are Dreprung Monastery and Sera Monastery). At its peak, it had a registration of more than 4,000 monks.

Tsong Khapa, founder of Gelug Sect, established it as the first Gelug monastery in 15th century when he carried out the religious reform in Tibet. The full name of Ganden monastery is Xizhuzhuenshengzhou in Chinese. Some scholars call it as "Jushan"or "Jile" monastery. In 1733, Emperor Yongzhen of Qing dynasty bestowed the name "Yongtai". And Gandenpai (Gelug Sect's original name) which means exhortation, also named after the Ganden monastery.

History

Ganden monastery was set up in the early 15th century by Tsong Khapa (the founder of Gelug). According to the legend, he learned to read at the age of 3, and entered into religion at 7 with the religious name of Luosanzhaba, and made the present name Tsong Khapa for himself as a respectable religion leader. The major events in his life experience were: he went to Tibet study power of Buddha at 16(1372) when he studied xianmijiaofa, following many learned monks; he got the degree at 25 and began to impart the Buddhism at 29 and formed his own thoughts while writing books at 40. In 1406, he held a large meeting to expand the influence of Yellow Sect at the first day of the first lunar month at Jokhang. After that, supported by Pazu, he and his disciples established Ganden monastery in the Wangbori Mountain. It is in this monastery that he settled down and continued to develop Gelug. In 1419, Tsong Khapa passed away and his disciple, Jiazhaojie took over this monastery. After the management of 95 abbots, Ganden monastery has been expanded into a grand architecture building. At its peak, it covered the area of 150,000 square meters and the floor space is 77,500 square meters. The main structures in the monastery consist of chanting halls and chapels and 43 villages. Besides, there are 9 debating courtyards in accordance to the debating in the different season.

Legend

A legend says that when Tsong Khapa was born, there was a Buddhist tree growing from the bleeding cut of his umbilical cord. And there was an image of a lion roaring towards Buddha on every leaf on this tree that had 100,000 leaves.

Bakhor Street

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Bakhor, also named as Baghor, is the oldest street in Lhasa. In the past, it was only a circumambulation circuit, "a saint road " in the eyes of Tibetan. Now it's also a shopping center with nation characteristics. It's an old district with colorful Tibetan features. Tibetan houses line the street, and the ground is paved with man-made flagstones, preserving the ancient look.

In the street, you can find satisfactory souvenirs, and experience the mysterious "one step one kowtow" faith to religion. All the houses along the street are stores. All kinds of fantastic commodities show us all aspects of the Tibetan life. Such as: Thangkas, copper Buddha, prayer wheels, butter lamps, prayer flags with sutras, beads, Tibetan joss sticks, cypress, etc. Household goods in shops are in abundant, such as: cushion, Pulu, aprons, leather bag, harness, snuff bottles, steels, Tibetan-style quilts, Tibetan-style shoes, clasp knives, Tibetan-style hats, butter, butter pots, wooden bowls, Highland Barley Wine, sweet milk tea, milk residue, air-dried beef and mutton, etc. All kinds of tourist products, cheap but good, can be found in the 1,000-meter-long street.

Bakhor Street is a miniature of Lhasa, even in the whole Tibet. The old circumambulation circuit is always crowded with pilgrims from everywhere. Some come along the road by performing the body-long kowtows, some come by truck. Some are monks, and some are businessmen from Kham. In a word, here you will find people from all over Tibet. You can enjoy different dresses, and languages. Even the similar-looking dresses of the monks vary depending on the different religions.

Bakhor Street is the window to view the Tibetan area, which is silently telling the history of Lhasa. History Bakhor Street was first a circumambulation circuit around the Jokhang Temple. According to Lamaism_(Tibetan Buddhism), circumambulation means walking around the Jokhang Temple in the clockwise direction, which shows worship to the Bronze statue of Sakyamuni enshrined in the temple.

It is one of the three famous circumambulation circuits in Lhasa. An endless flow of worshippers every day proved it the famous one in Lhasa. In addition, there are two more circumambulation circuits chiming with it. One is the Linkhor (outer circumambulation circuit) around the old city zone containing the Potala Palace; the other is the mysterious "Rangkor", which is the circumambulation corridor inside the Jokhang Temple.

The three circumambulations circuits give witness and maintain the vital position of the Jokhang Temple. The temple is not only a palace where the Buddha Bronze statue and holly articles are offered, but also the reflection of the Esoteric Buddhism about the ideal of universe, namely the Mandala.

Now Bakhor Street refers to a larger area including the entire district around the Jokhang Temple, which is the well-preserved old city zone. Legend In the Bakhor Street, there is a place, which the visitors can't miss: the Magyia Ngami Restaurant. Most of the buildings in the street are white, except the yellow two-story one at the southeastern corner of Barkor Street. It was the secret palace of the 6th Dalai Lama Cangyand Gyamco.

There he wrote the famous poem From the top of high mountains in the east, "Whenever the bright moon rose, From the top of high mountains in the east, the pretty young girl's face, rises in my mind." "Pretty young girl" means Magyia Ngami in Tibetan. Now the Magyia Ngami Restaurant is a bar with a good taste of art. On its wall hang works of painting, photograph, and handicraft and on the shelf there are original edition of works by Kafka and Eliot.

The Potala Palace

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The Potala Palace, which is now on the list of Chinese national key protected cultural relics, is the most valuable storehouse in Tibet. It is a huge treasure house for materials and articles of Tibetan history, religion, culture and arts. The Palace is widely known for the precious sculptures, murals, scripture, Buddha figures, murals, antiques, and religious jewelry treasured up, they are of great cultural and artistic value. In 1994, the Potala Palace was declared the United Nations World Cultural Heritage site.

External appearance and Structure: The Potala Palace is 3,756.5 meters above sea level, covering an area of over 360,000 square meters (about 32 acres), measuring 360 meters from east to west and 270 meters from south to north. It has 13 stories, and is 117 meters high. The walls of the Palace are over one meter in thickness, the thickest sections being five meters. They are painted with huge colorful murals, which make it beautiful and lively.

The magnificent Potala Palace is made of wood and stone. All the walls are of granite, and all the roofs and windows are of wood. The overhanging eaves, the upturned roof corners, and the gilded brass tiles and gilded pillars inscribed with Buddhist scriptures, bottles, and makara fish as well as the gold-winged birds decorating the roof ridges contribute much to the beauty of the hip-and-gable roofs.

The stone-and-wood-structured Potala Palace consists of over 1000 rooms, seminary, chanting hal1, temples, various chambers for worshipping Buddha and chambers housing the stupas of several Dalai Lamas, which are covered with gold 1eaf and studded with jewels. In the rooms, there are tens of thousands of Buddha figures. Different in sizes and complex in designs, the figures look vivid and lovely.

History : The Potala Palace was built in the seventh century and it has already had a long history of over 1300 years. In 641, Songtsan Gambo, ruler of the Tubo Kingdom, had the Potala Palace built for Wen Chen Konjo (Princess Wencheng) of the Tang Dynasty, whom he was soon to marry. This structure was later burned to the ground during a war (The hall for worshiping bodhisattva Avalokitesvara and the statues of Songtsan Gambo and Wencheng Konjo now displaying are said being the survivors of the war) and was rebuilt in the 17th century by the Fifth Dalai Lama.

Repeated repairs and expansions until 1645 finally brought the palace to its present scale. Over the past three centuries, the palace gradually became a place where the Dalai Lamas live and work and a place for keeping the remains of successive Dalai Lama. The Potala Palace has always been the political center of Tibet since the fifth Dalai Lama (1645-1693). In 1645, the Fifth Dalai Lama, feeling confined at Drepung Monastery, ordered the construction of a new structure that would accommodate his new role as both a religious and political leader. The Potala Palace was then built as the imposing and self-confident expression of the new theocracy. After the ascension of the Seventh Dalai Lama (1728-1757), who established a summer palace at the Norbulingka, the Potala Palace was used predominantly during winter, then it comes its other name "Winter Palace."

Attractions mainly comprised by the White Palace (administerial building) and the Red Palace (religious building), the Potala Palace is famous for its grand buildings, complicated constructions, devotional atmosphere and splendid artworks. The White Palace, comprising halls, temples and courtyards, serves as the living quarters of the Dalai Lama. From the east entrance of the palace, painted with images of Four Heavenly Kings, a broad corridor upwards leads to Deyang Shar courtyard, which used to be where Dalai Lamas watched operas. Around the large and open courtyard, there used to be a seminary and dormitories. West of the courtyard is the White Palace.

There are three ladder stairs reaching inside of it, however, the central one was reserved for only Dalai Lamas and central government magistrates dispatched to Tibet. In the first hallway, there are huge murals describing the construction of Potala Palace and Jokhang Temple and the procession of Princess Wencheng reaching Tibet. On the south wall, visitors will see an edict signed with the Great Fifth's handprint. The White Palace mainly serves as the political headquarter and Dalai Lamas' living quarters. The West Chamber of Sunshine and the East Chamber of Sunshine lie as the roof of the White Palace. They belonged to the Thirteenth Dalai Lama and the Fourteenth Dalai Lama respectively. Beneath the East Chamber of Sunshine is the largest hall in the White Palace, where Dalai Lamas ascended throne and ruled Tibet.

Red Palace

The Red Palace, with seven golden roofs on its flat top, is renowned for its religious status, gorgeous stupas and precious culture relics. The dominant buildings of the Red Palace are the stupa-tombs halls of Dalai Lamas and kinds of halls for worshiping Buddha. It was constructed after the death of the Fifth Dalai Lama. The center of the complicated Red Palace is the Great West Hall, which records the Great Fifth Dalai Lama's life by its fine murals.

In the East Chapel a two meters (6.5 feet) high statue of Tsong Khapa, the founder of Gelug which is Dalai Lama's lineage, is enshrined and worshipped. The South Chapel is where a silver statue of Padmasambhava and 8 bronze statues of his reincarnations are enshrined. On the floor above, there is a gallery which has a collection of 698 murals, portraying Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Dalai Lamas and great adepts and narrating jataka stories and significant Tibetan historic events.

West of the Great West Hall locates the Thirteenth Dalai Lama's stupa hall. The North Chapel contains statues of Sakyamuni, Dalai Lamas and Medicine Buddha, and stupas of the Eighth, Ninth and Eleventh Dalai Lamas. Stupa-tomb chapels In the Potala Palace, there are eight stupa-tomb chapels (where the relics of the Fifth, Seventh, Eighth, Ninth, Tenth, Eleventh, Twelfth, and the Thirteenth Dalai Lamas are preserved.

Stupa Tomb

The stupa-tomb of the first Dalai Lama, known as a silver stupa, is situated in Tashilhunpo Monastery in Shigatse; and the silver stupa-tomb of Dalai Lama II, III, IV are carefully placed in Dreprung Monastery in Lhasa. The stupa-tomb of Dalai Lama XIII, is now in another Palace which is also a part of the Potala Palace. Among the seven stupa-tombs in the Potala Palace, the stupa-tomb of Dalai Lama V, which was built in 1691, are known as the earliest and largest one. Records say that it is made of sandalwood, wrapped in gold foil and decorated with thousands of diamonds, pearls, agates and others gems. The stupa, with a height of 14.86 meters (49 feet), spends more than 3,700 kilograms of gold.

Delicately designed, the lively patterns on the stupa-tombs look amazing and attractive. Mainly decorated with amber, pearl, coral, agate, diamond and other precious stones, the surfaces add more value to the whole stupa-tombs. Apart from the patterns, precious things housed in the stupas also make it more and more valuable. There are, a large number of cultural relics, the stupa of Sakyamuni and a thumb from figure of him, a piece of posthumous decree of king Songtsan gambo, a portrait embroidered by Princess wencheng, things left by the previous high-rank monks and so on. According to the Tibetan custom, the mummified and perfumed bodies of Dalai lamas and Panchen Lamas are well kept in stupas, which is known as Stupa Funeral.

Around the stupa-tomb chapel of the Fifth Dalai Lama, there are also some chapels in which thousands of precious books and numerous scriptures written in Chinese, Manchu and Mongolian are carefully kept. In addition, many hand-writing copies and printed books about history, Medicine, culture, Buddhism and so on are also well kept there. It is recorded that the total number of those books is over 200.000.

The thirteenth Dalai Lama's stupa chapel is the hall where the stupa of the Thirteenth Dalai Lama (1876-1933) is housed. People started to build his stupa after his death in the fall of 1933, so it's the latest building in Potala Palace. Taking three years, the stupa is comparable with the Great Fifth's stupa. It is 14 meters (46 feet) in height, which is only 0.86 metres lower than the Fifth Dalai Lama's. Made of a large amount of silver, covered with about 600 kilograms of gold and studded with lots of coral, amber, agate, diamond and other precious jewelries, the stupa is ten times as valuable as that of the Fifth Dalai Lama's. In front of the stupa, there is a mandala made of more than 200,000 pearls and 40.000 other gems. Murals in the hall tell important events in his life, including his visit with Emperor Guangxu. The precious complete volumes of Kanjur have also been preserved in the chapel.

Legend

The Potala Palace is said to have been built in the 7th century for Princess Wencheng, a very famous princess in history of China. It was King Songtsan Gambo who had made the Potala Palace built. It was said that he had been a wise, handsome and brave man, with a strong body, a charming figure and heavy features.

In 629, the third year of Emperor Li Shimin's reign, a coup d'etat took place in Tubo. Its 31st tsampo, or King, was assassinated by his political opponent. The kingdom was seized with a movement of separatism championed by the aristocrats bent on returning to the old system. Songtsan Gambo became the 32nd tsampo. Though he was only thirteen at the time, he had already been a resourceful statesman. Calmly exploiting his diplomatic and military clout, he crushed the separatist movement, and in three years Tubo became an integrated kingdom again. Then he crossed the Yalutsangbo River and established the capital at Lhasa. Songtsan Gambo has since become a national hero of the Tibetans and worshiped like the revered Lamas.

After the reunification, Songtsan Gambo concentrated on building Tubo into a powerful kingdom. One of his nation-building strategies was to inject new cultures into Tubo. To do so, he found it the most convenient way to establish matrimonial relationships between his royal family and those of his neighboring countries. After marrying a princess of Nepal, he turned his attention to Tang. A hero himself, he admired Emperor Taizong of Tang for his great talent and bold vision. He thought he, as well as his kingdom, could gain a lot by his marriage with a daughter of the Tang emperor.

In 634, Songtsan Gambo dispatched an envoy named Gar Tongtsan to Chang'an, capital of the Tang Empire, to find out whether there was a chance for the Emperor Taizong of Tang to marry off one of his daughters to him. But the Emperor refused his proposal considering the political and military reasons and his state of marriage. As king of Tubo, Songtsan Gambo had married three Tibetan girls and the Nepalese princess Khir-btsun before he made his marriage proposal to Tang Dynasty. None of the three Tibetan wives was given the title of Queen but the Nepalese Princess, who was the daughter of Amsuvarman (king of Nepal).

Of course the political and military reasons were most likely the main obstacles that Emperor Taizong turned down Songtsan Gambo's marriage proposal. The historical record tells that it was because of the King of another country who had said something bad of Songtsan Gambo to Emperor Taizong. Hearing of the envoy's report, Songtsan Gambo got very angry and decided to fight for his country and for his own sake. Successfully, he defeated the country whose king had prevented him from marrying a princess of Tang emperor in a short time. Then, to show Tubo's great military power to Emperor Taizong of Tang, and to extend territory of his country, Songtsan Gambo had continuously launched offensives against his neighboring countries and won great victories until his successes threatened to the security of the Central Plains. Realizing that he should take the talented young man seriously, Emperor Taizong led an army troop of 50.000 soldiers personally against Songtsan Gambo's 20.000 soldiers and defeated them.

Still wishing that he could marry a princess of imperial Tang, and the Princess would introduce the advanced culture and production technologies from the Central Plains to strengthen Tubo, Songtsan Gambo sent his Prime Minister Lu Tongtsan to Chang'an to officially propose the matrimonial relationship to Emperor Taizong. Songtsan Gambo trusted Lu Tongtsan not only because he was a resourceful military leader who had played a great role in the reunification of Tubo, but also because he was a steadfast champion of his policy to establish friendly relationships with neighboring countries.

