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Xi'an

Xian, the eternal city, records the great changes of the Chinese nation just like a living history book. Called Chang'an in ancient times, Xian is one of the birthplaces of the ancient civilization in the Yellow River Basin area of the country. During Xian's 3,100 year development, 13 dynasties such as Western Zhou (11th century BC - 771 BC), Qin (221 BC - 206 BC), Western Han (206 BC - 24 AD) and Tang (618 - 907) placed their capitals here. So far, Xian enjoys equal fame with Athens,

Cairo, and Rome as one of the four major ancient civilization capitals. Xian is the capital of Shaanxi province, located in the southern part of the Guanzhong Plain. With the Qinling Mountains to the south and the Weihe River to the north, it is in a favorable geographical location surrounded by water and hills. It has a semi-moist monsoon climate and there is a clear distinction between the four seasons. Except the colder winter, any season is relatively suitable for traveling.
Fact
Area Code: 86-29 Time Zone: GMT + 08:00 Electricity: 220V, 50HZ
Airport: Xi'an Xian Yang Airport (XIY) Distance: 50 km from the city center
Average Temperature (oF)
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
30.20 35.78 46.58 57.38 66.38 77.36 79.88 77.90 66.92 56.66 43.88 33.26
Tourist Attraction
Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses City Wall Shaanxi History Museum Huaqing Hot Springs
Big Wild Goose Pagoda (Dayan Ta) Bell Tower Banpo Neolithic Museum  
Other Attraction
Shopping:    
Night Life:        
Gala Event
Tang Dynasty Dinner Show Dumpling Banquet 　　
 
Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses

The Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses are the most significant archeological excavations of the 20th century. Work is ongoing at this site, which is around 1.5 kilometers east of Emperor Qin Shi Huang's Mausoleum, Lintong County, Shaanxi province. It is a sight not to be missed by any visitor to China. Upon ascending the throne at the age of 13 (in 246 BC), Qin Shi Huang, later the first Emperor of all China, had begun to work for his mausoleum. It took 11 years to finish. It is speculated that many buried treasures and sacrificial objects had accompanied the emperor in his after life. A group of peasants uncovered some pottery while digging for a well nearby the royal tomb in 1974. It caught the attention of archeologists immediately. They came to Xian in droves to study and to extend

