PeterRS Posted Sunday at 03:32 AM Posted Sunday at 03:32 AM Of all the sights that tourists want to visit in China, one of the most popular is the famous terracotta army numbering around 8,000 in pits close to the city of Xi'an.This was constructed during the reign of the first Emperor Qin Shi Huang to protect him in the afterlife. Perhaps surprisingly, though, Qin was not buried along with his army. A little west of the army pits is a large earthen mound. This is the Emperor's burial place and it has never been opened. It's not only overseas tourists who come here. It is allegedly the second most popular tourist site for Chinse tourists. Other than Festivals like Chinese New Year and the annual national holiday for a week at the start of October, expect the city to be quite crowded, although when I was there one year in mid-March it did not seem very crowded. Xi'an is one of the oldest cities in the country. The first Emperor of the Han Dynasty established the city as the country's capital aorund 200 BC. when it was named Chang'an. The city wall constucted during the much later Ming Dynasty around the 15th century is the oldest such wall in China and the best preserved. About 4 meters wide many tourists enjoy a walk or run around its 14 km length. Naturally the city has since expanded outward way beyond the wall. But most of what you will want to see is contained within the wall's perimiter. Right in the centre are the two amazing structures - the city's Bell Tower and only a few minutes walk away its Drum Tower. The Bell Tower has an almost magical appearance when lit up after dark. There are two Wild Goose Pagodas in the city. This is the larger of the two located in a major park. Many older residents like to visit the 44 meter high Giant Wild Goose Pagoda park and dress in old style Imperial clothing for photographs. Apart fom the terracotta army, another primary reason for visiting the city is its Muslim Quarter. Xi'an after all was the eastern end of the Silk Road and cultural and religious influences flowed both ways. A flourishing Muslim population continues to live in the city and the Muslim Quarter, just a short walk from the Drum Tower, is fascinating. The main Beiyuanmen Street in the Huimin district is packed with vendors selling all kinds of Muslim Street food as well as many restaurants. Off it are many smaller streets, one of which will lead you to the city's Great Mosque, still in use today. Strange at first to see a mosque built in Chinese style! At one time there were 14 mosques in the city, but most were destroyed during the Cultural Revolution. The Great Mosque is both a gathering place for the city's estimated 60,000 Musllims as well as a major tourist attraction. Much of the rest of the city is fascinating with interesting little courtyards if you are prepared to wander into side streets I would leave visiting the terracotta army to the end of your visit. Explore the city first and enjoy its many sights. The terracotta army really should be the climax of the visit. There is just one sight which I would definitely not recommend. There was a Tang Dynasty Dinner show with dinner being optional. I went one evening just to see the show. That meant sitting at the back while the diners were at round tables covering most of the audience area. Just looking at the food being served, I am glad I opted out of that part. It looked tired and boring! I also spent much of the evening wishing I had not even bought a ticket for the show. It was much as one would expect from a tourist-oriented somewhat tacky show. To be fair the Chinese seemed to be enjoying it. I walked out at the interval! Just not my sort of entertainment. I flew up to Xi'an from Guangzhou where I had been visiting a dear friend. Getting there is easy but the airport is 50 kms outside the city and taxis are not cheap. But there are regular buses and the metro. a-447, splinter1949 and joizy 3 Quote
Moses Posted yesterday at 07:03 AM Posted yesterday at 07:03 AM Also Xi'an is a starting point to visit one of 5 sacred mounts of China. It is the "Western Mountain" of the Five Great Mountains. It is located 120km from Xi'an. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Hua PeterRS and a-447 2 Quote
PeterRS Posted yesterday at 08:50 AM Author Posted yesterday at 08:50 AM 1 hour ago, Moses said: Also Xi'an is a starting point to visit one of 5 sacred mounts of China. It is the "Western Mountain" of the Five Great Mountains. It is located 120km from Xi'an. Did you go up? The good thing, I guess, is that these five mountains are not especially high. Mt. Hua the nearest to Xi'an is the highest at 2,154 meters as stated on the stone signpost. Quote
Moses Posted 18 hours ago Posted 18 hours ago 5 hours ago, PeterRS said: Did you go up? The good thing, I guess, is that these five mountains are not especially high. Mt. Hua the nearest to Xi'an is the highest at 2,154 meters as stated on the stone signpost. Yes. By the way: it is easy to get to "Heaven gates" because there is cable car up to 1300 meters height. But we spend next 8 hours for to visit all 5 heights there and that wasn't easy, sometimes because of mist/fog (walking within clouds), sometimes because of vertical stairs in the stone, where you should climb using chains as a support for hands. Fabric gloves are highly recommended. Atmosphere above the clouds is unforgettable: silence, stone, nature and clouds below you... We visited all 5 "Sacred mountains of China" so far. View on one of Huashan peaks from highest one. Our guide View on trail to one of the peaks from lowest one (white dots - people on the trail, click to enlarge) a-447 and PeterRS 2 Quote
Moses Posted 18 hours ago Posted 18 hours ago On 6/22/2025 at 6:32 AM, PeterRS said: About 4 meters wide Just found it. It is much more wide: few cars may side by side drive by wall. View on wall from tower PeterRS and a-447 2 Quote
