Xi’an Ten-Day Basic Tour

 
   The Classic Ten Day Tour of the Xi’an Valley is designed to guide you through the grand panorama and sweep of two thousand years of royal and imperial capitals located within walking distance of today’s Xi’an. At the end of each day you will be given a printed illustrated guide featuring and briefly explaining sights and background history for the next day’s tour.
   We begin with an official reception banquet with a welcome by an official of the Government Tourism Bureau, an introduction to your guides for this tour and a slide show overview of sites you will be visiting on the tour.
   Your first full day will be a guided orientation to the main historic and tourist features of the center of today’s modern Xi’an, so you will feel comfortable in the city and will know how to explore on your free time.
   The next days will take you, in chronological order, to the actual locations where historic figures, great and not so great, also walked and lived. You will visit sites of capital cities and palaces, all within this pretty little Wei River Valley.
   Finally, the tour will complete with a grand send off Banquet and remarks by local officials.
   
Official Evening Welcome Banquet
            – Welcome by Government Tourism Official

• Introduction to Tour Guides for the tour
• Slide Show of places to be visited in next ten days.
• Handout information for next day’s tour.

  Hotel Breakfast and orientation information
Guided Tour of:
            Bell Tower
            Drum Tower
            Food Street
            Grand Mosque
            City God Temple
 
Lunch
 
            Culture Street
            Stone Forest
            City Wall – South Gate – City Wall Museum
                       
Information hand out covering next day’s tour.
 
 
Evening: Free Time
   
Hotel Breakfast and orientation information
 
          Lantian Man site and museum           C. 600.000 BC                       
   Today start at the beginning. We take you to the very earliest records of life in the Xi’an valley. First we will visit the site of archaeologists earliest findings in the valley, the site of the famous ‘Lantian Man.’ Here some of the earliest human-like skeletons in the world were found. Located in a pretty little valley, just south of Mt. Lishan and the Terracotta Warriors, and about 35 miles southeast of Xi’an, you may imagine life when the valley was more lush and home to exotic animals like saber tooth lions and rhinoceros.
          Shuilu’an Temple
   On the way back to the city of Lantian, you will stop to explore Shuilu’an Temple, a Buddhist temple famous for its about 3,500 wooden sculptures of the Buddha.
 
Lunch –
 
Bampo Village (Archaeology Site)              C. 4,000 BC
 
   After lunch you will visit one of the most famous ancient sites in China: Bampo. Here you can see the actual house floors of villagers living here around 4000 BC. An interesting on site museum testifies that these were far from ‘primitive’ people, having, for example, ‘steamers’ for preparing vegetables just as we do today. This site is now located inside the city of Xi’an on subway 2.
 
Information hand out covering next day’s tour.
 
 Evening: Free Time
  Hotel Breakfast and orientation
 
   Today you will visit the actual locations of the earliest royal capitals in the Xi’an valley. We begin with what is known as the Western Zhou Dynasty, the longest dynasty in China’s long history, lasting some 800 years. Though most of the ancient site remains to be excavated, you will stand at the location of the first Garden City and visit excavated pits containing  and horses from that period. Hear details of the high tech ‘Lamborghini’ chariots, the Garden City, the second ‘twin city’ built across the river and the temples built to the ancestors.
 
            Zhou Dynasty Capital Location  (Charriot Pits)                  C. 1,100 BC
 
Lunch
 
   After Lunch you will be taken to the actual location of the Qin Dynasty, the home of the First Emperor of the Terracotta Warrior fame. Here you will explored the new impressive museum complex and actually walked where the Emperor walked, view the valley as he saw it and hear stories of palace intrigue, assassins and more.
 
            Qin Dynasty Capital and Palace  (Terracotta Warriors)       C. 212 BC
 
Evening: Free Time Hotel Breakfast and orientation
 
Notice: Because of the site locations, today we visit two time periods: the Qin Dynasty of the First Emperor and the latter Tang Dynasty where the tragic love story    of emperor and concubine played itself out.
 
            Terracotta Warriors and Museum
 
   Today you visit the world famous Terracotta Warriors. The site is about 20 miles east of Xi’an. You will have time to explore all three burial sites with time see the gift shop and for a break at the coffee shop. Then you will be taken to the world class museum where you will be able to see warriors with original colors up close.
 
Lunch
 
            First Emperor’s Tomb

   After lunch you will be taken to the giant earthen pyramid over the First Emperor’s burial site. This remains the largest tomb in the world and its mystery contents are safe since it has not yet been opened. You will see two pits recently excavated and ride the almost one mile perimeter of the giant burial pyramid.
 
Dinner –
With a retelling of the most famous tragic love story and the earlier royal romance that lead to the fall of the Zhou empire and a similar love between an Emperor and his concubine that lead to the downfall of an empire around 1000  BC.
 
