Shaanxi Travel and Tours Guide

Shaanxi, an inland province in China, is also called "Qin," or "Shaan" for short. It is one of the places where Chinese culture originated. Beishan Mountain and the Qinling Range stand as two boundaries that divide the province into three natural areas -- the Loess Plateau in northern Shaanxi, Guangzhong Plain, and the Qinba Hillyland. Plateau and hillyland make up most of the province's area. Shaanxi has a continental climate with distinctive four seasons. The months from March to November are the best tourist season. Shaanxi Province boasts an area of 205,600 square kilometers and a population of 36 million people. The city of Van is the capital.

Shaanxi Province has a time-honored history and a well-developed culture. It was the starting point of the Silk Road that extended from Asia to Europe and played an important role in cultural interflow between the East and West in ancient times. Beginning in the 1 1 th century, Van served intermittently for more than 1,100 years as the capital of 1 3 feudal dynasties. The favorable geographical environment and long history have left Shaanxi with many unique places of historic interest and enchanting landscapes, cultural sites, and revolutionary sites. There are six cities of historic and cultural interest and 35,750 historical relic places, including more than 10,000 historic ruins, 4,300 tombs, 557 grottoes, and nearly 20,000 stone sculptures and ancient and modern buildings. The worldrenowned Mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of the Qin Dynasty (221-207 B.C.), and the terracotta warriors and horses were included by UNESCO in the List of World's Cultural Heritages.

A network of air, railway, and highway transport that has been formed in Shaanxi Province radiates in all directions. The province is a vital traffic artery linking China's northwest and southwest. Xianyang Airport in Van is one of China's modern airports. The Longhai (Lianyungang-Lanzhou) Railway that links Eurasia runs from east to west through the province. A highway network with Van as its center reaches all the cities , towns, and scenic sites. Tourism has become an important industrial sector of Shaanxi.
　　　　　　

Follow Me to Xi'an

Xi'an, the capital of Shaanxi Province, was called Chang'an in ancient times. It is situated in the central part of Weihe Plain, with the Weihe River flowing in the north and the Qinling Range rising and falling in the south. The city is the political, economic, and cultural center of the northwest and has rich cultural heritages that witness the social changes at different historical stages. More than 4,000 historical sites and tombs have been excavated and over 120,000 historical relics unearthed. Among the famous tourist spots are the City Wall, the Forest of Stone Tablets, the Drum Tower, the Bell Tower, the Guangren Temple, the Ruins of E'pang Palace, and the Mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang.

The City Wall of Xi'an

Erected during the Ming Dynasty (1638-1644), it is the world's largest and best-preserved ancient fortress. The rectangular city wall is 13.7 kilometers in circumference and has 5,984 crenels and 98 places for the garriosn troops to stay in. There is a gate in each of the four sides, and each gate consists of a main tower, an embrasured watchtower, a lock tower, and a compound. The city wall is surrounded by a moat and a ring road lined with trees and dotted with pavilions and kiosks to form the huge Around-the-City Park.

The Drum Tower

It is on the northern side of West Avenue in the city proper, facing the Bell Tower across a distance. It measures 33 meters in overall height and its rectangular base is built with grey bricks. The stairway looks dignified and steady. In ancient times, a big drum hanging on top of the tower was used for telling time.

The Bell Tower

Standing at the 1, crossing of the East, West, South, and North avenues in the city proper, the Bell Tower is a three story wooden structure topped with dark green tiles. It is a grand ancient building with traditional Chinese architectural features.

The Greater Wild Goose Pagoda

Towering at the southern tip of Yanta Road outside Heping Gate, the brick pagoda, a reconstruction of the Ming Dynasty, has seven stories and is 64 meters high. A handrailed stairway inside spirals to the top. The pogada is a major historical relic under protection in China.

The Lesser Wild Goose Pagoda

A Tang Dynasty (618-907) brick structure in the Jianfu Temple in southern Xi'an. Originally, the pagoda had 15 stories. The top two stories were damaged in an earthquake, and the remaining 13 stories now stand at 36 meters. A flight of wooden stairs inside the pagoda leads to the top. There is a 1,000-kilogram iron bell in the temple, known as the Morning Bell of the Wild Goose Pagoda.

The Mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang

Five kilometers east of the Lintong County seat, in the vicinity of Xiahe Village, is the tomb of Qin Shi Huang. The mound is 55.05 meters high and 2,000 meters in girth. The imposing cemetery, with a novel layout, is divided into the inner and outer cities and has an unprecedentedly great wealth of cultural relics. It was included into the List of World's Cultural Heritages.

