Xian

Places of Interest - China

introduction

Xi'an (of Xian) is the capital of the Shaanxi province and was once the capital of China. The city lies in the protected valley of the river Wei He, a few dozen kilometers west of the place where it merges with the famous Yellow River. The main reason for a visit would be the grave of Emperor Qin Shi Huangdi with the accompanying Terracotta Army but there is more to see and experience. For example, in the city, with its impressive city walls, you can visit the old Muslim district with its 15 mosques.

This was created by the many Arab traders and sellers who chose the city at the end of the famous Silk Road. The city is the heart of the beginning of Chinese civilization. The Qin Dynasty, the first dynasty that united China, was close to its capital. For that reason you can visit numerous tomb sites around the city. The most important one would be that of Emperor Jingdi. You can also visit the spa of Huaqing and/or the Famen temple where four fingerpieces of Buddha would be.

highlights

Xian - inner city:

China does not have many cities whose old city walls are still standing but Xian is one of the exceptions. Built on the foundations of the Tang dynasty, the wall you see now was built in 1370 during the "Ming" dynasty. It is 14 km long, 12 meters high, 18 meters thick at the bottom and has, in addition to a number of towers, four gates named after the winds.

A wide canal has been built around it. Nowadays, after a thorough restoration, you can walk along the entire city wall. Within these city walls you can, among other things, visit the so-called drum tower - this was named after the sounds of the drums in the evening when the city gates closed. Not far from there is the wooden 14th-century clock tower in the middle of the main crossroads of the walled city. In the past, the bells sounded to indicate that the gates were opening again.

The big mosque, the Muslim quarter

Behind these towers lies the ancient Muslim quarter with, among other things, the "big" mosque ("Da Qingzhen Si"). One of China's largest mosques is a mix of Chinese and Islamic architectural styles. With a real minaret, the first version was built in the 8th century when Arab traders came to China via the Silk Road. Around the mosque is a labyrinth of narrow alleys and streets full of souvenir- and other shops. Here you can visit the "public house" - a traditional Chinese house that also serves as a gallery and tea house. On the south side of the old town you can see an extraordinary collection in what they call "the forest of steles". Ancient texts, calligraphed on thousands of tablets exhibited in a museum housed in a Confucian temple.

Outside the city walls, on the south side, the small and large wild "goose" pagodas are interesting to see. Both high pagoda’s (43 and 64 meters) are both built in the 7th century and set up in layers. The pagodas got their wondrous name because of a legend that indicated that the nearby temple was built in honor of a sacred wild goose. You can both climb up to enjoy the view.

Around Xian:

The most popular sights of Xian are located outside the city-limits. Unfortunately, they are all in different directions and you will need a few days to visit the most important ones.

Terracotta army (grave of emperor Qin Shi Huangdi):

In 1974, it was a number of farmers who accidentally encountered a subterranean vault when plowing the land to build a well. Under the 3 meter layer of sand they found 6000 life-size terracotta soldiers in full armor including horses and carts. The eternal imperial guard of the founder of the Qin dynasty, emperor Qin Shi Huangdi, was promptly discovered. It is the largest archaeological find of the 20th century.

The tomb of Emperor Qin Shi Huangdi:

During his relatively short reign, Qin Shi Huangdi managed to unite large kingdoms around a river in China into one empire and is therefore considered the 1st real Emperor of China. An estimated 700,000 workers were employed during the construction of his mausoleum, more than twice as many as did the Chinese Wall.

It is part of a walled piece of land with numerous buildings. The mausoleum is like a palace under a burial mound, which is now 76 meters high. Qin believed that the tomb was his palace for eternity and that life underground was a continuation of his life on earth. Around his tomb are burial chambers with gifts, which were meant to ensure that his soul was nourished and protected in the hereafter. At the end of the construction of the tomb, the people who had helped had been buried alive in the underground palace, so that none of the secrets could reveal themselves. The grave must have been impressive at the time.

The big Walls

The burial mound, originally 115 meters high and covered with grass and trees, was surrounded by 10 to 12 meters thick walls. Within these walls were once temples, halls and administrative buildings. The whole covered more than 2.5 km², and more than 400 wells with grave gifts were excavated. According to a description by the Chinese historian Sima Qian, from the 1st century BC, the design of the grave was intended as an underground representation of the universe.

The ceiling is inlaid with pearls so that the sun, the moon and the stars can be imitated. The floor and the walls are covered with bronze to keep the water out. According to this historical source, the soil is designed as a map of the Chinese empire. The Yellow River, Yangtsekiang and the ocean would have been imitated in mercury. It is also said that automatic crossbows have been installed that go off as soon as the grave is opened.

Only a few of the small hundred burial chambers have been opened; there are countless treasures under the ground. Nobody knows where the entrance to the emperor's crypt is. With current techniques, it is not yet justified to dig up the Emperor's grave with any treasures without damage.

In the vicinity of the burial mound under which the Emperor's tomb is, there are also numerous burial pits. One of them contained two beautiful bronze miniature cars with bronze horses and charioteers. These are now in the museum at the excavation site. After the first discovery (of the 6000 soldiers) two more pits were discovered with another 2,000 soldiers, one of which appears to be the command post of the buried army.