It was a wintry day. Lu Tongtsan and his hundred-strong entourage arrived in Chang'an with 5,000 taels of gold and several hundred items of treasure. Emperor Taizong of Tang received them in his richly ornamented palace. There, Lu Tongtsan presented Songtsan Gambo's letter of proposal along with the gifts. Though impressed with Lu Tongtsan's elegant manner, Emperor Taizong refrained from acceding to Songtsan Gambo's proposal right away. He put Lu Tongtsan and his men up in the royal hotel together with a dozen envoys and their subordinates who had come for the same purposes from other countries. The emperor needed to find a tactical way to decline them so that he could marry the princess off to Lu Tongtsan's monarch Songtsan Gambo. Having a contest among them seemed to be a good idea.

Even though Emperor Taizong had anticipated who the winner would be, he was still amazed at Lu Tongtsan's intelligence. In 641, Emperor Taizong betrothed Princess Wencheng to Songtsan Gambo and granted the title of "Right-Wing General" to the Tubo envoy Lu Tongtsan, making him the first Tubo man to receive an honorific title from the central government. Later, Princess Jincheng was married off in Tubo. Since then, the Tubo Kingdom established "uncle-nephew" relations with the Tang Dynasty, which were accepted by tsampos of future generations.

Lhasa

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Introduction to Lhasa
Lhasa is the capital city of Tibet Autonomous Region and has long been the center of politics, economy, culture and religion in Tibet. Lhasa is located at the center part of Tibet and is the most suitable places for traveling in Tibet. Lhasa means "holy land" in Tibetan languge, and its status of the "holy land" is evidenced by the various monasteries in the city, Barkhor pilgrim circuit.

Lhasa has become a prime tourism center and an important and a pratical stop for preparations for tours further into the region. Lhasa is the first stop of most travelers. From Lhasa, tourists can travel to Shigatse to appreciate Tashihunpo Monastery, the seat of the Panchen Lama and further to Dingri to explore Mountain Everest-from where you can pass the Zhangmu Port to Nepal; or adventure into the hinterland of Tibet to see more wild and rarely-visited sights in western Tibet such as Ngari and Nagqu.

Lhasa has many a tourism attractions with obvious appeal. The Patala Palace, the symbol of Tibet; Jokhang Monastery, prime seat of the Gelugpa (Yellow) of the Tibetan Buddhism; Barkhor, the oldest circumambulation circuit, Norbulingka, the former Summer Residence of the Dalai Lama are very popular among both foreign and Chinese tourists for either their architectural wonders or religious atomosphere.

Around Lhasa, you will find Lake Namtso, the second largest lake in tibet, which is well-known for its colorful hues as the ray of sunshine cast across the water surface, ang Yangbujin, which is famous for its hot springs.

The history of city dates back to the 7th century AD, when the Tibetan King Songtsen Gampo conquered many tribes, united Tibet, transferred the capital from Yarlung to Lhasa, and established Tubo Regime. The 11th century had seen the Buddhism spreading widely and Lhasa became the center for many eminent and learned monks to preach the religion. In the time of the 7th Dalai Lama, a very famous palace, Norbulingkha, 2 kilometers away from the Potala Palace, was built. From then on, the ancient section of Lhasa city was formed, with Potala Palace as its center, Barkhor Street and Norbulingkha Palace on both sides. Lhasa is one of the most charming cities in the country. The grand Potala, the blue sky, the clear water and the fresh air all add charm to the city. The total population of the city is around 373,000 and the total population in the urban area only is close to 130,000. People of 31 nationalities live in the city and Tibetans take up 87% of the total population. Lhasa is located in the valley of Lhasa River, a branch of Yarlung Tsangpo River. It is 3,658 high in altitude. The city has jurisdiction over 7 counties and one district with an area of 300,000 square kilometers. The total area of urban section is 523 square kilometers. Read more on Tibet History
TOPLhasa Festivals
Tibetan people celebrate many festivals during the course of a year. If possible, try to time your visit to Lasha to coincide one of the city's festivals. All Tibetan festivals are held according to the Tibetan calendar. Major festivals celebrated in and around Lhasa are listed below:

Tibetan New Year

Tibetan New year, known as Losar, is the most important festival in the Tibetan calendar. It is celebrated over a period of two weeks, and generally falls during the months of January and Febuary. It is regulated by the very ancient Tibetan calender. Read more on Tibetan New Year
Time of 2010 Tibetan New Year: 14th, Febuary, 2010

The Great Prayer Festival

It falls on the fourth up to the eleventh days of the first Tibetan month. It is the grandest religious festival in Tibet. Monks of Dreprang Monastery, Sera Monastery and Gaden Monastery will assemble in Jokhang Monastery for the occasion.

The Ox Festival

The Ox Festival takes place from the 15th day of the 8th month in the Tibetan calendar. Celebrations usually last more than 10 days or even one month sometimes. During this festival, people will ask a “heiba”(wizard) to recite scriptures, play a yak horn and kill tens of yaks or over 100 sheep, drinking freely and talking cheerfully.

The Butter Lamp Festival

This grand festival falls on the 15th day of the first Tibetan month, the last day of the Great Prayer Festival. In the daytime, people will go to monasteries to worship Buddhas and pray. At night, a lamp festival will be held on Barkhor Street, where there will be lots of shelves filled with colorful and various images such as gods, figures, birds, animals, flowers and trees.

The Saka Dawa Festival

On this day, in accordance with their conventions, Tibetans will dress themselves in their holiday best and assemble at the Dragon King Pool behind the magnificent Potala Palace to celebrate this grand religious festival.

TOPTibet Entry Permit
Tibet Entry Permit is issued only to tour groups traveling with a Chinese tour operator. You travel agency will represent you to go on the application process. A permit to Tibet usually costs around 200 yuan. You need to apply for the permit at least 10 days in advance. Read more

The Festival in Tibet (5)

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Garma Ri Gi (The Bathing Festival)
Garma Ri Gi, or the Bathing Festival, is a mass activity throughout Tibet that takes place in the beginning of the seventh month. It is an annual festival with very special Tibetan characteristics. For seven days, from dawn to dusk, Tibetans of all ages stream to the rivers, en masse, to take a holy bath. Young and old, men, women, and children all participate. The holy bath is followed by a lingka, or picnic. Tibetans believe that the water at this time of year – which, in Tibet, given its high elevation, corresponds to early fall – is especially attractive for a number of reasons, among which is that the water is cool and pure.

Garma Ri Gi has a history of some eight hundred years. During the eleventh century, astrology was introduced into Tibet, and it was after this that the Tibetan lunisolar calendar was derived, which enabled Tibetans to better determine the seasons. For example, a sure sign of the coming of spring was the disappearance of the Evening Star, Venus, while a similar sign of the arrival of autumn was Venus' appearance. When Venus begins to show herself in the sky during early evening, Tibetans know that Garma Ri Gi is not far off.

The Horse Race and Archery Festival
Horse racing and archery are popular sports on the vast expanse of Tibet's grasslands.

The Horse Race and Archery Festival has a a history of more than 500 years, beginning in the city of Gyantse. In CE 1408, in memory of a local king, King Rapten Kunsang, the Horse Race and Archery Festival was held between the tenth and the twenty-seventh of the fourth month of the Tibetan lunisolar calendar. Later,

Archery competitions on horseback were added to the festival (horse racing and archery had earlier been strictly separate events).

From the middle of the seventeenth century, the festival's religious activities had become largely symbolic. Horse racing and archery competitions became the main raison d'être of the festival, lasting for three consecutive days. Already two centuries earlier, these sporting competitions had spread to other cities and regions of Tibet, such as Lhasa, Qiangtang, and Kongpu.

In Lhasa, the Horse Race and Archery Festival reached its peak during the period of the Fifth Dalai Lama. It commenced immediatly after the close of the Smom-lam, or Great Prayer, Festival, and lasted four days.

Today, the horse races that are held in Nagqu are the grandest of all the racing events of the annual Horse Race and Archery Festival. They are held towards the end of the seventh month and the beginning of the eighth month of the Tibetan lunisolar calendar. Among the more famous Horse Race and Archery Festivals in the Nagqu area, the events that take place in Dangmujiryang on the Damxung Plain, and which last five to seven days, are considered the best. They come closest to the festival of the same name that takes place in Gyangze every year.

TOPThe Eight Month
TOPOn Kor (The Harvest Festival)
On Kor, or the Harvest Festival, is the occasion on which Tibetans give thanks for their harvest. "On" means "field" in Tibetan, while "Kor" means "twining around". In practice, "Onkor" translates to "twining around the highland barley". The festival is popular especially in the rural areas of Shannan, Lhasa, and Shigatse. In general, On Kor is celebrated at the end of the seventh month of the lunisolar calendar, just before peasants begin to harvest their crops.

It is said that the On Kor Festival has a history of more than 1500 years, and first became popular in the valley area of the middle and lower reaches of the Yalu Tsangpo River. In order to ensure a bountiful harvest, the Tibetan King, Sbu-de-gung-rgyal, asked the patriarch of the Bon religion for guidance. Accordingly, the Bon partiarch taught the peasants to walk around their fields beseeching Heaven for a bountiful harvest, and thus began the festival of On Kor.

Towards the end of the eighth century, Tibet reached its pinnacle of Buddhist thinking, when the Nyingmapa sect came to represent Tibet. The On Kor Festival was therefore tinged with the unique religious features of the Nyingmapa sect. Leading the processions, Nyingmapa monks would hold Buddhist relics before them and recite the scriptures. After that, On Kor formally became a traditional Tibetan Festival.

Over time, the form and substance of the On Kor Festival changed, and the festival became somewhat less religious, incorporating strictly secular elements as well, such as horse riding, archery, and Zang Opera. Today, Tibetans of all ages and of all degrees of religious fervor dress up for the On Kor Festival and bear a "harvest tower", or sheaf of highland barley, before them, while musicians beat drums and gongs and everyone joins in to sing odes as they walk around the fields praying for a bumper harvest. This somewhat religious ceremony is then followed by horse racing, archery, Zang Opera, and dancing – and, of course, an outdoor banquet.

TOPThe Ninth Month
TOPThe Grant God Festival
On the twenty-ninth day of the ninth month in the Tibetan lunisolar calendar, Tibetan Buddhists go to worship Buddha; all are charitable and chant sutras.

TOPThe Tenth Month
TOPBelha Rabzhol (The Heavenly Maid Festival)
Belha Rabzhol, or the Heavenly Maid Festival – also variously called the Goddess Festival and the Celestial Mother Festival – is celebrated each year on the fifteenth day of the tenth month in the Tibetan lunisolar calendar. In conjunction with Belha Rabzhol, various religious activities are held in temples throughout Tibet, one of the most popular being ceremonies where Tibetan women pray for a happy marriage, as well as true and long-lasting love.

TOPTsong Khapa Festival
Tsong Khapa is a festival held on the twenty-fifth day of the tenth month of the Tibetan lunisolar calendar to commemorate the death of Tsong Khapa, the famous teacher of the Geluk sect of Tibetan Buddhism. Torches are lit on the rooftops of monasteries and lamps are lit in the windows of ordinary homes, while everyone chants prayers on this night, in memory of Tsong Khapa.

TOPThe Twelfth Month
TOPThe Exorcising Evil Spirits Festival
The Exorcising Evil Spirits Festival falls on the twenty-ninth day of the twelfth month of the Tibetan lunisolar calendar. During this festival, large-scale "sorcerer" dances are performed at monasteries and smaller-scale dances are performed in private households, in order to drive away evil spirits and to welcome the approaching New Year. This festival is as important to the impending lunisolar new year festival, or Smom-lam, as is the cleaning and decorating of the monastery or of one's house.

The Festival in Tibet (4)

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Lotus Buddha's Birthday
The tenth day of the fifth month is the birthday of Lotus Buddha. In many places, such as Xiezha in Shannan and Khaqu in Luozha, Tibetans celebrate this day. Each year there is a minor celebration to observe the event, while every twelfth year – or once around the zodiac – there is a major celebration.

TOPThe Sixth Month
TOPThe Homage to Buddha's First Sermon Festival
The Homage to Buddha's First Sermon Festival is sometimes also dubbed the Homage to the Holy Mountains Festival, because on this day, the fourth day of the sixth month of the lunisolar calendar, Tibetan Buddhists put on new cassocks and take to the mountains to worship Lord Buddha Sakyamuni. One of the most famous mountains for this event in the Lhasa area is Chokpori, a sacred hill in Lhasa.

TOPThe Seventh Month
TOP Sho Ton (The Yoghurt Festival)
Sho Ton, or the Yoghurt Festival, is one of the most popular traditional Tibetan festivals. "Sho" means yoghurt in Tibetan, while "ton" means banquet. Although prior to the 17th century, Sho Ton had been an exclusively religious observance, Tibetan opera eventually became a fixture during the festival, which gradually changed character towards the inclusion of more secular cultural events. In fact, the Sho Ton Festival has also been dubbed the Tibet Opera Festival.

The sixth month of the Tibetan lunisolar calendar was a time of meditation and self-reflection among monks, a time when the monks had little contact with ordinary Tibetans, as they were not permitted outside the monastery. Therefore the seventh month was a time for celebration in which the people offered alms to monks who had been cooped up in the monastery during the sixth month. One of the main foodstuffs offered the monks during this month was yoghurt, and therefore the main festival of the seventh month of the Tibetan lunisolar calendar came to be officially known as the Yoghurt Festival, although today it is as often referred to as the Tibet Opera Festival.

In the beginning of the eighteenth century, Norbu Lingka, which thereafter served as the summer palace of the Dalai Lama, was built, after which the Yoghurt Festival was moved to the Dalai Lama's new summer palace, and the festival became formalized. Previously, on the twenty-ninth day of the sixth month, opera troupes throughout Tibet would arrive at Potala Palace, the main residence of the Dalai Lama, and would register with the local government to seek permission to perform at the palace.

Short opera performances were given at the palace, after which everyone, including monks from Dreprung Monastery, would congregate at Norbu Lingka to worship the Dalai Lama. In the evening, the monks would return to their monastery, and on the following day, the thirtieth, the Zang Opera would be performed all day long at Dreprung Monastery. On the first day of the seventh month of the Tibetan lunisolar calendar, various opera troupes would give a large, combined performance at Norbu Lingka. From the second day to the fifth day of the seventh month of the Tibetan lunisolar calendar, opera troupes from Gyantse, An'rang, Nanmulin and Lhasa would each perform in turn.

During the Sho Ton Festival, government personnel were also permitted a holiday so that they might participate in the festivities. All of the officials would assemble at Norbu Lingka to enjoy the opera performances and to pay their respects to the Dalai Lama. At noon, a banquet was held to treat all the assembled officials, and, as a way of paying homage to the monks, yoghurt was also served. The urban residents of Lhasa and the peasants from the countryside would dress up in their finest costumes, then head for Norbu Lingka, with picnic baskets full of food and drink, where they would attend the opera performances. In this way, the Yoghurt Festival became synonymous with the Tibet Opera Festival.

The Festival in Tibet (3)

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The Third Month
TOPReincarnation and Transmigration of Buddha's Warrior Attendant
The Reincarnation and Transmigration of Buddha's Warrior Attendant Festival is held on the fifth day of the third month in the Tibetan lunisolar calendar. It is held to commemorate the first sign rotation of the Tibetan calendar, which took place in the Fire Rabbit Year of CE 1027.

TOPThe Fourth Month
TOPSaga Dawa Festival (The Birth of Buddha)
The first Saga Dawa Festival was held near the shores of Dragon King Pond in Lhasa. The festival is celebrated on the fifteenth day of the fourth month in the Tibetan lunisolar calendar in honor of the birth of Lord Buddha Sakyamuni, and his later enlightenment and departure from this world, having achieved the state of Nirvana. The festival is also partially in commemoration of the wedding between Songtsan Gambo, the King of Tubo Kingdom, and Princess Wencheng of the Tang (CE 618-907) Dynasty, as a means of cementing relations between the Han Chinese and Tibetan Chinese peoples. The men, women, monks, and lay folk of Lhapulun forsake food and drink – and do not speak – for a day and two nights. The festival is known as the Niannai Festival among the folk of Lhapulun.

