Xi’an Trip Overview
• Marvel at the proudly unflinching, life-sized Terracotta Warriors, considered the eighth wonder of the world.
• Visit Emperor Qin’s Mausoleum, the final resting place of the first emperor of China, Qin Shihuang.
• Admire the towering 7th century Little Wild Goose Pagoda, built to hold sacred Buddhist texts brought back from India.
• Visit Xian Museum to learn the history of Xian, the starting point of the Silk Road & capital of 13 Chinese dynasties.
• Explore Xi’an’s 1,300 year old Muslim community by visiting the Great Mosque, the largest ancient mosque of China.
• Experienced English speaking tour guide.
• Overland round-trip transfers with private chauffeur and in-transport refreshments.
Additional Info
Duration: 10 hours
Starts: Xi’an, China
Trip Category: Cultural & Theme Tours >> Cultural Tours
Explore Xi’an Promoted Experiences
What to Expect When Visiting Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
• Marvel at the proudly unflinching, life-sized Terracotta Warriors, considered the eighth wonder of the world.
• Visit Emperor Qin’s Mausoleum, the final resting place of the first emperor of China, Qin Shihuang.
• Admire the towering 7th century Little Wild Goose Pagoda, built to hold sacred Buddhist texts brought back from India.
• Visit Xian Museum to learn the history of Xian, the starting point of the Silk Road & capital of 13 Chinese dynasties.
• Explore Xi’an’s 1,300 year old Muslim community by visiting the Great Mosque, the largest ancient mosque of China.
• Experienced English speaking tour guide.
• Overland round-trip transfers with private chauffeur and in-transport refreshments.
Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: The Museum of Qin Terra-cotta Warriors and Horses, Qinling North Road, Lintong District, Xi’an 710600 China
Also named Terracotta Army, the Terracotta Warriors and Horses are a collection of terracotta sculptures depicting the armies of Qin Shihuang, the first Emperor of China. They were buried to protect the emperor in his afterlife. The Terracotta Army were discovered in 1974 by local farmers drilling wells for irrigation. The figures vary in height according to their roles, with the tallest being the generals. The figures include warriors, chariots and horses. There are an estimated of 8000 soldiers, 130 chariots with 520 horses and 150 cavalry horses buried in three pits. Other terracotta non-military figures were found in other pits, including officials, acrobats, strongmen and musicians. The Terracotta Army is one of the most significant archaeological excavations of the 20th century in the world. It was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Small Goose Pagoda, No.72 Youyi Road, Beilin District, Xi’an 710068 China
The Small Wild Goose Pagoda was built in the year 707 A.D during the Tang Dynasty. Originally, the pagoda had fifteen stories. Each floor was slightly shorter than the next, giving the pagoda a feeling of diminishing height. Today, it stands 142 feet (43.38 meters) tall. When it was built it was taller; it lost two floors during the 1556 earthquake. It has withstood over seventy earthquakes over the centuries.The original builders encased the base of the pagoda into a spherical pounded earth mound. The mound absorbs the shocks of the quakes and distributes the pressure over the sphere. The mortise and tenon support structures on the interior buildings were designed to absorb shifts in pressure and counterbalance such effects. The structure is so internally stable that when cracks have appeared in the outer skin of bricks due to quakes, the building remains stable until the next quake closes the cracks!
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Xi’an Museum, 72 Youyi Xilu, Xi’an 710068 China
Xian Museum is a three-storied building, with an underground floor unseen from the outside. The architectural design of the museum follows the traditional Chinese concept of the universe – a round heaven and a square earth. The museum collection includes about 130,000 pieces. Most of the collection pieces were found in Xian and the surrounding region. Many of the collection pieces come from excavated tombs dating back to the Zhou Dynasty (11th century BC); Qin Dynasty (221BC-206BC); Han Dynasty (206BC-220AD) and the Tang Dynasty (618-907). Themed exhibition halls display Buddhist statues made from copper, bronze and stone; jade artifacts; clay figures; seals; calligraphy; paintings and ceremonial items used in rituals. In the underground level there are recreated scenes showing the way of life in Xian through the ages. The main permanent exhibition is entitled “Ancient Capital of Xian.” It focuses on the 1,000 years when Xian served as the capital of 13 dynasties.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Great Mosque of Xi’an, Hua Jue Xiang, Lian Hu Qu, Xi An Shi, Shan Xi Sheng, China, 710001
The Great Mosque of Xian was built in 742 and it is a tranquil and historic mosque that has served Xian’s Muslim community for more than a millennium. Being the largest and best preserved of the ancient mosques of China, the buildings of Xian Great Mosque are a fascinating fusion of Chinese and Arabian styles. The Great Mosque is laid out like a traditional Chinese temple, with successive courtyards of pavilions and pagodas occupying a long and narrow site (48 meters by 248 meters). The Islamic function of the mosque becomes clear on closer inspection, with the usual figurative decoration mostly replaced by Arabic and Chinese calligraphy. The Great Mosque is aligned on an east-west axis, facing Mecca, with five courtyards in all, leading to a prayer hall at the western end of the mosque. Xian Great Mosque was added to the UNESCO Islamic Heritage List in 1985.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Muslim Quarter, West of Bell Drum Towers Square , Beilin District, Xi’an 710000 China
Xian was the first city in China to be introduced to Islam when Emperor Gaozong of the Tang dynasty officially allowed the practice of Islam in 651 AD and since, has made it home to a large Muslim community. Xian Muslim quarter covers several blocks with an estimated 60,000 Muslims in the region, majority of them are Chinese speaking Hui Muslims. There are about seven mosques in the area to accommodate the Muslim population, among which the Great Mosque built in 742 is most famous and popular among all. At Xian’s Muslim Quarter you will find a seemingly endless labyrinth of street food, restaurants and bustling local life. Walking along this twisted, narrow street which is aligned with stores on both sides, you can see that Muslims with white hats sit inside the stores and talk leisurely with each other. Dotted throughout are a number of other attractions including the Gao Grand Courtyard and shadow puppet show.
Duration: 1 hour
