An old saying in China tells the unique position of this legendary city: "If you want to see China of 100 years ago, visit Shanghai; China of 500 years ago, Beijing; China of 2000 years ago, Xi'an". As the cradle of Chinese culture, the city was capital to the first dynasty of China, and also many of its successors. The position as the cultural and political center of the country has left the city with a great heritage, whose physical and spiritual evidence still dominates the ancient city.

Many of the sites to visit are outside Xi'an and the surrounding countryside offers a treasure trove of historical and religious relics. The most famous site is the Terracotta Army, built to protect the Emperor Qin Shi Huang, whose Mausoleum lies close the warriors. Both these sights are to the east of Xi'an. There are other less famous but equally fascinating places worth visiting too.

The Famen Temple claims to house the Buddha's fingers and still draws crowds of practicing monks (and tourists) to marvel at the fingers and the Tang dynasty treasures which are kept here. The countryside around Xi'an is also attractive and there are numerous mountains, including Mount Huashan which are a great break from the city.

The easiest way to see the sights around Xi'an is either to join an organized tour. On top of these, the Xi'an City Defense Wall is the best kept wall in all of China's ancient cities. The Bell Tower and the Drum Tower, both typical for China's ancient cities, are also in good condition, among the bustle of central modern Xi'an.

BanPo Neolithic Village (banpo yizhi)

The is six kilometers east of Xi'an. This excavated site of a village dates back to 4500 BC and was discovered in 1953. The village during this period was called Yangshao and 45 houses, 6 pottery kilns, 200 storage pits, 250 adult's tombs and children's burial jars, 10,000 tools and utensils were unearthed.

The distinct culture of these villagers was known as Yangshao culture. The most interesting aspect of this is that Yangshao culture was very artificial. There are more female tombs and graves here than male, and the women's graves contain more objects and valuables than their male counterparts do.

Today, the site itself is pretty flat and uninspiring. It takes a lot of imagination to picture how this place used to be and the Disney-style "Yangshao Village" which has been reconstructed at the site makes this area less appealing.

Dufu Memorial Temple

Dufu Temple is a the family Temple of Dufu, a famous poet from the Tang Dynasty. Political frustration and a life of poverty inspired this "Saintly poet" to write over 1,400 poems, most of which detail contemporary events.

The Temple is an example of typical Tang dynasty architecture and contains a huge stone statue of the great poet. The most precious historical relic here is an ink copy of a stele written by Dufu which is the only existing inscription by the poet in the world.

If you have a particular passion for Chinese arts or poetry then the Temple is an interesting place to visit. Today, the Temple is still an important site for practicing Buddhists.

Emperor Qin Shihuang' s Tomb

Located at the foot of the Mountain Li and 2 km west of the Terracotta army, is the tomb of the Qin Emperor that the warriors were built to protect. This is a very tourist oriented site and it leaves many people feeling cold. Today, its hard to imagine the incredible glamour and grandeur that must have surrounded this tomb in 221 BC.

Emperor Qin ascended the throne when he was only thirteen years old and his reign is widely interpreted as being one dominated by centralized rule and tyranny. The terracotta army face eastwards, a reflection of the Emperor's fear of eastern invasion.

Although the Emperor did bring peace to the eastern states and unified China, he also ordered that all books be destroyed (except those concerning the Qin Dynasty) and implemented high taxes to fund the Great Wall. Modern historians have revised the opinion of the Emperor as a philistine and dictator. They argue that the wealth of treasures found in his tomb and the artistic value of the warriors themselves are examples of high culture and artistic talent.

Whatever the historical opinion, there is no disputing that this was once an incredible and impressive Tomb. Archaeologists believe that the tomb was originally decorated with gold, silver and pearl .

The artists who deigned and constructed the mausoleum were buried alive with the Emperor and thereby forced to literally take their secrets to the grave. According to the Emperor's official biography, "The Emperor Qin Shi Huang was buried at the foot of Mount Li. The Emperor started to build his mausoleum as soon as he came to the throne.

When he unified the whole country, the Emperor Qin Shi Huang conscripted more than seven hundred thousand convicts to help build his mausoleum... and install crossbows, which were automatically discharged to prevent tomb plunderers."

Famen Temple

Famen Temple is located in Famen Town 120 kilometers northwest of Xi'an. Although this Temple is a fair distance from Xi'an, it is a fascinating place with an intriguing history and it is worth making the effort to get here.

Legend has it that in 147 AD King Asoka of India traveled throughout Asia, distributing Buddhist relics as atonement for his sins and war like attitude. In China, he built this Temple and left the fingers of Buddha to be enshrined here.

Tang Dynasty Emperors revered this sacred relic and regularly walked through the streets with the fingers followed by a huge worshipping procession. The Tang Emperors offered wonderful gifts to the fingers in an attempt to better their predecessors offerings.

This legend was actually dismissed until 1981 when heavy rains revealed the crypt, shrine and underground palace completely by accident. The crypt contains the Buddha's fingers and gifts from the Emperors. The site is still seen as an important place of pilgrimage for Buddhists today.