TOPThe Sunning of Buddha Festival
The occasion is held yearly on the eighth day of the fourth month in the Tibetan lunisolar calendar in the following areas: Kangding Prefecture; Garze Autonomous Prefecture; and Sichuan Province. The main activity of the festival centers on Zhuanshan, or circumambulation around, and offering sacrifices to, Buddha and the Boddhisatva, as well as praying for blessings.

TOPThe Fifth Month
1.Tsenlanggisam (The Lingka Festival)
Tsenlanggisam, or the Lingka Festival, centers around the worship of Buddha, but in an unusual and folk-like way: people leave their houses and put up tents in parks, where bonfires can be seen all night long.

It is said that this festival is observed because in the fifth month of the Year of the Monkey, Lotus Buddha subdued all the evils and monsters in Tibet. There is another legend about this festival, which goes as follows.

Trisong Detsan intended to build Samye Monastery, but he was continually beset by bad luck and therefore failed time and again to accomplish his goal. Fortunately Lotus Buddha came to Trisong Detsan's aid by instituting the Incense Burning and Praying Festival, during which incense was burnt on a large scale in the monasteries and there was much praying for peace and happiness.

Gradually the bad luck that had plagued Trisong Detsan disappeared, and the monastery was finally built. In order to commemorate this happy event, a great ceremony was held at the time of the full moon. It is considered a lucky day, and Tibetans love to observe it by going off to campsites, where everyone enjoys much food, drink, and merriment in the company of others.

The Festival in Tibet (2)

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Mon-lam Chenmo (Great Dharma Transmission Ceremony)
The Mon-lam Chenmo Ceremony, or The Great Dharma Transmission Ceremony, extends from the fourth to the fifteenth day of the first Tibetan lunisolar month, and is in celebration of Lord Buddha Sakyamuni. As such, Mon-lam Chenmo corresponds to the first part of the Smom-lam Festival.

TOPThe Lantern Festival
The Lantern Festival, also known as the Butter Lamp Festival, is also celebrated annually on the fifteenth day of the first lunisolar month by Tibetans living in Qinghai and Gansu Provinces. It is the last day of the Mon-lam Chenmo Ceremony, which also corresponds to The Day of the Living Buddhas, or the date on which the Buddha was victorious in a debate against heretics. Worshippers assemble in Barkhor Street in Lhasa on this day, where they show their devotion to Sakyamuni all day and into the night. The custom is to light thousands of lamps fashioned into an assortment of designs, including immortals, animals, flying birds, beasts, and flowers, and all "powered" by rendered butter.

TOPThe Second Month
TOPThe Exorcism Festival
On the seventh day of the second month, a group of worshippers play the role of ghosts in need of exorcism, who are chased across the Darxia River, from whence they may not return for seven days. After the seven days have passed, the ghosts emerge, purged.

TOPHomage to Buddha Festival
On the eighth day of the second lunisolar month, the monks of the monasteries chant scripture publicly, and put a giant image of Buddha, as well as a number of other Buddhist relics, on open display.

TOPCongjue
Another dharma ceremony, the Congjue Ceremony, is held toward the end of the second month. The activities of Congjue are similar to those of the Mon-lam Chenmo Ceremony, only on a smaller scale, therefore Congjue has also been dubbed the Small Dharma Transmission Ceremony.

The Festival in Tibet (1)

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Tibetan Buddhist Festivals
Tibetan Buddhist festivals follow the Tibetan lunisolar calendar (i.e., a calendar based partly on the sun's as well as the moon's phases). It is therefore the custom to chart Tibetan Buddhist festivals according to the Tibetan lunisolar calendar, just as it is the custom to do so in a chronological order, beginning with the first month and proceeding to the last. Indeed, one might rightfully call this the Tibetan Buddhist Festival Calendar.

TOPThe First Month
TOPSmom-lam (Great Prayer Festival)
Smom-lam is the supreme religious festival in Tibet. It originated in CE 1409 in Buddhism's Geluk sect, whose founder and leader at the time was the monk, Tsong Khapa. Tsong Khapa called upon the monks of the Three Great Monastery of Tibet, the Sera, Dreprung, and Ganden Monasteries, to assemble in Jokhang for a special prayer ceremony. The assembled monks prayed to the image of Buddhism's founder, Buddha Sakyamuni, almost as if this were the living Buddha himself. In time this prayer ceremony developed into a more elaborate public event, stretching over several days, that was observed by Buddhists in towns and villages throughout Tibet, rather than remaining a strictly monastic event.

In Jokhang itself, the ceremony included scriptural recitations as well as more extended prayer ceremonies, and this practice eventually spread throughout the country as more and more monks participated in this very public event, which by that time had become a fixture in the Tibetan Buddhist religious calendar. Moreover, each time a supreme religious leader, a Dalai Lama, would pass away, the scope and intensity of the Smom-lam ceremonies would increase.

The motivational basis for holding the Smom-lam ceremony during the first month of the Tibetan calendar was a legend by which is was said that Buddha, during the first month of the Tibetan calendar, "conquered", or converted, six holy men of false religions at a place in Tibet near the border with India.

From the "inauguration" of the Fifth Dalai Lama onwards, the Smom-lam Festival was finally fixed to begin on the fourth day of the first Tibetan lunisolar month, and to continue on through the final event, the welcoming of Amitabha Buddha, on the twenty-fifth day of the first Tibetan lunisolar month. The first part of the Smom-lam Festival corresponds to the Mon-lam Chenmo Ceremony described below.

During this most auspicious yearly festival, lamas from Tibet's three largest monasteries continue to gather in Jokhang, where they recite scriptures and hold prayer ceremonies. In recent years, it has become the venue for the Gexi degree examinations – the PhD of Tibetan Buddhism, as it were. Though Smom-lam is observed locally, Jokhang continues to attract pilgrims from every corner of Tibet during the Smom-lam Festival. It is also a time when Tibetans make large donations of food and money to the monks and their monasteries.

On the fifteenth day of the first Tibetan lunisolar month, the day that has been chosen to commemorate Buddha's conversion of the six holy men of false religions, also known as The Day of the Living Buddhas, monks from the aforementioned Three Great Monasteries of Tibet hold a large, public ceremony, where they recite scriptures and pray for the well-being of the country and of its citizens, as well as for the well-being of all mankind, Buddhist and non-Buddhist alike. Though this ceremony falls roughly in the middle of Smom-lam (it is the end of the Mon-lam Chenmo Ceremony), it marks the climax of the public part of the Smom-lam Festival; thereafter the Smom-lam ceremonies take on a more private note, where the individual strives to reckon himself – his failings, his weaknesses, etc. – with the path of Buddha.

By nightfall on The Day of the Living Buddhas, colorful sculptures of figures, flowers, birds, and animals – all made of butter – are displayed in the flower beds of the monastery. Of the sculptures, some tower magnificently while others rest near the ground, some are suspended in air while others are made with moving parts. To add to the spirit of universal goodwill that characterizes this part of the festival, "butter lamps" (lamps that burn on rendered butter) are placed along the streets, their flames flickering like so many prayers for peace. Residents and pilgrims come out into the street to appreciate the lighting of the "butter lamps", and some dance and sing throughout the night (see the "Butter Lamp" Festival description below).

Tibet weather

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The climate in Tibet belongs to the typical downy special climate. Climates are quite different in different places and temperatures vary greatly within a single day. Climate in southeastern Tibet (e.g. Nyingchi) is gentle and annual temperate average 8 degree centigrade(46.4 F); In western Tibet (e.g. Nagqu), the average temperature is below zero degree (below 32 F) .While in Lhasa and the central part of Tibet, the climate is normal and more suitable for traveling. The best time to visit Tibet is from March to October. Most annual rainfall comes in the rainy season that starts from May to September, when the precipitation covers 90 percent of the whole year. Usually it rains at night in Lhasa, Shigatse and Chamdo area. The precipitations gradually decrease from 5000 millimeters in the lower part of southeast to just 50 in the northwest.

Temperature(C) in major regions in tibet

Month Lhasa Shigatse Tsedang
highest lowest highest lowest highest lowest
Jan. 6.8 -10.2 5.7 -13.1 7.6 -9.0
Feb. 9.2 -3.9 8.0 -9.5 9.9 -5.9
Mar. 12.0 -3.2 11.0 -5.4 12.9 -2.4
Apr. 15.7 0.9 15.5 -0.7 16.9 1.3
May. 19.7 5.1 19.5 3.4 20.4 5.2
Jun. 22.5 9.2 22.1 7.6 22.9 8.9
Jul. 21.7 9.9 21.0 8.7 22.5 10.1
Aug. 20.7 9.4 19.6 8.1 21.5 9.5
Sep. 19.6 7.6 18.7 5.8 20.5 7.6
Oct. 16.4 1.4 15.2 -1.2 17.1 1.8
Nov. 11.6 -5.0 10.7 -8.0 12.4 -4.1
Dec. 7.7 -9.1 7.0 -12.3 8.7 -7.9
Average temp. 15.3 0.8 14.5 -1.4 15.5 1.3

Temperature in Nyingchi and Mount. Everest

Nyingchi Mount. Everest
highest lowest highest lowest
7.9 -5.3 4 -17
9.8 -2.7 -4 -15
13.0 -0.1 7 -12
16.5 3.2 10 -5
18.8 6.8 15 0
20.9 10.0 17 5
22.1 11.2 16 8
22.1 10.7 16 6
20.3 9.2 17 2
17.2 4.9 12 -7
12.9 -0.7 7 -12
9.6 -4.5 4 -15
15.9 3.6 10 -5

Tibet Transport (5)

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Route

Kunming (397 km)-Xiaguan (14 km)-Dali (166km)-Lijiang(145km)-Zhongdian (152 km)-Deqen (103 km)-Yanjing (1ll km)-Makam (359 km)-Baxio (450 km)-Nyingchi (420 km)-Lhasa .

The best season
August to October is the best season for driving on Dian-Zang Road.

Transportation guide

There is no bus to Tibet and the shuttle buses only reach Diqin in the Diqin Tibet Autonomous Prefecture, tourists to Lhasa have to ask a lift by passing-by trucks here. Or you can take a coach bus at Kunming Bus Station to Xiaguan, then from Xiaguan to Zhongdian where there is a regular bus to Diqin every two days, and then try to get a lift to Makam. Since there are fewer vehicles from Diqin to Makam, you'd better take a bus to Yanjing and the lifts from Yanjing to Makam are easy to find.

Tips

1.Visitors coming to the plateau for the first time are advised to start taking medicine a fortnight before arrival to prevent altitude sickness. Medicine capsules called Gao Yuan An have an instant effect. It's also a good idea to reduce your exercise and rest as much as possible until you have adapted to the plateau.

2. Warm clothing, including a weatherproof coat, will be needed even in summer.

3. Tibet is one of the last few "Pure Lands" in the world. Please help to protect the natural environment and don't discard your waste, especially batteries. Don't harm the wild plants or animals.

Sino-Nepal Friendship Highway (Lhasa--Zhangmu Friendship Bridge—Kathmandu)

The Friendship Highway starts from the capital of Nepal—Kathmandu, traverses Hangmu Friendship Bridge( SinoNepal Friendship Bridge) at Kodari to Neyalamu County in Tibet and crosses Shigatse-- the second largest city of Tibet to the capital of Tibet—Lhasa. It covers a distance of more than 900 km. After entering the border at Zhangmu, passing Neyalamu and Tingri, enjoying the grand Himalayas and driving another 75 km, you'll reach Lhase. Lhasa is in the east while passing Samsang, Zhongba or Cuoqing and Gaize ,in the west is Ali. Most tourists will choose Sino-Nepal Friendship Highway and Qinghai—Tibet Road as the main road into Tibet.

Route:

Lhasa(337km)—Shigatse(157km)—Lhaze(75)—Xegar(NewTingri)(60km)—OldTingri—Neyalamu(30km)—Zhangmu Friendship Bridge(Kathmandu)

The best season

Influenced by the south-east monsoon and north-west cold current, the climate in the area of Mt. Everest is changeable. The best season for trekking and climbing is from early March to late May, or from early September to late August, when it is warmer. Starting from Lhasa, driving along Sino-Nepal Friendship Highway, traversing Gyantse and Shigatse to Xegar (New Tingri) (which will take a car two days to cover the 670km), then driving down the simple-built highway about 110 km, you'll reach the end of Rongbuk glacier—Rongbuk Monastery which is on the north side of Mt. Everest.

Transportation guide

The road from Chusul to Shigatse is poor bituminous road. From Shigatse, the road is paved with small stones and it's impassible for cars to get into Jiatsuo La Mountain in raining seasons.

Tips

1. For those who first come to the plateau, it's advisable to take certain medicine half a month in advance. There is a capsule for mountain sickness which is called "Gao Yuan An" and it can produce instant effect. Before you adapt to the plateau, you'd better exercise less. Besides, you should take heavy coats with you even in summer.

2. Tibet is one of the last few "Pure Lands" in the world. Please help to protect the natural environment; Don't discard your waste; Don't do something harmful to the wild plants or animals.

Tibet Transport (4)

2009-06-24T01:45:00.000-07:00

Distance

2743km Yecheng<—69km—> Pusa<—88km—> Kudidaban<—83km—> Mazadaban<—339km—> Sweet Water Sea<—110km—> Jieshandaban<—177km—> Duomaping<—143km—> Rutog County <—87km—> Shiquanhe town<—331km—> Parga <—334km—> Zhongba<—145km—> Saga<—293km—> Lhaze <—157km—> Xigaze<—337km—> Lhasa

The best tourist season

May to early July or September to October is the best time for tourists. July to September is the rainy season, when the road condition becomes worse. If you choose to start the travel from the Xinjiang-Tibet Highway, there are two best seasons. One is from end of May to beginning of June, when the snow has melted, but the rainy season hasn't begun. The second is September, when the rainy season is over, but it hasn't begun to snow in most places. When it is October, it snows in many places in Ngari prefecture.

Tips on transportation

Yecheng-Shiquanhe: the two places are 1,100 km from each other, and it takes 3 days bus ride. Buses ply between them irregularly. It is possible to hitchhike a truck at the Bus Station of Yecheng or Shiquanhe, or sometimes possible to hitchhike a military vehicle.

Shiquanhe-Burang: 1,741 km from each other, and it takes a 2 days bus ride. If you transfer to visit Zada, another 280 km and 1 more day's bus ride is necessary. Then take a bus to Burang from Zada(443 km). Because Burang is an important town of frontier trade, there are many vehicle passing by, it is convenient to hitchhike a truck or a military vehicle.

Shiquanhe-Lhasa: 1,741 km from each other and it's a 6 days' ride. But no bus service is available. And not many vehicles pass by, so it takes some time to find a vehicle to hitchhike.

Tips

1. The Xinjiang-Tibet Highway will be blocked by snow in winter and spring and it's impossible to travel. The best time to drive is from May to the middle of October. The climate in the trip is terrible and food and accommodation condition is not good, either. Clothes to guard against the coldness should be prepared. Medicines against ailments and illness (medicine to stop diarrhea, diminish inflammation, and to treat the cold) according to the physical conditions of the tourists themselves should also be prepared. All people will have altitude reaction on Jieshandaban Mountain, so tourists are advised to take some medicines and oxygen.

2. Room and board conditions are not good along the highway. So it's advisable to take some solid food and sleeping bag. Vegetables are short along the road, so some vitamin pills should be taken.

☆If the tourists want to trek in Tibet, many bridle paths, pilgrims' byways and ferries can be chosen (make necessary consultations to the locals or just follow the pilgrims).

Yunnan-Tibet High Way (Xiaguan-Makam)
(It is also known as Dian-Zang Road as Dian is the abbreviation for Yunnan Province and Zang is for Tibet)

Dian-Zang Road was built and opened to traffic in 1974. It starts from Xiaguan of Yunnan in the south, traverses Jianchuan, Zhongdian and Dechen to Zhikang of Tibet in the north and covers a distance of 714 km. It joins the south part of Sichuan-Tibet Road in the north. Among the four roads leading into Tibet, it's the highest above sea level, which is a less beaten track by travelers. This highway was built along the "Tea-Horse Ancient Road" which the businessmen and tourists frequented in the ancient times. The whole road runs through the China-Burma Basin and the Hengduan Mountain Range with the highest point—the pass of Hongla Snow Mountain at 4,300 meters above sea level. The road leads through spectacular landscape, with thick forests and mild and humid climate on the way. As the Hengduan Mountain Range is cut by Lantsang River and Jinsha River with many high mountains and deep valleys, and the road goes up and down in elevations through the mountains and valleys, you can experience different kinds of climates and landscapes on the way.

