Introducing Banpo Neolithic Village, Banpo Neolithic Village Guide, Banpo Neolithic Village Travel Guide.
Article from Xi'an Municipal Commission of Tourism

The Banpo Neolithic Village is located in the eastern outskirt of Xian City, Shaanxi Province. As the first Banpo Neolithic Village at the prehistoric site, it was built at the base of the excavations of the Banpo site. Since Banpo Neolithic Village opened to the public formally in 1958, two million people have visited it.

The Banpo Neolithic Village is a typical Neolithic matriarchal community of the Yangshao Culture dating back about 6,000 years. At that time, the Banpo people used tools made primarily of wood and stone. Women, the crucial labor force, were responsible for making pottery, spinning, and raising the family, while men fished.

The approximately 4,500 square meters (about 1 acre) exhibit area of Banpo Museum is divided into two Exhibition Halls and a Site Hall.

The Banpo Neolithic Village is about 3,000 square meters (about 0.7 acre) and contains residential, pottery making and burial section. And among the three, the residential section is the main part of the site, including the huts, kilns and tombs of the primitive residents. All these present us an outlook of the aboriginal village and the hard situations of the forefathers in pursuing the civilization, reflecting the production level and the social systems at that period of time.

The Banpo Neolithic Village is an extension of the museum based on archeological findings. The entire village enriches the cultural connotation of the museum and carries forward the long and splendid history of China at the same time.

Quick Facts on Banpo Neolithic Village

• Name: Banpo Neolithic Village
• Location: Downtown Xi'an
• Phone: +86-29-87630166
• Dates: Tang Dynasty (618-907)
• Best Time to Visit: April to October
• Recommended Time for a Visit: 2 Hours
• Opening Hours: 08:00-18:00 (April to October), 08:00-17:30 (November to March of next year)
• Admission Fee: CNY 35 (April to October), CNY 25 (November to March of next year)

The Huaqing Hot Springs is located in the Lintong District 30 km east to the urban area of Xian. With Mt. Lishan to its south and the Wei River to its north, it boasts the natural hot springs. The favorable geographical condition and natural environment make it one of the most famous resorts in history in China. Since ancient times, it has ever been a famous bathing and tourist destination.

According to historical records and archeological discoveries Huaqing Hot Springs has a history of 6000 years for the use of hot springs and a history of 3000 years of being royal gardens. Over these years, the cultural relics excavated near the source of hot springs prove that over 6000 years ago primitive residents had used the hot spring. In West Zhou, King You ordered the construction of Li Palace on the site. Then the emperors of the following dynasties join in the line. After Emperor Xuan Zong of the Tang Dynasty ascended the throne, he commanded the construction of Huaqing Palace on a large scale. The construction was built along the Lishan Mountains range, and the former spring well was designed into a pool. Roads were built to reach the top of Lishan Mountain and one two-way road to Chang'an linked Huaqing Palace with Daming Palace and Xingqing Palace in the capital city. In the year 747 A.D., the new palace was completed and Emperor Xuan Zong named it Huaqing Palace. Because there are many hot spring pools in the palace, it is also called Huaqing Pool With the third peak of Lishan Mountain and the source of hot springson the axis and the hot springs as the center, the palace was laid out in four directions. This design, on the one hand, made a good use of the hot springs; on the other hand, it represented a precise and strict layout. Inside the palace, there were official bureaus and houses and hot pools. In addition, some entertaining places such as the Rooster Fight Pit and Polo Field etc. for Emperor Xuan Zong and Lady Yang were also available. At that time, the history of Huaqing Pool reached its climax.

Among the many building in Huaqing Hot Springs, there is a hall of brick and lumber structure named the Five-Room Hall. It gets its name for its comprising of five single rooms. With Mountain Li to its south and the lotus pool to its north, this garden has wide and level court yard planted with luxuriant green trees. The Hall was built during late Qing Dynasty. In 1900 Empress Dowager Cixi flied Beijing and stayed here when The Eight-Power Allied Forced seized the capital city of Beijing. In 1934, it was renovated and became a resort place for high officials. In October and December of 1936, Chiang Kaishek went to Shanngxi and stayed in the Five-Room Hall where he held high-ranking military meetings.

