Introduction

Xi'an, the historical city, was called Chang'an in ancient times, and is now the capital of Shaanxi province. Xi'an is situated in the center of Weihe Plain with the towering and verdant Mt. Qinling in the south, with the meandering and rolling Beishan mountain system in the north and eight rivers around it, all of which are at Guang Zhong Plain (the center of passes). Historically, it was famous for being called "a gold city stretching a thousand li" with its fertile soil, mild climate, adequate rainfall and rich products.

Xi'an has a long history. Since the earliest societies, humanity lived and multiplied here. It served as a capital for twelve dynasties, including the Western Zhou, Qin, Western Han, Sui and Tang dynasties, spanning over 1120 years. It became the oriental cultural center of the Silk Road.

Many dynasties kept the city beautiful and magnificent. More than two hundred and seventy palaces and temples, for example, were built in the Qin dynasty, in the Han dynasty the "Three Han Palaces", namely Changle, Weiyang, Jianzhang Palaces, and numerous other palaces and watch towers were built. In the City of Chang'an of the Sui and Tang dynasties, luxurious palaces sprang up like tree, of which Taiji, Daming and Xingqing Palaces and the forbidden garden of the Tang dynasty to the north of the town were very large. Now, from these architectural sites people still can imagine the general picture of what Chang'an City was like, then. All the emperors of the Qin, Han, Tang and other dynasties had their magnificent mausoleums built. Qin Shi Huang's mausoleum at the foot of Lishan Hill in Lintong county, for example, is the earliest example of a grand mausoleum for an emperor in ancient China. The twelve emperors of the Western Han dynasty were mostly buried on the plateau to the north of the Weihe River. Their tomb-mounds were man-made and quite imposing, but emperors of the Tang dynasty began to have their bombs constructed into hills. They are scattered in the counties to the north of the Weihe River and called the "Eighteen Tang Mausoleums". In front of these mausoleums were erected huge stone carvings, while inside them were exquisite funeral objects and colorful murals, a feast for one's eyes. Some of the monasteries and Buddhist pagodas constructed in many dynasties have remained well preserved, including the most famous ones, as the Big Wild Goose (Da Yan) Pagoda in Ci'en Temple and the Small Wild Goose (Xiao Yan) Pagoda in Jianfu Temple. The bronze wares of ancient China are an important example of the splendid culture that reflect this slave society. Feng and Hao in the Xi'an area, which were the capitals of the Western Zhou dynasty, have been acclaimed as "the Home of the Bronze wares", as a wealth of bronze items unearthed from there, over the years. It was quite popular to put up stone tablets in front of tombs to record the merits and achievements of the departed, in many dynasties, and a great deal of stone tablets and calligraphy data remain to this day. So Xi'an is also famous for being "the Home of Calligraphy".

Xi'an is the largest commercial and trade-hub, as well as the largest material distribution center in the Mid-Western Region of northern China. As shown in a report in 1998, there are more than 100,000 commercial service networks, 435 consumption markets, and 485 various types of wholesale markets, and nearly 1,000 wholesale agencies.

Xi'an is powerful in terms of its scientific and technological strength, the comprehensive strength ranks second in China. Xi'an boasts 727 scientific research institutions, technical personnel constitute 26.4% of the total working staff in Xi'an. The proportion of technical personnel in Xi'an is the highest in China. There are 38 institutions of higher learning. A batch of advanced experimental bases and testing centers have the capability of assimilate, digest and transfer state-level and world-level technologies. The applied technologies in the fields of aeronautics, aerospace, mechanics, electronics, meter and instrument, optics, textile and power equipment are in the leading position in China. Xi'an is one of the important scientific research and higher education bases in China.

Terra-cotta Warriors and Horses                                  

In 221 B.C., Emperor Qin Shi Huang of the Qin dynasty established the first centralized feudal dynasty in China. After his death, he was buried at the north foot of Lishan Hill in the east of Lintong county. The tomb is a rammed-soil mound, 47m. high and its base is 485m.× 515m. In 1974, three large pits of terra-cotta figures were found 1.5 km. east of the mausoleum. Among the three, the largest one is pit No.1, covering 14,260 sq.m.. The pit is divided into eleven corridors in which arrayed 38 columns of life-sized clay warriors, horses and chariots.

Over 6,000 clay warriors could be assumedly unearthed from the pit if it would be completely excavated. This would be really an artistic reappearance of hundreds of Qin Shi Huang's warriors. With its artistic momentum, it could be acclaimed a piece of great masterwork. The figures, life-likely shaped and colorfully painted, are of high artistic value. Now, a big arch-roofed exhibition hall is set up over Pit No.1 where the restored terra-cotta warriors and horses are on display.  