            Hot Springs Evening Dance Performances
 
   The Hot Springs have been visited for thousands of years. Since 1000 BC they have been a warm winter quarter for kings and emperors. You will explore the remains of imperial hot springs and be entertained by a Las Vegas quality evening dance extravaganza with 300 dancers and impressive special effects. The dance dramatizes the famous tragic love story which happened at this location.
 
   
Hotel Breakfast and orientation
 
            Han Capital Site – Palace, Library etc.
 
   After the tragic death of the First Emperor the Han Dynasty was established. The Han Dynasty lasted some 400 years, from about 200 BC to about 200 AD and is usually divided in two halves. The Western Han, or first half had its capital here in Xi’an, which you will see and walk the site today. The Second Half of the Han Dynasty, or Eastern Han, located its capital some 60 miles to the east at the location of today’s Louyang.
Today you will walk the same site so many famous Han personalities walked and hear some of their stories. You will see the site of the first great ‘proper’ library created by the Han government.
 
Lunch
 
            Han Yan Ling Burial Site and Museums
 
   From the ancient Han capital you will be taken to the north bank of the Wei river, not far from today’s airport, to see the burial site and giant earth pyramids of the fourth Han Emperor, Emperor Jindi. You will walk the glass floors in the remarkable underground museum displaying many long pits of grave offerings intended for the Emperor in the next life.
You will see the largest pyramid over the Emperor’s burial and the smaller, but still impressive, earthen pyramid over the tomb of the Empress. You will hear the amazing stories of Palace Intrigue the Emperor had to deal with.
You will see the second museum on the site and have free time to explore the South Gate, site of the Emperor’s temple where surviving people of the valley continued to communicate with him.
 
Evening: Free Time
 
  Hotel Breakfast and orientation
 
            Daming Palace, 3D Imax Film, South Gate Museum, Heritage Museum, Ceramic Museum etc.
 
   Today we enter the legendary time of the Great Tang Dynasty. The Tang capital existed under today’s Xi’an and archaeologists continue to discover treasures, especially in construction zones. Today’s City Wall is located in about the location of the inner wall once surrounding the inner government area of the huge capital city, son say was the largest city in the world at that time. The Tang Dynasty was one of the great Golden Ages of China’s long history.
Today you will be taken to the great Tang palace complex, now found just north of the train station. You will see the 40 minute IMAX film dramatizing the tragic final destruction of the giant city. You will learn how Japanese envoys arrived here in the 700’s and later modeled the cites of Kyoto and Nara after this much larger capital.
You will visit the fine underground Heritage Museum. You will visit the large museum in the large South Gate. You can take a tram around the one mile by one mile site, visit the ceramics museum or contemplate the group of largest wooden buildings in the world that once stood here.
 
Lunch on Site
 
Evening Hotel Dinner Option  Tang Poetry Reading
   The extraordinary humanity of people of all walks of life in the Tang Dynasty clearly appears in Tang Poetry. Brilliant at expressing the most intense human emotions and most subtle thoughts and observations, not visit to the Tang Dynasty would be complete without hearing some of their best poetry. Various readers will present their favorite selections for your enjoyment. A discussion and questions and answer session will follow. 
 
   
   Two large structures remain standing from the fabulous Tang golden age. These are the small and large Wild Goose Pagodas. Both are part of the Buddhist tradition, originally housing Buddhist texts. Today you will visit both pagodas, have the chance to climb up inside each to share the only elevated view Tang dynasty people had of their city.
 
   The Small Wild Goose Pagoda has the recent addition of the impressive Xi’an Museum which includes my favorite row of Tang Dynasty ceramic Ladies. Grounds a reflecting pool, special trees said to be a thousand years old, gift centers including presentations of shadow puppet show.
 
   Next you will be taken to the widely respected nearby Shaanxi Museum. The Xanxxi Museum is the flag ship of local museums. Here you can view items from the entire panorama or spectrum of history of this remarkable valley.
 
Lunch Finally you will enter the expansive grounds around the Large Wild Goose Pagoda. Here you will enjoy lunch at a variety of establishments, from Burger King on up.
 
   The Large Wild Goose Pagoda was built by the famous Buddhist monk who walked all the way to India, following the Silk Road north of the Himalaya mountains and returning some 16 years lager with a treasure of texts and relics. It was here that the monk spent the rest of his life creating reliable translations of the texts.
 
Dinner
 
Evening Fountain Show
   You may catch the mid day fountain show, with music. This is the largest outdoor fountain show in China. The evening show is enhanced with both lights and music.
 