Tibet Transport (3)

2009-06-24T01:42:00.000-07:00

Highway Route
2412kmLhasa<—87km—>Yangbajain<—75km—>Damxung<—164km—>Nagqu<—138km—>Amdo<—89km—>Tangula Mountain<—100km—>Yanshiping<—91km—>Tuotuo Riverside<—150km—> Wudaoliang<—269km—> Golmud<—484km—> Caka <—196km—> Daotang River<—103km—>Garze

How to get there
Long-distance coaches, which depart from the Long distance Bus Station, ply in Damxung, Lhasa, Sog county, Golmud, etc. Because of the developed transportation network, there are more vehicles in this part of the highway than in other highways stretching into Tibet, and the traffic is not limited by the climate of different seasons. It is likely to get a hitchhiking if you wait at dusk at the parking lots of the bus station inn or just at the roadside.

Best time for tourists

May to September is the best time for tourists, except for the rainy season of July and August when landslides happen regularly and make it very dangerous to travel through the road.

Tips

1. The altitude is high in Wodaoliang and Tangula pass and it is chilly there and snows often. Enough winter clothing should be prepared. Medicines against altitude reaction, such as Rhodiola rosea, should also be taken with you. If you are not definitely confident about your physical condition, to take some bottled oxygen along is advisable. "Huoli Oxygen", a kind of bottled oxygen, can be bought in Xining or Golmud. Price: RMB 20 yuan.

2. Avoid any strenuous exercises when the bus passes through the Tangula pass and lets off all the passengers for them to have a rest. Some tourists who come to the Plateau for the first time may not feel any altitude reaction because they are too excited. If they skip and jump at the pass, they will suffer from shock because their hearts are over-loaded suddenly. Because the journey is mostly spent on the vehicle, enough solid food and drinking water should be prepared.

Xinjiang-Tibet Highway (Yecheng-Burang)

Xinjiang-Tibet Highway (Yecheng-Burang) is also called the national highway 219, with a total distance of 2,743 km. It is the highway with the highest altitude in the world. The highway starts from Yecheng, a city in southern Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, passes by Gar county in Tibet and reaches Shiquanhe town, which is located in Ngari prefecture, Tibet, then the highway winds south to Burang county, where China borders India and Nepal. The highway turns east to converge with the China-Nepal Highway, and then extends to Xigaze and finally stretches into Lhasa. On its way the highway winds its way among several mountains, five of which soaring more than 5000 meters (16400 feet) high above the sea level. Among them the highest is Jieshan Daban Mountain, which is at an altitude of 6,035 meters. When you cross over the mountains, you can sense the grandness as you see the great mountains dwarf the surrounding ones. And it is easy to appreciate the spectacular view of the heavenly holy mountain Kailash, which is also called the "center of the world", and to feel the overwhelming charm of the holy lake Manasarovar.

Tibet Transport (2)

2009-06-24T01:36:00.001-07:00

There are 5 highways stretching into Tibet: Sichuan-Tibet Highway, Qinghai-Tibet Highway, Xinjiang-Tibet Highway, Yunnan-Tibet Highway, and China-Nepal Highway.

Sichuan-Tibet Highway (Chengdu- Lhasa)

Brief Introduction

The 2,413-kilometer-long Sichuan-Tibet Highway starts from Chengdu of Sichuan on the east and ends at Lhasa of Tibet on the west. The road passes Ya'an, Garze, Chamdo. Sichuan-Tibet highway traverses 14 high mountains which average 4,000-5000 meters (Erlang Mtn,Zheduo Mtn and Hengduan Mtn), spans dozens of famous rivers (Daduhe River, Jinshajiang River, Lantsang River, Nujiang River), crosses primeval forest and numerous dangerous sections. It has fine views along the line, with unique customs. You can enjoy the magnificent and changeable scenery ranging from warm spring to cold and snowing winter, which makes you intoxicated. This climate will be changing ibefore your eyes, just like being in the paradise, and you may think "days in heaven, but years on the earth". There is no public transportation on this route and this route is closed to backpackers.

A car trip may cost you 8—10 days.

Highway Route

In Tibet, the highway traverses Jinshajiang River Bridge—Gyamda——Chamdo——Bangdag——Baxoi——Bome——Nyingchi——Gongbo Gyamda——Maizhokungka——Lhasa.
Southern Route: 2,1 59 kilometers
Lhasa<—68km—>Maizhokungka<—206km—>Gongbo Gyamda<—127km—>Bayi<—19km—>Nyingchi<—127km—>Tongmai<—89km—>Bome <—129km—>Ra'og<—90km—>Baxoi<—94km—>Bamda<—107km—> Zogang<—158km—> Markam<—71km—>ZuBalong<—36km—>Batang<—165km—>Litang<—143km—>Yajiang<—74km—>Xinduqiao
Xinduqiao<—75km—>Kangding<—49km—>Luding<—168km—>Ya'an<—139km—>Chengdu
Northern Route: 2,412 kilometers
Lhasa<—87km—>Yangbajain<—75km—>Damxung<—164km—>Nagqu<—136km—> Baqên<—225km—>Denqen<—248km—>Chamdo<—228km—>Gyamda<—85km—>
Jinshajiang River Bridge<—24km—>Dege<—112km—>Manegange<—95km—> Garze<—97km—>Luhuo<—72km—>Damfu<—68km—>Baimai<—77km—>Tanpa<—55km—>Xiaojam
Xiaojam<—43km—>Dawei<—148km—>Wolong<—83km—>Dujiangyan<—54km—>Chengdu

Qinghai-Tibet Highway (Xining-Ge'ermu-Lhasa)

Being one of the highest highways in the world, Qinghai-Tibet highway starts from Xining, Qinghai Province. The highway crosses four mountains, namely Kunlun Mountain (4,700 meters), Fenghuo Mountain (4,800 meters), Tangula Mountain ( 5,150 meters at the mountain pass), and Nyainqentanglha Mountain. It spans three rivers, Tongtian River, Tuotuo River and Chuma'er River, averaging 4,500 meters. The Tibetan part of the highway is 544 km, and traverses the Changtang Plain in the north, and converges with the Sichuan-Tibet Highway in Lhasa.

Qinghai-Tibet Highway is 1,160-km (720 miles) long, and is the main state secondary road, with the roadbed being 10-meter wide, and an incline of less than 7%. The speed limit of drive is 60 km per hour.

Tibet Transport (1)

2009-06-24T01:27:00.000-07:00

Transportation condition in Tibet has changed greatly recently. Now highways, airlines and railway are connecting it to the other regions of China.
Air:Planes is by far the most convenient way to enter Tibet. There are currently two airports in the region with the Gongga Airport in Lhasa most useful to travelers. Gongga Airport has regular service to/from Chengdu, Xian, Beijing, Chongqing, and even Katmandu and Hong Kong.

Gongga Airport to downtown Lhasa: 1.5 - 2 hours by airport bus. Ticket price: 35 yuan.

Flight is the fastest and most comfortable way to enter Tibet, However, by taking a flight there is little time to acclimate to the harsh condition of thin air.

Lhasa air ticket office: 0891-6833446

Train:The opening of the Qinghai-Tibet railway was a historical move for Tibet transportation which ended the situation of Tibet being one of the most inaccessible regions in China. At the time fo writing, there are trains

At the time of writting, there are six train serivices to/from TIbet which include: Beijing-Lhasa, shanghai-Lhasa, Guangzhou-Lhasa, Lanzhou/xian-Lhasa, Chengdu/Chongqing-Lhasa and Xining/Golmud-Lhasa.

The train travel is relatively comfortable as trains running on the Qinghai-Tibet Railway are in good conditions, better than that of most of the trains in China; cars are sealed and oxygenated. The train has to pass the Tanggula Pass, which is the highest point on the railway with 5230 meters above sea level. Most passengers will feel symptoms of altitude sickness such as headache, vomiting at that point.

Scenery on the way features alpine lakes. snow-capped mountains, vast grassland, deserts.

Tips: you need to show your passport and Tibet Entry Permit when buying your ticket. Tickets in high season from May to October are in huge demand so book in advance is recommended.

Ancient Myth for Tibet 4 (Collapse of Serfdom)

2009-06-24T01:03:00.000-07:00

Collapse of Serfdom
In 1895, 13th Dalai assumed the power to manage the political and religious affairs. In 1904, British army invaded Tibet and occupied Lhasa for 50 days. The 13th Dalai retreated to Qinghai. In 1908, he went to Beijing where Emperor Guangxu and Empress Cide had an audience with him and his title as Dalai Lama was officially approved.

After the Revolution of 1911, Republic of China was founded. In the 5-color national flag, the color of red, yellow, blue, white and black symbolized Han, Manchu, Mongol, Hui and Tibetan ethnic group respectively. In the following year, the government of Republic of China restored the title to Dalai Lama and he returned to Tibet.

The 13th Dalai Lama was the teacher of the 9th Panchen Lama. They shared equal political rights in Tibet. However, due to taxation problem, the two leaders had a conflict and confrontation, resulting in Panchen fleeing to Qinghai, where he died of disease in1937.

In 1940, the government of Republic of China hosted the bed-sitting ceremony for the14th Dalai, Danzengjiacuo. In 1949, the government hosted the bed-sitting ceremony for the 10th Panchen, Erdeni.

TOPEstablishment of Tibet Autonomous Region
In 1949, People's Republic of China was founded. The government stuck to the policy of peaceful liberation of Tibet. As a result, Tibet was liberated peacefully in 1951. The policy of regional national autonomy was exercised in Tibet. The democratic reform wad carried out and the feudal serfdom was abolished. In September 1965, Tibet Autonomous Region was established.

Ancient Myth for Tibet 3

2009-06-24T00:54:00.000-07:00

Pazhu Regime
In 1322, a very eminent person in Tibetan history, Qiangqujianzan assumed office as the 10th head of the Wanhu (ten-thousand households). In 1348, Qiangqujianzan defeated Caiba. And in 1354 he occupied Sakya Monastery and replaced the Sakya authorities. Thus he instituted a government called Pazhu Regime controlling the most part of Tibet. Emperor Shun of Yuan Dynasty bestowed a title "Dasitu" on Qiangqujianzan and an official seal, authorized him to govern Tibet. At that time, the different sects of Buddhism had gradually lost its appeal to the public and the support from people due to the lack of the religious disciplines and monks' corruption. Tsongkhapa then appeared on the historic stage who advocated the strict observation of the disciplines and religious reform. He gained great support from the Pazhu Government. In 1409, funded by the Pazhu Government, Tsongkhapa gathered 10,000 monks from the various part of Tibet and held a meeting on religious affairs. Later, he established Ganden Monastery near Lhasa. The establishment of Ganden Monastery marked the founding of the strictly disciplined Gelupa sect (also called Yellow Sect). There were 12 generations of kings in Pazhu Regime and they ruled Tibet for 264 years from 1354 to 1618.

TOPGedanpozhang Regime
Dalai Lama and Panchen were the two great disciples of Gelupa sect founded by Tsongkhapa. They bore the responsibilities of expanding the sect. The 5th Dalai is a dominant person in Tibet history. He lived in the years of both Ming and Qing Dynasty. In 1618 Pazhu Regime was overthrown and replace by the short-lived Gema Regime which lasted only 24 year. The Tibetan king Zangbahan hated Gelupa and adopted a policy to oppress and persecute it. In 1641, after discussion, the 5th Dalai and the 4th Panchen sent someone secretly to Qinghai asking Gushihan, a Gelupa follower, to lead troops to Tibet. The next year, Gushihan led large troops to Tibet and overturned Gema Regime. Supported by Gushihan, the 5th Dalai established the Gedanpozhang Regime. Consequently the Gelupa Sect was put in a dominant position in the Tibetan society. In 1652, the 5th Dalai escorted by 3000 people went to Beijing and Emperor Shunzhi of Qing Dynasty awarded him a golden seal and bestowed him as the spiritual and temporal leader of Tibet. And the title "Dalai Lama" and the position of Dalai were confirmed by the central government. Ever since, it has become a practice for the central government to approve and confirm a new Dalai Lama.

Ancient Myth for Tibet 2

2009-06-24T00:42:00.000-07:00

Tupo Regime
Tibet's first palace Yumbulagang is located in the Yarlung River Valley near Tsetang Town. It was built by the first Tibet King Nyentri Tsenpo. Tibet has a recorded history of about 1300 years. What happened before that had been passed down in the form of legends and these legends were written down by later generations.

In the 7th century AD, the 32nd Tibetan king Songtsen Gampo established the first kingdom in Tibetan history, the Tupo Regime, through conquest and alliances. The kingdom had the largest territory ever.

The Tupo Regime lasted 200 years to the year of 877. Slave and common people's uprisings spread through various parts of the kingdom. And the insurrectionary army seized Qiongjie, dig up the tombs of Tibetan kings. Since then, the Tupo Regime fell apart.

TOPSakya Rule
After the fall the Tupo Regime, Tibet had seen 400 years of division, local powers and wars. In the beginning of 13th century, Genghis Khan unified China and his grandson, Godan Khan unified Tibet by making use of the local religious power. When he learned that Sakya sect was the most powerful and summoned Gonggejianzan, the head of Sakya Monastery, to his court. They discussed and agreed on the conditions for Tibet's submissions to Mongol Empire. So the head Sakya lama gained the authority over Tibet.

In 1260 Khubli Khan came into power as the emperor of Yuan Dynasty. He granted Basiba, the head lama of Sakya monastery, the position of spiritual leader and presented him a jade seal. The emperor also authorized him to take charge of national Buddhism affairs and administrative affairs of Tibet. In the year of 1265, Basiba was ordered to return to Tibet. He enlarged Sakya Monastery and set up Sakya kingdom to administer the local affairs in Tibet. Now Sakya Monastery is still there 60 kilometers away from Shigates City.

Ancient Myth for Tibet

2009-06-24T00:26:00.000-07:00

Ancient Myth
According to myth, the Tibetan people attribute their existence to the union of an ogress and a monkey. One day a monkey came into a cave in Yarlung River valley and began to cultivate himself to attain immortality. Later, an ogress came to him and tried to tempt him with tricks. She said to the monkey: "Will you marry me?" "No, I am a disciple of Mother Buddha. I am instructed to come here to cultivate myself. If I marry with you, it will violate the religious discipline," replied the monkey. The ogress proceeded: "If you don't marry me, I will have to commit suicide because I am destined in my previous incarnation to be degraded into a devil. Then you and I cannot become affectionate couple. Days later, I will become the wife of a devil and give birth to countless sons and grandsons. At that time, the plateau will be plunged into a world filled with devils and thousands of people will be killed. So please do as I told you." Stuck in the dilemma and puzzled, the monkey had to return to Putuo Hill to seek instruction from Mother Buddha. She said: "This is destiny and this is an auspicious sign. It is a deed of great kindness to marry her and reproduce offspring for the plateau. As a Buddha, you should not hesitate to conduct kind deeds. Hurry back to marry the ogress."

They got married and brought six baby monkeys into the world. They had different hobbies and different dispositions. They looked for food in the forest by themselves. Three years later, their father went to the forest and found out that the number of monkey had expanded to 500 by the way of reproduction. And they had eaten up the fruits in the forest and suffered from food shortage. Again the old monkey went to Mother Buddha for help. Mother Buddha took the seeds of five types of grains from Xumi Mountain and distributed them across the land. Crops sprung up in the vast land without being cultivated. Hence monkeys got sufficient food. After some time, their tails became shortened and they could speak language. Gradually they became humans, the ancestors of the Tibetan people.

The story that monkey became human was popular with the Tibetan people and was recorded in the ancient scriptures. You can also find the clues of the story in many wall paintings. Tsetang Town in Tibet was named after the story (Tsetang means in Tibetan language the play place for monkeys). The people in Tsetang will tell you that the cave where the monkey lived is still in the nearby Mt Gangpo Ri. The legendary first piece of farming land planting highland barley is in Sala Village, three kilometers away from the town. Up to today, every year when the sowing season comes, it is customary for people to take some "sacred soil" from the first farming field to pray for harvest and blessings from the ancestors.

