Xi'an - Yangling Museum of Western Han Dynasty

Located along the express way from Xianyang airport to Xi’an city, Yangling is the joint mausoleum garden of Liuqi, the fourth emperor of Western Han Dynasty, and his wife. It is the most well preserved mausoleum of Han Dynasty. Large number of precious relics of 2000 years ago are displayed in the museum, which was built in 1999.

For more information about China tour, please kindly email to lucyhyp@163.com.

Xi'an - Xianyang Museum

Located in the west , 30 Kilometers away from Xi’an city, Xianyang Museum derives from the Confucian temple like the Museum of Forest of Stone Tablets . There are many relics from Qin and Han Dynasties in Chinese history such as the ‘ terra-cotta warriors and horses’ of Han Dynasty , the precious bricks and currency of Qin Dynasty and so on . It is worthy of visiting because there are so many historic relics.

For more information about China tour , please kindly email to lucyhyp@163.com.

Xi'an - Mt. Huashan

Mt. Huashan is one of the five famous mountains in China. It is famous for its high and grotesque peaks, and steep cliffs. It is consisted of five peaks – Eastern, Western, Southern, Northern and central peaks. As a perilous place, ancient buildings and natural beautiful scenery can be seen anywhere from foot to the top, such as Hundred-foot Gorge, Laojun Furrow, Heavenward Ladder and Old Dragon Ridge.

At a height of 2,160 meters above sea level and about 120km/3hours east of Xian, Huashan, literally translated as Flower Mountain, is a sight for sore eyes. The mountain has for centuries been deemed as one of Chinas five sacred mountains (Wu ye), along with one Hengshan to the northeast, Songshan and Taishan to the east and another Hengshan to the southeast.

Huashan, also known as the Western Mountain (Xi yue) due to its geographical location in relation to the others, is famed as the most precipitous of the five. Along the 12km path leading from the foot of the mountain, where it starts at the Jade Fountain Temple (Yuchuan si), to its five peaks, you will get the chance to see some impressive scenes, including the strangely shaped granite peaks and the twisted pines, that make up this, one of the lesser visited of the holy mountains.

The peaks from above are said to resemble the petals of a huge plant, with the middle peak as the corolla, hence the mountains name. Of the five peaks it is the southern peak (2,100 meters) that is the largest, closely followed by those in the east and west. The ascent provides not only natural scenery, but also a number of man-made constructions that, for better or worse, are now a part of the mountains tourist culture.

The route to conquer the peaks passes by temples, shrines, pavilions, terraces, carvings, statues, food stalls and hawkers, that appear interspersed between the stark granite paths and forested margins. Along the Green Dragon Ridge (Bilong ji), which connects the northern peak with the remaining peaks, the way is cut along a narrow rock ridge with steep cliffs on either side. Some of this route can be a little dangerous, despite the iron chains that are linked on the more precipitous sections.

For more information about China tour, please kindly email to lucyhyp@163.com.

Xi'an - Tomb of Huo Qubing

It is the most unique secondary tomb located about 1.5 kilometers northeast of Maoling Mausoleum. Huo Qubing was a brave and skillful general of Emperor Wudi and led his troops to fight the invading Xiongnu across the Qilian Mountain. He died at the age of 24. Emperor Wudi gave orders to build his tomb in the shape of Qilian Mountain where the general had achieved his first victory and to erect sixteen remarkable stone figures of beasts and demons in front of hi tomb to commemorate his deeds. The stone carvings in front of his tomb were exquisitely done in bold style. Of the sculptures, the most renowned is "Galloping over the Xiongnu", showing a 168 cm high and 190 cm long horse trampled on a dying, yet still defying, Hun, a work of art aptly summing up the achievements of the young general in his meteoric career. The groups of statues are the earliest giant-sized stone sculptures known to stand in front of an ancient tomb in China.

For more information about China tour, please kindly email to lucyhyp@163.com.

