Xian Attractions
Xian Attractions
 The Xian City Wall is not only the most complete city wall that has survived in China, but it’s also one of the largest and most complete ancient military systems of defense in the world. The city walls here were actually built on the fortifications of the Tang Forbidden City.
When Zhu Yuanzhang, the first Emperor of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), captured Huizhou, a hermit named Zhu Sheng admonished him that he should 'built high walls, store abundant food supplies and take time to be an Emperor,' so that he could fortify the city and unify the other states. After the establishment of the Ming dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang followed his advice and began to enlarge the wall built initially during the old Tang dynasty (618 -907), creating the modern Xian City Wall. It's the most complete city wall that has survived in China, as well being one of the largest ancient military defensive systems in the world.
After the extension, the wall now stands 12 meters (40 feet) tall, 12-14 meters (40-46 feet) wide at the top and
 Legend has it that a group of big whild geese were flying over the area when suddely one of them dropped and died on the ground. The local monks were at a loss and didn't know what to do. They thought that the dead wild goose was a Buddha. They buried the goose and a pagoda was erected, hence the name, the Big Whild Goose Pogoda.Situated inside Ci'en (Thanks-giving) Temple, four kilometres south of Xi'an city, is a well-preserved ancient building and a holy place for Buddhists. The pagoda was an architectural marvel. It was built with layers of bricks but without any cement in between. The bracket style in traditional Chinese architecture was also used in the construction. The seams between each layer of bricks and the "prisms" on each side of the pagoda are clearly visible. The grand body of the pagoda, with its solemn appearance, simple style, and high structure, is indeed a good example of ancient people's wisdom and talent. Pictures of the Heavenly King and of Buddha are on the doorframes and horizontal bars 
The large complex was constructed with the structure of traditional Chinese palaces, the style of architectures in the tang dynasty.375,000 pieces of relics are exhibited in the Shaanxi history museum,of which 800 pieces are of national first level. Basic exhibition hall arranges the exhibited relics in the historic order , showing the splendid period of history from Liantian primitive men of 1 million years ago to the Opium war in the year of 1840. |
Terra-Cotta Warriors is the eighth world wonder in Xian city.Heritage is our legacy from the past, what we live with today, and what we pass onto future generations. Our cultural and natural heritages are both irreplaceable sources of life and inspiration. A World Heritage site differs from a site of national heritage and the key is in the words "outstanding universal value.” One of the sites included in the World Heritage list is The Mausoleum of Emperor Qin Shi Huang.