Places to visit in Xian

Built in the 14th century, this is one of the oldest and well preserved city walls of China. The wall is 40 feet tall and around 46 feet wide at the top and around 60 feet thick. Covering around 36 sq kilometres, this structure is in itself a work of brilliance. Initially it was built to store huge structure proved to be a guard from the enemy attack. The wall has provision for arrows, which were built to provide arrows during war.

Known for her splendid beauty, Xi’an has a series of famous landmarks including the Terracotta Army, the city wall, the Xi’an Incident Memorial Hall. People come to Xi’an for an enriched experience of history and culture. Filled with magnificent monuments, this place oozes charm.

Xi’an is known to have a very rich culture and heritage. Centre for all different types of art, music etc. It has good taste in art and people are very receptive. Xi’an has been the mother to many Chinese stars. Opera, an old source of entertainment still flourishes here.

Haanxi Hongshi gorge in Xi’an is a breath taking natural miracle. Through this red sand stone gorge the waterfall paints the most image of beauty. The White Dragon waterfall is the best fall in this gorge. Hukou Waterfall is the second largest waterfall in China. This spectacular waterfall is the only waterfall in the world with yellow water. This majestic waterfall immediately becomes everyone’s favourite. Located 120 kilometres from Xian, Hua Shan is the one of the most dangerous terrain for hiking. Also called the Flower Mountain, it is seat for religious activities as well.

The terracotta Army, the Giant and the Small Goose Pagoda, Mausoleum of the First Qin emperor, Shaanxi History Museum, Wolong Temple are few names among several are a must see when you are in Xi’an.

Xi’an is a huge store house of diverse floral and faunal species. With huge and open parks and gardens, Xi’an portrays picturesque image for all its travellers. Mount Cuihua National Geological Park, Chanba National Wetland Park, Hei He National Forest Park are some of the beautiful open spaces of this place. Xingqing gongyuan has a huge open space and boasts of being Xi’an’s premier park.  Xi'an Botanical Garden covers an area of 20 hectares. This garden boasts of being one of the eight earliest botanical gardens here. It is also a source of research and technology. Based on their purpose, trees are categorised and planted.

Endowed with a rich history, Xi’an boasts of a number of museums in its heart. The famous and the most renowned among them is the Terracotta Army Museum. Shanxi History Museum is another such famous name. Hanyang Tomb Museum is the 1st underground museum in China. The 64.5 meters high Hanyang Tomb Museum also acts a holy place for the Buddhists which previously stored items of Buddhist origin brought from India. Stele Forest was originally a museum of stone sculptures and/or steles.

One of the oldest temples here, this is famous for preserving the veritable Finger Bone of the Sakyamuni Buddha. Under this pagoda is the largest known underground palace of the Buddhists.Other religious places include Xi Ming Monastery, Jianfu Temple and many more.

This is the oldest and the most well-known mosque in China. Built in 742, this mosque is constructed in Chinese architecture. One of the sought after tourist destination, this is the place of worship for Chinese Muslims here.

Any tour becomes a memorable visit only when the kids are happy. Xi’an knows this and hence has a potpourri of amusements for the younger visitors. The Terracotta Army is a must visit for all the kids. The Qujiang Ocean World, five kilometres from the city is another attraction for them. This modernised ocean world is the largest education centre in the North West region. The Qujiang Pool Park and the Weiyanghu Amusement Park are the chief attractions for the young visitors. Kids adore animals and Xi’an has a wonderful treat for them in the form of the Qinling Zoological Park. With over 300 species of animals, this park is guaranteed to steal your heart.

Located near the Bell Tower and at the centre of the city, this spectacular tower is famous for its huge drums. There is one huge drum with intricate designs on it. Unlike the bell in the Bell Tower which is struck at dawn the drum in Drum Tower is beaten at dusk.

Built by Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang, in the year 1384 this is a stately yet traditional building located at the geographic middle of the city. This tower is adorned with beautiful and huge bells made of bronze. This is China’s largest and best preserved wooden tower. In the old days, this tall building was used to keep a watch on the entire city and protect the city from any kind of attack. This is an artistic structure with beautiful engravings on the doors.

Terracotta Army Located in the city’s suburb, this 2000 years old life sized sculpture depicts the army of the first Emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang. This whole sculptor got buried along with the emperor and was meant to protect him in his afterlife.  The sculptor surrounds the emperor’s tomb. Around 8000 terracotta soldiers and hundreds of chariots, horses etc. are sculptured there. The soldiers are of varied sizes depending upon their role. A magnificent monument of such fineness and details hold evidence to the brilliant craftsmanship of that period. A must visit monument for every visitor, this glorious monument is sure to steal your breath away and leave you awe struck.