Xi'an 4-Day In-depth History Tour
Xi’an Depth: Classic + Big & Small Wild Goose Pagodas + Museums
Day-by-Day Itinerary
1
Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum → Huaqing Palace
Terracotta Army Museum of Qin Shi Huang
The Terracotta Army Museum of Qin Shi Huang is located in Lintong District, Xi'an City, Shaanxi Province. It is the burial pit of the mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang, the first feudal emperor of China, and is known as the "Eighth Wonder of the World." The terracotta warriors unearthed here are in various forms and lifelike, and are important physical materials for studying the military, culture, and art of the Qin Dynasty.
Huaqing Palace
Huaqing Palace, also known as Huaqing Pool, is located at the foot of Lishan Mountain in Lintong District, Xi'an City, Shaanxi Province. It is a famous hot spring resort and historical and cultural scenic spot in China. With its beautiful terrain, pleasant climate, and a long history of nearly three thousand years, it was once the imperial palace of many ancient Chinese emperors, especially known for the love story of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang and Yang Guifei. It is also the site of the Xi'an Incident in 1936. Huaqing Palace is now a national AAAAA-level tourist attraction.
2
Xi'an City Wall (Cycling) → Bell Tower → Drum Tower → Muslim Quarter
Xi'an City Wall
Xi'an City Wall, also known as Xi'an Ming City Wall, is the largest and most complete ancient city wall existing in China. It was built in the Hongwu period of the Ming Dynasty, based on the imperial city of the Tang Dynasty, and fully embodies the style of ancient Chinese city construction. The total circumference of the city wall is 13.74 kilometers, including a moat, drawbridge, gate tower, arrow tower, main tower, corner tower, watchtower, parapet, and crenellations, forming a complete set of military facilities. Since 1961, the Xi'an City Wall has been listed as a national key cultural relics protection unit and is also a national AAAAA-level tourist attraction, demonstrating the complete characteristics of city wall architecture in Chinese feudal society and serving as an important physical material for studying Chinese history and ancient architectural art. Visitors can cycle and stroll on the city wall, feeling the weight of history and the modern vitality of Xi'an.
Xi'an Bell Tower
The Xi'an Bell Tower, built in the 17th year of the Ming Dynasty Hongwu (1384), is one of the largest and most well-preserved bell towers in China, and is also a landmark building in Xi'an. It is located in the center of Xi'an, at the intersection of the four main streets of Xi'an, east, west, north, and south. The bell tower houses several large bronze bells cast in the Tang Dynasty. In ancient times, the bell tower was mainly used for telling time and publishing news. With the development of the times, its traditional functions have gradually withdrawn, and it is now open to the public as a national-level cultural relics protection unit for tourists to visit.
Xi'an Drum Tower
The Xi'an Drum Tower is located in the center of Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, China, and is one of Xi'an's iconic buildings, facing the Bell Tower. It was built in the Hongwu period of the Ming Dynasty (1380 AD) and stands majestically in the city center, overlooking the beautiful scenery of Xi'an. The Drum Tower is located in an area mainly inhabited by the Hui people and is named after the huge drum placed inside. Opposite the morning bell of the Bell Tower, the evening drum of the Drum Tower was used to tell the time, marking the end of the day. Many large drums are hung on the first floor of the Drum Tower, each decorated with exquisite Chinese characters, symbolizing good luck. There is also a Drum Culture Museum in the building, displaying various historical drums, and there are drum performances every day. The top of the Drum Tower offers a panoramic view of the city.
Muslim Quarter
Xi'an Muslim Quarter is a snack street and commercial area located in the center of Xi'an, China, adjacent to the Bell Tower and Drum Tower. It is bordered by Shehuo Street to the east, Zaoyuan Lane to the west, West Avenue to the south, and Hongfu Street to the north. The area has ten mosques, the largest of which is the Great Mosque, which is listed as a national protected cultural relic for its traditional architecture and religious significance. According to the 2010 census, the area has a population of about 60,000, more than half of whom are Hui people, and the rest are Han Chinese. In the past few decades, Xi'an Muslim Quarter has become a tourist attraction known for its culture and cuisine, attracting tourists from all over the world every year. The history of the Muslim Quarter can be traced back to the Tang Dynasty, when Muslim merchants came and gathered in Chang'an (today's Xi'an) through the Silk Road. Since then, from the Five Dynasties to the Song Dynasty, the Muslim population began to settle near Daxuexi Street and Huajue Great Mosque. Later, in the Ming Dynasty, the town government of Xi'an was located next to the Drum Tower, a traditional building used for timing, which was very close to the Muslim Quarter. This gathered a large number of wealthy merchants, thus cultivating a commercial lifestyle mainly dominated by Muslims within the Muslim Quarter. After the Ming Dynasty, the Qing Dynasty formed the pattern of "Three Temples and Thirteen Workshops". Although the Shaanxi-Gansu Hui Revolt in the late Qing Dynasty destroyed a large number of Muslim communities in Northwest China, the Muslim Quarter of Xi'an was unaffected due to its highly commercialized status and protected location within the city walls. The Middle Temple and the West Temple were built in 1919 and 1920 respectively, further developing the Muslim Quarter into a pattern of "Nine Temples".
