Xian, China - Cruise Line Fans: Cruise Forum, Reviews and Chat From Real Cruisers

jstducky · 12-13-2005, 08:41 PM

Xian, China is an optional cruisetour extension of cruises that begin and end in Beijing, China

All information taken from TravelChinaGuide.com

Xian, the eternal city, records the great changes of the Chinese nation just like a living history book. Called Chang'an in ancient times, Xian is one of the birthplaces of the ancient civilization in the Yellow River Basin area of the country. During Xian's 3,100 year development, 13 dynasties such as Zhou, Qin, Han and Tang placed their capitals here. So far, Xian enjoys equal fame with Athens, Cairo, and Rome as one of the four major ancient civilization capitals. Xian is the capital of Shaanxi province, located in the southern part of the GuanZhong Plain. With the Qinling Mountains to the north and the Weihe River to the south, it is in a favorable geographical location surrounded by water and hills. It has a semi-moist monsoon climate and there is a clear distinction between the four seasons. Except the colder winter, any season is relatively suitable for traveling.

The cultural and historical significance of the area, as well as the abundant relics and sites, help Xian enjoy the laudatory title of "Natural History Museum". The Museum of Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses is praised as "the eighth major miracle of the world", Mausoleum of Emperor Qin Shi Huang is listed on the World Heritage List, and the City Wall of the Ming Dynasty is the largest and most intact Ming Dynasty castle in the world. In the city, there is the 3000 year old Banpo Village Remains from the Neolithic Age, and the Forest of Stone Steles that holds 3,000 stone steles of different periods from the Han Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty. Around Xi'an, the Famen Temple enjoys the reputation of being the "forefather of pagodas and temples in Central Shaanxi," because it holds the finger bones of Sakyamuni--the founder of Buddhism. The natural landscape around Xian is also marvelous. Mt. Huashan, as one of the five best-known mountains in China, is famous for its breath-taking cliffs and its unique characteristics.

As tourist development grows in Xian, the hotel industry flourishes more and more. It is very easy to find a hotel in Xian, ranging from 5 star hotels to youth hostels. Of course, it will be any traveler's first choice to stay in the city center due to the superior geographical location and the convenient transportation.

Praised as "the capital of table delicacies", Xian has been rich in the delicious Shaanxi snack, delicate Guangdong Cuisine, various kinds of fashionable foreign delicacies, and popular Sichuan Cuisine such as the hot pot. Among all the delicacies, the most famous and popular one is the Muslim Snack Street.

Xian is the most important city in northwest China, and so there are a lot of shopping outlets for locals and tourists alike. There are many big shopping centers, department stores and supermarkets in and around Xian city - the biggest and most comprehensive being Kai Yuan Shopping Mall and Century Ginwa Shopping Mall.

The night life in Xian has a unique glamour. Traditional ways include enjoying the night scenery around the Bell Tower, taking part in a Tang Dynasty Dinner Show, strolling on the ancient Big Wild Goose Pagoda Square and watching the music fountain performance. More modern and fashionable ways include singing in the KTV, hanging out in a bar, or dancing in a Disco. All in all, any experience in this ancient city will bring you fun and possibly a little surprise!

jstducky · 12-13-2005, 08:43 PM

the following are personal photos i took on my recent trip to China in 03/05

this is the watch tower at the North Gate of the City Wall. The City Wall surrounds the entire city of Xi'an and was used as protection against enemies

jstducky · 12-13-2005, 08:44 PM

here is a picture of me in front of a famous statue of a Buddhist monk who was famous for walking the Silk Road between Xi'an and India and back

in the background is the Big Wild Goose Pagoda

jstducky · 12-13-2005, 08:47 PM

Of course, the highlight and main purpose for any trip to Xi'an is the famous Terra Cotta Warriors. The warriors are actually located about an hour outside of Xi'an. There are thousands of warriors that have been found about one mile from the burial site of the former Emperor of China. The warriors were beleived to have been built to guard his burial tomb.

Although the Emperor's burial tomb has not yet been excavated, many treasures are believed to lay within the tomb.

Recently about a mile away from the tomb itself in a different direction than where the Terra Cotta Warriors are located, more buried artifcacts have been found. In fact, all around Xi'an artifacts from this period in time are being found by locals on a daily basis

jstducky · 12-13-2005, 08:49 PM

you can see here how archaelogists have found the warriors and how they are then excavated and pieced back together to form a soldier

jstducky · 12-13-2005, 08:49 PM

not only were warriors built, but so were horses and chariots (the chariots out of wood have since been destroyed)

jstducky · 12-13-2005, 08:51 PM

here's a better view of how the warriors are lined up once they have been restored, back into the positions that they are beleived to have been originally placed

jstducky · 12-13-2005, 08:52 PM

here is a picture of half of the hall so that you can see the enormity of what was created.

a majority of the warriors were found to have spears or other weapons in their hands with metal tips that showed trace amounts of poison on them, presumably to protect the Emperor in his afterlife

jstducky · 12-13-2005, 08:53 PM

here's another view of the four halls where the warriors are located

jstducky · 12-13-2005, 08:54 PM

here is the Bell Tower in Xi'an located directly in the center of the city surround by the city wall