Xi'an - Maoling Mausoleum

It’s the tomb of Emperor Wudi (140 B.C. - 87 B.C.) - Liu Che, the fifth emperor of the Western Han is located about 45 kilometers from Xian. Emperor Wudi ascended the throne at 16 and was in power for 54 years. He was always mentioned with Emperor Qin Shihuang who established the autocratic state of centralized power in the feudal society for his thoroughly consolidation on it. Wudi died at 71 and was buried in Maoling.

His tomb was a subulate in shape with a flathead 39.5 in wide 35.5 in length. The tomb covers 54,054 square meters. On the remains of the bounding walls, the vestiges of watchtowers could be seen. The largest among the tombs of the Western Han, with richest funeral objects, the tomb spent one third of yearly taxes and tributes of the state.

The tomb became a focus and over 20 satellite tombs of officials and nobles were around the tomb. Excavations from the tomb include large collections of buried objects and building materials. Eave tiles, Han bricks, pottery figures and other valuable historical relics as well as grandeur stone carvings originally placed in front of Huo Qubing tomb, are now on display.

For more information about China tour, please kindly email to lucyhyp@163.com.

Xi'an - Tomb of Prince Yide

Lies to the southeast of Qianling is the tomb of Prince Yide - the first son of Emperor Zhongzong. He died in 701 A.D. at 19 years old. In 705, when Zhongzong returned to the throne he was awarded posthumously the title of Crown Prince Yide and in 706 his remains was moved to the Qianling. A mound and enclosure walls surrounded the tomb of Prince Yide in a rectangle. To the south of the walls was a pair of stone lions, stone figures (one was destroyed and only the pedestal remains), and a pair of obelisks (destroyed and buried in the earth when collapsed). The tomb consists of a tomb tunnel, three doors, seven air-shafts, eight niches, tomb chambers. It is altogether 10.8 meters in length. Over 40 impressive well-preserved mural paintings in the tomb depict the court life including guards of honor, the Blue Dragon, White Tiger, city walls, watch towers, musicians, men-servants and maids of honor, which show Li Chongruns special identity.

For more information about China tour, Please kindly email to lucyhyp@163.com.

Xi'an - Princess Yongtai’s tomb

2km northeast Qianling Mausoleum, Princess Yongtai’s Tomb, now the site of Qianling Museum, is a chief satellite tomb to Qianling. Princess Yongtai was the grand daughter of the Tang Emperor Gaozong and his wife Empress Wu zetian. In the first year of Dazu(701 A.D.), she and her husband were killed by Wu Zetian because she tacked about the scandalous affairs between Wu Zetian and her men prostitutes. After mounting to the throne, Zhongzong ordered to bury his daughter –Yongtai and her husband together in Qianling.

For more information about China tour, please kindly email to lucyhyp@163.com.

Xi'an - Zhaoling Mausoleum

It’s the tomb of Emperor Taizong (Li Shimin) a sagacious emperor famous for the "Zhenguan Reign". In 626 AD, Li Shimin came to the throne and in the year followed, he changed the title of his reign to Zhenguan. He was in power for 23 years and this is considered the point in history when Chinese civilization reached its most sophisticated state in the world. It’s the largest burial site for dignitaries in China, stands on the hilltop of Mt. Jiuzhongshan, 60 km (40 mile) northwest of Xian city. Although 14 of the satellite tombs have been excavated, the emperors mausoleum itself has not. The whole necropolis covers an area of some 20,000 hectares (78 square miles). Constructed against mountains, the tomb chamber was built on a peak accessible by a 230-meter-long tunnel excavated through the mountain with five stone gates installed along.

For more information about China tour, Please kindly email to lucyhyp@163.com.

Xi'an - Qianling Mausoleum

Qianling Mausoleum is located on Liangshan Hill about 80 kilometers west of Xian. This well preserved mausoleum is the joint tomb of the the Tang dynasty Emperor Gaozong and Empress Wu Zetian. Empress Wus rise to power is particularly impressive given that she became an Empress in her own right in a society where the highest position a woman could generally hope to obtain was that of concubine.

After her husband died, the Empress Wu ruled the country until her death in 707. Criticism of this "feminist" Empress ranges from those who saw her as little more than a whore to those who consider that she was blood thirsty and tyrannical. No doubt all these opinions are tainted by the simple fact that she was a woman.