Beautiful Tibet

2009-06-24T00:17:00.000-07:00

Tibet Autonomous Region lies in the southwest of China and in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. It is bounded to the north by Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and Qinghai Province, to the east by Sichuan Province, to the southeast by Yunnan Province, to the south and west by these countries: Burma, India, Bhutan, Sikkim and Nepal.

Tibet Autonomous Region is huge, covering an area of about 1.2 million square kilometers, which, by comparison, roughly equals the combined areas of France, Germany, the UK and Luxembourg. Tibet Autonomous Region is second only in size to Xijiang Uygur Autonomous Region, among all the provinces of China. With an average altitude of above 4,000 meters, Tibet Autonomous Region has very complex topography and falls into three geographic parts: the west, the south and the east. The west part, known as the North-Tibet Plateau, lies between Kunlun Mountain and Kangdese Mountain, and Tonglha Mountain and Nyainqentanglha Mountain. This part takes up 2/3 of the total area of Tibet. Most of the north part is uninhabited. The south part of Tibet consists of valleys and lies between Kangdese Mountains and Himalayas. The east part is mainly made up of canyons and is marked by a gradual decline in altitude intercepted by small ranges called Henduan Ranges. Most of the tourism resources now opened to foreign tourist are in the east and west parts.

Tibet remains a religious and spiritual sanctuary. The numerous monasteries, temples and chapels scattered around the region, and the pious pilgrims worshiping in front of these temples are testimonies to Tibetan people’s passion about their ancient religion.

Tibet is probably one of the last unspoiled lands in the world. Despite of the influx of tourists in recent years, Tibet’s natural scenery is largely remained untouched. The snow-capped mountains, abundant gemstone-like lakes, countless species of wild life, clear and blue sky excursive hold of imagination of many travelers.

Tibet is now easier to access since the opening of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway in 2006, which have made it possible for budget travelers to lay eyes on this land of “Roof of the Word”by taking a train from Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Xining or Chongqing.

Xian Dumpling Dinner

2009-05-14T19:52:00.000-07:00

Whether you are traveling in the north or the south of China, one delicacy you are almost sure to find on the menu is the dumpling. A universal favourite, the Chinese dumpling has a long history and is an essential part of celebra-tory meals such as those prepared for the Chinese lunar Spring Festival. The dumpling can be anything from a quick snack to a delicacy with which to entertain family and friends or the basis of a veritable feast.
A well-loved story tells how long ago during the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220 AD) a doctor named Zhang Zhongjing travelled back to his hometown in the county of Nanyang. He found the people were suffering from an outbreak of typhoid and dying from hunger and cold. In fact the weather was so cold that many had frostbitten ears to add to their troubles. The kindly doctor set about concocting a mixture of mutton, cayenne and a special medicine that he wrapped in a piece of ear-shaped dough. The dumplings he created were fed to the starving people and by New Year's Eve, not only were they saved from the typhoid epidemic but also their frost bitten ears were healed. The doctor's fame became legendary and thus the dumpling became a favourite addition to the Chinese diet.
Xian, an ancient city that has been the nation's capital during no less than eleven dynasties spanning more than a thousand years is regarded as the home if not the birthplace of the great dumpling tradition. It was here that the art of creating the most tasty and delicate of dumplings was refined and no visit to the city is complete unless you partake of a Dumpling Dinner.
This is an experience for the dumpling connoisseur, the flavours, shapes and colours will tempt the palette, while the elegant names and stories attached to each variety are truly amazing. It is no less amazing that a simple way of preparing food has become so very popular and sophisticated that it is now considered to be as much a work of art as a tasty morsel.
It is said that to visit Xian without seeing the fantastic Terracotta Army as well as having a Dumpling Dinner means that you have not really been to Xian at all!

Yang Rou Pao Mo

2009-05-14T19:39:00.000-07:00

Yang Rou Pao Mo (Shredded Bread Soaked in Mutton Stew) is one of the most renowned local delicacies in Shaanxi Province. It is a particularly popular dish in Xian. Shredded bread soaked in a bowl of highly seasoned mutton soup, the dish smells and tastes superb. Now, Yao Rou Pao Mo has become the synonym of the delicious food of Xian. It is must for eaters who visited Xian. Attraction Intro: Yang Rou Pao Mo
Adding chili paste, caraway and a specially salted sweet garlic will enhance the Yang Rou Pao Mo (Crumbled Unleavened Bread Soaked in Mutton Stew).

Ba Xian An Monastery (Temple of the Eight Immortals)

2009-05-14T17:57:00.000-07:00

Ba Xian An Monastery (Temple of the Eight Immortals), as its name indicates, is mainly dedicated to the legendary Eight Immortals Han Zhongli, Zhang Guolao, Han Xiangzi, Tieguai Li, Cao Guojiu, Lv Dongbin, Lan Caihe and He Xiangu. Located on Changle Fang Street in the eastern suburb, it is the biggest Taoist temple in Xian and is a famous Taoist architecture in northwest China.
Ba Xian An Monastery is also called Ba Xian An Palace because when the Eight-Power Allied Forces invaded Beijing in 1900, Emperor Guangxu and Empress Dowager Cixi escaped to Xian and lived in Ba Xian An Monastery. Therefore, Empress Dowager Cixi donated taels of silver later to fund the renovation of the monastery and gave it the name Ba Xian An Palace.
The monastery is said to be built in the Song Dynasty (960-1279), and was repaired and expanded many times in succeeding dynasties. The structures that can be seen today were mainly built in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). Not counting Mountain Gate, Paifang, Screen Wall, the Bell Tower and Drum Tower, the monastery can be divided into three sections. The first section includes five halls, dedicating to the protective god of Taoism-Wang Lingguan. The second section has two halls, and the color-painted statues of the Eight Immortals are worshiped in the back hall. The third section is the Main Hall with a tablet hanging on its lintel. The four characters 'Dong Tian Yun Ji' was inscribed on the tablet by Empress Dowager Cixi. Inside the hall, sacrifices were made to Dou Mu Yuan Jun (a high ranked god in Taoism) and other gods. Its annexes contain Lvzu (Lv Dongbin) Hall and Yaowang (King of Chinese medicine) Hall on the east and accommodations for Taoists on the west.
Besides visiting the monastery and burning incenses to pray for felicity, you should also look around the street outside the monastery. It's really a short street at a length of only 100 meters (110 yards) lined with two-storey buildings on both sides. Many curios like bronze mirrors, folding screen, four treasures of study, gallipots, porcelain and folding fans are sold here, most of which were commodities of the common people in olden times.
Ba Xian An Monastery is a popular and important spot for Taoist celebrations in Shaanxi Province. On the 14th, 15th and 16th day of the fourth lunar month, the annual temple fair will be held. Ceremonious religious activities on the Double Nine Festival (9th day of the 9th lunar month) also attract a lot of adherents and tourists from near and far.

Shaanxi History Museum

2009-05-14T17:38:00.000-07:00

Shaanxi Province is the birthplace of the ancient Chinese civilization. Xian City was the capital city in thirteen dynasties which in total lasted over 1100 years. Consequently, the ancient history of Shaanxi is to some degree the ancient history of China. The Shaanxi History Museum considers it an obligation to be a showcase of ancient civilizations. It is situated in the southern suburb of Xian City, northwest of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda.Since it was opened to the public in 1991, its architectural buildings, internal apparatus, and exhibits have made it famous as a first-class museum in China.
General Introduction
The museum occupies an area of 65,000 square meters (16 acres). It is a grand complex of buildings imitating the architecture style of the Tang Dynasty (618-907). A primary pavilion stands in the center, and secondary pavilions of varying heights are distributed orderly around it. With black, white and grey as the predominant colors, the buildings have a solemn and rustic charm. The museum is furnished with central air-conditioning and multi-functional lighting system to ensure the protection of the culture relics. It is a comprehensive museum with more than 370,000 exhibits of different times and kinds. The two-storied primary pavilion is divided into the following three main exhibition halls:
Basic Exhibition Hall
The Basic Exhibition Hall is composed of the No 1 exhibition hall, the No 2 exhibition hall and the No 3 exhibition hall, marked by time order. The No 1 exhibition on the first floor hall displays the articles used during the period from 1.7 million years ago to 206 BC of the Qin Dynasty (221 BC-206 BC). This exhibition contains rough stone tools used by the ape man, the pottery, bronze sacrificial vessels, weapons and terracotta figures. By visiting the No 2 Exhibition Hall on the second floor, you will gain a general understanding of the historical process from 206 BC in the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220AD) to 589 AD in the Northern and Southern Dynasties (386-589). Papermaking, one of China's great inventions, and some important historical events are portrayed on the scroll painting. The No 3 Exhibition Hall on the second floor is dedicated to articles in the dynasties: the Sui (581- 618), the Tang (618-907), the Song (960-1279), the Yuan (1271-1368), the Ming (1368-1644) and the Qing (1644-1911). The model of the grand Chang'an City (Xian) during the Sui and the Tang, the shiny silver and gold utensils, pottery figures and the high-quality chinaware all await to be relished by the eyes.
Theme Exhibition Hall
To the west of the Basic Exhibition Hall lies the Theme Exhibition Hall. The hall is 2,500 square meters (26,909 square feet) and usually features a variety of theme exhibitions. The exhibitions in this hall are often theme-oriented to show the history or the culture relics of Shaanxi Province, such as the 'Shanxi Bronze Ware Exhibition', the 'Shaanxi Pottery Figure Exhibition' and the 'Buddhist Culture Relic Exhibition'. A fresco hall is under construction, in which visitors will be able to enjoy the frescos unearthed from the tombs of the Tang Dynasty and explore the social life of that time.
East Exhibition Hall
The East Exhibition Hall, equal in size to the Theme Exhibition Hall, is also on the first floor and to the east of the basic hall. It is used for contemporary exhibitions of high quality. The duration of the exhibitions varies depending on the exhibition theme. The various exhibition themes, high-grade exhibition design and lively exhibition forms will surely please your eyes. Exhibitions of the frescos, the culture relics, the folkways, the fine arts and the calligraphy are conducted continuously.

Xian History

2009-05-14T17:32:00.000-07:00

It is no exaggeration that Xian is the first choice if you are willing to find the longest history of China. This region is one of the vital birthplaces of the profound Chinese civilization. Benefiting from the fertile land and comfortable climate in ancient time, the rulers of 13 dynasties have set up their capitals in Xian successively. Thus, Xian is one of the cities which preserve a wealth of historical heritages in China.
Prehistory
The Lantian Man, which was found in Lantian County of Xian, has inhabited in this land about 800,000 years ago. The founded skulls fossils is said to be the earliest and best preserved ones in China until now. Coming to 300,000-400,000 years ago, the primitive people around Xian have turned into the stage of primitive clan communes gradually. The base of this region's agricultural production should be started when the Banpo Man made living here about 6,000 years ago. They have settled down in the eastern suburban of Xian City, setting up the Matriarchal clan villages.
In the Slave Society
The slave society of China mainly refers to the periods of the Xia (21st-16th century BC), Shang (16th-11th century BC), Western Zhou (11th century BC-771BC) as well as Spring and Autumn Peroid (770 BC-476). During this long history, more and more nations have immigrated to the Guanzhong Plain the center of which is just current Xian. Therefore, both of this region's economy and political system has gained rapid development. Until to the Western Zhou Dynasty, the Wenwang have moved the capital-Fengjing to the west bank of the Fenghe River nearby Xian. It played as the dynasty's religious and cultural center. Later, his heir Wuwang built the political center on the east bank of the Fenghe River, namely, Haojing. This should be the first recorded dynasty founded the capital in Xian City.
In the Warring State Period (476BC-221BC) and the Qin Dynasty (221 BC-206 BC)
Coming to the end of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, namely, the Warring States Period, there mainly distributed seven powerful states in China. Qin, one of the seven states, was located in the center of Shaanxi Province and east Gansu Province. Later, Ying Zheng, Emperor Qin Shi Huang, set up the first feudal dynasty in Xianyang (consists of current Xian and Xianyang cites) after unifying the other six states. Although this dynasty fallen soon, a great number of historical relics were left, for example, the so famous Terra-cotta Warriors and Horses. Until now, some traditions and cuisines from the Qin Dynasty are still kept by the Xian locals.
In the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220)
The Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-24AD), which is the third dynasty setting up its capital in Xian, constructed its capital -Chang'an on the relics of the Qin's Xianyang. Once, Chang'an City was the largest one in the world, covering an area of about 36 square kilometers (13.9 square miles). Now, the site of the Weiyang Palace is preserved well in Xian. The famous 'Silk Road' which starts from the Chang'an City appeared during the period of Wudi, opening the communication between China and overseas countries. On the other hand, the emperors carried out a series of policies to help the rehabilitation of the people. The Chang'an became a thriving city both in economy and polity in the world wide.
In the Sui (581-618) and Tang (618-907) Dynasties
At the found of the Sui Dynasty, the Han's Chang'an City has been destroyed seriously owing to long years of wars from 220 to 589. Therefore, the emperor built a new city just to southeast of the old Chang'an City, called Daxing City. After the Tang Dynasty overthrew the Sui and captured the Daxing City, the first emperor of Tang renamed the city as Chang'an City again. Later, some subsequent construct and renovation projects were taken. In the early period of Emperor Taizong, the Daming Palace was constructed, which was the political center of the whole dynasty later. There is no doubt that Tang should be the most prosperous dynasty in Chinese history. Thus, as the center, Chang'an was one of the largest economical, political and cultural centers in the world at that time. Most overseas travelers and businessmen came to Chang'an, enjoying the city's gloss.
On the other hand, the Buddhism also expanded rapidly in Chang'an with the support of the governors. Now, the existing Big Wild Goose Pagoda should be the outstanding representation of the Buddhist building in Xian. Additionally, the prosperous and peaceful city attracts a great number of artist and poets, inspiring them to create so many masterpieces throughout the ages. In fact, the Tang culture has influenced this region deeply, spanning from architectural style to food, even to the city's soul.
In the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644)
From the end of the Tang Dynasty, the Chang'an City has lost its top position gradually; however, it was still one of the vital prefectures in the later dynasties. In 1369 of the Ming Dynasty, Xian gained its current name officially. From the next year, the current Xian City Wall has been constructed.
The Summary of the Modern History
October 22, 1911---the local revolutionists pulled down the governance of the Qing Dynasty in Xian.1925---the national army led by Dr. Sun Yat-sun overthrew the reactionary warlord in Xian.1927---some members of the Chinese Communist Party launched a military school in Xian, training a number of revolutionists.December 12, 1936---Zhang Xueliang and Yang Hucheng captured the Generalissimo Chiang Kai Shek by initiating a military exhortation, namely, the Xian Incident. The incident spurred the Kuomintang to unify the Communist for resisting the Japanese invaders.May 20, 1949---Xian City was liberated by the Chinese People's Liberation Army. May 25, 1949—The People's Government of Xian City was launched.

Xianyang Museum

2009-05-14T02:24:00.000-07:00

Located on Zhongshan Street, in Xianyang City, the Xianyang Museum is a famous local history museum in China. Originally a Confucian Temple, it was opened to the public in 1962 after reconstruction and expansion.
About 28 kilometers (some 17 miles) away from Xian City, Xianyang City was the capital of the Qin Dynasty (221BC - 206BC) and also the central location of the Han Dynasty 's(206BC-220) Mausoleums. Accordingly, the cultural relics in the Xianyang Museum focus on the Qin Dynasty and the Han Dynasty. The museum features nine exhibition halls and a stele corridor. Among the rich cultural relics, the 3,000 Painted Terra - Cotta Warriors and Horses of the Western Han Dynasty (206BC - 24AD) are the most famous.
The nine exhibition halls are divided into four parts as follows:
Exhibition halls one, two and three mainly show the historical cultural relics of the Qin Dynasty. This includes all of the records indicating that Qin Shi Huang,the first emperor of the Qin Dynasty, was responsible for the unification of China. These halls also display various fine potteries, jade articles and the famous Qin bricks. With a hard texture, these precious bricks were carved with many elaborate flower patterns.
The fourth exhibition hall displays the paintings and calligraphies of contemporary famous persons.
The fifth and sixth exhibition halls show the world famous Painted Terra - Cotta Warriors and Horses of the Western Han Dynasty. The 3,000 figures comprised the great image of the royal guards of the Western Han Dynasty. This troop, full of power and grandeur, exemplifies the strength of the military power of the Western Han Dynasty. Displayed in Western Europe, North America, Japan and Singapore, this troop contributed much to carry forward the civilization of ancient China and promote the intercommunion between home and abroad.
The seventh, eighth and ninth contain the biggest sitting bronze Buddha of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) in China as well as religion cultural relics.