3
Shaanxi History Museum → Tang Dynasty Everbright City (Night)
Shaanxi History Museum
Shaanxi History Museum is China's first large-scale modern national museum, located northwest of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda in Xi'an. It houses more than 370,000 cultural relics, including murals, paintings, pottery, coins, and bronzes, gold and silver wares. The museum was built between 1983 and 2001, and its architectural style imitates the Tang Dynasty.
Grand Tang Dynasty Ever Bright City
Grand Tang Dynasty Ever Bright City is located in Yanta District, Xi'an City, Shaanxi Province. It is a pedestrian street with the prosperous Tang Dynasty culture as its background, integrating culture, tourism, and commerce. It is famous for its magnificent Tang-style architecture, exquisite sculptures, brilliant night scenes, and rich cultural performances. It is an excellent place to experience the prosperity of the Tang Dynasty. Tourists can enjoy various imitation Tang buildings, cultural landscapes, taste authentic food, and watch wonderful street art performances. Especially at night, the lights are brilliant, the colors are dazzling, and the atmosphere is full.
4
Big Wild Goose Pagoda (Daci’en Temple) → Xi'an Museum (Small Wild Goose Pagoda) → Academy Gate
Giant Wild Goose Pagoda
The Giant Wild Goose Pagoda is located in the southern part of Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, China. It is a magnificent Buddhist pagoda, originally built in 652 AD during the Tang Dynasty. It initially had five stories, and was rebuilt to seven stories in 704 AD during the reign of Wu Zetian. The existing brick exterior walls were added during the Ming Dynasty. The pagoda was mainly used to preserve the Buddhist scriptures and statues brought back from India by the Tang Dynasty monk Xuanzang. The Giant Wild Goose Pagoda is 64 meters high, and you can overlook the panoramic view of Xi'an from the top. It is located in the Da Ci'en Temple and was listed as a World Heritage Site in 2014 as part of the "Silk Roads: the Routes Network of Chang'an-Tianshan Corridor".
Xi'an Museum
Xi'an Museum is located on Youyi West Road, Beilin District, Xi'an City, Shaanxi Province, and officially opened to the public on May 18, 2007. The total investment is 220 million RMB, covering an area of 160,000 square meters, with a building area of more than 60,000 square meters. The overall architecture is laid out in a garden style, consisting of the museum, the Small Wild Goose Pagoda, the Jianfu Temple historical and cultural area, and the museum garden. In 2012, Xi'an Museum was rated as a national first-class museum by the State Administration of Cultural Heritage. The museum exhibition area is more than 16,000 square meters, with an exhibition area of more than 5,000 square meters, and was designed by Zhang Jinqiu, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering. The museum has a collection of 130,000 cultural relics, including more than 14,400 precious cultural relics above the national third-class level. Jianfu Temple was a famous royal temple in the Tang Dynasty. Most of it was destroyed in the wars at the end of the Tang Dynasty, leaving only the Small Wild Goose Pagoda. The Small Wild Goose Pagoda, originally named Jianfu Temple Pagoda, is 43.4 meters high and has a base length of 11.38 meters, retaining the style and characteristics of the early Tang Dynasty. In 1961, it was announced by the State Council as the first batch of national key cultural relics protection units. The Tang Dynasty astronomer Yi Xing once practiced Buddhism in the temple with Subhakarasimha and Vajrabodhi.
Xi'an Shuyuanmen Pedestrian Street
Xi'an Shuyuanmen Pedestrian Street is located in Nanyuanmen Street, Beilin District, Xi'an. It is a distinctive commercial street full of rich historical and cultural atmosphere. It mainly sells stationery, calligraphy and paintings, antiques, rubbings, etc. It is an excellent place to experience Guanzhong Academy culture and feel the atmosphere of traditional art. The street is lined with antique buildings, winding bluestone roads, and antique archways and dazzling shops attract many tourists and culture enthusiasts.
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