the digs. They had established beyond doubt that these artifacts were associated with the Qin Dynasty (211-206 BC).
Opening Hours: 8:30am - 5:00pm Recommended Time for a Visit: 3 Hours
　   Distance to City Center: 50 KM
City Wall When Zhu Yuanzhang, the first Emperor of the Ming dynasty (1368-1644), captured Huizhou, a hermit named Zhu Sheng admonished him that he should 'built high walls, store abundant food supplies and take time to be an Emperor,' so that he could fortify the city and unify the other states. After the establishment of the Ming dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang followed his advice and began to enlarge the wall built initially during the old Tang dynasty (618 -907), creating the modern Xian City Wall. It's the most complete city wall that has survived in China, as well being one of the largest ancient military defensive
systems in the world. A nice suggestion for tourists: Try biking on the City Wall, you will have an enjoyable and interesting experience.
Opening Hours: 8:00am - 5:00pm Recommended Time for a Visit: 1 Hours
　   Distance to City Center:  
Shaanxi History Museum
Shaanxi Province is the birthplace of the ancient Chinese civilization. Xian City was the capital city in thirteen dynasties which in total lasted over 1100 years. Consequently, the ancient history of Shaanxi is to some degree the ancient history of China. The Shaanxi History Museum considers it an obligation to be a showcase of ancient civilizations. It is situated in the
southern suburb of Xian City, northwest of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. Since it was opened to the public in 1991, its architectural buildings, internal apparatus, and exhibits have made it famous as a first-class museum in China.
Opening Hours: 8:30am - 5:30pm Recommended Time for a Visit: 2 Hours
　   Distance to City Center: 0 KM
Huaqing Hot Springs
Situated at the northern foot of Mt. Lishan in Lintong County, 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) from Xian City, Huaqing Hot Spring is famed for both its dainty spring scenery and the romantic love story of Emperor Xuanzong (685-762) and his concubine Yang Guifei in the Tang Dynasty (618-907). Its long history and location among the wonderful landscapes of Xian should entice any visitor to visit and bathe in this hot spring. It is said that King You built a palace here during the Western Zhou Dynasty (11th century BC-711 BC). Additions were
subsequently made by the First Emperor Qing (259 BC-210BC) and Emperor Wu during the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-24). During his reign, the Emperor Xuanzong spent dizzying amounts of his funds to build a luxurious palace, changing its name to Huaqing Hot Spring or Huaqing Palace. Over the course of 41 years in his days, he visited the palace as many as 36 times. The palace thus has a history of 3,000 years and the hotspring a history of 6,000 years! Ranked among the Hundred Famous Garden in China, it is also has the status as a National Cultural Relic Protection Unit and a National Key Scenic Area.
Opening Hours: 9:00am - 5:00pm Recommended Time for a Visit: 1.5 Hours
　   Distance to City Center: 30 KM
Big Wild Goose Pagoda (Dayan Ta)
As the symbol of the old-line Xian, Big Wild Goose Pagoda is a well-preserved ancient building and a holy place for Buddhists. It is located in the southern suburb of Xian City, about 4 kilometers (2.49 miles) from the downtown of the city. Standing in the Da Ci'en Temple complex, it attracts numerous visitors for its fame in the Buddhist religion, its simple but appealing style of construction, and its new square in front of the temple. It is rated as a National Key Cultural Relic Preserve as well as an AAAA Tourist Attraction. This attraction can be divided into three parts: the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, the Da Ci'en Temple, and the North Square of Big Wild Goose Pagoda.Big Wild Goose Pagoda
Opening Hours: 8:00am - 5:00pm Recommended Time for a Visit: 1 Hour
　   Distance to City Center: 0 KM
Banpo Neolithic Museum
The Banpo Museum is located in the eastern outskirt of Xian City, Shaanxi Province. As the first museum at the prehistoric site, it was built at the base of the excavations of the Banpo site.
The Banpo Site is a typical Neolithic matriarchal community of the Yangshao Culture dating back about 6,000 years. At that time, the Banpo people used tools made primarily of wood and stone. Women, the crucial labor force, were responsible for making pottery, spinning, and raising the family,
while men fished. At this site, archaeologists have discovered nearly 10,000 production tools and daily utensils of various kinds and the remains of 45 houses, 200 cellars, 6 pottery kilns, 174 adults' burial pits and 73 children's burial jars.
Opening Hours: 8:30am - 5:00pm Recommended Time for a Visit: 1 Hour
　   Distance to City Center: 6 KM
Bell Tower The Bell Tower, is a stately traditional building, that marks the geographical center of the ancient capital. From this important landmark extend East, South, West and North Streets, connecting the Tower to the East, South, West and North Gates of the City Wall of the Ming Dynasty.
The wooden tower, which is the largest and best-preserved of its kind in China, is 36 meters (118 feet) high. It stands on a brick base 35.5 meters (116.4 feet) long and 8.6 meters (28.2 feet) high on each side. During the Ming Dynasty, Xian was an important military town in Northwest China, a fact that is reflected in the size and historic significance of its tower.
Opening Hours: 8:00am - 5:00pm Recommended Time for a Visit: 0.5 Hours
　 ` Distance to City Center: 0 KM
Tang Dynasty Dinner Show
The Tang Dynasty Dinner Show, a performance of Chang'an music and dance originated in China's Tang Dynasty over a thousand years ago. It has been recreated in accordance with various historical records as well as ancient art and relics discovered in Xian, the capital of the empire during the Tang Dynasty.
The Tang Dynasty Dinner Show is performed by the "Tang Dynasty Song &
Dance Troupe", a branch of the "Shaanxi Provincial Song & Dance Troupe". This type of performance has been treasured as a national art that reflects the glory and richness of the Tang Dynasty era.
Opening Hours: 6:30pm - 8:30pm (Dinner) Recommended Time for a Visit: 3 Hours
　 8:30pm - 9:40pm (Show) Distance to City Center: 0 KM
Dumpling Banquet
Dumpling, or Jiaozi in Chinese, is one of the most popular food in China. it has a long history and is an essential part of celebratory meals such as those prepared for the Chinese lunar Spring Festival.
Xi'an Dumpling Banquet is brought forth new ideas in its color, fragrance, taste and style; meanwhile, ancient Chinese culture has been added. Thus, the dumpling is no longer one kind of simple flour food. Pork, beef, mutton and vegetable are used as its filling, chicken, duck, fish, pork, meat, egg, delicacies from land and sea and fresh vegetable are added into the filling as well. They make out various pretty and lovely styles such as flower, bird, grass and fish. The whole banquet generally last one or one-and-half hours, while some 12 kinds of dumplings will be served until your stomach is full.
Opening Hours:   Recommended Time for a Visit: 1 Hours
　   Distance to City Center: 0 KM