Xian Nightlife

2009-05-14T02:01:00.000-07:00

One of the great delights of Xian is the way in which our ancient culture blends with the new in order to give the visitor a memorable experience of life in the city both as it was long ago and as it is today.
A good place to start your exploration is the Bell Tower as it stands in the historical center of the city and is adjacent to the flourishing modern commercial district. In the evening both the Bell Tower and Drum Tower are illuminated and provide a striking setting for the myriad of traditional Chinese restaurants and bright modern shopping malls where with a riot of color and movement the neon lights together with the street lighting present a veritable magical picture. As the bell tolls in the Bell Tower you can imagine yourself standing in the city as it was centuries ago.
As you stroll on the Bell & Drum Tower Square you will encounter many fellow pedestrians, who like you will be enjoying the spectacle of light and color against the dark blue dome of the night sky. Pass through the gate of the Drum Tower and the appetizing aroma of food will tempt your senses. Here you will find Muslim Snack Street a location famous for its many and varied restaurants, each with its own specialty dishes. Here you will be sure to find something that will appeal to your taste buds from the many novel and captivating dishes on offer.
Once your appetite has been satisfied you may wish to find a place to relax with a drink and if it is a quiet and romantic setting you desire, then wander along De Fu Xiang. Along this lane there are over twenty bars, cafes and teahouses. Each has a distinct style and an intriguing name such as Roman Holiday, Blue Heart, Captain, Old Tree, etc. An archway signifies the entrance to the lane and can be found on Fen Xiang, Nan Dajie. For a dozen of Carlsberg, Heineken, Budweiser or local Tsingtao beer may cost about 150 to 300 Yuan.
If you wish to go to a movie, A Pang Gong Cinema is close to the Drum Tower at No. 61 Zhubashi Jie. In addition there is another cinema at No.323 Dong Dajie. This is Northwest Film City and is some 500 meters to the east of the Bell Tower. Cinema tickets in Xian are inexpensive. Generally speaking, it will cost you between 20 and 30 Yuan to see a film. It is a great pity that films are seldom shown in English and are dubbed into Chinese. Never the less, if you are interested in improving your command of Chinese, what better way can there be to learn more of our language!
If on the other hand, you would like to enjoy some hot music and dance, your destination of first choice will be 1+1 Disco Bar here you are guaranteed unlimited fun and entertainment. About a kilometer from the Bell Tower at No 285 Dong Dajie, the bar is decorated in a trendy style with a hint of 'heavy metal', which is rare in similar bars in Xian. The lighting and acoustics at the 1+1 Disco Bar are up to top class international standards and the venue offers a variety of shows as well as the opportunity to dance and hang out with your friends.
In Xian many working people and students alike enjoy going to KTV in their spare time to sing along with their friends. Not only is this a popular recreation in Xian but also in most other large cities in the country. Real Love is one of the best-known and most popular luxury KTV in Xian. Situated in Nan Erhuan Lu (South 2nd Ring Road), it is opposite the Province Library. Another venue where young people like to party is the Xialudi KTV. This is on the 4th Floor of No. 23 Yanta Bei Lu.
If you want to enjoy a more traditional Chinese evening, then the Tang Dynasty Dinner Show is a must. The Tang Dynasty is regarded as the most progressive and prosperous era in the days of Imperial China and its music and dance symbolize the glory and splendor of Chinese civilization. The Tang Dynasty Theatre Restaurant is located at No. 75 Chang'an Lu and an evening here is sure to be a memorable highlight of your tour. At each performance there are over 100 artists who entertain with a colorful spectacle of dance and music. Here you will enjoy music played on ancient Chinese instruments such as the Pi Pa, a hand plucked string instrument, the Rang, Gu Zheng, Erhu, Yanquin, Dizi, Sheng, Pai Xiao, 24 tone Bronze bell chimes, Suo Na and a group of percussion instruments. Do not let these names daunt you, you are sure to enjoy their rich and varied sounds and the wonderful music they provide. The musicians also play the more easily recognized western style instruments, of course. To complete your Tang Dynasty experience, don't forget to enjoy a Dumpling Dinner!
Finally, another place deserving of some of your time is the North Square of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. Covering an area of some 110,000 square meters and with an investment cost of 500 million Yuan, this is the largest music fountain square in Asia. The large-scale musical fountain is quite amazing. Here also you can see eight groups of magnificent sculptures and forty delightfully landscaped areas. This is not only one of the most impressive squares in China but is also becoming an important national monument to Tang Culture.

Peasant Painting, Huxian County

2009-05-14T01:05:00.000-07:00

Located 40 km (about 25 miles) southwest of Xian City, Huxian County was named the County of Painting by Ministry of Culture in 1988. Bordering Qinling Mountain to the south and the Wei River to the north, Huxian County boasts splendid landscapes and a long history. Now, Huxian County is also renowned as one of the most famous counties of Peasant Painting in China.
Originated from the traditional folk arts such as paper cutting, embroidering and so on, Peasant Painting in Huxian County first appeared during the 1950s. At that time, most paintings were focused on work. Now, peasants portray almost every aspect in their daily life. Feeding livestock, children playing, local operas, village traditions, ducks swimming, elders playing Chinese chess, and so on are all wonderful topics for painting. By using bright colors and fantastic style, peasants record their everyday life, the beautiful landscape, the great harvests and the busy festivals vividly. Some paintings are bold and unconstrained; some are strong and impassioned, while yet others are ornate and elegant. All of them have a naive charm, clear and full of the feeling of folk life.
After more than fifty years, there are over 2,000 painters now resident in the county. Many famous painters such as Liu Zhide, Liu Zhigui, Fan Zhihua, Wang Wenji and Luo Zhijian have been invited by foreign countries to visit and give lectures, with some even publishing books abroad. Many masterpieces have been exhibited in more than 60 countries. Many of them have been collected by national and international art museums, galleries and individuals. Some artworks have even been used as gifts to the exalted state guests!
As one of the wonderful folk arts of China, Huxian County Peasant Paintings can also be found in Xian. There is a Peasant Painting Gallery with a good selection of paintings in the eastern outskirts of Xian City. Visitors can appreciate a great selection of Peasant Painting, enjoy the performance of folk artists and even try to paint for you yourself!

Tang Dynasty Music and Dance Show

2009-05-14T00:53:00.000-07:00

The Tang Dynasty Music and Dance Show, a wonderful performance of the ancient music and dance, is a must when you visit Xian. The city, which was formerly known as Chang'an has a very long history, and was the imperial capital during 13 dynastic periods. Of these, the Tang Dynasty (618 - 907) was the most prosperous and glorious of all. The Tang Dynasty Music and Dance Show is an outstanding exponent of this ancient stable and prosperous society, keeping alive its splendid culture and providing an insight into the peaceful life style of the period.
As an art form, the show has its roots in folk fetes, when dances were first performed by people as part of rituals of prayer for a good harvest or a better life. Over thousands of years, the dances developed from a few simple postures or gestures to become delicate and artistic reaching a peak during the Tang Dynasty. Unlike some other regimes, the Tang was open to outside influences and was willing to take in the best of various art forms of not only the past dynasties but also the ethnic groups in the northwestern China as well as central and western Asia. Thus a wide range of unusual oriental musical instruments, many techniques such as painting, sculpting, pattern and costume design, cuisine and dining etiquette, singing and dancing was accepted by the Chinese, paving the way for the kind of entertainment that is now the Tang Dynasty Music and Dance Show. By combining poetry with the skilled playing of musical instruments, singing, dancing and also stunning costumes, the modern presentation is certain to give you an impressive view of ancient China including its splendid history, brilliant arts, distinct traditions and customs.
The Creation of the Modern Tang Dynasty Music and Dance ShowThe show presented today is a recreation of a traditional entertainment attributable to a great variety of historical records and relics. In 1981, the artists of Xian's Shaanxi Provincial Song & Dance Troupe, inspired by the thriving tourist industry, conceived a series of programs to illustrate on stage the history, culture and artistic heritage of Xian. At that time, the Tang Dynasty Music and Dance Show, as a comprehensive form of art being lost in admiration, promptly came into the sight of the artists.
In order to embody the characteristics of the music and the dance of Tang accurately, the artists spent much time reading the relevant books, historical records and monographs on the entertainments enjoyed by the royal court. They also set about learning traditional arts from folk artists and consulted experts on certain issues. With the written materials as a basis, they then visited many historical sites such as Dunhuang, Yungang and Longmen as these were a great source of contemporary visual information due to the presence of frescoes, carvings and sculptures.
Over a year was spent on preparation and using a visualization of the imperial court as its setting, the production was an integration of a series of successive programs of music, singing and dancing, manifesting a unique classical style and features typical of Xian. The specific work of composing and choreographing had been started in June of 1982 and through the joint efforts of many artists, the debut of the Tang Dynasty Music and Dance Show on October 1st in that year proved to be a great success and was highly praised by a delegation from UNESCO.
The Tang Dynasty Music and Dance Show has now become a classic entertainment that has been warmly appreciated by audiences running into hundreds of thousands for more than twenty years. The production has toured many cities in China as well as numerous foreign countries such as Japan, Russia, Korea, Singapore, Norway, Denmark, etc.

2009-05-14T00:45:00.000-07:00

The Great Mosque in Xian is one of the oldest, largest and best-preserved Islamic mosques in China and its location is northwest of the Drum Tower (Gu Lou) on Huajue Lane.
According to historical records engraved on a stone tablet inside, this mosque was built in 742 during the Tang Dynasty (618-907). This was a result of Islam being introduced into Northwest China by Arab merchants and travelers from Persia and Afghanistan during the mid-7th century when some of them settled down in China and married women of Han Nationality. Their descendants became Muslim of today. The Muslim played an important role in the unifications of China during the Yuan and Ming Dynasties. Hence, other mosques were also built to honor them.
In Xian, it is really well worth a trip to see the Great Mosque, not only for its centuries-old history but also for its particular design of mixed architecture - traditional Muslim and Chinese styles.

Occupying an area of over 12,000 square meters, the Great Mosque is divided into four courtyards, 250 meters long and 47 meters wide with a well-arranged layout. Landscaped with gardens, the further one strolls into its interior, the more serene one feels.
The first courtyard contains an elaborate wooden arch nine meters high covered with glazed tiles that dates back to the 17th century. In the center of the second courtyard, a stone arch stands with two steles on both sides. On one stele is the script of a famous calligrapher named Mi Fu of the Song Dynasty; the other is from Dong Qichang, a calligrapher of the Ming Dynasty. Their calligraphy because of such elegant yet powerful characters is considered to be a great treasure in the art of handwriting.
At the entrance to the third courtyard is a hall that contains many steles from ancient times. As visitors enter this courtyard, they will see the Xingxin Tower, a place where Muslims come to attend prayer services. A 'Phoenix' placed in the fourth courtyard, the principal pavilion of this great mosque complex, contains the Prayer Hall, the surrounding walls of which are covered with colored designs. This Hall can easily hold 1,000 people at a time and according to traditional custom, prayer services are held five times everyday respectively at dawn, noon, afternoon, dusk and night.
Mosques in China, this Great Mosque is the only one open to visitors from 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Non-Muslims, however, are not admitted to the main prayer hall or during times of prayer

Daxingshan Temple

2009-05-14T00:42:00.000-07:00

Situated in the suburbs south of Xian is the Daxingshan Temple; one of the oldest Buddhist temples in China. It was built during the Western Jin Dynasty (265-316). During the Sui and Tang dynasties, Buddhism prevailed widely in Chang'an, Xian City's earlier name. Many Indian monks remained there to translate the sutras and promulgate the Buddhist doctrines. Over time, the Daxingshan Temple became one of three temples especially used for translating sutras. The other two are Ci'en Temple and Jianfu Temple.
The present-day Daxingshan Temple is the result of large-scale restorations in 1955 and 1983. Inside the temple, Qing-style architectural features are predominant, including Mountain Gate, Devajara Hall (Hall of the Heavenly Kings), Mahavira Hall (Daxiongbaodian), Bell and Drum Towers, Kwan-yin Palace and many other halls in which Buddhist followers can pray.
As one enters the Mountain Gate, the Bell and Drum towers can be seen on either side. A wood-carved Maitreva statue from the Song Dynasty stands in the middle of the Devajara Hall, with four Heavenly Kings flanking it. On walking into the Kwan-yin Palace, a sandalwood-made, thousand-hand Kwan-yin statue is sure to surprise you! During some of the Buddhist festivals, the temple is crowded with believers.
Today, the Daxingshan Temple and its surroundings have been developed into a park temple and is open to tourists.

Moslem Street (Huimin Jie)

2009-05-14T00:25:00.000-07:00

Just as its name implies, Moslem Street is the hub of the Moslem community in Xian City, Shaanxi Province. Located beside the Drum Tower, it is about 500 meters (about 547 yards) long from south to north. This street is paved with dark colored stone with green trees providing heavy shade during summer; the buildings on both sides of the street are modeled on the styles of both the Ming (1368-1644) and the Qing Dynasties (1644-1911). Some of the constructions are restaurants; while others are stores. But here there is one thing in common: the owners are all Moslems.
Moslem Street has a long history. It is said that in olden days, foreign diplomatic envoys and merchants lived here then they married and had children, so gradually the population increased. Today, most of the inhabitants of Moslem Street are the descendants of those immigrants. All the Moslems here are the pious and devout followers of Islam so they form a tight knit community, which maintains its own culture and traditions to this day even in such a modern society.People here are very familiar with each other because they were companions when they were children and then they grew to adults together and still then one after another they got married and had their own children. As time goes on, definitely they will become older and older or even pass by together.
Walking along this twisted, narrow street which is aligned with stores on both sides, you can see that Moslem men with white hats sit inside the stores and talk leisurely with each other. In front of the doors of some stores, old men with white beards sit on the cane chairs enjoying the tender touch of the sun and having fun with the little children running along the street. The main goods of these stores are authentic hand-making Moslem food which tastes very good. While still there are small stores selling the special local products of Shaanxi Province and yet others provide you with exquisite souvenirs.
It is stated that once you have been to Moslem Street, you won't feel regretted for the snacks of Xian. Yang Rou Pao Mo is a very distinctive snack of Xian, and is extremely delicious. Fried rice with pickled Chinese cabbage and little capsicum is extremely savoury. And it is a real enjoyment for you to eat it on a hot summer's day. Roast beef, mutton or lamb is another snack that can make your mouth water. After broiling on a charcoal fire with some flavorings on the meat, it is ready for you to enjoy. While the most famous snack on this street is the steamed stuffed bun of Jiasan. The main ingredients of the steamed stuffed bun here are beef or mutton mixed with the soup decocted from the bones of sheep or cattle.
There are also fruit pies made with persimmon here which are considered as the unique refreshment in Xian. These pies take the bright red, glittering and translucent persimmons from the Lintong District of Xian City, Shaanxi Province as the basic ingredients. When making the pies, firstly people will get rid of the skin of the persimmons, pounding the flesh, mixing it with flour, then putting the sweet-scented osmanthus and white sugar inside as the stuffing, then frying them in oil until they are cooked. When eating them, you will feel savory, sweet and soft.
There are also a great many other snacks to be found along this street, such as preserved meat, casserole, various noodles, and so on. They are waiting for you to enjoy.

