Xi’an is situated in central china and is the capital of Shaanxi Province, was formerly known as Chang’an. The word of Xi’an has the meaning of “western peace”, which derived during the Ming Dynasty. Established since 3,100 years ago, Xi’an is the most important cities in Chinese history, because was served as one of The Ancient China Capital and was the starting point of Silk Road.
As one of China’s 7 ancient national capitals, Xi’an served as the China capital for twelve dynasties, as long as 1,000 years. Therefore, Xi’an keep thousand of historical and cultural sites spread across the city. More than 4,000 historical places and tombs have been excavated and approx 120,000 historical relics remain unearthed.
Xi’an Attractions and Tourist Destinations
The Terracotta Army Museum
The Terracotta Army Museum lies 1.5 km east of The Tomb of Qin Shihuang, known as the First Emperor, who unified China 2200 years ago. The legend said that Emperor Qin order to build the Terracotta Army to guard and accompany him forever. The Terracotta Army figures supply abundant and detailed artifacts for the study of the military, cultural and economic history of that period. The Terracotta Army figures excavation was regarded as one of the greatest discoveries of the 20th century. In December 1987, UNESCO selected the Tomb of the First Emperor (including the Terracotta Army Vaults) as a World Cultural Heritage Site.
Xi’an City Wall
Xi’an City Wall was initially built in the 14th century during the Ming Dynasty, under the order of Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang, and until today role as Xi’an City landmark. Xi’an Wall dividing the city into the inner part and the outer part. The city wall is massive, tall, long and thick. The South Gate and North Gate are the two main entrances to the inner city. The city itself is neatly arranged along the city wall. Xi’an City Wall structure consists of gates, tunnels, watch tower, and battlements.
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.
Shaanxi Provincial Museum
Located to the northwest of Big Wild Goose Pagoda, in the southern suburbs of Xi’an city, Shaanxi Provincial Museum is a tribute to Shaanxi’s glamorous imperial past. The museum building was designed in China’s grand and elegant ancient Tang Dynasty (618-907) style.
The Great Mosque in Xi’an
The Great Mosque in Xi’an is one of the oldest, largest and best-preserved Islamic mosques in China and its location is northwest of the Drum Tower (Gu Lou) on Huajue Lane. According to historical records engraved on a stone tablet inside, this mosque was built in 742 during the Tang Dynasty (618-907). This was a result of Islam being introduced into Northwest China by Arab merchants and travelers from Persia and Afghanistan during the mid-7th century when some of them settled down in China and married women of Han Nationality.
The Drum Tower of Xi’an
The Drum Tower in Xian was firstly built in 1380, and was renovated twice in 1699 and 1740 in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). It is a two-storied post and panel structure, 34 meters (about 112 feet) high and 52.6 meters (about 172 feet) long from east to west as well as 38 meters (about 124 feet) wide from north to south. The architecture style of the Drum Tower is a combination of the styles of the Tang Dynasty (618-907) and the Qing Dynasty. However, the Drum Tower also has some innovative features
River landscapes in Tibet: Tibet is rich in rivers. The largest river in Tibet, the Yarlung Zangbo River (river means in Tibetan “Zangbo”). It originates in the Himalayas and flows to India, where it is called Brahmaputra. Other rivers in the country are: Nujiang, Lancang and Jinshajiang. Many rivers in India come from Tibet like the Thanlwin, the Ganges and the Indus. With a depth of 5382 m, is the gorge of the Yarlung Zangbo the deepest canyon in the world. and the gorge of the Parlung Zangbo is the third largest canyon in the world.