Xi'an Brief Introduction Xi'an, capital of Shanxi Province, lies in the middle of the Guanzhong Basin with the Weihe River to its north. As one of China's seven ancient national capitals, it was the capital of 12 dynasties over 1,000 years, thus Xi'an has a great number of precious relics and historical sites. Xi'an was the start point of the Old Silk Road.   Local Culture Shopping and Food Entertainment Transportation Tourist Attractions   Local Culture The continuous history of Xian has apparently resulted in its magnificent culture. Today's Xian is a world famous tourist city and an inexhaustible treasure house of cultural relics. Now heads of state from many countries and people from all walks of life come to the city to broaden their knowledge of Chinese civilization. Shopping and Food Located between the ancient Bell tower and Drum tower, Century Ginwa Shopping Mall is a landscaped square with profound cultural connotations as well as a high quality, exclusive shopping center. The mall opened in 1998 and now houses over sixty world-famous brands for discriminating customers, including Bally, Burberry, Dior, Givenchy, Lancome, Estee Lauder, and other all of which make Ginwa a fashion center in XianOpposite Ginwa is Kai Yuan Shopping Mall, one of the biggest department stores in Xian. Both the price and the quality of the commodities and the sales service are often praised by shoppers, who have made it one of the most popular shopping places in Xian..Supermarkets are numerous in Xian and are primarily distributed around universities and communities. However, there are some in the city center and the suburbs that are also easily accessible.There are many historical relic shops in Xian, such as Shu Yuanmen (an art street), which is laid out in the style of an ancient street; Xian Antique Market; and Wenbaozhai Tour Shopping Center. Tang tri-colored glazed pottery and replicas of clay figures of warriors and horses, as well as folk handicrafts of paper-cut and cloth art, can be found there. Visitors to Xian must do two things: one is to see the clay figures of terra cotta warriors and horses. The other is to taste Yang Rou Pao Mo (a soup dish that involves breaking wheat flour flat bread into a bowl and adding a delicious mutton stock). Before dinner, you will be served one or two pieces of wheat flour flat bread which you into tiny chunks, the smaller the better. The waiter or the waitress will then hand your bowl to the cook who mixes the bread and mutton soup with an appropriate relish. When the steaming hot meal is brought in, the waiter will also offer you sweet crisp pickled garlic, coriander, and hot pepper sauce. The most famous, the Tong Sheng Xiang (Prosperity and Fortune) Beef and Lamb Paomo Restaurant done in Tang Dynasty style, is a time-honored establishment in the Xian Bell and Drum Tower Square.Next to Tong Sheng Xiang is a great restaurant, De Fa Chang Dumpling Restaurant, with its own version of the Dumpling Banquet.Ingredients for the dumpling fillings include various meats, vegetables, and seasonings. Cooking methods include steaming, boiling, pan-frying, deep frying, and roasting. Many flavors, including salty, sweet, hot, and sour are offered. Other house specialties include Peking dumplings, steamed sweet bean paste buns, steamed shrimp paste buns, and various uniquely spiced dishes. While guests sample various delicacies, traditionally waiters will explain the cuisine culture of each dumpling. One of Xian's most famous specialties is the Guan Tang Baozi (steamed buns served with sauces inside) served at Jia Brothers' Restaurant in Muslim Snack Street. You'll know you're there when you see the monstrous blue arch over the entrance and a wall festooned with photographs of Xian notables - TV hosts, writers, and musicians. The specialty dish is Guan Tang Bao Zi, with a choice of beef, lamb or 'three flavors' - lamb, mushroom, and prawns. The buns have piping-hot soup inside, so caution is advised. This dish is best washed down with Ba Bao Xi Fan, a bowl of sweet rice porridge filled with peanuts, sultanas, hawthorn, and medlar berries. Entertainment Tang Dynasty Dinner Show is a must. The Tang Dynasty is regarded as the most progressive and prosperous era in the days of Imperial China and its music and dance symbolize the glory and splendor of Chinese civilization. The Tang Dynasty Theatre Restaurant is located at No. 75 Chang'an Lu and an evening here is sure to be a memorable highlight of your tour. At each performance there are over 100 artists who entertain with a colorful spectacle of dance and music. Here you will enjoy music played on ancient Chinese instruments such as the Pi Pa, a hand plucked string instrument, the Rang, Gu Zheng, Erhu, Yanquin, Dizi, Sheng, Pai Xiao, 24 tone Bronze bell chimes, Suo Na and a group of percussion instruments.   Do not let these names daunt you, you are sure to enjoy their rich and varied sounds and the wonderful music they provide. The musicians also play the more easily recognized western style instruments, of course. To complete your Tang Dynasty experience, don't forget to enjoy a Dumpling Dinner! Transportation Xi'an airport is located 50 km (about 31 miles) northwest of downtown Xi'an in Xianyang, a neighboring city. Ranked as the fourth most frequented airport in China, Xianyang International Airport (XIY) is home to 68 domestic daily flights from almost every major Chinese destination. From Jiuzhaigou, Ningbo, Zhengzhou and Lianyungang, etc. to Xian are newly opened domestic routes. International airlines from Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand totally 10 Asian cities are well established services of XIY. In 2005, there opened 7 new international airline routes from Germany, France, Britain, America and Canada