Huxian county folk painting

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

the Former Residence of General Zhang Xueliang

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

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

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

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

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

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)

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)

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)

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)

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.

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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

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

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

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.