Guide to Xian Attractions

Xian Attractions

Terra-Cotta Warriors

In 1974, peasants digging a well first uncovered part of the over 2000 year-old great underground army of the first emperor of a unified China. 1000s of life-size ter...

In 1974, peasants digging a well first uncovered part of the over 2000 year-old great underground army of the first emperor of a unified China. 1000s of life-size terra-cotta warriors with unique faces along with weapons, horses and chariots were meant to guard Emperor Qin Shihuang (秦始皇, Qín Shǐhuáng) into the afterlife.

In 1979 The Museum of Terra-Cotta Warriors and Horses of Qin Shihuang was opened. In 1987, it was listed as a world cultural heritage site by UNESCO. Excavation has continued for over 20 years.

Now, the Terra-Cotta Warriors (兵马俑, Bingmayong) is undoubtedly the number 1 tourist attraction in Xi’an and one of the top historical attractions in China. The site consists of 3 pits, simply named “pit 1”, “pit 2” and “pit 3”.

Pit 1 is the largest and most impressive of the three. Up until now, about 2000 pottery warriors and horses have been unearthed and it is expected that up to 6000 warriors and 50 chariots were buried. Pit 2 contains chariots, soldiers and archers. Pit 3 is considered the “headquarters” of the underground army. It contains over 60 warriors, 4 horses and a chariot.

The level of detail applied to the warriors is most impressive. Each warrior has a unique face. Many of the warriors held real weapons. Metal weapons were treated to resist corrosion so some of them were still sharp when they were unearthed.

Visitors are allowed to take photos within the vaults.

English speaking tour guides are available for 100 yuan or less.

Terra cotta warriors in Pit 1

How to Get There:

Terra-Cotta Warriors is located to the east of Xi’an in Lingtong County. A visit to the Terra-Cotta Warriors is usually combined with a visit to some of the following sites: Tomb of Qin Shi Huang, Qin Shi Huang’s Palace, Banpo Neolithic Village and Huaqing Pool.

Public Bus number 306, which is also called bus number 游5 (you 5, travel 5), travels from the train station, along the east route to it’s terminus at The Museum of Terra-Cotta Warriors and Horses of Qin Shihuang. Along the way it also stops at Huaqing Pool, Lingtong Museum, Qin Shi Huang’s Palace and the Tomb of Qin Shi Huang.

Xi'an City Walls

First established in the Sui Dynasty (6th century A.D.), the city walls were repaired many times. The walls you see today were first expanded and built on the existing foundations of old walls during the Ming Dynasty and renovated again quite recently. The Xi’an city walls form an unbroken rectangle around the city center that is almost 14 kilometers long. There are many access points to get to the top of the wall but the most popular is the South Gate (Nanmen, 南门).

From the south gate, you can grab a bicycle or bus and make your way all the way around the wall. Bicycles can be rented for 20yuan/100 minutes which is about enough time to take a ride along the wall. Bicycles built for two cost 40yuan/100 minutes. You cannot bring your own bicycle on to the wall. 8-person elongated golf carts take visitors on round-trips of the wall for 50yuan/person.

Xi’an City Wall (from below)

The South Gate.

Xi’an City Wall (from above)

A view of the Xi'an City Walls from atop the South Tower.

Big Wild Goose Pagoda

Bell Tower

The Bell Tower was originally built in the 14^th century and it was rebuilt and moved to the center of the city in 1582. Even now, it is considered to be the center of the city.

Within the Bell Tower is a collection of old Chinese artifacts f...

The Bell Tower was originally built in the 14^th century and it was rebuilt and moved to the center of the city in 1582. Even now, it is considered to be the center of the city.

Within the Bell Tower is a collection of old Chinese artifacts from 20^th century paintings and calligraphy to Tang-dynasty pottery. Several musical performances are held within the tower each day.

The Bell Tower makes a good starting point for a tour of Xi’An city. Climb up top to get a view of the central district of the city all directions. Nearby the bell tower are some of Xi’an’s most famous restaurants, a couple Starbucks, a post office, several hotels, the Bell Tower Hostel, train ticket booths, “travel information” booths, and at least one Bank of China.