Pit 1 at the Mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang
Located 1.5 kilometers east of the tomb of Qin Shi Huang, Pit 1 is 230 meters from east to west, 62 meters from south to north, and five meters deep. It is referred to as "the No.8 world's wonder" and the largest military museum in the world. The pit houses 6,000 life-size painted terracotta warriors and horses. The warriors, arranged in battle formation, wear helmets and armor and carry weapons. They are dignified, and each has a different manner.

The Louguan Tower National Forest Park

The park sprawls at the northern foot of Zhongnan Mountain, 15 kilometers southeast of the Zhongzhi County seat in suburban Xi'an. It is named after Louguan Tower which is held by Taoists as "the No-1 place under heaven where immortals live." Louguan Tower is known not only for its historic relics but also for its enchanting landscapes of hills covered with verdant trees and tall bamboos and clear waters. Vegetation around the temple tops the list of vegetation in Zhong Mountain.

Huaqing Pool

At the nouthern foot of Mount Lishan 30 kilometers east of Xi'an, Huaqing Pool is one of the well-known hotsprings in Shaanxi Province and a tourist attraction known in and outside of China. The pool is tucked away among green pines and cypresses and embellished with pavilions, towers, and kiosks, which are linked by twisting corridors and paths.

Zhongnan Mountain

One of the main peaks of the Qinling Range, it towers 1 ,700 meters above sea level 40 kilometers south of Xi'an. The mountain consists of Mount Cuihua, Mount Nanwutai, Mount Guifeng, and Mount Lishan, each has its own rising peaks and an enchanting scenery.

The Taibai Mountain National Forest Park

The park extends for 54,000 hectares 120 kilometers outside Xi'an, along the borders of Meixian, Taibai, and Zhouzhi counties. Mount Taibai, the highest peak of the Qinling Range, features steep peaks of strange shapes, virgin forests, and traces of glaciers from the Quaternary Period.
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Follow Me to Xianyang

Xianyang

The city of Xianyang is located in the central part of Guanzhong Plain, 25 kilometers west of Xi'an. It was made the capital of feudal China after the country was unified for the first time in history. The city is 10,213 square kilometers in area and has 1,585 places of historic interest. These include such major historical sites as the Qianfo Pagoda, the ruins of Xianyang during the Qin Dynasty, the Shunting, the Changling, the Hanling , the tomb of Princess Chang Le, and the tomb of Yang Gull Fei. These historical relics are valuable data for the study of Chinese history.

Qianfo Pagoda

Also known as the Iron Pagoda, it is in Beidu Town, 15 kilometers from Xianyang. The octagonal, cone-shaped pagoda has ten stories and stands at 30 meters. It is exquisitely cast and of high artistic value.

The Maoling

It is the resting place of Emperor Wu Di of the Western Dynasty in Maoling Village of Xingping County, nine kilometers from Xianyang. It is the largest tomb with the most funeral objects of the royal court of the Western Han Dynasty. The cemetery is encirled by a city wall of 430.87 meters from east to west and 414.87 from south to north. The wall's foundation is 5.8 meters wide. Inside the wall are halls for offering sacrifices, the tomb, and houses for imperial maids and tomb guards.

The Qianling

It contains the remains of Emperor Gao Zong and Empress Wu Zetian of the Tang Dynasty. The tomb is on Mount Liangshan, 45 kilometers from Xianyang. Originally, the cemetery had an inner wall and an outer wall with watchtowers perching on top of each of the corners and large stone sculptures. The tomb is flanked in front with 61 stone statues of the chieftains of minority groups and foreign envoys attending the funeral of Emperor Gao Zong.

Follow Me to Baoji

Baoji City

Sprawling in the western part of Shaanxi Province, the city of Baoji has a long history and a galaxy of talents. It is a natural museum of history with a great wealth of historical relics unearthed. There are such scenic spots as the Site of the Fishing Terrace, the Temple of Duke Zhou, the Famen Temple Pagoda, the Jintai Temple, and the Tiantai Mountain Scenic Area.

The Tiantai Mountain Scenic Area

Located at the northern foot of the Qinling Range, the 124square-kilometer scenic area is composed of five groups of scenic spots and five individual scenic spots. These include the Temple of Emperor Yan, the Temple of Shen Nong, the ruins of the Yangshao and the Shang-Zhou-dynasty cultures, inscriptions on drum-shaped stone blocks, the Dasan Hall, a Toaist temple, The Lotus-Shaped Tiantai Plinth.