The Tomb is surrounded by headless statues of the leaders of minority peoples. There are various historical relics here including stone engravings and exquisitely carved stone statues. Of all the arts, sculpture particularly blossomed during the Tang dynasty.

The small mausoleum is located on a hill with three peaks- two artificial and one natural. Locals believe that the north peak resembles Empress Wus head and the two southern peaks resemble her breasts! There are also other tombs around here including Princess Yong Tais tomb- an elegant and beautiful construction.

For more information about China tour, please kindly email to lucyhyp@163.com.

Xi'an - Famen Temple

Famen Temple is located in Famen Town, 120 kilometers northwest of Xian. Although this Temple is a fair distance from Xian, it is a fascinating place with an intriguing history and it is worth making the effort to get here.

Legend has it that in 147 AD King Asoka of India traveled throughout Asia, distributing Buddhist relics as atonement for his sins and war like attitude. In China, he built this Temple and left the fingers of Buddha to be enshrined here.

Tang Dynasty Emperors revered this sacred relic and regularly walked through the streets with the fingers followed by a huge worshipping procession. The Tang Emperors offered wonderful gifts to the fingers in an attempt to better their predecessors offerings.

This legend was actually dismissed until 1981 when heavy rains revealed the crypt, shrine and underground palace completely by accident. The crypt contains the Buddhas fingers and gifts from the Emperors. The site is still seen as an important place of pilgrimage for Buddhists today.

The museum here is excellent and contains various objects from the Tang dynasty including sacrificial offerings and royal gifts.

For more information about China tour, please kindly email to lucyhyp@163.com.

Xi'an - Drum Tower

Two blocks west of the Bell Tower, stands the Drum Tower, which was built in 1380. There used to be a huge drum in the tower, which told the time at dusk; hence, the Bell and the Drum have been referred to as "the Morning Bell" and "the Dusk Drum". Later, the drum was no longer used to tell time but only to give warnings to people in times of war.

Quite similar to the nearby Bell Tower, the Drum Tower also has a triple-eaved, two-storey wooden structure high off its rectangular brick platform, which is 52.6 meters (172feet) long, 38 meters (125 feet) wide and 7.7 meters (25 feet) high. Parapets on each tier surround the center and The elegance and grandeur outer eaves decorated with wooden arches reveals much of the superb architectural artifice. The second storey is now used as an antique shop, for which it provides a very original setting. A road goes straight through it extending to the Muslim quarter.

This tower marks the entrance to the citys Muslim Quarter which is a lovely area to wander and observe. the felling here is almost of a "city within a city" and the streets around this district heading up to the Mosque are like a small village crammed with people selling all kinds of weird and wonderful things.

For more information about China tour, please kindly email to lucyhyp@163.com.

Xi'an - Bell Tower

The Bell Tower in Xian is situated in the very heart of the city and at the junction of four main roads. There is a huge bell hanging on the roof of the tower which was traditionally used to tell the time by and there are other, smaller bells on exhibit in the tower too.

Known as the symbol of Xian, its history can be traced back to the Ming Dynasty. Each Ming city had a bell tower and a drum tower. The bell was sounded at dawn and the drum at dusk. The Bell Tower was originally set at the intersection of Xi Dajie (West Street) and Guangji Jie (Guangji Street) in the Yingxiang Temple, which was the center of the site of the old Tang Imperial City. It was removed to its present place in 1582 in the center of the southern section of the walled city and was restored several times.

The tower has a square-shaped brick platform, each side of which is 35.5 meters (116 feet) long and 8.6 meters (28 feet) high and on the top is a triple-eaved, two-story wooden structure with carved beams and color-painted rafters, a further 27.4 meters (90feet) high. Colorful Dougong -- a unique Chinese architecture of brackets inserted on the top of columns and crossbeams strengthen the building and enhance the artistic. The design of this kind is also perceptible from the engravings on bronzes dating back to the Warring States Period (475-221 B.C.). The inside is a remarkable example of the very intricate roof truss system used in Ming and Qing wooden architecture. In a corner of the brick platform is a Ming-period bell.

