Xian

We went to Xian last year on 18/09/2009.

Xian served as the capital to 11 dynasties over a period of 4000 years. There are many attractions here apart from the Terracotta Warriors.

To see the history of Xian, you must visit the Shaanxi Historical Museum. The exhibits here show Xian through the different dynasties. The other museums are the Hanyangling Museum, Xianyang Museum, the modern Xian Museum and Banpo Museum. One interesting museum is the Forest of Stones Tablets which is presumably the world's heaviest library.

Within the city walls, there are the Bell and Drum Towers, Muslim Quarters and the City Walls. Outside the city walls are the Big and Little Wild Goose Pagodas.

The other must sees are the Mausoleum of Emperor Gaozong and Wu Zetian together with its surrounding tombs of Prince Yide, Princess Yongtai and Crown prince Zhanghuai.

Below is our itinerary in Xian:

Day 1 (18/09/2009)
Upon arrival, lunch at the airport
Xianyang Museum
Drum Tower
Bell Tower
City Walls
Shuyuan Gate
Wenbaozhai Shopping Centre
Dumpling Banquet Dinner at De Fa Chang
Muslim Quarters

Day 2
Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum
Mausoleum of Qin Shihuang
Lunch
Huaqing Hot Spring
Banpo Museum
Yang Rou Pao Mo for dinner at Tong Sheng Xiang Restaurant
Tang Dynasty Show

Day 3
Muslim Quarters
Great Mosque
Forest of Stone Tablets Museum
Lunch
Shaanxi Historical Museum
Big Wild Goose Pagoda
Tang Paradise
Guantang Baozi and Ba Bao Xi Fan at Jia's Brothers Restaurant

Day 4
Huashan
Kaiyuan Shopping Centre
Baozi at De Fa Chang

Day 5
Fa Men Si
Tomb of Prince Yide
Tomb of Princess Yongtai
Tomb of Crown Prince Zhanghuai
Mausoleum of Emperor Gaozong and Empress Wu Zetian (Qianling)
Mausoleum of Emperor Taizong (Zhaoling)
Tomb of Wei Guifei
Dinner opposite Drum Tower

Day 6
Tomb of Huo Qubing
Hui Fang Street (another muslim street)
Dinner at Jia's Brothers Restaurant

Day 7
Little Wild Goose Pagoda
Xian Museum
Ba Xian Monastery
Lunch
Hanyangling Museum
To airport