Xi'an

 

Sample Tour

 

Day 1

The Temple of the Eight Immortals; Bell Tower and Drum Tower; Muslim Street; The Great Mosque

Our driver and tour guide will meet you at the airport and deliver you to your hotel in downtown Xi’an.  After giving you time to settle in, we will explore the sights and sounds of the old city of Xi’an.  Our first stop will be at the Song Dynasty era Temple of the Eight Immortals.  This Daoist Temple is a hidden gem of Xi’an.  We will then visit the Drum and Bell towers at city center.  These early Ming Dynasty (1380 & 1384 A.D.) structures are the symbols of ancient Xi’an.  From there we will explore the iconic Muslim Street (Hui Min Jie).  This part of Xi’an is home to the Hui people, which are Sunni Muslims of Chinese ancestry.  Their unique business style and customs are very interesting.  You will have a great opportunity to try their foods and snacks, which are very famous throughout China.  While in the Hui area we will visit one of the oldest and largest Mosques in China—The Great Mosque.  This mosque has many unique features, but its design is most striking as it is laid out in a very Chinese fashion.  We will eat dinner together in a famous Hui restaurant before returning back to your hotel for the evening.

 

Day 2

Banpo Village; Hua Qing Tang Dynasty Hot springs; The Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses Museum

Our day will begin at one of the most ancient archeological digs in the world—Bonpo Village.  This site, which archeologists have dated back 6,500 years is amazingly preserved to give us a glimpse of one of the very earliest civilizations in China. 

We will then travel to one of the most important historical and archeological sites in the world—The Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses Museum.  Before a local farmer discovered this amazing army of over 6000 horses and soldiers, history had long forgotten the exploits of the first Chinese Emporer Qin Shi Huang in building one of the most impressive monuments in history.  You will be amazed when you see the thousands of soldiers standing in perfect formation with no two faces alike.

After our time at the Terrra Cotta Warriors we will stop at the Hua Qing Hot Springs.  Although not a working bath any longer, you will enjoy the beautiful Ming and Qing Dynasty Palace Gardens surrounding the ancient ruins of the Tang Dynasty (618-907 A.D.) Baths used by the famous Chinese beauty and Yang Gui Fei and the Tang Emperor.  Additionally this is the site of the Xi’an Incident (1936) in which Qiang Kai Shek leader of the Nationalist Government was arrested by his general and forced to sign a cooperation agreement with Mao Ze Dong and the Communists to fight the Japanese.  Many historical artifacts from this time period remain.

We will return you to your hotel in time for dinner and you will have time to enjoy downtown Xi’an on your own.

Day 3

Luo Guan Tai; Da Qin Pagoda; Shaanxi Village

Your driver and guide will meet you at your hotel for a side of Xi’an that most tourists will never see.  We will travel to a village just outside of the city.  Here you will learn about the diversity of ancient Tang Dynasty China as well as get a taste of village life in China.  Our host family will arrange for us to visit a small local zoo where many animals native to Shaanxi Province and the Qingling Mountains are brought for recovery.  Many of the animals are found in the nearby mountains and in need of medical care.  You will see Giant and Red Pandas up close, and see an amazing variety of monkeys, birds, and other unique species.  Following our time in the zoo we will join our host family in the village for lunch.  Our host will prepare some local foods which all our guests really enjoy.  You will be able to see into the life of a typical Chinese family in the countryside.  Following lunch local farmers will meet us and take us up the mountain on horseback to see Da Qin Si, which is an ancient pagoda which was originally built as part of a Nestorian Christian Monastery built by the Tang Dynasty Emperor in 640 A.D.   The pagoda is currently a Buddhist shrine.  From there we will continue up the mountain through some amazing landscape to Luo Guan Tai.  This is the traditional location where Lao Zi, author of the Dao De Jing and founder of Daoism) was stopped on his way out of China and persuaded by a local official to write down his teaching before disappearing from China forever.  You will not only see some unique Chinese cultural and historical sites, but will experience China in a way that no other tour group can offer. 

Day 4

Shaanxi Historical Museum; Calligraphy Street; The Forrest of the Stele Museum; The City Wall; The Big Wild Goose Pagoda

The Shaanxi Historical Museum is one of the most important museums in China.  Many relics from over 3000 years ago are housed here.  Following our time in the Museum we will head to Calligraphy Street where many artists are still producing fine art using ancient methods.  At the end of the street is the Confucian Temple where many ancient and important stone tablets are displayed.  We will then visit the Xi’an city wall, which is the best-preserved complete city wall in China.  The existing wall dates back to the Ming Dynasty.  A popular option among visitors is to rent bikes on the city wall and ride around the circumference of the city.

We will return to the hotel to rested and refreshed, before heading to the Big Wild Goose Pagoda for dinner.  After dinner we will enjoy the musical fountain show that takes place every night in front of the pagoda. 

Day 5

San Yuan City Temple; Han Yang Ling

On the way to the airport our driver and guide will take you to the village of San Yuan where you will be able to see a great example of a city temple.  In ancient times every city had a temple, which housed its particular patron god.  This temple is one of the best-preserved temples in China, although it is not a famous tourist attraction.

Our driver will take us to a local restaurant with some very delicious specialties, which you will enjoy.

After lunch we will visit one of the hidden gems of China—The Han YangLing Mausoleum.  Built during the 2^nd Century A.D. to house the bodies of Emperors Jing and Wu, the pyramid styled tomb is one of the most magnificent in China.  Recent excavations of the tomb have been preserved using latest technology and showcased in an appealingly modern way.  Glass walkways allow you to get up close to the excavations of the underground tomb.  Just as the impressive army of the Terra Cotta Warrior army shows the dominant military culture of the Qin Dynasty, so the Han YanLing gives us insight into the daily life of the Han dynasty as miniature figurines of daily life were created to preserve the lifestyle of the Emperors after death.  This is truly a museum not to be missed.  Following our time at the museum, we will deliver you to the airport in time for your flight home.