 
   
   Today’s tour centers around the East Gate of the city wall. In Tang times this area contained expansive pleasure grounds as well as special temples for imperial prayer and use.
   Today the largest Taoist temple in the region is located just outside the current East Gate, but inside the original city wall.
 
Sunday Flea Market
   On Sundays this is the site of one of the best markets in town, featuring antiques of every sort. The temple is peaceful, extending back over three courtyards, from the traditional protector of the Taoist tradition in the first courtyard to the star gods in the final temple. In recent history Empress Cici stayed here while escaping from invading armies.
 
Lunch
 
   If you are here on a special day, such as Children’s Day, the site of the old imperial Xing Qing Gong park is particularly active. Once an imperial playground, including for the concubine Yang Guifu and the Emperor, the lake has been restored and sites of original imperial buildings marked. Locals make good use of the park in good weather and you can rent a ‘pedal boat’ and lazily meander around the lake at the slowest possible speed, enjoying nature to its fullest. 
It is up to us to imagine the impossible splendor of what the most powerful emperors, having no budget limits, and retinues of attendants must have created on this same site over a thousand years ago.
The southeast corner of the park has a complete section of rides, Ferris wheels, fun houses and excited visitors. Buy your popcorn and be brave.
 
Dinner
 
Tang Dinner Show
 
   This has become a famous ‘must see’ part of every visit to Xi’an. The theater is located just south of the city wall near South Gate.
Here you can experience a dinner of marvelous artistic presentations of ‘dumplings’ in traditional shapes from fish to vegetables.
The dance show includes sumptuous historically accurate costumes and music dramatizing well know traditional stories. Professionally presented, this evening will long live in your memories of Xi’an.  
   Today we have a full day tour of the great Tang Tombs, west of town, north along the Wei river banks. Some say there was rivalry between the Tang and the Earlier Han rulers and the Tang decided to placed their imperial tombs high in the mountains ‘so they could look down on their earlier Han rivals.’ These tombs have not been opened and, again, we can only wonder what treasures they contain.
 
Lunch included
 
Evening Farewell Banquet
(Note: This may be held the day before, if many plan to leave before the end of this day.)
 
   A representative of the Government Tourism Office gives a farewell address. Travelers get to thank their tour guides. Folders to keep daily travel information packages given out. Each traveler receives a small memorial gift to remember Xi’an by. Time to exchange information with fellow travelers and say good by’s.
 
 
 
 
   
   Special individual or small group tours can be arranged for visitors with special or deeper interest in the history of the Xi’an valley. Please discuss your interests with tour operators at the earliest opportunity to facilitate organization of tour guides and transportation.
   
Visit the site where Lao Tsu is said to have dictated the text of the Tao Te Ching. 
The site is located about 50 km west of Xi’an on the Silk Road. You will walk a delightful small Temple site. Option of lunch in local village. You will stop on the way back to town to see a modest but famous (name) temple with a large diorama of various gods and figures of history.
   
Visit Burial Site of Buddhist Monk Zuanzung, who built the Large Wild Goose Pagoda
This is the monk who walked all the way to India from Xi’an and returned with a treasure load of texts and Buddhist objects. He is buried along with two of his principle desciples, influential in Japanese Buddhism. This is a pilgrimage site for many Japanese Buddhists.
  This group of large hills, known as both Mt. Li and Mt Lishan, is just south of the Terracotta Warriors and the Hot Springs. Filled with historic spots and stories it is approached by a cable car just next to the hot springs.
   
Travel north of Xi’an to visit memorial to the original First Emperor. This man is traditionally recognized as the ‘father’ of all Han Chinese people and his temple is still in full operation today. For those deeply interested in the most ancient local traditions. Home of the Grand Historian, Sima Qian.  The home of the first great historian of the early Han Dynasty is still remembered and preserved.
     Here you will see, in a charming museum, many smaller Terracotta Warriors found in an early Han tomb, perhaps created only decades after the death of the First Emperor, creator of the famous full sized Terracotta Warriors. There will be an option of visiting near by tombs of Han emperors.
     The famous Silk Road, connecting as far west as Rome, ended right here in modern Xi’an. In the Tang Dynasty there were two major markets in the capital. The eastern market, just south of today’s train station, catered to the wealthy upper classes, said to feature jewels from as far away as Persia.
   The major market on the western side of the city was the end point of the Silk Road. It was said to be so busy you could not turn around. The markets were strictly regulated for price and quality of goods. There were even pawn shops.
   Today, keeping with tradition, a modern market has grown up on the site of the original market. An impressive museum includes a large area of glass floors where you can look down on original wagon tracks left in the original market.
   There is also, of course, a Starbucks, a very large underground antiques market, and plenty of up scale stores, a movie theater and developing plans for a series of shops representing each of the countries along the original Silk Road.