Huqing Hot Springs Travel Tips

Address: 38, Huaqing Road, Lintong County, Xian

Phone: 029-83811162

Admission Fee: CNY70 from Mar 01 to Nov 31, CNY40 from Dec 01 to Feb 28 next year

Opening Hours: 09:00-17:00

Introducing Small Wild Goose Pagoda, Small Wild Goose Pagoda Guide, Small Wild Goose Pagoda Travel Guide.
Article from Xi'an Municipal Commission of Tourism

The Small Wild Goose Pagoda stands in the Jianfu Temple in the southern suburb of Xian City, Shaanxi Province. Small Wild Goose Pagoda was built in the year 707 during the Tang Dynasty (618-907). As it is newer and smaller than the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, the name was given to distinguish the two. Unlike the grand Big Wild Goose Pagoda, it is dainty and exquisite in its appearance. It is an important cultural relic and one of the remaining symbols of ancient Chang'an (the name of Xian in the Tang Dynasty).

This multi-eave brick pagoda is thirteen stories tall, reaching 43.38 meters (142 feet). It is square on plane and rises skyward in an elegant spindle shape. Above the ground floor, the height of each storey diminishes, rendering a graceful curve to the contour. Multi-eaves are made by overlapping bricks curve inward, a characteristic of the Tang Dynasty construction. The ground floor has arched doors facing north and south; the other floors have arched windows instead. The fine drawings on the doors reflect the artistic style prevailing in the Tang Dynasty. Inside, a narrow wooden stairway winds its way to the top of the pagoda.

The construction of the pagoda is a wonder. Because Xian is located in an area where earthquakes sometimes occur, the pagoda base is made from packed earth in the shape of a hemisphere. In case of an earthquake, the pressure can be evenly divided, thus the pagoda has remained standing after over seventy earthquakes. After so many earthquakes, only the pinnacle and the two upper floors (the original pagoda had fifteen stories) have been damaged. Remarkably, cracks in the pagoda which have occurred during earthquakes have been closed by quakes that came later.

A giant iron bell 3.5 meters (11.4 feet) in height and about 10 tons in weight resides in the Jianfu Temple. It makes a magnificent clear sound that can be heard more than three miles away. The elegant pagoda along with the bell is known as "The Morning Bell Chimes of the Pagoda" and is considered one of the eight major cultural sites in the province. It is really worthwhile visiting this ancient Buddhist pagoda.

Quick Facts on Small Wild Goose Pagoda

• Name: Small Wild Goose Pagoda
• Location: Downtown Xi'an
• Phone: +86-29-87630166
• Dates: Tang Dynasty (618-907)
• Best Time to Visit: April to October
• Recommended Time for a Visit: 3 Hours
• Opening Hours: 09:00-16:00 (Closed on Monday)
• Admission Fee: Free

Xian City Wall: General Introduction

After the establishment of the Ming dynasty, the first Ming Emperor ordered the construction of Xian City Wall which was built partly on the ruins the old Tang dynasty (618 -907) Imperial Wall, creating the modern Xian City Wall. It’s the most complete city wall still existing in China, as well being one of the largest ancient military defensive systems in the world. 

After the extension, the wall now stands 12 meters (40 feet) tall, 12-14 meters (40-46 feet) wide at the top and 15-18 meters (50-60 feet) thick at the bottom. It covers 13.7 kilometers (8.5 miles) in length with a deep moat surrounding it. Every 120 meters, there is a rampart which extends out from the main wall. All together, there are 98 ramparts on the wall, which were built to defend against the enemy climbing up the wall. Each rampart has a sentry building, in which the soldiers could protect the entire wall without exposing themselves to the enemy. Besides, the distance between every two ramparts is just within the range of an arrow shot from either side, so that they could shoot the enemy, who wanted to attack the city, from the side. On the outer side of the city wall, there are 5948 crenellations, namely battlements. The soldiers can outlook and shoot at the enemy. On the inner side, parapets were built to protect the soldiers from falling off. 

Since the ancient weapons did not have the power to break through a wall and the only way for an enemy to enter the city was by attacking the gate of the city wall. This is why complicated gate structures were built within the wall. In Xian, the city wall includes four gates and they are respectively named as Changle (meaning eternal joy) in the east, Anding (harmony peace) in the west, Yongning (eternal peace) in the south and Anyuan (forever harmony) in the north. The south gate, Yongning, is the most beautifully decorated one. It is very near to the Bell Tower, center of the city. Important greeting ceremonies organized by the Provincial Government are usually held in the south gate square.

