Shaanxi Province, called Shaan for short, lies in the middle reaches of the Yellow River in the hinterland of China. It covers an area of 200,000 square km and has a population of 36 million, including many ethnic groups such as Han, Hui, Manchu, Mongol and Tibetan. With the capital, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province governs Xi'an City, Baoji City, Xianyang City, Tongzhou City, as well as the prefectures of Yulin, Yan'an , Weinan , Hanzhong , Ankang and Shangluo. It is divided into three natural areas, namely Shaanbei Plateau, Guanzhong Plain, and Qinba Mountainous Area from north to south.
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Shaanxi has three distinct climate zones - temperate, warm temperate and northern semi-tropical, with the average temperature ranging from eight to sixteen degrees Centigrade. Travelers can visit during most of the year, but should be aware that the summers can be very hot and the winters very cold.
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As one of the cradles of the Chinese nation and its long civilization, Shaanxi was the political, economic and cultural center of China ten centuries ago. A total of fourteen dynasties, including the Zhou (1046 BC-256 BC), Qin (221 BC-206 BC), Han (206 BC-220 AD), Sui (581-618) and Tang (618-907) established their capitals here over a period lasting more than 1,100 years. Hence it is regarded as "The National History Museum of China," boasting representative and complete cultural relics and historic sites of all previous historical times. These famous cultural relics include the site of Lantian Ape Man dating back to more than over one million years, the site of Banpo Original Village dating back to over 6,000 years, the cemetery of Emperor Xuanyuan, the grandfather of the Chinese nation, the site of the Capital of Zhou Dynasty, Zhouyuan, the Terracotta Warriors and Horses of Emperor Qin, the Mao Cemetery of Emperor Wu of Han Dynasty, famed for its beautiful stone carvings, the site of Three Kingdoms (220-280), Wuzhangyuan, Temple of Marquis, the treasures and "Buddha's Finger" in the Underground Palace of Famen Temple of Tang Dynasty, the Qianling Cemetery, final resting place of both Empress Wu Zetian and Emperor Gaozong of Tang Dynasty, the "Stone Library," the extraordinary Forest of Stone Steles which incorporates the most complete extant walls of ancient Xi'an, and many further examples of our historical and cultural heritage.
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Shaanxi also boasts areas of great natural beauty, such as the majestic Huashan Mountain and Lishan Mountain in Lintong, the magnificent and torrential Hukou Waterfalls of the Yellow River, and the extremely important eco-tourism site for protecting rare animals such as the Giant Panda.
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Scenic Spots in Shaanxi
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<survey_word>
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{1_27_2}Traffic of Shaanxi
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In Shaanxi Province there are airports in Xi'an, Yan'an, Yulin, An'kang and Hanzhong, of which, Xi'an Xianyang International Airport is the biggest in the northwest and the fourth largest in China.
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Within the territory of Shaanxi Province, the Lianyungang-Lanzhou Railway connects Huashan, Lintong, Xi'an, Xianyang and Baoji, and there are also direct trains from Xi'an to Yan'an, Tongzhou and An'kang in the province.
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The road network of Shaanxi centers on Xi'an, with nine national highways serving all four points of the compass. Xi'an is the second largest traffic hub in China, next only to Beijing, and there are highways from Xi'an to Tongchuan, Huashan, Tongguan and to Xianyang and Baoji.
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<survey_word>
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{1_27_3}Accommodation of Shaanxi
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Shaanxi is one of the top tourist destinations in China, boasting an extremely well-developed related tourism service industry. In the main tourist cities such as Xi'an, there are many top quality hotels as well as guest houses that offer comprehensive facilities. Prices tend to be lower than in other major cities.
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Regarding facilities and levels of service, accommodation is divided into two categories: those designated for foreign visitors and those for the domestic traveler. Most hotels in either category, however, can book air and rail tickets on behalf of their guests. The room tariffs may fluctuate between the low and peak seasons.
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<survey_word>
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{1_27_4}Cuisine of Shaanxi
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Though Shaanxi Cuisine is not listed as one of the eight cuisines of China, it is strongly characteristic of the local style of cooking that has been traditional for over a thousand years. There are many local delicacies such as Shredded Bread in Mutton Soup, Bread Stuffed with Meat, Hot and Sour Flour Gluten and Cold Noodles.
