Team A
ENGR 2367
Team A
Terracotta Warriors
Among the multitude of impressive historical sites in this ancient capital, a visit to the terracotta warriors and horses will especially leave an experience that cannot be described with a simple 'awesome' or 'incredible'. It is possible to see the terracotta warriors today as a result of one of the greatest archeological excavations that allowed discovery of the figures in the suburbs of Xi'an in 1974. A gigantic site was excavated and led to the uncovering of many terracotta soldiers guarding the mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang, the "First" Emperor. Many details of the ancient history of this region were revealed, particularly those from the Warring States Period [480 BC - 220 BC]. Many nations of Zhouhou participated in numerous battles until an ultimate victory and unification into the Center Land (China) by Emperor Qin Shi Huang. Ever since its discovery, this site has become a major historical relic and has earned favor among many sate leaders and tourists from around the world.
One stunning feature of these artifacts is that no two of the thousands of warriors have the same facial expression. This means that each and every one of them was individually hand-crafted. As one looks down at the excavation with units of life-sized terracotta figures, horses, and chariots arranged in battle formations, it is truly difficult to figure out how the ancient Qin workers could accomplish such a task. The vivid faces atop each warrior display different expressions that are so full of energy that they seem ready to engage in battle at any moment. Due to high popularity, the sheer amount of contact with the outside world through millions of visitors has regretfully resulted in quick erosion of these precious art pieces. Nevertheless, their discovery has provided the priceless and otherwise impossible opportunity for the modern world to meet the ancient.
<Travel Tips>
Admission Fee: 120 (Dec.1-Feb.29)
150 (Mar.1-Nov.30)
How to get there: Take the bus No.306 or Tourist Line No.5 to get there, which costs 7RMB and 1 hour.
Bell Tower
The Bell Tower is located in the center of Xian and is the point at which four main streets, West Street, East Street, North Street and South Street, converge. Thus, the four main streets revolve around the Bell Tower and extend to the four gates that enclose the city. The Bell Tower is impressive in size as well; it is 36 meters in height, 8.6-meter-high in substratum, and 35.5-meter in width, covering 1377.4 square meters in area. The Bell Tower is the largest and best preserved bell tower among those that remain from ancient times. On the northwest corner of the Bell Tower hangs a 5-ton iron bell built during the Ming dynasty. Exquisite Eight Diagrams patterns cover this impressive bell, but it is still much smaller than the original Jingyun bronze bell that previously hung on the Bell Tower. Besides giving the correct time, the Bell Tower once played an important role during ancient times.
When standing on the Bell Tower, visitors may capture a panoramic view of Xian city. This view is particularly beautiful at nightfall and is a must-see for visitors. The Bell Tower is adorned with the artowrks of Qi Baishi, a presigious painter in modern China. These works, 152-centimeter long and 50-meter wide, were all made in his nineties and are of high appreciating value. Moreover, daily bell chimes are performed at the Bell Tower, which offers a great chance to discover the culture of this ancient city. Appreciating the music played by chimes and watching the fabulous dance will never fail to be a terrific experience for visitors. The performance is scheduled on every Saturday at 9:00, 10:30, 11:30, 15:00, 16:00 and 17:00, lasting about 10-15 minutes. In addition, an antique exhibition is also available in the Bell Tower.
<Travel Tips>
Location: In the center of Xian City
Admission Fee: 27RMB
Open Time: 8:30-21:30 (Apr-Oct)
8:30-18:00 (Nov-Mar)
How to get to: There are many buses heading to Bell Tower, The bus No.7, 8, 601, 300, 611 are all accessible.
Mount Hua
Mount Hua, also known as Taihua Mountain, is located south of Huayin County in the Shaanxi Province, about 120 kilometers (75 mi) east of Xi'an. It makes China's Five Great Mountains with Mount. Tai in Shandong Province, Hengshan Mountain in Hubei Prdovince, Hengshan Mountain in Shanxi Province, and Songshan Mountain in Henan Province. Mount. Hua is known world-wide for its steep slopes and precipitous cliffs, whose height is only second to Hengshan Mountain among the Five Great Mountains.
