Attractions
Terracotta Army (兵马俑)
Terracotta Army, also namely Terracotta Warriors and Horses, is known as the Eighth Wonder of the World. It is a super large collection of life-size terra cotta sculptures in battle formations, reproducing the mega imperial guard troops of Emperor Qin Shi Huang (259 - 210BC), the first emperor of the first unified dynasty of Imperial China. The great archeological excavation of Qin (221BC-206BC) Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses unfolded a strong army of altogether 7,000 life-size pottery soldiers, horses, chariots and weapons arranged in battle formations symbolically, guarding the tomb of Emperor Qin Shi Huang. Being the most significant archeological excavations of the 20th century and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Terracotta Army is no doubt a must-see for every visitor to Xi'an.Great Wild Goose Pagoda (大雁塔)
As the symbol of the old-line Xi’an, originally built in 652 during the reign of Emperor Gaozong of the Tang Dynasty (618-907), Great Wild Goose Pagoda (also called Giant Wild Goose Pagoda) is a well-preserved ancient building and a holy place for Buddhists. It is located in the southern suburb of Xian City, about 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) from the downtown of the city. Standing in the Da Ci'en Temple complex, it attracts numerous visitors for its fame in the Buddhist religion and its simple but appealing style of construction. It holds the old Buddhist relics and classics taken from India by the hierarch Xuanzang. The pagoda and its surrounding areas nowadays become a popular resort for both the locals and the tourists.Ancient City Wall (古城墙)
Xian City Wall is the most complete city wall that has survived in China, as well being one of the largest ancient military defensive systems in the world. The wall stands 12 meters (40 feet) tall, 12-14 meters (40-46 feet) wide at the top and 15-18 meters (50-60 feet) thick at the bottom. It covers 13.7 kilometers (8.5 miles) in length with a deep moat surrounding it. Every 120 meters, there is a rampart which extends out from the main wall. Altogether, there are 98 ramparts, which were built to defend against the enemy climbing up. Each rampart has a sentry building, in which the soldiers could protect the entire wall without exposing themselves to the enemy.Bell Tower and Drum Tower (钟鼓楼)
The Bell Tower, a stately traditional building, marks the geographical center of the ancient capital. From this important landmark extend East, South, West and North Streets, connecting the tower to the East, South, West and North Gates of the City Wall of the Ming Dynasty. It was built in 1384 by Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang as a way to dominate the surrounding countryside and provide early warning of attack by rival rulers.The Drum Tower, located northwest of the Bell Tower of Xian, stood across the Bell and Drum Tower Square, was initially built in 1380 during the reign of Emperor Hongwu of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Both of two towers are called the 'sister buildings' or 'morning bell and dark drum'. In ancient China, especially from the Yuan Dynasty(1271-1368), the drums were used to signal the running of time and on occasion were used as an alarm in emergency situations.