Xi’an, formerly known as Chang’an and Haojing, is now the capital and vice provincial city of Shaanxi Province. It is an important central city in western China approved by the State Council and an important national base for scientific research, education, and industry. Xi’an is one of the four ancient capitals of China, designated as a “World Historical City” by UNESCO in 1981, and one of the top ten ancient capitals in the world by American media.
Chang’an has been the capital of emperors since ancient times. Xi’an has a civilization history of over 5000 years, a city history of over 3100 years, and a capital history of over 1100 years. It is one of the four ancient capitals of China, an important birthplace of Chinese civilization and the Chinese nation, and the starting point of the Silk Road. Fenghao Capital, Xianyang Palace of the Qin Dynasty, Terra Cotta Warriors, Weiyang Palace of the Han Dynasty, Changle Palace, Daxing City of the Sui Dynasty, Daming Palace of the Tang Dynasty, Xingqing Palace, etc. outline the “Chang’an Complex”.
Terra Cotta Warriors
The Terra Cotta Warriors are large pottery sculptures for burial in the the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor. A total of 800 warrior figurines, 18 wooden chariots and more than 100 pottery horses have been unearthed. The terracotta figurines are tall and typically around 1.8 meters in height, with various shapes and realistic expressions, reflecting the superb sculptural skills of the Qin Dynasty, and are known as the “Eighth Wonder of the World”. In 1987, Mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang and Terracotta Warriors were included in the The World Heritage List
Xi’an City Wall
At present, there are a total of eighteen city gates on the Xi’an city wall, starting from the south gate Yongning Gate and clockwise in sequence: Yongning Gate, Zhuque Gate, Wumu Gate, Hanguang Gate, Anding Gate, Yuxiang Gate, Shangwu Gate, Anyuan Gate, Shangde Gate, Jiefang Gate, Shangjian Gate, Shangqin Gate, Chaoyang Gate, Zhongshan Gate, Changle Gate, Jianguo Gate, Heping Gate, and Wenchang Gate. Among them, there are four main city gates, namely: East Gate Changle Gate, South Gate Yongning Gate, West Gate Anding Gate, and North Gate Anyuan Gate. These four city gates are also the original gates of the ancient city wall. In the late Ming Dynasty, each of the four gates in the east, west, north, and south had three levels of gatehouses: the gate tower, arrow tower, and main tower. The gate tower is outside, the arrow tower is in the middle, and the main tower is inside. The wall between the arrow tower and the main tower is a walled city. The entire city wall forms a tight defense system, with a wide moat outside the city.
Huaqing Palace
The Huaqing Palace is home to cultural areas such as the Tang Yutang Site Museum, the Xi’an Incident Site – Wujian Hall, the Jiulong Lake and Furong Lake Scenic Area, the Tang Liyuan Site Museum, as well as iconic architectural complexes such as the Feishuang Hall, Wanshou Hall, Changsheng Hall, Huanyuan, and Yuwang Hall. Lishan Mountain has an altitude of 1302 meters and is dotted with attractions such as Laomu Hall, Laojun Hall, Beacon Tower, Bingjian Pavilion, Shiweng Temple, and Yuxian Bridge. “Evening Glow of Lishan Mountain” is one of the “Eight Scenic Spots of Guanzhong”.
Tang Paradise
Furong Garden was a royal forbidden garden during the Qin Dynasty. The capital city of the Sui Dynasty built a royal forbidden garden centered around Qujiang, and it was named Furong Pool because of the widespread planting of hibiscus in the water. In the Tang Dynasty, Furong Garden was designated as a royal forbidden garden, and Emperor Xuanzong of Tang often visited and enjoyed himself here. This is not only the culmination of Chinese garden and architectural art, but also a theme park for the “five senses” (visual, auditory, olfactory, tactile, and gustatory). The most distinctive feature is the outdoor fragrance project in the park, where you can smell the fragrance wherever you go. Whenever night falls, the lotus garden is lit up with colorful lights, and the pavilions and towers are magnificent, as if returning to the glorious Tang Dynasty.
Big Wild Goose Pagoda
In the Tang Dynasty, Ci’en Temple, where the Big Wild Goose Pagoda was located, was a royal temple with a high status. Countless monks and believers came to pay their respects, and the Big Wild Goose Pagoda became a Buddhist holy site. With the spread of Buddhist culture, the influence of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda continues to expand, attracting more and more believers and tourists. During this period, the Big Wild Goose Pagoda was not only a symbol of religious belief, but also a bridge for cultural exchange.
After the fall of the Tang Dynasty, Chinese history entered five dynasties and ten kingdoms, as well as the Song, Yuan, Ming, Qing and other dynasties. Throughout these long years, the Big Wild Goose Pagoda has witnessed countless wars and smoke. Especially in the late Tang Dynasty, Ci’en Temple was destroyed by war, and the Big Wild Goose Pagoda was also severely damaged. However, under the protection of believers, the Big Wild Goose Pagoda has always stood firm and become a witness to history.
bell tower
Xi’an Bell Tower. It is the largest and most well preserved bell tower in China. Built in the 17th year of the Hongwu reign of Emperor Taizu of the Ming Dynasty (1384), it was initially constructed at the intersection of Guangji Street, opposite the Drum Tower. In the 10th year of the Wanli reign of Emperor Shenzong of the Ming Dynasty (1582), it was relocated to its current location as a whole.
The bell tower is built on a square pedestal, with a brick and wood structure. It has three floors of eaves and four corners with a roof. It has a total height of 36 meters and covers an area of 1377 square meters.