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<survey_word>
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{1_27_5}Shopping of Shaanxi
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In the tourist cities such as Xi'an of Shaanxi Province, there are abundant opportunities to shop for souvenirs. There are many different kinds of small shops as well as, in the downtown area, a good selection of shopping centers, department stores and supermarkets. As a famous historical and cultural city, Xi'an offers all kinds of cultural artifacts, antiques, and reproduction ancient craftworks such as Qin Terra-cotta Warriors and Horses, Qin copper vehicles and horses, and Tang trichromatic decorations, rubbings of stone steles and antique Song Celadon Porcelain Wares. They can be bought in the antique shops or at the historical sites themselves. Furthermore, there are many characteristic handicrafts such as clay sculptures with colored paintings, woven grass, the farmers' paintings of Huxian County, the embroideries of Huashan Mountain, paper-cuts, shadow characters and woodcut paintings.
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<survey_word>
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{1_27_6}Folk Customs of Shaanxi
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Shaanxi Opera, also known as "Luantan", is the traditional opera of Shaanxi Province as well as the oldest among the traditional operas of China. It gradually developed from the folk songs and musical dramas of the ancient Shaanxi, Ganxu and Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region and attained its mature form through the development of Qin (221 BC-206 BC), Han (206 BC-220 AD), Sui (581-618), Tang (618-907), Song (960-1279), Yuan (1279-1368) and Ming (1368-1644) dynasties. It is principally performed in northwest China.
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Luantan is a full-blooded style of opera that fully utilizes the strength of the human voice and the power of human emotions. There are over ten kinds of characters in Shaanxi Opera including "Dan (female)" such as Laodan, Zhengdan, Xiaodan, Huadan, Wudan and Meidan, "Sheng (male)" such as Laosheng, Xusheng and Xiaosheng,"Jing (the male characters with painted faces)" such as Dajing and Maojing and clowns. Its arias, spoken passages, patterns of make-up, structure and characters have all formed their own traditions. The music is loud and strident. Each performer is expected to bring to each musical passage a kind of solemn and stirring vigor. Due to its longstanding cultural significance in Xi'an, Shaanxi Opera consists of over 700 works, outnumbering that of local operas.
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There are often Shaanxi Opera performances given by Wuyi Troupe in Xi'an (No.146 Dongmutou City).
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{1_27_7}General Survey of Xi'an
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Located on the southern bank of Weihe River of the Guanzhong Plain of Shaanxi, Xi'an is the capital of Shaanxi Province. It backs onto Qinling Mountain Range and faces the plain, with the Jinghe River, Weihe River, Bahe River, Fenghe River and Laohe River passing through it and forming many thousands of square kilometers of fertile fields. It exercises jurisdiction over nine prefectures and four counties, with an area of over 9,977 square km and a population of 6.18 million. It is the largest city in northwest China.
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Xi'an, also known as Chang'an or Jingzhao, is one of the birthplaces of the ancient civilization that began over 3,000 years ago in the Yellow River Basin area. From the year 1134 BC of the Western Zhou Dynasty (1046 BC-771 BC) to Tang (618-907), no less than thirteen dynasties, namely Western Zhou, Qin, Western Han, Xinmang, Eastern Han, Western Jin, Former Zhao, Former Qin, Later Qin, Western Wei, Northern Zhou, Sui and Tang established their capital here, maintaining it for over 1,100 years. Western Zhou, Qin, Western Han and Tang witnessed the prime period of Xi'an. In 139 BC, Zhang Qian was sent by the Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty on a diplomatic mission to the Western Regions, formally opening up the "Silk Road" starting from Xi'an and connecting Europe and Asia.
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This long history and developed culture have left Xi'an with a great many historic sites and places of general interest: the complete and large-scale old city walls, the four major sites of Zhou, Qin, Han and Tang dynasties with a total area of 108 square km, the site of Banpo Matriclan Village, the Qin Terra-cotta Warriors and Horses, the Cemetery of Emperor Qinshihuang, the Forest of Stone Steles Museum (often rather beautifully described as the stone stack of historical books), Shaanxi History Museum, containing an enormous collection of cultural relics, the Greater Wild Goose Pagoda where the famous hierarch Xuanzang of Tang Dynasty translated sutras, the oldest mosques in Northwest China, Huajuexiang Mosque, the famous old Bell Tower and Xianyang Ancient Ferry… and many others also.
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For nature-lovers there are also areas of great natural beauty, such as Lishan Scenic Area, and many national forest parks, of which Zhongnanshan Forest Park is particularly worth visiting.