Introduction about Xian

2009-05-13T23:03:00.000-07:00

Xian, the eternal city, records the great changes of the Chinese nation just like a living history book. Called Chang'an in ancient times, Xian is one of the birthplaces of the ancient civilization in the Yellow River Basin area of the country. During Xian's 3,100 year development, 13 dynasties such as Western Zhou (11th century BC - 771 BC), Qin (221 BC - 206 BC), Western Han (206 BC - 24 AD) and Tang (618 - 907) placed their capitals here. So far, Xian enjoys equal fame with Athens, Cairo, and Rome as one of the four major ancient civilization capitals.
Xian is the capital of Shaanxi province, located in the southern part of the Guanzhong Plain. With the Qinling Mountains to the south and the Weihe River to the north, it is in a favorable geographical location surrounded by water and hills. It has a semi-moist monsoon climate and there is a clear distinction between the four seasons. Except the colder winter, any season is relatively suitable for traveling.
The cultural and historical significance of Xian, as well as the abundant relics and sites, help Shaanxi enjoy the laudatory title of 'Natural History Museum'. The Museum of Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses is praised as 'the eighth major miracle of the world', Mausoleum of Emperor Qin Shi Huang is listed on the World Heritage List, and the City Wall of the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644) is the largest and most intact Ming Dynasty castle in the world. In the city, there is the 3,000 years old Banpo Village Remains from the Neolithic Age (approximately from 8000 BC to 5000 BC), and the Forest of Stone Steles that holds 3,000 stone steles of different periods from the Han Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty. Around Xian, the Famen Temple enjoys the reputation of being the 'forefather of pagodas and temples in Central Shaanxi,' because it holds the finger bones of Sakyamuni -- the founder of Buddhism. The natural landscape around Xian is also marvelous Mt.Huashan one of the five best-known mountains in China, is famous for its breath-taking cliffs and its unique characteristics.
Traditional downtown Xian refers to the area encircled by the city wall, this has now been expanded to encompass the area within the second ring road (Er' huan Lu). The Bell Tower is the geographical center of Xian and the four main streets are respectively Dong Dajie, Xi Dajie, Nan Dajie and Bei Dajie which are also the main commercial streets. Xiao Zhai, the busiest commercial area is in the southern part of the city and is popular with both youths and students since many universities are located here. Shuyuan Men and the still under construction Luoma Shi are must-visit pedestrian streets in the city. Xian is also famous for its quantity of colleges throughout China. The old campuses of many colleges and universities are massed in the southern suburb of Xian, but most have established new campuses in far southern suburb - Chang'an District due to the lack of space within the city.
As tourist development grows in Xian, the hotel industry flourishes more and more. It is very easy to find a hotel in Xian, ranging from 5 star hotels to youth hostels. Of course, it will be any traveler's first choice to stay in the city center due to the superior geographical location and the convenient transportation.
Praised as 'the capital of table delicacies', Xian has been rich in the delicious Shaanxi snack, delicate Guangdong Cuisine, various kinds of fashionable foreign delicacies, and popular Sichuan Cuisine such as the hot pot. Among all the delicacies, the most famous and popular one is the Muslim Snack Street.
Xian is the most important city in northwest China, and so there are a lot of shopping outlets for locals and tourists alike. There are many big shopping centers, department stores and supermarkets in and around Xian city - the biggest and most comprehensive being Kai Yuan Shopping Mall and Century Ginwa Shopping Mall.
The night life in Xian has a unique glamour. Traditional ways include enjoying the night scenery around the Bell Tower, taking part in a Tang Dynasty Dinner Show, strolling on the ancient Big Wild Goose Pagoda Square and watching the music fountain performance. More modern and fashionable ways include singing in the KTV, hanging out in a bar, or dancing in a Disco. All in all, any experience in this ancient city will bring you fun and possibly a little surprise!

Tang Paradise

2009-05-13T22:12:00.000-07:00

Near the Big Wild Goose Pagoda , Tang Paradise is located in the Qujiang Resort, southeast of the Xian City, Shaanxi Province. It is a newly opened tourist attraction in April, 2005. Tang Paradise covers a total area of 1000 mu (about 165 acres) and of which 300 mu (about 49 acres) is water. This tourist attraction not only claims to be the biggest cultural theme park in the northwest region of China but also the first royal-garden-like park to give a full display of the Tang Dynasty's (618-907) culture. Altogether, twelve scenic regions are distributed throughout Tang Paradise to provide visitors with the enjoyment of twelve cultural themes and a perfect exhibition of the grandness, prosperity and brilliance of the culture of the Tang Dynasty.
What makes Tang Paradise incredible is that it is no longer the garden mode of only water and mountains in the Chinese traditional sense. The outstanding designers of the magnificent Tang Paradise have integrated almost everything representative of the Tang Dynasty, such as the poetry, the songs and dance, the marketplaces, the food, the women's lifestyles, and science into every site using cultural themes, thus endowing every place with its own story and its own place in the tapestry of Tang Dynasty culture.
In the large number of buildings at Tang Paradise, one may see almost all architectural types of characteristic of the Tang Dynasty. In addition there are establishments for relaxing and song and dance shows about the civilization of the Tang Dynasty. Strolling in Tang Paradise, you are assured to get a full enjoyment, making you feel as if you were in a fairyland.
Many firsts are created here: the first and largest scale of buildings modeled on the Tang style in China, the first and most considerable groups of sculptures to show the poetic culture in the Tang Dynasty in China, the first and biggest single architecture modeled on the Tang style throughout China, the first theme park in China to cater to the five sense (vision, hearing, smell, touch and taste), the grandest fragrant project of the outdoors in the world, and the most spectacular water film on earth. Tang Paradise is praised as 'Garden of History', 'Garden of Spirit', 'Garden of Nature', 'Garden of Human Culture' and 'Garden of Art'.
The most special and amazing feast in Tang Paradise is taste. The word 'taste' here does not refer to the delicious smell of food, but means that the whole Tang Paradise, like a fair lady, is full of aroma. Unbelievable, isn't it? But definitely true! You may wonder why. The secret is that there are incense burners here. Every few meters on both sides of the paths in Tang Paradise, there is an incense burner which looks like a street lamp. It is only 1.5 meters (about 5 feet) tall with incense coils burning inside. It is this fragrance that makes the whole place seem like mysterious Xanadu. Thus wherever you walk in Tang Paradise, assuredly, you can be embraced by its faint redolence.
In Tang Paradise, another surprising man-made wonder is the water film which claims to be the foremost in the whole world. The screen of the movie is a film of water; thus it can create a special kind of optical effect which makes the frame tridimensional. When watching the movie, you can witness that the beautiful night and the fan-like water surface become an ingenious integration. Every time the figures in the movie appear on the screen, it seems that they are flying to the sky or coming down from the heaven which throws you into a wonderful and illusory feeling that you were personally on the scene. Splendid, indeed!

Xi`an Stele forest

2009-05-13T20:19:00.001-07:00

Xi'an Stele Forest is in Sanxue Street in the southern part of Xi'an City, Shanxi Province. It used to be where the Wen Temple was, but now it has become Shanxi Provincial Museum. Xi'an Stele Forest is the largest and earliest stele forest in China, reputed as the place collecting the best cultural relics of stele inscriptions of the country. The history of the stele forest may be traced back to the end of the Tang Dynasty (618-907) and the Five Dynasties Period (907-960). In the Tang Dynasty, there were originally a stone platform with The Classic of Filial Piety carved on it and the Stone Classics of Kaicheng Reign in the Directorate of Imperial Academy in Chang'an City (today's Xi'an), capital of the Tang Dynasty. The former was the whole book of The Classic of Filial Piety annotate and prefaced by Emperor Xuanzong himself, in official script, inscribed on stone; the latter was a set of famous classical books inscribed in the second year (837) of the Kaiyuan reign of the Tang Dynasty, including Zhouyi (changes of Zhou), Shangshu (The Book of History), Shijing (The Book of Odes), etc. containing more than 650,000 characters in 114 steles and 228 sides (inscribed on both sides) in total. In the first year (904) of the Yuanyou reign, Han Jian, an official in charge of protection of state properties, gathered the steles in the Wen Temple, in order to keep important stele stones from being lost. In the fifth year (1090) of the Yuanyou reign of the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127), people added stele corridors and stele pavilions so as to strengthen their protection, laying a foundation for the formation of the stele forest. Later, through the extensive collection work in all the dynasties from the Jin, Yuan, Ming and Qing, the scale of the stele collection gradually expanded, so in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) it got the name of Bei Lin (Stele Forest).
The present stele forest has a collection of more than 2,300 steles from the Han Dynasty (206BC-220AD) to the Qing Dynasty. There are seven big exhibition rooms, seven verandas and one stele pavilion, displaying more than 1,000 stele works. There is the large-scale stone book repository containing important ancient literature of China, the Stone Classics of Kaicheng. In them there are the Stele of Stories of Nestorianism in China, which records many important events of Sino-foreign cultural exchange and friendly intercourse, the Stone Pillar Inscribed with Darani Scripture both in Chinese and Foreign Language, the Stele of the Great Monk Sanzang of the Tang Dynasty, and so on. The handwriting of the stele forest covers all schools of scripts, such as zhuan (seal character), cao (cursive script), li (official script), kai (regular script), etc. Works of zhuanshu (seal characters) include Yishan Ming (Inscription on the Yishan Mountain) by Li Si, a prime minister of the Qin Dynasty, re-inscribed in the Song Dynasty, San Fen Ji (Record of the Three Graves) by Li Yangbing of the Tang Dynasty, etc.; works of official script include the Caquan Bei (Stele of Caoquan) inscribed in the second year of the Zhongping reign of the Eastern Han Dynasty, Jiaping Shijing (Stone Scripture of Jiaping) (incomplete), etc.; works of cursive style include Qianzi Wen (1000-character Essay) written by Zhiyong, Zhang Xu and Huaisu, etc.; works of regular script include the Stele of Huanfu Dan by Ouyang Xun, the Stele of Duobaota by Yan Zhenqing, the Stele of Temple of Family Guo, the Stele of Yan Qinli, the Stele of Zang Huaike, the Stele of Temple of Family Yan, the Inscription of Xuanmita by Liu Gongquan, and so on. All the essays on the steles are excellent works that have won universal praise and been spread far and wide. The stele stones stored in the Stele Forest constitute an important part of the treasure house of cultural relics of China, and serve as important material data for the research on Chinese history, chirography and pictorial art.

Blue Dragon Temple

2009-05-13T19:59:00.000-07:00

Blue Dragon Temple is a famous Buddhist Temple from the Tang Dynasty (618-907). When it was built in 582, it was called Linggan Temple (Temple of Inspiration) and then renamed to its present one in 711. When Buddhism was prevalent during the Tang Dynasty, some Japanese monks were sent to China to study Buddhism. Six of them studied at Blue Dragon Temple, and this led to a flourishing period of the temple in the ninth century.
Kukai, the most learned of the six monks, made great progress in learning Buddhist sutras, Sanskrit, poems and Chinese calligraphy. After his return to Japan in 806, he advocated the building of a Vagra Temple (Vagra means Buddhist Warrior Attendant) and founded the Zhenyan Sect (the True Word Sect). He is highly honored by both Japanese and Chinese, and in 1982 Kukai Monument was constructed inside the Blue Dragon Temple. For uncertain reasons the Blue Dragon Temple which had no fortune, like other ancient temples was destroyed. This was perhaps during the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127). The present temple was reconstructed in 1963. Memorial halls for the earlier monks and exhibition halls with some excavations displayed are all built in the Tang architectural style.
Blue Dragon Temple is a place where the cherry blossoms can be enjoyed. Every year during May and June, an endless stream, of tourists comes to appreciate its beauty.

Banpo Museum

2009-05-13T19:28:00.000-07:00

The Banpo Museum is located in the eastern outskirt of Xian City, Shaanxi Province. As the first museum at the prehistoric site, it was built at the base of the excavations of the Banpo site. Since it opened to the public formally in 1958, two million people have visited it.
The Banpo Site is a typical Neolithic matriarchal community of the Yangshao Culture dating back about 6,000 years. At that time, the Banpo people used tools made primarily of wood and stone. Women, the crucial labor force, were responsible for making pottery, spinning, and raising the family, while men fished.
The approximately 4,500 square meters (about 1 acre) exhibit area of Banpo Museum is divided into two Exhibition Halls and a Site Hall.
The first Exhibition Hall is about the unearthed relic exhibitions consisting of the First Hall and the Second Hall. The showpieces in this two halls are primarily production tools and domestic tools used by the primitive Banpo people, including axes, chisels, sickles, and stone and pottery knives from which we can have a general picture of the production activities of the Banpo people thousands of years ago. In addition, artwork and adornments here reflect the social life, culture, art and inventions of the period.
The second Exhibition Hall is primarily used for auxiliary exhibitions and it contains two halls. Special shows are held here on ethnology, folklore and the history of art related to the prehistoric culture.
The Site Hall is about 3,000 square meters (about 0.7 acre) and contains residential, pottery making and burial section. And among the three, the residential section is the main part of the site, including the huts, kilns and tombs of the primitive residents. All these present us an outlook of the aboriginal village and the hard situations of the forefathers in pursuing the civilization, reflecting the production level and the social systems at that period of time.
The Banpo Matriarchal Clan Community Village is an extension of the museum based on archeological findings. The entire village enriches the cultural connotation of the museum and carries forward the long and splendid history of China at the same time.

Mt. Huashan

2009-05-13T19:22:00.000-07:00

Situated in Huayin City, 120 kilometers (about 75 miles) east from Xi'an City of Shaanxi Province, Mt. Huashan is known as 'The Number One Precipitous Mountain under Heaven'. It is one of the five sacred mountains in China. The other four mountains are Mt. Taishan in Shandong, Mt. Hengshan in Hunan, Mt. Hengshan in Shanxi, and Mt. Songshan in Henan.
In ancient times, Mt. Huashan was called Mt. Taihuashan. From a distance the five peaks seem to form the shape of a 'flower' (hua in Chinese), hence the name 'Huashan'. It is famous for its natural vistas of steep and narrow paths, precipitous crags, and a high mountain range. It is home to several influential Taoist temples where emperors of past dynasties made pilgrimages, making Mt. Huashan the holy land of Taoism.
Yuquan Yuan (Jade Spring Temple)
Usually tourists climb up the mountain assisted by the iron chains along the way and start their tour from Yuquan Yuan (Jade Spring Temple), one of the main Taoist temples in China located at the foot of Mt. Huashan. It has the architectural style of the classical gardens in south China. There is a pond in the center and several pavilions around it. Walking through the Wuyou Pavilion, the Long Corridor of Seventy-two Windows comes into view, and afterwards Qingke Ping where a big rock called 'Huixin Rock' can be seen. It is said that 'Huixin Rock' is a reminder for those who wish to stop their tour at this point. Beside the rock are the precipitous 370 rock steps called 'Qianchi Zhuang' considered to be the primary breath-taking path of Mt. Huashan. When climbing, only a gleam of sky above can be seen, making climbers feel as if they were at the bottom of a well.
North Peak (Cloud Terrace Peak)
Across the 'Qianchi Zhuang' are two similar precipitous paths-respectively called 'Baichi Xia' and 'Laojun Li' above which climbers reach Mt. Huashan's North Peak. There are precipitous cliffs on all sides of North Peak, making it look like a flat terrace in the clouds, hence the name Cloud Terrace Peak. It is 1,614 meters (about 5,295 feet) high. Three sides are cliffs and one side is to the 'Ca'er (the ear rubbing the cliff) Cliff' which is the fourth precipitous path where tourists can climb up only by pressing an ear close to the cliff. In the waist of North Peak trees are luxuriantly green, creating a good rest spot.
Jinsuo Guan (Gold Lock Pass)
When climbing over the 'Blue Dragon Range', regarded as the must-pass way to the other four peaks from North Peak, travelers arrive at Gold Lock Pass. Mt. Huashan visitors know that it is customary to buy a golden lock, and then lock it in the iron chains on both sides of the Gold Lock Pass for families and friends to pray for their safety and health. It is a marvelous spectacle to see thousands of golden locks in the iron chains. Within the mountain gate of Gold Lock Pass, a huge golden lock of about 4 meters (about 4.37 yards) long and 1 .5 meters (about 1.64 yards) high stands in a big rock. It is made of pure copper and forged by 9,999 locks left by visitors. It is a popular photo site. This huge lock can only be opened by throwing coins - one coin represent the status of an ordinary person; three coins, a blessed person and nine coins a most blessed one. Gold Lock Pass is the throat to Middle Peak, East Peak, South Peak and West Peak.
Middle Peak (Jade Maiden Peak)
Middle Peak clings to East peak and is in the center of East, South and West Peaks. There is a Taoist temple in the peak named 'Jade Maiden Temple'. Legend has it that the daughter of Qin Mugong (569 B.C.-621 B.C.) loved a man who was good at playing Chinese tung-hsiao (vertical flute) and she gave up the royal life to become a hermit who cultivated her spirituality here, hence the name Jade Maiden Peak. Today Jade Maiden Temple and Jade Maiden Basin for Shampooing can be found on the peak.
Other scenic spots in Middle Peak include Rootless Tree and Sacrificing Tree which have beautiful stories and add to the supernatural atmosphere of Middle Peak.
East Peak (Facing Sun Peak)
Tour guides may promote climbing the mountain at night to see the sunrise. Climbing to the top of East Peak requires 4 to 6 hours. East Peak has an altitude of 2,090 meters (about 6,857 feet) forming a platform for visitors to view the sunrise. An astronomical telescope is provided here. The reference time for sunrise and sunset is 5:00a.m.-6:00a.m. in spring, 4:30a.m.-5:20a.m. in summer, 5:00a.m.-5:20a.m. in autumn, 5:30a.m.-6:00a.m. in winter.
One well-known scenic spot called the 'Immortal's Palm Peak of Mt. Huashan' which is ranked as one of the 'Eight Scenic Wonders of the Guanzhong Area (the plain area in the middle of Shaanxi Province)' is located on East Peak. It refers to the natural rock veins of the cliff which look like a giant palm-print. Legend has it that on March 3rd of the Lunar Calendar a torrential flood erupted, destroying the villages within the Mt. Huashan area. This disaster was caused by the Queen Mother of the West, who held her 'Flat Peach Carnival' celebration that year. She carelessly spilled a little jade wine down from paradise, causing a serious flood below. This news was quickly reported by Deity Shaohao to the Jade Emperor in Celestial Paradise. He gave a prompt order to Deity Juling to go down to tame the flood. When Deity Juling, full of vigor and vitality, descended from the clouds, he arrived at the precipitous cliff of East Peak. At the moment that he laid his left hand on one side and his right leg on the other, he ripped the mountain into two halves and immediately a flood rushed out. This tale adds luster to East Peak.