Big Wild Goose Pagoda

The pagoda was originally situated within the premises of the Temple of Motherly Kindness in the Jinchang Block in the Chang'an city of the Tang Dynasty. The Temple was built in 648 A.D. (twenty-second year of Zhenguan of the Tang) by the then Prince Li Zhi, who later became Emperor Gaozong, to honor his mother, Empress Wende. The Pagoda itself was built in 652 (third year of Yonghui of the Tang Emperor Gaozong). A square pyramid of blue brick, it is 64 meters high, with seven stories. It is simple in shape, and of good and lofty proportion. Preserved on the four stone doors in the base of the pagoda are exquisite engravings of the Tang. Two steles with "the preface to the Sacred Religion" written by the famous Tang calligrapher Chu Suiliang are set into the walls on the either side of the south door of the pagoda. Because of their distinctive and elegant inscriptions, the steles are valuable data for the art of calligraphy.    

 City Wall

The Xi'an City Wall is the best preserved, oldest and largest ancient city defense system in China. It is also one of the most important landmarks of the Xi'an city. The original foundation of the Xi'an City Wall was based on the ruins of the Imperial City Wall of  Chang'an City--the capital of the Tang Dynasty. In 904 A.D. when the capital of the Tang Dynasty was moved eastward, the Governor-general Han Jian had the city renovated and turned it into an army garrison and named it "New City".

Since then the city was used continuously by Song and Yuan Dynasties, and its features kept unchanged. The Ming Dynasty was set up in 1368 and the Ming army entered the city in 1369. Afterward the city was renamed as "the Prefecture of Xi'an".

In 1370 the First Ming Emperor Zhu Yuan Zhang conferred the title of "King of Qin" on his second son Zhu Shuang and sent him to rule in Shaanxi. The King's official residence was chosen and built in Xi'an City. According to the Ming Dynasty's stipulation, when the title of King was conferred upon the Emperor's son, his costume, Carriage, flag and residence had to be one grade lower than the emperors'. The old city was dilapidated and its size was small, so it was not up to the standard.

In 1370, the government began to extend the size of the Xi'an City, and build the huge project of the residence for the Ding of Qin. It was completed within eight years. When the city began to take shape, it was divided into inner city and outer city. The outer city is 13.7 km. in circumference and it occupies an area of 11.5 square km. The structure of the City Wall was earth-rammed.

Around the City Wall there are jutting ramparts, sentry towers, corner towers, gate towers, battlements and a series of city defensive fortifications which were scientifically and compactly laid out with very strong defense capability. The inner city was the residence for the King of Qin. It was built at the high terrain in the north-eastern part of the city, from where the whole city could be well under control by its advantage of geographical position. The residence was enclosed by two successive walls and a protective moat. The principal part of the architectural complex was built according the traditional pattern of "Palace in the front and bedchamber at the back". The important palaces and temples were longitudinally arranged in a round pivot order. They looked magnificent and splendid.

During the 200 years reign of the Ming Dynasty, the inner city continuously served as the military and political center of Shaanxi, where the successive 14 Kings of Qing acted on the order of the Emperor to rule Shaanxi. The Xi'an City Wall has a history of over 600 years since it was built in the early Ming Dynasty. Nowadays, this old historical relic is not only an important material object for the study of ancient military science but also a sightseeing and entertainment resort for the visitors. 

Han & Tang Dynasty Show

China once had its most prosperous period in her history, the Tang  Dynasty (618-907), and even now all China Towns out of China is called as "Tang Ren Jie" in Chinese, meaning Tang People Street. The economic prosperity and social stability enabled the emperors and the officials, rich merchants to enjoy music, dancing, painting and poems. So Tang Dynasty is the golden age in China' s feudal period both in economy and in arts. One of the  distinguished characteristics of Tang music and dance is its splendid extravagance and colors. So the show tourists going to see will be impressive. Han Dynasty (206 B.C. - 220), is relatively less developed than Tang Dynasty, thus its arts are also simpler and unadorned.   

Dumpling Banquet

Dumpling, or Jiaozi in Chinese, is one of the most representative Chinese food.  The food, dated back several thousands of years, is quite popular in China, and also favored by most of foreign tourists. 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. The restaurant the banquet happens is called as Defachang, an old local restaurant located near to the Bell Tower. The Chinese-style restaurant is always full because of its fame. What is more, you also can enjoy traditional Chinese music when enjoying your dumpling!