For more information about China tour, please kindly email to lucyhyp@163.com.

Xi'an - The Great Mosque At Huajue Lane

Located at Huajue Lane, the Great Mosque is the major spot for the religious activities of over 60000 Moslems in Xi’an. It is also an important historic monument in Shaanxi Province.

Unlike other Arabic mosques, the Great Mosque in Xi’an possesses much Chinese tradition in both its design and its artistic outlook. The Mosque at Huajue Lane is the largest in Xi’an, and it is also one of the earliest built on a comparatively large scale, and the best preserved mosque in China.

Openning hours: 08:00-18:00
Admission Tickets：RMB 25Tel：029-87219807

For more information about China tour, please kindly check www.xiandiscovery.com , or email to me lucyhyp@163.com.

Xi'an - The Shaanxi History Museum

Located in the east Xiaozhai Road, south of Xi’an city, it is a massive modern museum and a magnificent architectural complex in the Tang-Dynasty style. It covers an area of 70000 square meters.

The architectural style is simple, unsophisticated, elegant and unique, it combines the construction of the ancient Chinese palaces and courtyard buildings . It collects the highlights of the Shaanxi culture and shows a development of the Chinese civilization. The Museum possesses a treasure of 113000 historic and culture artifacts unearthed in Shaanxi.

The exhibition can be divided into seven sections which emphatically reveal the prosperity of the Prehistoric Age; the Zhou; Qin; Han; Wei; Jin; North and South, Sui, Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming, Qing Dynasties. The exhibition vividly depicts Shaanxi History, range from 1150000 years ago up to the year 1840. Eleven dynasties established their capitals in Shaanxi Province. In a way, the ancient history of Shaanxi is a highly condensed version of Chinese history.

Openning hours: 08:00-17:30
Admission Tickets：free
Tel：029-85217140

For more information about China tour, please kindly check www.xiandiscovery.com, or email to me lucyhyp@163.com.

Xi'an - Museum of Forest of Steles

Situated at the site of the Confucian Temple in Sanxue Street, Xi’an, the Museum of Forest of Stone Tablets is a courtyard-styled structure. It covers an area of 30000 square meters.

Steles are huge stone slabs which depict important calligraphic writing, often dating back to ancient times. They are held in high regard in China and many people study the artistry of these mammoth pieces.

Xi’an Forest of Stone Tablets was originally set up in 1087. It is an art treasure –house containing the largest and richest collection of stone tablets in China. These pieces of art are works from the Han Dynasty through to the Qing Dynasty, including over 1000 memorial tablets forming the Forest of Stone Tablets. It is not only a treasure house of ancient Chinese calligraphy, but also a rich collection of China’s historical documents and records and stone carving patterns. These tablets records a part of the great achievements of Chinese culture and can reveal to us the truth of the cultural exchanges between China and other countries.

Openning hours: 08:30-17:30
Admission Tickets：RMB 45
Tel：029-87213868

For more information about China tour, please kindly check www.xiandiscovery.com , or email to me lucyhyp@163.com.

Xi'an - City Wall

The Xian City Wall is not only the most complete city wall that has survived in China, but its also one of the largest and most complete ancient military systems of defense in the world. The city walls here were actually built on the fortifications of the Tang Forbidden City.

Located in the central area of Xi’an city, the Xi’an City Wall which built in 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. It is divided into several important parts such an the rampart, the gate tower, the suspend bridge, the watch tower, the moat and so on. The Ming Dynasty City Wall formed a complex and well-organized system of defense. The city wall itself is a true display of the ability and wisdom of the working people in ancient times. It provides invaluable and substantial material for the study of the history, military science, and architecture of the Ming Dynasty.

Openning hours: 08:00-21:00
Admission Tichets：RMB 40
Tel：North Gate 029-87271081，South Gate 029-87271696

For more information about China tour, please kindly check www.xiandiscovery.com, or email to me lucyhyp@163.com.