Link: www.xazgl.com

The Bell Tower is considered to be the center of Xi’An city. It is in the traffic-circle at the center of the 4 main roads within the city walls: Bei Da Jie (北大街), Nan Da Jie (南大街), Xi Da Jie (西大街), Dong Da Jie (东大街). Access it from any corner of the intersection via an underground pedestrian passageway.

Xian Museum

Xi'an Museum, covering an area of 245 hectares, was officially opened to the public in May 2007.

This museum collectively reflects the long history of Xi'an city, integrating with the small Wild Goose Pagoda, the national key protect...

Xi'an Museum, covering an area of 245 hectares, was officially opened to the public in May 2007.

This museum collectively reflects the long history of Xi'an city, integrating with the small Wild Goose Pagoda, the national key protection culture unit, the ancient building groups of Janfu Temple, and the modern culture relic exhibition hall.

The harmony combination demonstrates the special features of this garden museum, the strong historic atmosphere in the modernity.

Great Mosque of Xi'an

A walk through the courtyards of the Great Mosque of Xi’an should give visitors a strong sense of the historic Muslim influence in Xi’an. The mosque is still active today so the prayer hall is not open to visitors. The mosque is said to have been opened in the 8^th...

The area surrounding The Great Mosque is a draw on it’s own. The small pedestrian streets nearby are lined with vendors selling Xi’an tourist souvenirs, t-shirts, etc. Just to the east of the mosque is Beiyuanmen (北院门). Lining the edges of this long pedestrian street are small art shops and restaurants that serve Roujiamou, Yangrou Paomou and other snacks. The southern entrance of Beiyuanmen leads to the Drum Tower.

Great Mosque of Xi’an

From the Drum Tower, walk north-west. When you reach a small alley packed with vendors, you will know you are heading in the right direction.

Xi'an Muslim Street

Explore life of moslems in Xi'an

Muslim Street is a landmark street in Xi'an.It is about 500m long snack street.It would be a pity if you miss it when you are in Xi'an!

the Terracotta Warriors Museum

Big Goose Pagoda and Ci'en Temple

The entrance to the site itself is on the south side in the parking lot. A taxi ride from the city center should cost 15-20 yuan. Many buses stop at the south square next to the temple including bus numbers 19, 游6, 24, 500, 21, 237, 22, 242 and 23.

Tong Sheng Xiang-Mutton Pao Mo

Tong Sheng Xiang is one of the more well-known places for getting Yangrou Pao Mo in Xi’an.

It is located next to the Drum Tower, in the park at the center of Xi’an city, next to Defachan...

Tong Sheng Xiang is one of the more well-known places for getting Yangrou Pao Mo in Xi’an.

It is located next to the Drum Tower, in the park at the center of Xi’an city, next to Defachang dumpling restaurant.

Other Location:

No. 9 Jinhua Lu (金花路甲子9号)
+86 (0)29 83219285

Link: An introduction to Yangrou Pao Mo (羊肉泡馍)

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Xian Articles

some options at nigh in XI'AN

Hay:

Some other options to you.

...

Hay:

Some other options to you.

A: Right behind the Big wild Goose pagoda ,there is a street named Grand Tang Bright Metropolis the traditional Tang architectural style complexes where the night bars and restaurants ,the musical concert hall , shopping , Chinese Arts Exhibition Hall are located around.All the buildings will be illumined by brillant lights every night. You can feel the heart beating night life by loal youths over there.

B: There are three theatres in XI'AN to provide the shows to the public.They have their different features to display the glorious Tang culture by live symphonic band with large scale performance or almost extinct muscial instrument solo blending with strong cutural connotation or the Tang exotic play.You can choose the one you are really interested in.Meanwhile you need make sure the correct starting time of the show.The thetres may change the schedule in terms of the cold season of the tourist' reservation.

tour recommadation about xi'an

Hello:

There are few tips I will remind to you.

1. City wall of Xi’an( South gate...

Hello:

There are few tips I will remind to you.

1. City wall of Xi’an( South gate which is the most intact one among the all gates ,open8:30am to 9:oo pm) and then you can go to visit the north square of Big Wild Goose Pagoda, newly built cultural theme park to expend the glorious Tang dynasty by statue of common people and celebrity of Tang. There are two times water fountain shows with Chinese musical melody to amuse the local people is located in the center of the square. I hope you cannot miss that (4:00 pm and 9: pm). You walk through the park to the Big wild Goose Pagoda only a few minutes.