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The best tourist seasons are the warm and flowery months of March to May and the clear and crisp autumn season from September to November.
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<survey_word>
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{1_27_8}Traffic of Xi'an
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There are flights from Xi'an Airport to more than sixty cities. Located at the northwestern edge of Xi'an City, Xianyang International Airport is some 50 km away from the downtown Xi'an, connected by a highway (journey time approximately one hour). The bus from downtown Xi'an to the airport departs from the ticket office of civil aviation at Xishaomen, and costs 30 Yuan. The terminus from the airport to Xi'an is Xishaomen.
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Lianyungang-Lanzhou Railway traverses Xi'an, Xi'an-Yan'an Railway extends towards north to Yan'an from Xi'an, Xi'an-Ankang Railway runs a direct service to Chongqing, Xi'an-Hefei Railway (Xi'an-Hefei-Nanjing) and Xi'an-Zhongwei Railway (Xi'an-Pingliang-Zhongwei) form a "Lianyungang-Lanzhou Artery" from east to west. Xi'an Railway Station is located in the northern part of downtown Xi'an, and it takes approximately 30 minutes to reach the railway station from the center of downtown.
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Xi'an is the second largest road traffic hub after Beijing, with nine national highways extending throughout the country. Located on the square to the west of Xi'an Railway Station, Xi'an Bus Station provides services to cities both within and outside the province. Xi'an Chengdong Passenger Transport Station lies at No.17 Changle Zhonglu, with buses heading for north Shaanxi Province and places to the east of Xi'an, such as Lintong. Xi'an Bus Station (Xi'an Bus Passenger Transport Company) is located at No.19 Fengqing Lu, with buses providing links to, among other destinations, Baoji, Zhouzhi and Louguan.
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The fare on the city buses in Xi'an is 1 Yuan. There is a special tourist bus service, departing from the railway station and taking a route by way of Beixinjie, Revolution Park, Bell Tower, Drum Tower, Guangji Jie, Zhuquemen, Lesser Wild Goose Pogoda, Nanshaomen, Great Xingshan Temple, Shaanxi History Museum, Greater Wild Goose Pagoda and Qin Imperial Palace; the fare is 2 Yuan. The starting price of the taxies in Xi'an is 6 Yuan (7 Yuan at night), which increases by 1.5 Yuan per km after the first two km.
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<survey_word>
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{1_27_9}Accommodation of Xi'an
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As an international tourist city, Xi'an attracts large numbers of foreign and domestic tourists. There are a wide variety of restaurants and hotels in the city center, most of which can book air and rail tickets for the guests. The most convenient part of the city to find accommodation is in the vicinity of Drum Tower, with its easy access to transport facilities. The tariff of a standard room in a mid-range hotel is 100 Yuan to 400 Yuan per night.
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<survey_word>
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{1_27_10}Cuisine of Xi'an
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The traditional cuisine of Xi'an features a strong northwest flavor, and includes such popular dishes as Shredded Bread in Mutton Soup and Bangbang Noodles, as well as Cold Noodles and Bread Stuffed with Meat. Make an effort to try some of the tasty and widely available local snacks when traveling in Xi'an.
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Besides the night fairs at Nanshaomen and Dongxinjie, you can also go to the snack street behind Drum Tower. On both sides of the street stand beautiful antique buildings, and it is here that you will find an enormous variety of traditional local delicacies.
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<tour_word bg_image_filename="2_27_1">
<title>
{2_27_1}Shaanxi History Museum
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Lying to the northwest of the crossing of Xiaozhai Donglu and Cuihua Lu in Xi'an, Shaanxi History Museum covers an area of some 70,000 square meters, with over 11,600 square meters of exhibition halls. Over 3,000 cultural relics are exhibited in the three halls, all of which are chosen from several hundred thousand cultural relics unearthed in Xi'an Province; most are rarities.
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Shaanxi History Museum now stores over 115,000 individual cultural relics, over 41,000 of which have been catalogued. The entire collection can be divided into the following eight categories:
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Bronze-ware: there are over 3,900 registered articles, belonging to the period from Shang and Zhou dynasties (c.1600 BC-1046 BC) to the Qin and Han dynasties (221 BC-220 AD). Of the total, the most typical are those of Shang and Zhou dynasties.
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Frescos from the graves of Tang Dynasty (618-907): there are more than 400 frescos, with a total area of over 1,000 square meters.