Each city gate has three gate towers: Zhenglou, Jianlou and Zhalou. The most outside is Zhalou, which stands away from the City Wall and is opposite to Zhenglou. It was used to raise and lower the suspension bridge. Jianlou with small windows in the front and flanks was used as a defensive outpost. Zhenglou, in the inner, is the main entrance to the city. The wall connects Jianlou and Zhenglou Towers. The area between them within the wall was called ’Wong Cheng’, in which the soldiers stationed. From Wong Cheng, there are sloped horse passages leading to the top of the city wall. 

Initially, the wall was built with layers of dirt, with the base layer including also lime and glutinous rice extract. Throughout the time Xian City Wall has been restored three times. In 1568, Zhang Zhi (the government officer of that period) was in charge to rebuild the wall with bricks. In 1781, another officer, Bi Yuan, refitted the city wall and the gate towers. More recently (since 1983) the Shaanxi Provincial Government restored the city wall again. A circular park has been built along the high wall and the deep moat. The thriving trees and flowers decorate the classical Chinese architecture of the wall, adding additional beauty to the city of Xian.

Xian City Wall Travel Tips

Phone: 029- 87282976

Admission Fee: CNY40

Opening Hours:

South Gate: 08:00-20:30 from Mar 01 to Oct 31; 08:00-19:00 from Nov 01 to Feb 28, next year

East Gate, North Gate, West Gate: 08:00-20:00 from May 01 to Oct 15; 08:00-18:00 from Oct 16 to Apr 30, next year

Xian Forest of Stone Steles: General Introduction

Beilin means forest of stone steles in Chinese. Once the site of the Temple of Confucius during the Northern Song dynasty (960-1127), the Forest of Stone Steles Museum is situated on Sanxue Street, near the south gate of Xian City Wall. It was initially established in AD1087 when some precious stone steles were moved here for safe keeping, including the “Classic on Filial Piety” written by Emperor Xuanzong in AD 745 and “the Kaicheng Stone Steles’”carved in AD 837. With an area of 31,000 square meters, the Forest of Stone Steles used to be the principal museum forShaanxi Province since 1944. Then because of the large number of stone steles, it was officially named as the Forest of Stone Steles Museum in 1992. 

With 900 years of history, this treasure house holds a large collection of the earliest stone steles of different periods, from the Han Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty. All together, there are 3,000 steles and the museum is divided into seven exhibitions halls, which mainly display the works of calligraphy, painting and historical records. All of these record some achievements in the development of the Chinese culture and reflect the historical facts of the cultural exchanges between China and other countries. 

Exhibition Hall One mainly displays “the Kaicheng Stone Classics’”, which contains twelve lections caved on 114 steles. The lections include “the Book of Changes”, “the Book of History”, “the Book of Songs”, “the Analects of Confucius” and some others of this kind. These are the must-read books for the intellectuals of the feudal society. At that time the printing was under development. In order to well preserve these lections, the rulers ordered to engrave them on the stone steles. 

The stone tablets written by the calligraphers during the Tang Dynasty (618-907) are exhibited in the Room Two. It has the collection of the masterpieces of the famous calligraphers as Ou Yangxun, Yan Zhenqing, Wang Xizhi and Liu Gongquan. Nestorian (branch of Christianity) Tablet is the most useful material for experts to study the cultural exchanges between the Tang Dynasty and the other states. 

Room Three houses the calligraphy-collection, which is of great importance. As a traditional art, calligraphy occupies the same position of importance as the painting in the history of Chinese art. In China, the scripts are classified into five categories: seal script, official script, regular script, running-hand and cursive-hand. Through these tablets, you could learn much about the evolvement of the Chinese characters. 

Painting Stones in Room Four were engraved with historical records. You could see the portraits of Confucius and Bodhidarma on some and the allegorical pictures and texts written to appear like pictures on others. In ancient times, the rulers of different dynasties preferred to build temples and solidify the city wall. Some records of this form of Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties engraved on the steles are preserved in Room Five. Of course, if you enjoy the poetic inscriptions, you would certainly want to go to Room Six. Emperors, noted ministers and well-reputed calligraphers of various dynasties have left many inscriptions, some of which are shown in Room Seven. 

The Stone Sculpture Gallery was built in 1963, including mausoleum stone sculpture and religious stone sculpture from Western Han Dynasty (206BC-24AD) to Tang Dynasty. It is prized as a great treasure in the art of world stone sculptures.