2. If you really want to finish the Terracotta-warriors and Hua mountain just in a day. You must be a very early bird at that day. Because the traffics between the museum and the mountain sometimes very unpredictable. Climbing from bottom of mountain to highest peaks is totally impossible due to your time.

3. The Tang Dynasty Paradise is men-made park and Huaqing hot springs are also recently reconstructed only a few original sites left. They are not worthy for your time.

4. Days hotel is located in downtown of Xi’an, only few city blocks away from train station of Xi’an.

one-day classic tour in Xi'an (no shopping tour)

---8:00--9:00 A.M. hotle picking up at the appointed time

---1 hour driving to the Terra-Cotta Army Museum

---- terra-cotta army museum (2.5-3 hours)

* lunch in a local restaurant

...

---8:00--9:00 A.M. hotle picking up at the appointed time

---1 hour driving to the Terra-Cotta Army Museum

---- terra-cotta army museum (2.5-3 hours)

* lunch in a local restaurant

back to city and pick two favorite sightseeing places out of the following:

--Big Wild Goose Pogoda (1 hour )

---Ancient City Wall (45minutes for leisure walking on top of the wall ; 1.5 hour for bicycle riding all around the wall, which is 8 miles long )

---muslim street to see the local muslim liveing quater and market ( time flexible, 1hour at least )

---shaan xi history museum (1.5 hours)

*dinner and entertaiment： dumpling banquet and Tand Dynasty Music and Dancing Show, which is one of the most famous Chinese traditional music and dancing show

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Top Xian Tours

$2202 Per Day

Beijing - Xi'an - Shanghai 10days study tour

Day 01 Arrival at Beijing

On arrival in Beijing, you will be met by our tour guide and transferred to your hotel in Beijing. Free for the rest of the day.

Day 02Beijing (B L)-- Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Beijing Zoo

After breakfast at your hotel, start your tour with the visit to Tiananmen Square(40minutes), the largest public square in the world. Then move on to the Forbidden City(2hours), the Chinese imperial palace from the mid-Ming Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty.

Lunch at a special restaurant.

Day 01 Arrival at Beijing

On arrival in Beijing, you will be met by our tour guide and transferred to your hotel in Beijing. Free for the rest of the day.

Day 02Beijing (B L)-- Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Beijing Zoo

Lunch at a special restaurant.

Then move on to Beijing zoo(1.5hours), which is one of the oldest zoos in China and has one of the largest animal collections in the country. The zoo and its aquarium has over 450 species of land animals and over 500 species of marine animals. In all, it is home to 14,500 animals. More than six million visitors come to the zoo each year. The zoo was founded in 1906 during the late Qing Dynasty. Like many of Beijing's parks, the zoo's grounds resemble classical Chinese gardens, with flower beds amidst natural scenery, including dense groves of trees, stretches of meadows, small streams and rivers, lotus pools and hills dotted with pavilions and historical buildings.

Day 03 Beijing ( B L )--Mutianyu Great Wall, Olympic Green, outside look the Bird's Nest and Water Cube, Shaolin kungfu school

Morning excursion to the most beautiful section of the Great Wall - the Mutianyu Great Wall. The hike takes about 2-3 hours. After lunch at Chinese Restaurant, Then head to the Olympic Green to have an outside look at the Bird's Nest and Water Cube(1hour). Shaolin Kung Fu is a huge scientific system, not the general sense of the "branches" or "boxing kinds". Chinese martial arts enjoy a huge structure complex with many branches, among which shaolin kung fu has the dominant place by its long history, the complex system and excellent technology boundary. Back to your hotel.

Day 04 Beijing-Xi'an( B L )

Hands-on D.I.Y Chinese dumplings(2hours) at the local family in Gaobeidian, enjoy these with other Chinese dishes and this will be your Lunch. Afternoon learn the Art of paper cutting, visit the gaobeidian school. After the tour, we go to the train station to Xian. Overnight on the train.