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Pottery figurines of all previous dynasties: there are over 2,000 catalogued artifacts, belonging to the Qin (221 BC-206 BC), Han (206 BC-220 AD), Northern dynasties (386-581), Sui (581-618), Tang (618-907), Song (960-1279), Yuan (1271-1368), Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties. They include figurines made of plain, glazed pottery and tricolor pottery, as well as those decorated with colored drawings.
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Earthernware of all previous dynasties: there are over 5,000 catalogued items, including colored pottery dating back to the prehistoric Yangshao Culture, the primitive celadon of Western Zhou Dynasty (1046 BC-771 BC), glazed pottery of Han Dynasty, Tang tricolor pottery, ancient glassware, colored glazework, Tang celadon glazed pottery and Song Yaojiao celadon.
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Building materials of all previous dynasties: there are more than 1,000 catalogued items, belonging to the period from Qin and Han, Tang, Song, Ming and Qing dynasties.
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Copper mirrors of Han and Tang dynasties: there are over 800 catalogued examples, of varying shape and exquisite design. Some of them are chased with auspicious words.
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Gold, silver and jade articles: they include bronze-ware inlaid with gold or silver. There are over 2,000 catalogued items, most of which are extremely rare.
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Over 10,000 coins from all the previous dynasties have been catalogued, including the shellfish coins of Western Zhou Dynasty (1046 BC-771 BC), gold and silver coins of Tang Dynasty and many rare and ancient foreign coins.
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Shaanxi History Museum, Shaanxi
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Shaanxi History Museum, Shaanxi
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Shaanxi History Museum, Shaanxi
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Take Nos. 5, 24, 27, 527 and 610 buses to reach the museum. The price of the entrance ticket is 35 Yuan and opening times are from 08:00 to 17:00.
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</tour_word>
<tour_word bg_image_filename="2_27_2">
<title>
{2_27_2}Forest of Stone Steles
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Now situated in Xi'an Forest of Stone Steles Museum on Sanxue Street, this unique piece of Shaanxi's history was built in 1090 during the reign of Emperor Zhezong of Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127) and therefore has a history of over 900 years.
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Now there are seven large exhibition rooms, eight covered corridors and eight stele pavilions, bringing together more than 2,300 stone steles from Han to Qing dynasties. The number of exhibited stone steles totals over 1,000, the majority of which were carved by the people of Tang Dynasty. Here, not only do you have the opportunity to appreciate various early calligraphies such as seal script, official script, running-hand and cursive-hand, but also the stone steles carved by famous calligraphers such as Ouyang Xun, Yan Zhenqing and Liu Gongquan, as well as the calligraphy of Wang Xizhi and Sushi.
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Forest of Stone Steles,Shaanxi
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Forest of Stone Steles,Shaanxi
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<tip>
Take Nos. 14, 402 or 239 buses and get off at Museum Station. The price of the entrance ticket is 30 Yuan and opening times are from 08:30 to 18:30.
Built in the third year (652)during the reign of Emperor Gaozong, Yonghui of Tang Dynasty, Dayanta Pagoda is located in Ci'en Temple, and is therefore also known as The Pogoda of Ci'ensi Temple. Great Ci'ensi Temple was the most famous and grandest Buddhist temple in Chang'an (referring to the present-day Xi'an) of Tang Dynasty, which was built in response to an imperial order. Tang Sanzang-Xuanzang presided at the new temple and spent his time translating Sanskrit sutras and laying the foundations of a Buddhist sect. The Dayanta Pagoda was also built under his supervision, and thus has a uniquely important place in the Buddhist history of China, attracting a great deal of attention both domestic and foreign.
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Ci'ensi Temple was built by Prince Li Zhi in the 22nd year (1123)during the Zhenguan Period of Tang Dynasty in order to commemorate his mother Empress Wende. Greater Wild Goose Pagoda was initially only five-stories, but was reconstructed during the reign of Wu Zetian and subsequently experienced several further additions. Now it is a seven-storey brick pagoda, sixty-four meters high. It is in the pavilion style, simply sculptured and imposing , and is the undisputed masterpiece of Buddhist buildings in China.
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On both sides of the southern door on the first floor of the pagoda, two stone steles written by the famous calligrapher, Zhu Suiliang of Tang Dynasty are inlaid. One is the
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Great Tang Sanzang Shengjiao Xu (Preface to the Tripitaka of Great Tang Dynasty)
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and the other is
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Da Tang Sanzang Shengjiao Xu Ji (Record on the Preface to the Tripitaka of Great Tang Dynasty)
Nos. 5, 19, 21 and 610 buses run directly to the Ci'en Temple. The price of the entrance ticket is 30 Yuan during the low season and the opening times are from 08:00 to 17:00.