Xian Forest of Stone Steles Travel Tips

Address: 15, Sanxuejie, Beilin District, Xian

Phone: 029-87210764

Admission Fee: CNY45 from Dec 01 to Feb 28; CNY30 from Mar 01 to Nov 30

Opening Hours: 08:00-18:00 from Dec 01 to Feb 28; 08:00-18:30 from Mar 01 to Nov 30

Xian Drum Tower: General Introduction

The Drum Tower, across the Bell Tower and Drum Tower Square, to the northwest of the Bell Tower is a similar structure to the Bell Tower. It was erected in 1380, also during the Ming Dynasty. The Drum Tower got its name from the huge drum hung within it. While bell was stricken at dawn, drum was beat at sunset to indicate the end of the day.

The outside of the Drum Tower on its first floor, hangs many large drums. Each was decorated with some beautiful Chinese writing, which symbolizes good fortune. The impressive arrays of drums are only on show and visitors are not allowed to beat any of them. But there is a extra charge drum near the front entrance where you can have a try or pose for a picture for a small fee.

Inside the Drum Tower now is a drum museum, where a variety of drums are on display, some of which can be dated back a thousands years. A kind of drum show is performed here everyday. The top of the tower commands a panoramic view of the city.

In 1996, a new drum, covered by a whole piece of cowhide was given a place on the Drum Tower. It is the biggest drum in China at present. What is more, visitors will enjoy musical performances on the Drum Tower. These performances will enlighten one on the power of ancient Chinese culture.

Xian Drum Tower Travel Tips

Address: Bell & Drum Tower, Square, Xian

Admission Fee: CNY27

Opening Hours: 08:00-22:00 from Apr 11 to Oct 31, 08:00-17:30 from Nov 01 to Mar 31, next year

The Bell Tower stands right in the center of Xian, a 33-meter-high edifice with gray walls and a green glazed roof. Each face of the base of the building is pierced with an arched opening and each side of the Bell Pavilion, which stands on the platform, has an arched gateway as well. The Bell Tower first came into use during the reign of the Ming Emperor Yongle, which it was converted, from the main hall of the former Temple of Eternal Peace (Wanningsi), which had been built during the Yuan Dynasty. The new Bell Tower was destroyed by fire after only a brief existence and it was not until 1747 that Emperor Qianlong undertook the reconstruction of an attractive durable stone structure.

The Bell Tower originally housed a huge iron bell. But because its tolling was not loud enough, this was replaced by a massive cast bronze bell over 10 inches thick that is in perfect condition today. The iron bell was moved to the back of the Drum Tower where it has remained for over 500 years. As recently as 1924, the bronze bell could be heard ringing out the 7:00 p.m. chime from a distance of over 20 kilometers.

Xian Bell Travel Tips

Address: Bell & Drum Tower Square, Xian

Admission Fee: CNY27

Opening Hours: 08:00-22:00 from Apr 11 to Oct 31, 08:00-17:30 from Nov 01 to Mar 31, next year

Introducing Great Mosque, Great Mosque Guide, Great Mosque Travel Guide, Great Mosque Information.
Article from Xi'an Municipal Commission of Tourism

The Great Mosque in Xian 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. 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.

Occupying an area of over 12,000 square meters, the Great Mosque is divided into four courtyards, 250 meters long and 47 meters wide with a well-arranged layout. Landscaped with gardens, the further one strolls into its interior, the more serene one feels.

The first courtyard contains an elaborate wooden arch nine meters high covered with glazed tiles that dates back to the 17th century. In the center of the second courtyard, a stone arch stands with two steles on both sides. On one stele is the script of a famous calligrapher named Mi Fu of the Song Dynasty; the other is from Dong Qichang, a calligrapher of the Ming Dynasty. Their calligraphy because of such elegant yet powerful characters is considered to be a great treasure in the art of handwriting.

At the entrance to the third courtyard is a hall that contains many steles from ancient times. As visitors enter this courtyard, they will see the Xingxin Tower, a place where Muslims come to attend prayer services. A 'Phoenix' placed in the fourth courtyard, the principal pavilion of this great mosque complex, contains the Prayer Hall, the surrounding walls of which are covered with colored designs. This Hall can easily hold 1,000 people at a time and according to traditional custom, prayer services are held five times everyday respectively at dawn, noon, afternoon, dusk and night.

Quick Facts on Great Mosque

• Name: Great Mosque
• Location: Downtown Xi'an
• Phone: +86-29-87630166
• Dates: Tang Dynasty (618-907)
• Best Time to Visit: April to October
• Recommended Time for a Visit: 3 Hours
• Opening Hours: 08:00-18:00 
• Admission Fee: CNY 25

The Big Wild Goose Pagoda, the renowned oldest extant ancient architecture in Xian, is situated in Da Cien Temple, an ancient temple in the southern suburb of Xian with a history of thousands of years. This square cone-shaped, wood-like pagoda build with bricks joined layer upon lay, looks simple and magnificent with distinctive national features and the style of Tang Dynasty. It is the masterpiece of the Buddhist architecture.

