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.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Subway to Terracotta Warriors Museum in Xi An
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.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Shanxi travel guide 3
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.
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
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.
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
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
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.
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
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.
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.
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