Xian: Main Scenic Spots

..................................................................................................................................................................................... The Terra-cotta Warrior's Museum .....................................................................................................................................................................................

The high point of a trip to Xian comes when you stand at the edge of Emperor Qin Shihuang′s vast funeral vault and gaze at the lifelike faces of his terra-cotta army, buried a full two centuries before the birth of Christ. The emperor who unified China and completed the Great Wall ordered the construction of his tomb at the beginning of his reign, around 221 B.C. So far, more than 6,000 true-to-life soldiers and horses have been uncovered in three main vaults. Each soldier carries different armaments, and each varies in facial features and individual stance. The tomb was discovered in 1974 beneath a grassy mound about 20 miles (32 km) outside Xian. This tomb, remarkably, is not the emperor's actual resting place but a satellite tomb. The expense of excavating Qin′s vault-said to be part of a vast under ground city crisscrossed by canals of mercury-has delayed the project indefinitely.

..................................................................................................................................................................................... The Bell Tower .....................................................................................................................................................................................

Rising nearly 118 feet (36 m) above the city center, this graceful Ming-style tower has stood as Xian's symbol since 1385 A.D. Inside is a 2 1/2-ton (2,268 kg) iron bell dating from the 15th century.

..................................................................................................................................................................................... The Drum Tower .....................................................................................................................................................................................

The glazed-tile Drum Tower, built during the Ming Dynasty in the 14th century, stands a short distance to the west of the Bell Tower. At dusk in olden days, drums were beaten 800 times to signal the closing of the city gates.

..................................................................................................................................................................................... The Grand Mosque .....................................................................................................................................................................................

Xian's grandest mosque has served the city's large Islamic population since the 8th century. The Grand Mosque resembles a Chinese temple as much as a mosque - testimony to the intermingling of cultures and faiths brought together on the ancient Silk Road. Visitors may tour the courtyards, but only Moslems may attend the prayer services held five times each day. Buildings around the Mosque are now being replaced with shops done in the old imperial style.

..................................................................................................................................................................................... The City Wall .....................................................................................................................................................................................

Xian is one of the few walled cities of China where visitors still can see the old city wall. Local officials have gone to no small expense to undertake the restoration. Some 39 feet high (12 m) and surrounded by a moat, the Ming wall follows the original boundaries of the Tang capital for nearly 8 1/2 miles (14 km). The wall, gates, towers, and moat have been incorporated into the city park, where concerts and various performances take place regularly. Tourists can walk the top of the wall for its entire length, stopping to tour the impressive West Gate.

..................................................................................................................................................................................... Big Wild Goose Pagoda .....................................................................................................................................................................................

Another Xian landmark stands at the south edge of the city. The seven-story Big Wild Goose Pagoda dates from 652 A.D. when a monk returning from an 18-year sojourn in India proposed building a repository for his manuscripts and named it after the Big Wild Goose Pagoda in India. The breath-defying climb to the top affords a grand city view.

..................................................................................................................................................................................... Small (Little) Wild Goose Pagoda .....................................................................................................................................................................................

Closer to the South Gate of the city wall, the Big Wild Goose Pagoda's smaller cousin was built in the early 8th century as a storehouse for Buddhist sutras. The pagoda has survived 70 earthquakes during its 1,200-year history. The China State Council, one of the government's highest authorities, protects this site as an important national historical treasure. << Back to Xian Info