Tour of Xian - Tang Dynasty Dance Attractions and Sightseeing

<<

>>

When you tour Xian Tang Dynasty Dance is one of the shows not to be missed in what was once the capital of the magnificent Chinese middle kingdom.

Situated at the eastern beginning of the famous ‘Silk Road or Route’ and add its three thousand years of history it's no wonder the city has produced a rich legacy.

The city’s zenith was in the Tang dynasty period when the city had a population of around two million people.

In all thirteen different dynasties have ruled from this city and it was from here that Qin Shi Huang unified China and became its first Emperor.

The legacy of the first emperor in the terracotta warriors site draws many modern day travellers to this historical place. But Xian attractions are much more than just the Terracotta Army as is immediately seen on your visit here.

The Bell and Drum Tower stands proudly in the centre of the city and gives it a truly unique panorama. The Ming –style wooden tower stands on a brick base that is about thirty-six meters square. The engravings on the doors show scenes from popular ancient Chinese stories.

Inside is a spiral staircase to take you to the second floor where you are able to find out about this impressive building. The bell on site today weighs five tons and is a replacement for the Jingyun Bell that is now in a museum.

The city wall is very impressive and is the best-preserved city wall in all of China. Its length is almost fourteen kilometers and it stands at twelve meters high. The width varies between twelve and fourteen meters and it is flanked by a deep moat.

Every one hundred and twenty meters there is a defensive rampart and guardhouse and in all there are ninety-eight of these on the wall.

For access to the city four gates were set in the walls at the northern, eastern, southern and western points. Each gate has three gate towers and there are sloped horse passages for easy access to the wall.

Today there are eighteen gates, which tourists can use to climb the wall and do a circuit on foot, by bicycle or golf cart.

Another Xian sightseeing experience is The Great Mosque one of the oldest, largest and best preserved in China. A stone tablet inside the mosque notes that the mosque was built during the Tang Dynasty in seven hundred and forty two AD. A mixture of both Muslim and Chinese architecture it has four courtyards and landscaped gardens. The main prayer room can hold up to one thousand worshippers.

On the subject of the Tang Dynasty no visit here is complete without a visit to a Tang Dynasty Music and Dance Show. With a combination of colourful costumes, music, song and dance set in a well-equipped theatre it makes for a good nights entertainment.

Other sights to see would include:

The Shaanxi History Museum that occupies a sixteen-acre site to display over three hundred and seventy thousand items in three major exhibition halls.

The Wild Goose Pagoda, which is a holy place for Buddhists. You can climb to the top of the sixty four and a half meter tower for excellent view over Xian. The story of how it got its name is that a wild goose in flight broke its wing and fell to the ground to supply the Buddhist monks with food. At its height the temple was seven times as large as it is today.

To get the best from your visit and sightseeing Xian you will need a good pocket guidebook.

<<

>>

Go from Tour of Xian Tang Dynasty Dance Attractions and Sightseeing to travelandshortbreaks.com home page.