Mount Hua is composed of five main peaks: Yuntai Peak in the north, Chaoyang Peak in the east, Luoyan Peak in the south, Lotus Peak in the west and Yunv Peak in the middle. The highest of these is the South Peak at 2,154.9 meters (7,070 ft).
Weather on Mount Hua is quite changeable, allwoing breathtaking sceneries of cloud-casted, rain-showered, fog-veiled and snow-capped Mount Hua around the year. If viewing Mount Hua in one of these particular weather instances, the image is so magestic that visitors may fall into an illusion of a fairyland.
In addition, Mount Hua is considered one the nine best places to watch a sunrise in China. Within Mount Hua, Chaoyang Stage on Chaoyang Peak is the best place to experience a sunrise. Mount Hua is also the major Taoist resort in China, so it is possible to see many famous Taoists. Currently, Mount Hua hosts 72 half-suspended caves and with more than twenty of them have been transformed into Taoist temples. Because past emperors made pilgrimages to these temples, Mount Hua has earned recognition as the holy land of Taoism. The Yuquan Temple, Dongdao Temple and Zhenyue Hall are thus protected by present-day national laws to preserve this rich history and sacred land.
Climbing Mount Hua is a highly favored activity for adventure-lovers. Mount Hua is home to many steep paths formed by foot-wide planks that are fastened to a sheer rock with only a chain for support. The route continues with a vertical ladder built along the perilous cliffs that lead to an impressive summit. Standing on the summit of the mountain, visitors can capture a panoramic view from this great mountain. Come to Mount Hua, and discover why so many people are willing to conquer it despite the fatigue of the long, challenging journey.
<Travel Tips>
Admission Fee: 180RMB (Apr.-Nov.)
90RMB (Dec.-Mar.)
How to get there:
By train: Take the train to Huashan and get off at Huashan Station
By bus: Take the bus tourist1 at Xian Rain Station to get there. These buses start at Xian train station and get back from Mount. Hua at 17:00.
Open Time: 8: 00—18: 00
Muslim Street
Muslim Street is located 100 meters west of the Bell Tower and is another must-see while traveling Xian. The Muslim Street is home to more than ten mosques of different shapes and sizes, around which more than 20,000 Muslims are inhabited. These Muslims still hold fast to many original religious customs and lifestyles. No Xian trip is complete without visiting the intriguing Muslim Street. The Muslim Street is 5 meters wide, stretches over 500 meters from north to south, and is flanked with snack stands and specialty shops on both sides of the street. The Muslim Street also features a bluestone-paved path, shading by aged trees and architectures imitated after those characteristic of the Ming and Qing Dynasty. Delicious snacks are ubiquitous along Muslim Street, from the pita bread soaked in lamb soup, Chinese hamburgers, cool noodles, Jingao rice pieces and steamed stuffed buns, each of which will bring back visitors wanting more.
All of the restaurants along the street are Muslim as well, and various Muslim foods are all easily accessible here. Local favorites include roasted beef, roasted fish, and pancakes. Food on Muslim Street is diversified and well-prepared but still available at low prices.
Besides the mouth-watering Xian snacks, Muslim Street is also full of local specialties including paper-cutting, green tea, Huanggui thick wine, shadow puppet and Shanxi embroidery. These delicate items would be a great feast to your eyes. Everything in the Muslim Street is brimming with profound Muslim flavor, which gives a highly favorable experience to domestic and foreign visitors alike.
<Travel Tips>
Admission Fee: None
How to get there:
Take the bus No. 4, 7, 15, 32, 43, 45, 201, 205, 206, 215, 218、221, 222,251,300, 604, 611, 612, K630,Tourist line No.8.