Recently a pit with bronze birds has been discovered. There are also found quarries with skeletons of exotic animals, mass graves of forced laborers and tombs with bodies of young people. That could have been human sacrifices. In 384 BC. this practice was officially banned in China, but the sacrifice of people continued until the 17th century.

Damaged

The terracotta army is in five pits at two kilometers from the burial mound. The soldiers are placed in 6 meters deep channels. These corridors, separated by earthen walls, were once covered with a frame of wood and earth. After the Qin Dynasty, the burial mansions were plundered and set on fire, causing the terracotta soldiers to be severely damaged. Halls have been built above these pits where you can view the terracotta army. The terracotta army consists of, among other things, the footmen, crossbowmen, riders with chariots and horses, all of whom stood ready for a battle. They are all between 1.60 m and 1.80 m long and they are all different from each other. Some are standing and others are kneeling with a bowed arrow and bow, as if they were making themselves ready for the attack.

Some wear armor and others are dressed in a uniform. The weapons they carry are real and the horses' heads are made of bronze. Less well known is that one has also discovered an army of smaller images from about 0.50 m to 0.75 m high. The images are hollow and made in parts. The soldiers used to be painted in bright colors, but almost immediately after their excavation that color has disappeared due to exposure to the outside air. Because the images are baked, they are found in reasonably good condition.

It is said that all terracotta warriors are based on real people, each face has different characteristics and expressions. It will not surprise anyone that the remains at the Emperor's grave belong to UNESCO World Heritage. There is also a museum where you can also eat next to buy souvenirs.

Tomb of Emperor Jingdi and Famen Temple:

Two other impressive sights around Xian are the tomb of Emperor Jingdi which is located about 20 km north of the city and the Famen temple 115 km west of Xian. Where the terracotta army is an imperial find, the remains of these are special because the daily life of that time is evident here.

The miniature statues that the emperor and empress received in their tomb include 300 miniature people, but also goats, sheep and pigs. 50,000 terracotta artefacts have been found. The Famen temple is visited by pilgrims as there are four sacred phantom pals from Buddha. These were donated to China by the then Indian king Asoka. A few years ago it was found that a wall had accidentally collapsed on top of a thousand objects of Imperial sacrifices.

Other sights around Xian:

Not far from the Terracotta army lies the spa Huaqing with its hot springs. The ponds, bathhouses and garden pavilions have been brought back to their former glory from the Tang period, when this was a favorite imperial leisure resort. It was here where nationalist leader Chang Kah-Shek was temporarily confined in 1936 to force him to make a temporary covenant with the Communists to defeat the Japanese together. You can also visit the Banpo Neolithic village which is about 6500 years old where you can walk between the remains of old huts with weapons, graves, tools and agricultural tools from that time.

history

Xian was founded as the city "Chang'an" (perpetual peace) and is sometimes called the source of the Chinese civilization. In the bend of the Yellow River settled in the 3rd century BC. by the ancestors of the "Han" Chinese. The rich soil and the possibility to irrigate fields made settle here very attractive.

However, the erratic nature of the river - which repeatedly went beyond its banks and diverted its bed - forced the population into close cooperation. This is where the Xi'an settlement came into being, and in the end the first - and most powerful - states of China were also created in this region. From this valley saw emperor Qin Shi Huangdi in 221 BC. opportunity to unite China for the first time into one nation. Chang'an became the capital.

During the Tang Dynasty (618-907), Xi'an was one of the largest cities in the world with a million inhabitants. It would be the end or starting point of the famous Silk Road and so China was connected to Europe and many Central Asian regions. There were thousands of foreign merchants living in the city at the time, who would serve as capital for a dozen imperial dynasties for more than a thousand years.

After the fall of the Tang Dynasty in the 10th century AD. boyle Xi'an in the sense of becoming a provincial town, until the discovery of the terracotta army in 1974, making it one of China's most popular tourist destinations.

tips & advice (2001)

The "Xianyang" airport is about 40 km west of the city of Xian. Just outside the city walls, northeast of the city wall is the "old" train station. There were plans to build a new one north of the city at about 3km from the old center. The most important long-distance bus station is opposite the "old" train station, but many buses leave also from before the train station. There is also an east and west bus station which are both outside the ring of Xian.

Xian - Terracotta army: in front of the train station (on the parking lot) the special but public "Terracotta Warriors" minibus departs regularly to the site. This takes about an hour and costs Y7. There is also the bus 306 that runs through the "Huaqing" hot springs but does not run that regularly.

Xian - Pingyao: there is at least one night train that takes about 9 to 11 hours. Costs are Y86.

Name: Jianguo hotel

Address: 2 Huzhu Road (Huzhu Lu)

Phone nr. : 86-29-82598888

Website: http://www.hotelsjianguo.com

Content:

Jianguo Hotel Xi'an features a courtyard and spacious rooms with views of the lake. Located near Xing Qing Park, the hotel is less than a 5-minute walk from the eastern city gate. Breakfast is included in the Western restaurant. The hotel has 642 rooms of all kinds.