Day 05 Xian ( B L )--Big Wild Goose Pagoda square, Muslim Bazaar, Xi'an City Wall

Arrive in Xian, pick up. Breakfast at hotel. The Muslim Bazaar, the Muslim quarters lies 100 meters west of the Bell tower in downtown Xi'an.The 500 meters long avenue paved by bluestones are dotted with many unique stall,souvenir shop,coffee and bars which are mostly run by Muslim people. We visit massive Xian City Wall. Have a nice walk in the North Square to view the fully illuminated Big Wild Goose Pagoda. Musical Fountain Performance.

Day 06 Xian ( B L )-- Qin Terracotta Army, Shaanxi Historical Museum

Morning pick up by local guide. Enjoy your full day visit to the Qin Terracotta Army, one of the world's most important archaeological finds, with troops, horses and carriages in battle formation. Afternoon, visit the Shaanxi Historical Museum. Among the 400,000 items on display are treasures from many of the Dynasties, including some magnificent bronzes and porcelain, many of which have never been on permanent display before.

Day 07 Xian--shanghai ( B L )

Visit Bell tower and Drum tower. Farmer paintings, and learning the painting. Then go to airport to catch a flight. Pick up by shanghai local guide, only transfer to hotel.

Day 8 Shanghai ( B L )-- Jade Buddha Temple, Yuyuan Garden, the Bund

Breakfast at hotel. Visit Jade Buddha Temple. Jade Buddha Temple is a key temple in Shanghai that thriving with flows of disciples every day, especially on the 1st and 15th day of every lunar month as well as all the traditional Buddhism festivals. Visit pearl factory, it's a nice place to buy a necklace or bracelet. It is very good gift from China. Visit the lovely old Yuyuan Garden look nine zig zag bridge with golden fish pond, bridges and pavilions. Explore the Bund in the evening.

Day 9 Shanghai ( B L )--Shanghai Museum, People Square, Nanjing Road, Oriental Pearl TV tower, Children's Palace

The Shanghai Museum which is the largest museum of ancient Chinese art in Shanghai. Visit the People Square and Nanjing Road for shopping. Visit the Oriental Pearl TV tower 2nd level. Visit the Children��s Palace 30-45minutes.

Day 10 Shanghai ( B )

Your China Experience is over all too soon as you transfer to the airport and board the homebound international flight, bidding a fond farewell to this ancient land.

$89 Per Day

Private Xian Highlight Tour of Terracotta Warriors and Customized Sightseeing

This full-day Xi’an highlights tour starts at 9am in the morning with pick-up service from your hotel lobby. Your will firstly visit the Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum, the must see in Xi’an and most significant archeological excavations of the 20th century. Follow your tour guide and spend enough time to explore all three sections No. 1 Pit, No. 2 Pit, and No. 3 Pit tagged in the order of their discoveries. No. 1 Pit is the largest, first opened to the public, there are columns of soldiers at the front, followed by war chariots at the back.

Lunch will be at your own expense, please ask the tour guide to get some advice and enjoy the local authentic food. In the afternoon, you can choose your preferred two more sites in the downtown area to continue the sightseeing, like City Wall, Big Wild Goose Pagoda, Small Wild Goose Pagoda, Shaanxi History Museum, Square of Bell & Drum Tower, Muslim Quarter, Great Mosque, Gao's Grand Courtyard, or Forest of Stone Steles Museum. You tour guide will give you suggestion based on the traffic condition and time. Later, enjoy private transfer back to your hotel to conclude the full-day Xi’an tour.

$31 Per Day

A Full-Day Highlights tour on Terra cotta Warriors museum

Xi'an is the oldest ancient capital in China with the longest history and richest historical heritages.
The Terra cotta warriors and horses show you the wisdom and military art of our ancestors 2,200
years ago, attracting people all over the world. The Big Wild Goose Pagoda and Imperial Ci'en
Temple are telling people the stories of both Buddhism and Emperors of Great Tang Dynasty.
The fascinating ancient City Wall evident the complicated defense system. It is only a tip of
the iceberg, thus you are welcome to ask me any more informations about things to do in Xi'an!

So I believe that would be the perfect package if you have only a full day here.

The itinerary can be changed flexibly at your request since it is a private tour.

I'm looking forward to hearing from you!

Thanks

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