The museum here is excellent and contains various objects from the Tang dynasty including sacrificial offerings and royal gifts.

Forest of Steles (Xi'an beilin)

Steles are huge stone slabs which depict important calligraphic writing, often dating back to ancient times. They are held in high regard in China and many people study the artistry of these mammoth pieces.

The Forest of Steles (Xi'an beilin) is located in the Confucian Temple on Sanxue Jie in Xi'an, this building was first built to preserve the Thirteen Classics of Filial Piety which were engraved during the Tang Dynasty.

A significant collection of Steles was gathered by the Qing dynasty and the building became known as the Forest of Steles.

Today, this is a professional art museum which collects, studies and displays various Steles and stone sculptures. if you are interested in Chinese art and calligraphy, there are some interesting objects on display here. If not, possibly give this one a miss!

Huaqing Pool (huaqing chi)

Huaqing Hot Spring (huaqing chi) is situated 30 kilometers east of Xian at the foot of the Lishan Hills. The Springs were a popular retreat with Emperors more than 2500 years ago, many of whom enjoyed bathing in the perfectly clear mineral water.

Today this is a favorite site for Chinese tourists. In fact, there is not a great deal to actually see here, but the history behind the area is very vivid and colorful!

Legend has it that the pools were fully established here in the Qing dynasty. The most romantic story that accompanies the history of the springs is that of the Chinese equivalent of Romeo and Juliet; the story of the Emperor Xuan Zong and his concubine Yang Guifei. Yang was a poor girl who the Emperor took a fancy to and promoted to the position of "lady".

Legend has it that he was so enamored by her beauty that it distracted him from his daily work. The Empire was being threatened and the courtiers threatened to kill the concubine, blaming her for the Emperor's mismanagement of his nation.

Desperate and madly in love, Yang hung herself to save the country and her lover's name. The springs were renamed the Huaqing or "The Fair" springs, in honor of Yang Guifei's beauty.

There are numerous classical style buildings at the site and many frescoes decorate the walls here. It is usually very busy, as the story of Yang Guefei is very popular with the Chinese. Today, visitors can bathe in the 43 degree C water.

There is a "Hot Springs Bathhouse" which is rather like a private bathroom in a five star hotel. More atmospheric and cheaper too is the communal bathhouse.

Lintong Museum

The Lintong Museum is just up the road from the Huaqing Springs. This is actually a more interesting site than the Springs and many travelers prefer to move swiftly from the springs to the museum.

This local museum displays a varied collection of over 10,00 relics, from the stone age up to the Qing dynasty housed in an attractive classical building with red pillars and winding corridors.

This was also the site of the Xi'an incident in 1936 when Chang Kaishek's own troops arrested him. Chang was made to sign an alliance with the Communists against the Japanese at a spot which is today marked by a small red pavilion near the museum.

Mount Lishan

Mount Lishan is on the north side of Mount Qinling and at its highest peak reaches 1256 meters above sea level.

The shape of the mountain is said to resemble a horse, hence the name which translates as "Black horse Mountain".

The mountain first became a popular retreat during the Tang Dynasty when the Emperors enjoyed climbing (or more likely being carried in their sedan's!) up here and taking in the wonderful view, the Hot Springs and the various statues and pavilions en route.

On the east of the hill is also the spot where the Emperor Xuanzong and his concubine Lady Yang made solemn promises to love one another for ever!

The Terracotta Warriors (bingmayong)

Arguably one of China's most famous and popular tourist sites, the Terracotta warriors (bingmayong) are among the top archaeological excavations of the 20th Century. The warriors have made Xian the big tourist destination that it is today and the wealth in this city owes much to their discovery.

This incredible collection of 6,000 men and their horses was actually discovered completely by accident by a group of peasants in 1974 who were digging a well! In a bizarre twist, the man who supposedly discovered them now sits in a hall at the site signing postcards of the stone army.

The warriors are over 2000 years old and were originally constructed to protect the tomb of the Emperor Qin Shi Huang. The Warriors are now housed in a huge airplane hangar and despite their fame and the throngs of tourists visiting the site, they are still incredibly impressive. These life size warriors stand on guard as if preparing for battle. Historians believe that these magnificent men were originally painted.

The paint has now worn and the original bronze age weapons (including swords, arrows and lances) that many of the soldiers carried only a few years ago, are now locked up away from public eyes. Although there are 6000 of the statues remaining, there were actually many more when the tomb was first built.

It is the scale of this collection that is perhaps the most impressive aspect of the site. The Emperor must have been an incredibly influential and impressive man to deserve this great protection even when he was dead! The faces of the warriors are said to be modeled on the artists who sculpted them and on the actual Imperial guards at the time.

Further discoveries were made in 1976 when another 1000 warriors and various other sculptures were dug up. Archaeologists also believe that there is possibly a larger and more impressive army still buried beneath the Emperor's tomb.

The Tomb of Concubine Yang

The Tomb of Concubine Yang is situated about 60 km. to the west of Xi' an. Yang Guefeis' tomb is situated near to Xianyang city which was the capital of China's first dynasty.

