Day 1 Terracotta Warriors & Ban-Po Matriarchal Clan Museum
Highlights: After breakfast, our local xian tour guide will pick you up from the hotel or airport to start a wonderful two-day trip .we will visit the Terracotta Warriors museum,and Ban-Po Matriarchal Clan Museum.
Terracotta Warriors: which is about 40 kilometres away from the downtown area of the xian city, at east side outskirts of the city, discovered accidentally in 1974,by local farmers who digging the well.this incredible army contain more than 8000 soldiers, archers, horses and chariots who are going to guard emperor Qin's tomb in full battle formation since 210BC。Each figure is unique,even today the excavation still continue in 3 pits which are protected by huge arch-shape hangar.
Ban-Po Matriarchal Clan Museum: which is located in the eastern suburbs of Xian.it is the largest and most complete preservation of the matriarchal clan commune village sites, since 6,000 years of history. The Sites divide into living, pottery-making, the tombs of three zones. residential areas is the main part in villages. Banpo people belongs to the Neolithic age, the tools used mainly wood and stone. The spring of 1953 found the site, the site is about 50,000 square meters. From September 1954 to the summer of 1957, the Archaeological Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences organized archaeological nearly 200 workers, after five times excavations , exposing the site area of 10,000 square meters, access to a lot of valuable scientific information. In 1958 built on the site of Banpo Site Museum, is China's first prehistoric museum that vividly displayed us more than 6,000 years ago in a matriarchal clan community period of prosperity in our ancestors and living situation. Museum on April 1, 1958 the official opening to the outside world, has so far received more than 60 million Chinese and foreign tourists. after the tour , we will send you back to the hotel.
Day 2 Xian City Tour
Highlights: After breakfast, our local xian tour guide will pick you up from the hotel, we will visit ancient Xian City-Wall and wild goose pagoda,plus,The Muslim street.
City-Wall: which is famous landmark symbolic architecture military facility.that perfectly well preserved in china, Its original motive is to fortify the city.there is moat still there encircling the entire city-wall, and Its perimeter can reach to 14 KM ! Today , the tourist not only can walk round on the top of the wall, but also can be biking on the wall. some section of the wall also provide the tourists Rickshaw service (depend on the climates).
Wild Goose Pagoda: which is the symbol of the Xian.it is a well-preserved ancient building and a holy place for Buddhists. It is located in the southern suburb of Xian City, about 4 kilometers (2.49 miles) from the downtown of the city. Standing in the Da Ci'en Temple complex, it attracts numerous visitors for its fame in the Buddhist religion, its simple but appealing style of construction, and its new square in front of the temple. It is rated as a National Key Cultural Relic Preserve as well as an AAAA Tourist Attraction.
The Muslim Street: which is the hub of the mulism community in xian city, located beside the Drum Tower, it is about 500 meters long from south to north. the entire street paved with dark-clour stone and with green trees on both two sides providing shade during summer time. the buildings on both two sides are modeled on the styles of both the Ming and Qing Dynasty.mostly are restaurants,while the other are stores.
It is said that once you have been to the muslim street, you wouldn't feel regretted for the snacks of Xian,Such as Yang-Rou-Pao-Mo (the shred non-fermented pan-cake cooking with mutton soup), muslim mutton-burger, cold-noodle, dumplings and so on . if you are the guy who are more obsessive with food eating , here is eating paradise. they are waiting for you to enjoy.
Great Mosque: which is one of the oldest, largest and best-preserved Islamic mosques in China and its location is northwest of the Drum Tower on Huajue Lane in the muslim community .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. Their descendants became Muslim of today. The Muslim played an important role in the unifications of China during the Yuan and Ming Dynasties. Hence, other mosques were also built to honor them. In Xian, it is really well worth a trip to see the Great Mosque, not only for its centuries-old history but also for its particular design of mixed architecture - traditional Muslim and Chinese styles.
Day 3 The Qianling Mausoleum & Han Yang Tomb
Highlights: At breakfast,our local xian tour guide will pick you up from the hotel, we will visit The Qianling Mausoleum And Han yang tomb.
Qianling Mausoleum: which is a joint tomb, the The emperor Gao-Zong( the emperor posthumous title) and his wife,empress,Wu-Ze-Tian jointly buried there that occupies a prominent site on the summit of Liangshan Mountain , 80 kilometers (50 miles) northwest of the Tang capital, Chang'an (today's Xi'an). The design of the tomb site replicates the city of Chang'an and in accordance with tradition is on a north-south axis. The southern approach is set between two smaller hills and the way to the Emperor's tomb is lined with stone animals as well as human figures. These include horses and ostriches, winged horses and a pair of stone lions. In all there are 124 stone sculptures and these are reminders of the fact that the Tang was very much involved with trade and diplomatic exchange with the world far beyond China's borders as there are distinct Western Asian and Greek influences in these sculptures.
The tomb is very strong and secure construction and is notable .In total the mausoleum site covered an area of 2.3 square meters (0.88 square kilometers) and within this area stood 378 buildings that included the Sacrifice Hall, a Pavilion, a Hall of Ministers and numerous corridors. Unfortunately, the above ground structures have not survived unlike the stone sculptures that still delight visitors.
Two ornamented octagonal columns mark the south entrance and the mythical winged horses are the first of the sculptures. The pair of ostriches was a gift from Afghanistan; of the five pairs of horses that are next along the route only three still have their attendant grooms. Ten pairs of military figures bearing swords stand guard along the path. Further life-sized sculptures of men represent the sixty one foreign emissaries that attended the Emperor's funeral and were created on the instructions of Empress Wu Zetian, who wanted a permanent reminder of their visit. Each figure is depicted in a long robe with a wide belt and wearing boots. The name of each individual and the country he represented is carved on the back of the statue. It is not known how or why but regrettably each statue has been decapitated at some time in the distant past. The Qijie Bei (Tablet of Seven Elements), so called because it symbolizes the Sun, Moon, Metal, Wood, Water, Earth and Fire, carries an inscription composed by the Empress Wu Zetian that describes the achievements of her late husband. The calligraphy is that of Emperor Zhongzong whom the Empress deposed but later returned to the throne following her own eventual retirement from office. An unusual feature is the Blank Tablet that has carved dragons and oysters upon it but no inscription, there is nothing like this at any other royal tomb site. It is thought that this tablet was erected upon the orders of the Empress and that it would eventually bear a description of her achievements, to be recorded by some future generation. Maybe she thought that in this way only her good deeds would be remembered and recorded for posterity! Besides,we still can visit the other two-buried site, which is completely excavated, you can come down to the interior tomb to visit , there is a lot of artfacts flanked on both two side of the sloping passageway.
Han Yang Tomb: which is from Han Dynasty still incredible enough to impress you deeply, with one third size figure,honored as the small terracotta warriors.The museum is built at 2003, at close proximity of the airport. it is only one underground-museum in china, the tourists can stand on the top of the nice-transparency and good quality glass to appreciate the artefacts semi-underground. this is a highly recommend attraction, you can understand the Han Dynasty history,culture,etiquette fully from this museum. and then we send you back to either airport or hotel to end a pleasant day.
Service ends
Remark :
In order to save your budget, XianTourExpert.com offers driver-guide service, (the driver used to be the qualified tour-guide as well) which means our guide will drive you around and guide for you during the trip, by this way the cost will be reduced a bit, but the tour value is still guaranteed and even more fun. only under 3 people available.