2009-05-13T18:49:00.000-07:00

Lishan Mountain, one of the branches of Qinling Mountains, is located at the south of Lintong Town, Xi'an City, Shaanxi Province. The elevation of the highest peak Jiulongding is 1,301.9 meters above sea level. The pines and cypresses on the mountain are exuberantly green all year round; the mountain looks like a pure black horse seen from afar, so it is called Lishan (pure-black horse mountain) Mountain. Lishan Mountain is famous for its scenic beauty that is like beautiful brocade, so it is also called Xiuling (beautiful mountain). At sunset, the afterglow tints the mount far and near with an enchanting golden luster, and the scene is very beautiful and gorgeous, so it is reputed as the Sunset of Lishan Mountain.
There is a sidestep path with a length of more than 3,200 meters leading to the mountaintop. Along the path, you can first come to the Banhu Stone and the Forced Remonstration Pavilion (constructed to commemorate the Xi'an Incident). The road then leads westwards to the Sunset Pavilion. It further leads to the Laojun Palace on the third peak of western Xiuling. The Laojun Palace is the famous Taoist temple in Lishan Mountain. You can reach the eastern Beacon Tower on the first peak of western Xiuling after going through the Laojun Temple. The historical literary quotation that the seigneurs are fooled by the King You with war flame, and a single smile makes the king lose his country just happened here. Tradition has it that the King You of the Western Zhou Dynasty (11th century BC - 771 BC) once set fire on the beacon tower to fool the seigneurs in order to put a single smile on the face of his concubine Baosi. When the Quan Rong (leader of a certain minority tribe) attacked the Lishan Mountain, King You urgently ordered the beacon tower set on fire, but all the seigneurs did not come. Consequently, King You was killed, and Baosi was taken away. The western Zhou Dynasty thus vanished.
The western rock of the Shiweng Temple on the eastern Xiuling is lashed by river water into the shape of a jar, so it is called Shiweng Temple (stone-jar temple). It is said that the temple was first built with the residual materials for the construction of Huaqing Palace during the Kaiyuan reign of the Tang Dynasty (618-907). The Yuxian Bridge (meet-with-immortal bridge) is situated in Shiweng Valley between the eastern Xiuling and western Xiuling, with a length of 5 meters, a width of 2.4 meters and a height of 5 meters. Tradition has it that an ancient examinee who went to the capital to sit the court examination met with an immortal when he came across the bridge, the immortal gave the examinee some advice and then he successfully passed the examination. So the bridge is called the Yuxian Bridge (meet-with-immortal bridge).
The scenery of Lishan Mountain is beautiful, and it has been a tourist attraction in all ages.

Qinqiang

2009-05-13T17:36:00.000-07:00

Also dubbed Luantan, Qinqiang Opera is a local Chinese opera that mainly thrives in North China's Shaanxi Province, as well as its neighboring northwestern regions, like Gansu and Qinghai provinces and the Ningxia Hui and Xinjiang Uygur autonomous regions.
It is said that the opera was called "Emperor Qin Shihuang 's Opera" during the Tang period (618-907) and was later renamed Qinqiang Opera, which boasts the most ancient, affluent, and largest musical system of all Chinese operas.

The opera first originated from local folk songs and dance forms in the Yellow River Valley of Shaanxi and Gansu provinces -- the birthplaces of Chinese culture. As an opera art form, Qinqiang evolved in ancient China's political, economic, and cultural center - Chang'an (today's Xian) -- with the persistent efforts of the local people over generations.
According to historical records, the opera "first appeared in the Qin Dynasty (221-206BC), experienced great refinement in the Han Dynasty (206BC-220AD), flourished in the Tang, was integrated as an opera form in the Yuan Dynasty, (1271-1368) matured in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), and became widespread in the Qing Dynasty." Its time-honored history has endowed Qinqiang with a reputation as "the forefather of Chinese operas."
Its repertoires usually feature such themes as anti-aggression wars, the fight between the loyal and the treacherous, and the struggles against oppression, as well as a number of other topics of strong human interest that reflect the honest, diligent, brave, and upright characteristics of the local people. The number of the Qinqiang works at one time topped 10,000, ranking first on the list of more than 300 local operas in China. But only about 4,700 works remain today.
Qinqiang is also one of the earliest operatic musical systems to reflect the emotions of human beings. Equipped with a set of performing skills created by the artists, Qinqiang has greatly influenced other operatic forms. During the Qing Dynasty, Qinqiang Opera entered Beijing and directly affected the formation of Beijing Opera.

Qinqiang Opera thrived during the reign of Emperor Qianlong (1736-1795) when Qinqiang troupes were disseminated throughout the country; in North China's city of Xi'an alone there were 36 Qinqiang troupes.

There are generally two kinds of arias in Qinqiang Opera: huan yin (joyous tune) and ku yin (sad tune). Each type is used in accordance with the plots and figures. The major accompanying instrument used is the ban hu (a stringed instrument), featuring a clear and melodious sound.
Qinqiang performances are characterized by a simple, bold, exquisite, and penetrating, yet exaggerated style. The roles are categorized into 13 types, namely, four types of sheng, six dan, two jing, and one chou.
The different dialects of various areas and types of folk music have contributed to slight differences in the opera itself in terms of pronunciation, aria, music, and so on, forming four major genres. In recent years, the major genre in and around Xi'an has played a dominant role in innovating and developing the art form.
Qinqiang Opera songs are sonorous, bold, and touching; its music is colorful and elegant; and its performances on the whole are plain, exquisite, and lively. Furthermore, it boasts such unique performing skills as spitting fire and hat dances by the performers.
However, since the 1980s, local operas have struggled for survival, despite their long history and cultural value. Sadly, Qinqiang Opera is no exception. Cultural specialists are working hard to preserve the art form; some have even proposed to enlist Qinqiang Opera as an "Intangible World Heritage."

The Xi'an Museum of Stone Tablets

2009-05-12T19:02:00.001-07:00

It is a garden-like museum in the style of classical architecture inside the Confucian Temple in Fuxue Lane, Xi'an. On display over the museum's more than 4,000 square meters of floor are 80,000 historical relics, which are divided into three sections: the Exhibition of History, Stone Tablets, and the Art of Stone Sculptures.

The Taibai Mountain National Forest Park

2009-05-12T18:59:00.000-07:00

The park extends for 54,000 hectares 120 kilometers outside Xi'an, along the borders of Meixian, Taibai, and Zhouzhi counties. Mount Taibai, the highest peak of the Qinling Range, features steep peaks of strange shapes, virgin forests, and traces of glaciers from the Quaternary Period.

Zhongnan Mountain

2009-05-12T18:57:00.000-07:00

One of the main peaks of the Qinling Range, it towers 1 ,700 meters above sea level 40 kilometers south of Xi'an. The mountain consists of Mount Cuihua, Mount Nanwutai, Mount Guifeng, and Mount Lishan, each has its own rising peaks and an enchanting scenery

Pit 1 at the Mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang

2009-05-12T18:52:00.000-07:00

Located 1.5 kilometers east of the tomb of Qin Shi Huang, Pit 1 is 230 meters from east to west, 62 meters from south to north, and five meters deep. It is referred to as "the No.8 world's wonder" and the largest military museum in the world. The pit houses 6,000 life-size painted terracotta warriors and horses. The warriors, arranged in battle formation, wear helmets and armor and carry weapons. They are dignified, and each has a different manner.

The Mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang

2009-05-12T18:46:00.000-07:00

Five kilometers east of the Lintong County seat, in the vicinity of Xiahe Village, is the tomb of Qin Shi Huang. The mound is 55.05 meters high and 2,000 meters in girth. The imposing cemetery, with a novel layout, is divided into the inner and outer cities and has an unprecedentedly great wealth of cultural relics. It was included into the List of World's Cultural Heritages.

The Lesser Wild Goose Pagoda

2009-05-12T18:44:00.000-07:00

A Tang Dynasty (618-907) brick structure in the Jianfu Temple in southern Xi'an. Originally, the pagoda had 15 stories. The top two stories were damaged in an earthquake, and the remaining 13 stories now stand at 36 meters. A flight of wooden stairs inside the pagoda leads to the top. There is a 1,000-kilogram iron bell in the temple, known as the Morning Bell of the Wild Goose Pagoda.

2009-05-12T18:42:00.000-07:00

Towering at the southern tip of Yanta Road outside Heping Gate, the brick pagoda, a reconstruction of the Ming Dynasty, has seven stories and is 64 meters high. A handrailed stairway inside spirals to the top. The pogada is a major historical relic under protection in China.

The Bell Tower

2009-05-12T18:35:00.000-07:00

Standing at the 1, crossing of the East, West, South, and North avenues in the city proper, the Bell Tower is a three story wooden structure topped with dark green tiles. It is a grand ancient building with traditional Chinese architectural features.

The Drum Tower

2009-05-12T18:32:00.000-07:00

It is on the northern side of West Avenue in the city proper, facing the Bell Tower across a distance. It measures 33 meters in overall height and its rectangular base is built with grey bricks. The stairway looks dignified and steady. In ancient times, a big drum hanging on top of the tower was used for telling time.

The City Wll of Xi`an

2009-05-12T18:23:00.000-07:00

Erected during the Ming Dynasty (1638-1644), it is the world's largest and best-preserved ancient fortress. The rectangular city wall is 13.7 kilometers in circumference and has 5,984 crenels and 98 places for the garriosn troops to stay in. There is a gate in each of the four sides, and each gate consists of a main tower, an embrasured watchtower, a lock tower, and a compound. The city wall is surrounded by a moat and a ring road lined with trees and dotted with pavilions and kiosks to form the huge Around-the-City Park.

The Banpo Museum of Xi`an

2009-05-12T18:21:00.000-07:00

The museum is built on the Banpo Ruins in Banpo Village on the eastern outskirts of Xian. As China's first museum of historical ruins, it shows a typical settlement of the matrilineal commune in the Huanghe River Valley 6,000 year ago. The remains that belong to the Yangshao Culture are valuable data for the study of the primitive society in China.

Huaqing Pond

2009-05-12T18:04:00.000-07:00

It lies to the south of Lingtong County 30 kilome-ters east of Xi'an City. Mount Lishan is a side range of Qinling Mountains 1,256 meters above sea level. At the foot of the mountain, there is a hot spring. Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang had the Huaqing Hall constructed at this place, and several bathing ponds were built inside and named the Huaqing Pond. There still exist the ruins of the pond and halls, towers pavilions and other garden structures constructed in later dynasties.

Bell Tower (Zhong Lou)

2009-05-12T02:24:00.000-07:00

The Bell Tower, is a stately traditional building, that marks the geographical center of the ancient capital. From this important landmark extend East, South, West and North Streets, connecting the Tower to the East, South, West and North Gates of the City Wall of the Ming Dynasty.The wooden tower, which is the largest and best-preserved of its kind in China, is 36 meters (118 feet) high. It stands on a brick base 35.5 meters (116.4 feet) long and 8.6 meters (28.2 feet) high on each side. During the Ming Dynasty, Xian was an important military town in Northwest China, a fact that is reflected in the size and historic significance of its tower.The tower was built in 1384 by Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang as a way to dominate the surrounding countryside and provide early warning of attack by rival rulers.The tower has three layers of eaves but only two stories. Inside, a staircase spirals up. The grey bricks of the square base, the dark green glazed tiles on the eaves, gold-plating on the roof and gilded color painting make the tower a colorful and dramatic masterpiece of Ming-style architecture. In addition to enhancing the beauty of the building, the three layers of eaves reduce the impact of rain on the building.On the second floor, a plaque set in the west wall records the relocation of the tower in 1582. When it was first built in 1384, it stood near the Drum Tower on the central axis of the city, and continued to mark the center of the city since Tang Dynasty and the following the Five Dynasties and the Song and Yuan Dynasties. As the city grew, however, the geographical center changed. Therefore, in 1582, the Tower was moved 1,000 meters (3,280 feet) east of the original site. Except for the base, all parts are original, and history tells us that the relocation was accomplished quickly and inexpensively, making it a truly notable achievement in the architectural history in China.Originally, the northwest corner of the tower housed the famous Jingyun Bell from the Tang Dynasty. Legend has it that although nothing had changed in the tower, the Jingyun Bell fell silent during the Ming Dynasty, so the current bell, a much smaller one weighing only 5 tons, was cast. The original Jingyun Bell can now be seen in Forest of Stone Steles Museum.The engravings on the doors of the Tower reflect the decorative fashion of Ming and Qing Dynasties, recounting popular stories of ancient China.On each side of the base, there is an arched door 6 meters (19.6feet) high. In the past, vehicles were allowed to pass through the arches and under the tower, but as the city has grown the volume of traffic has become too great, so a bright, spacious pedestrian subway has been constructed under the tower. The entrance to the tower is from this subway.A fenced-in area around the tower is planted with grass and flowers. In early spring, the tender plum blossoms and bright new grass surrounding the old tower provide a harmonious contrast. Not far from the Tower, modern shopping malls and a brightly decorated square reveal the prosperity of the city. When night falls, lanterns hung from the eaves illuminate the tower, making it even more enchanting.The Bell Tower definitely deserves a visit on your trip to Xian.

Xian City Wall

2009-05-12T02:23:00.000-07:00

Adorned with a moat and the circular park, the wall surrounds the square inner city of Xian. It is the most complete city wall to survive in China, as well being one of the largest ancient military defensive systems in the world, built first in the early Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and renovated in recent years.

Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses

2009-05-12T02:06:00.000-07:00

Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses - At the mention of the great number of Xian attractions, terracotta soldiers always come as the first. The great archeological excavation of Qin (221BC-206BC) Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses unfolded a strong army of altogether 7,000 life-size pottery soldiers, horses, chariots and weapons arranged in battle formations symbolically, guarding the tomb of Emperor Qin Shi Huang. The grand Mausoleum of the first emperor of Qin and the warriors and horses buried in loess for over 2,000 years amaze every visitor there. However, there are far more spots worthwhile exploring.