Although many of the tombs and the Famen Temple are a long way out of Xi'an, it is worth visiting these places if you have time. It takes a long day to see all the sights along this route and it's best to just pick a few of the more interesting tombs and Temples along the route and make the effort to see them properly.

Yang Guifei was the Emperor Tang Ming Huang's concubine who hung herself to save her lover's name and the empire. Yang's tomb is a popular spot with Chinese tourists and she is considered to be one of the most beautiful women ever to have lived. The story goes that when the Emperor took Yang into the gardens, beautiful flowers would shy away as they felt inferior in comparison to her beauty.

Until a few years ago, young Chinese girls would visit here on the third day of the third month in the lunar year, take some soil from around the tomb and mix it with flour. Popular belief holds that this "concubines powder" makes you beautiful if it is applied to the face. However, as the ground around the tomb began to disintegrate, authorities put a stop to this romantic practice by building a blue wall around the tomb! In the corridors surrounding the courtyard of the tomb, the work of numerous famous writers is displayed, depicting their views on this tragic love story.

Xi'an City Walls

The Xi'an City Wall is not only the most complete city wall that has survived in China, but it's also one of the largest and most complete ancient military systems of defense in the world. The city walls here were actually built on the fortifications of the Tang Forbidden City.

The military defense facilities here including the city wall, city moat, drawbridges, watchtowers, corner towers, parapet walls and gate towers once made up a complete city defense system.

Many sections have since been destroyed and the city walls are incomplete. The 14km of wall does not stretch around the entire city. You can get up on the walls at the east of the railway station and at the south gate adjacent to the provincial museum.

The Bell Tower and the Drum Tower

The Bell Tower in Xi'an is situated in the very heart of the city and at the junction of four main roads. The original city Bell Tower was situated to the west of this site and the present construction was built in 1582 and restored in 1739.

There is a huge bell hanging on the roof of the tower which was traditionally used to tell the time by and there are other, smaller bells on exhibit in the tower too.

Today, the Tower can only be accessed form the Subway on Bei Dajie where visitors must also buy their tickets.

To the west of the Bell Tower is the Drum Tower. This is a smaller building, situated in a lively street which is filled with street traders and hawkers. This tower marks the entrance to the city's Muslim Quarter which is a lovely area to wander and observe. the felling here is almost of a "city within a city" and the streets around this district heading up to the Mosque are like a small village crammed with people selling all kinds of weird and wonderful things.

The Imperial Tombs

Qianling Mausoleum is located on Liangshan Hill about 80 kilometers west of Xi'an. This well preserved mausoleum is the joint tomb of the the Tang dynasty Emperor Gaozong and Empress Wu Zetian. Empress Wu's rise to power is particularly impressive given that she became an Empress in her own right in a society where the highest position a woman could generally hope to obtain was that of concubine.

After her husband died, the Empress Wu ruled the country until her death in 707. Criticism of this "feminist" Empress ranges from those who saw her as little more than a whore to those who consider that she was blood thirsty and tyrannical. No doubt all these opinions are tainted by the simple fact that she was a woman.

The Tomb is surrounded by headless statues of the leaders of minority peoples. There are various historical relics here including stone engravings and exquisitely carved stone statues. Of all the arts, sculpture particularly blossomed during the Tang dynasty.

The small mausoleum is located on a hill with three peaks- two artificial and one natural. Locals believe that the north peak resembles Empress Wu's head and the two southern peaks resemble her breasts! There are also other tombs around here including Princess Yong Tai's tomb- an elegant and beautiful construction.

How to get there: To get to Qianling Mausoleum take a bus from the Long Distance Bus Station in Xi'an. Buses leave every twenty minutes and the trip takes about two hours.

The Large Wild Goose Pagoda

The Large Wild Goose Pagoda (dayanta) is located within the premises of the Temple of Great Maternal Grace (Dacien Si). This magnificent pagoda is four kilometers south of Xi'an and many regard it as a symbol of the city. The pagoda, built in 652 A.D, is a square pyramid and stands at 60 meters high and seven storeys tall.

Legend has it that the Temple was built by Emperor Tang Gaozong to honor his mother, Empress Wende. The Temple is also said to have been built to house and protect Buddhist scriptures collected in India by the Chinese monk, Xuan Zang.

There are fantastic views from the top of the pagoda of the grid- like streets below and it seems hard to believe today that the area around here was once countryside and fields! It is tradition to throw coins from the windows of the pagoda in the hope that this will bring good luck.

How to get there: The Large Wild Goose Pagoda is in the south of the city. To get there take bus No.41 from the train station.

The Small Wild Goose Pagoda

The Small Wild Goose Pagoda, is situated about 1km south of Xi'an city in the grounds of Jianfu Temple. The Pagoda is a square brick construction with dense eaves, 45 meters high but missing it's top which was shaken off by an earthquake!

The pagoda is uniquely and delicately shaped with a hollow inside and was originally built to house Buddhist scriptures and relics.