The historical record shows that in the 3rd year of the Reign of Yonghui (652AD), the accomplished monk Master Xuan Zang pleaded with emperor Gao Zong with a design of the pagoda for the permission to build a stone pagoda in front of Duanmen Gate of the temple to house the sutras, statues, and relics so as to reveal the grandeur of Buddhism and the power of Tang Dynasty. Gao Zong gave the permission to build a five-story brick pagoda only with the excuse that he did not want to toil Master Xuan Zang with that big project. As a result, the Big Wild Goose Pagoda was built in the west courtyard of Da Cien Temple. The construction began in March that year and was completed in two years. Master Xuan Zang not only supervised the construction but also carried bricks and earth himself during the construction. When the pagoda was first built, it was a five storey, 180-feet-high earthen pagoda coated with bricks without staircases. However owing to the destruction from the weed growing wildly out of the seams between the bricks, it went to decadence gradually. After the restorations in the Reign of Chan an by Wu Zetian, and in Later Tang, Ming and Qing Dynasties, the present 64.7-meter-high pagoda has a base which is 4.2 meters high, 45.7 meters from east to west and 48.7 meters from south to north. The square cone-shaped wood-like brick pagoda with seven stories is the typical brick pagoda of ancient tower-styled pagodas in the country.

Big Wild Goose Pagoda Travel Tips

Address: Dayanta, Yanta District, Xian

Phone: 029-85527958

Admission Fee: CNY40 (entrance for Da Ci’en Temple), CNY30 (climbing the pagoda)

Opening Hours: 08:00-18:00

Terra Cotta Warriors & Horses of Emperor Qin Shihuang

The Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses are the most significant archeological excavations of the 20th century. Work is ongoing at this site, which is around 1.5 kilometers east of Emperor Qin Shihuang’s Mausoleum. It is a sight not to be missed by any visitor to China.

Upon ascending the throne at the age of 13 (in 246 BC), Qin Shihuang, later the first Emperor of all China, had work begun on his mausoleum. It took 11 years to finish. It is speculated that many buried treasures and sacrificial objects had accompanied the emperor in his after life. A group of peasants uncovered some pottery while digging for a well nearby the royal tomb in 1974. It caught the attention of archeologists immediately. They came to Xian in droves to study and to extend the digs. They had established beyond doubt that these artifacts were associated with the Qin Dynasty (211 --206 BC). The State Council authorized to build a museum on site in 1975. When completed, people from far and near came to visit. Xian and the Museum of Qin Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses have become landmarks on all travelers’ itinerary. 

Life size terracotta figures of warriors and horses arranged in battle formations are the star features at the museum. They are replicas of what the imperial guard should look like in those days of pomp and vigor. The museum covers an area of 16,300 square meters, divided into three sections: No. 1 Pit, No. 2 Pit, and No. 3 Pit respectively. They were tagged in the order of their discoveries. No. 1 Pit is the largest, first opened to the public on China’s National Day, 1979. There are columns of soldiers at the front, followed by war chariots at the back. 

No. 2 Pit, found in 1976, is 20 meters northeast of No. 1 Pit. It contained over a thousand warriors and 90 chariots of wood. It was unveiled to the public in 1994.Archeologists came upon No. 3 Pit also in 1976, 25 meters northwest of No. 1 Pit. It looked like to be the command center of the armed forces. It went on display in 1989, with 68 warriors, a war chariot and four horses. 

Altogether over 7,000 pottery soldiers, horses, chariots, and even weapons have been unearthed from these pits. Most of them have been restored to their former grandeur. 

The Terracotta Warriors and Horses is a sensational archeological find of all times. It has put Xian on the map for tourists. It was listed by UNESCO in 1987 as one of the world cultural heritages.

Terra Cotta Warriors & Horses of Emperor Qin Travel Tips

Address: Museum of Terra Cotta Warriors, Lintong County, Xian

Phone: 029-81399170

Admission Fee: CNY90 from Mar 01 to Nov 31; CNY65 from Dec 01 to Feb 28, next year

Opening Hours: 08:30-17:30 from Mar 16 to Nov 14; 08:30-17:00 from Nov 15 to Mar 15, next year