The Site of the Fishing Terrace

It is located in the Liuxi Valley south of Baoji City, where mountain peaks rise one after another, imposing halls nestle among luxuriant pine and cypress trees, and the river water gurgles down the mountain slopes.

The Famen Temple Pagoda

It is in Fufeng County in western Guanzhong Plain. Construction began during the Eastern Han Dynasty, with the pagoda erected first and the temple built later. The temple is one of the wellknown ancient temples in northern China.

The Ancient Architectural Complex at the Town God's Temple

Located on East Street in the Fufeng County seat, the temple is one of the best-preserved architectural complex from the Ming Dynasty in Guanzhong Plain. Ancient buildings at the temple include a theater, the Bell Tower, the Drum Tower, the main entrance, a wooden archway, and side halls. These pillar and beam structures, each with an ingenious design, embody the superb architectural techiques of the Ming Dynasty.

Follow Me to Hanzhong

Hanzhong City

Lying in the center of the Hanzhong Basin, the city of Hanzhong is 500 meters above sea level. There is neither bitter cold winter nor hot summer, with an annual mean temperature of 14.3°c. The principal scenic attractions include the ancient Baoxie Plank Road, the Baijiang Platform, and the ancient Hutou Bridge.

The Ancient Baoxie Plank Raod
Also called Baoxie Road or Daogu, it stretches for 120 kilometers from Baocheng County of Hanzhong City in the south to Xieyu Pass in Meixian County in the north. It is the oldest and the largest of its category in China.

The Wuhou (Marquis Wu's) Temple and Tomb
Lying at the northwestern foot of Dingjun Mountain, five kilometers south of Mianxian County, the Wuhou Tomb (the Tomb of Zhuge Liang, the prime minister of State Shu), covers an area of 0.21 square kilometers. Known as a "natural park" in southern Shaanxi, the tomb is surrounded by rolling hills and tucked away under tall trees. The Wuhou Temple is to the south of the Sichuan-Shaanxi Highway, four kilometers west of the Mianxian County seat. Built in 263, the imposing temple faces north and has the Hanshui River at its back. There are towers, pavilions, kiosks as well as tall cypresses.

Follow Me to Yan'an

Yan'an City

Located in the central Yan'an Prefecture, the timehonored city of Yan'an is the seat of the Administrative Office of the Yan'an Prefecture. It covers an area of 3,556 square kilometers. It was here that the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee led the Chinese people in the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. As a sacred place in the Chinese revolution, Yan'an has rich historical relics and many places of historic interest and scenic beauty.

Qingliang Mountain

Also called Taihe Mountain, the enchanting Qingliang Mountain towers in the northern part of Yan'an. Its scenic spots include Wanranyunxia (Looking like Rosy Clouds), Yue'erjing (Moon Well), Shiwan (Poetry Bay), Shuizhao Yan'an (Water Mirroring Yan'an), Pipa Bridge, and the Immortal's Cave. There is also the Qingliang Mountain Information and Publication Memorial Hall.

Pagoda Hill

Also known as Dialing Hill, it stands by the Yanhe River east of the city of Yan'an, with an elevation of 1,076.3 meters. The hill is named after the pagoda on it. The pavilion-style pagoda, a Ming Dynasty structure, is 44 meters high. Standing on top of the majestic pagoda, one can have a panoramic view of Yan'an City. The pagoda is the symbol of Yan'an as a sacred place in the Chinese revolution.

Musuems

The History Musuem of Shaanxi
Located in the vicinity of the Greater Wild Goose Pagoda in Xi'an, it is a modern, state-class museum with an area about 70,000 square meters and a floor space of 56,000 square meters. The imposing, elegant museum in the style of the Tang Dynasty architecture is a combination of the classical and modern architectural arts. It has in its collection 1 13,000 unearthed historical relics, of which 3,000 are now on display. Most of the exhibited items are rare treasures. There are 40 tomb murals, each with an exquisite composition and bright colors.

The Xi'an Museum of Stone Tablets

It is a garden-like museum in the style of classical architecture inside the Confucian Temple in Fuxue Lane, Xi'an. On display over the museum's more than 4,000 square meters of floor are 80,000 historical relics, which are divided into three sections: the Exhibition of History, Stone Tablets, and the Art of Stone Sculptures.

The Banpo Museum of Xi'an

The museum is built on the Banpo Ruins in Banpo Village on the eastern outskirts of Xian. As China's first museum of historical ruins, it shows a typical settlement of the matrilineal commune in the Huanghe River Valley 6,000 year ago. The remains that belong to the Yangshao Culture are valuable data for the study of the primitive society in China.