via transfers in Beijing. In 2006, other 8 international airline routes from Europe, America and Asian are opening via transfers in Shanghai. International air connections with Hong Kong and Macao are also available depending on the airline schedule. Presently, with a total of 25 international air routes, Xian has become the city with most international connections in Western China.With a reputation as 'the Gateway to the West', Xian Railway Station is one of the most pivotal terminals of the domestic railway system. It is the key junction between the southwest and the northwest, and forms a connecting link between the east and the west of China.The station lies in the north urban area, so it will take you about half an hour by car from the downtown area. Buses traveling to the railway station can be found on every main street, and will only cost you 1 or 2 Yuan. If you choose to travel by taxi, the fare should be less than 10 Yuan (from the city center).Purchasing train tickets can be troublesome for foreigners, as the ticket windows are usually crowded and have few English-speaking staff. One solution to such a problem is to ask for the ticket-booking service at any star rated hotel, who will offer their assistance for a nominal service charge. You are better off buying train tickets one week in advance of travel, especially during the peak travel seasons.The highway transportation to Xian extends in all direction. Long-distance buses commute between Xian and many large cities, covering 18 provinces and over 300 cities and counties. The Xian long-distance bus line terminal, which has been ranked as the highest class station in the whole nation, lies to the southwest of the railway station. People usually buy bus tickets on the same day of travel. Generally speaking, though the price is much more economical, foreigners are not encouraged to take the long-distance busses due to general hardship and fatigue. If at all possible, the plane and train are better choices. Tourist Attractions Terracotta Worriors and Horses The vaults or pits containing Qin Shihuang`s Terracotta Army are located just outside Xian. This army of more than 6,000 life size terracotta warriors, with horses and chariots lined up facing east and ready for battle, is one of the world's most remarkable archaeological finds.The terracotta warriors were made for Qin Shihuang (259-210BC),also known as The First Emperor, and with his mausoleum lying only 1.5km(0.9 miles) away it is assumed the army was made to accompany him on his journeys after death. Huaqing Hot Spring Huanqing Hot Springs are situated at the foot of Li Mountain and have been popular with Xian's visitors for almost a thousand years. Throughout the year the springs?waters remain a pleasant 43°C (109°F). The hot springs had their hey day during the Tang dynasty (618-907) and they are particularly associated with the Tang dynasty emperor Xuanzong and his famous concubine Yang Guifei. Big Wild Goose Pagoda The 7 story Great Wild Goose Pagoda was built in 652 AD. It is a striking elegant building and is the symbol of Xian. The famous Buddhist monk Xuan Zang returned from a 17 year pilgrimage and the square pagoda was built to house the 600 or so Buddhist texts that he had collected in India. Shaanxi History Museum Opened to the public in 1992, this modern museum at state level has a collection of 110,000 pieces of historic relics and is rated as one of the best museums in China. Old City Wall The city wall in Xl'an is an extension of the old Tang Dynsty structure, as a reslt of this wall building campaign. Xi'an's city wall after its enlargement in the Ming Dynasty stands 12 metres high. It is 12--14 me- tres across the top, 15--18 metres thick at bottom and 13. 7 kilometres in length. The Great Mosque The Great Mosque is the most sizable of its kind in Xi'an, and also one of the oldest and best-preserved mosques in China. The Stone Tablet on the Building of Mosque says that it was built in Tang Dynasty. With glazed tiles, spectacular corners, and upturned eaves, it stands about 9meters high ,and has a history of about 360 years.The Great Mosque is located in Huajue Lane, it is the major spot for the religious activities of over 60,000 Moslems in Xi'an .It assumes the striking features of Chinese pavilions ,with painted beams and engraved ridgepoles. Banpo Museum Located at the eastern outskirts of Xian city, the Banpo Museum is the first on-site prehistoricmuseum in China. Banpo site is a typical Neolithic Matriarchal community of the Yangshao culture( 5000-3000 BC) around 6000 years ago. About 400 sites of this type have been discovered around the Yellow River Basin and the Banpo site is the largest one. Famen Temple Famen Temple is a Buddhism Temple located around 120 kilometer west of Xian city. The temple is famous for housing the Buddhist relics of Sakyamuni, the founder of Buddhism. Famen Temple was renowned as the premier temple in China.. The temple was first called Eyuwang Temple and renamed as Famen Temple in the Tang Dynasty. The period from North Wei Dynasty to Tang Dynasty was the heyday for the temple, when series of Buddhism ceremony were held here. In 874 AD, the Tang Emperor, buried Sakyamuni's finger bone, which had been enshrined in the imperial palace for a long time, in the Famen Temple.  Sakyamuni's finger bone in Famen Temple is the only one available in the world now.  Qianling Mausoleum Qianling, the tomb of the third Tang emperor, Li Zhi, and Empress Wu Zetian, is located on Liangshan Mountain, 6 kilometers north of Qianxian County seat and 80 kilometers from Xi'an. Here also stands the Qianling Mausoleum and Museum. Located on the peak of lofty Liangshan Mountain, Qianling is the most typical and best preserved of all the eighteen Tang mausoleums.