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Greater Wild Goose Pagoda is the symbolic building of Xi'an City and a must-see tourist spot. It is close by to Qujiang Pond, Apricot Garden and Leyouyuan, all of which boast scenes of exceptional natural beauty.
The Xiaoyanta Pagoda is housed in Jianfusi Temple at the east end of Youyi Xilu in the south Xi'an, with its full name being "Jianfusi Xiaoyanta Pagoda." It faces the Dayanta Pagoda in the west and because it is smaller than Dayanta Pagoda in scale, it is hence known as "Xiaoyanta Pagoda."
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It was built during the Jinglong Period of Tang Dynasty (707-709), being the stupa of the famous Buddhist temple, Xianfusi Temple of Tang Dynasty. This brick pagoda with beautifully vaulting eaves was originally fifteen stories high, but now has only thirteen floors, with a height of 43.38 meters. The body of the pagoda widens from base to apex in a manner both beautiful and exquisite. The inside of the body consists of a hollow cylindrical structure with wooden floors and ascending wooden ladders. There are doors on both the southern and northern sides of the pagoda, with beautiful carvings of Tang Dynasty on the blue block-laid doorframes. The Deity Sustentation pictures on the lintels of the doors are of especially high artistic value.
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Built in 684 of Tang Dynasty, Jianfusi Temple was originally known as Xianfusi Temple and was founded in honor of Emperor Gaozong of Tang Dynasty after his death. The temple holds a huge iron bell weighing in excess of 10,000 kg, cast in the third year (1192) of Mingchang Period of Jin Dynasty (1115-1234). Every morning, the bell is rung at a regular time, and the sound, still wonderfully loud and clear, can be heard over a distance of five km.
Nos.1, 21 and 521 buses offer a direct route to the temple, or take No. 3 and 26 buses and get off at Nanshaomen Station and then walk in a westerly direction. The price of the entrance ticket is 15 Yuan, and the opening times are from 08:00 to 17:00.
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</tour_word>
<tour_word bg_image_filename="2_27_5">
<title>
{2_27_5}Xi'an City Wall
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Xi'an City Wall was built during the Hongwu Period (1370-1378) of Ming Dynasty on the existing foundations of the imperial city wall of Sui and Tang dynasties in the sixth century. It has a perimeter of 13,912 meters and is 12 meters high. It measures 18 meters wide at its base and 15 meters wide at the top. Its width is greater than its height, making it extremely sturdy. The wall includes a series of defensive structures such as moats, suspension bridges, gate towers, archery towers, main towers, turrets, crenels on the dwarf wall and, of course, a series of city gates.
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There are east, west, north and south city gate towers in Xi'an, each having ternary gates on the main tower, archery tower and gate tower respectively. The gate tower lies away from the wall, used to lift and lower the suspension bridge; the archery tower lies in the middle, with square windows in the front and the two sides for shooting arrows from; and the main tower is the inner one, being the principle entrance to the city. The archery tower and main tower are connected by walls plus an encircled area called, in ancient Chinese, the wongcheng, in which soldiers could be stationed. From this wongcheng, there are also horse ramps leading to the top of the wall, gently ascending without steps so as to make it convenient for the war horses to ascend and descend. There are altogether eleven horse ramps around the city. A corner platform is located on each of the four corners of the wall. The one at the southwestern corner is round, probably after the model of the imperial city wall of the Tang Dynasty, but the other three are square, on which are located the watch towers, larger and higher than the sentry building. Along the outer crest of the city wall, there are crenellations or battlements, 5984 of them. Under each crenel there is a square hole, from which arrows were shot and watch was kept. The lower inner walls on the top of the city wall are called parapets. They have no crenels. They were designed to prevent soldiers from falling off the wall when marching or running back and forth along the top of it.
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Xi'an City Wall, Shaanxi
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Xi'an City Wall, Shaanxi
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Xi'an City Wall, Shaanxi
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<tip>
Take No.5 or 611 buses at the railway station. The price of the entrance ticket is 40 Yuan and the opening times are from 08:00 to 17:00.
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<tour_word bg_image_filename="2_27_6">
<title>
{2_27_6}Bell Tower
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The Bell Tower is located at the intersection of East, West, North and South streets, centering on which, the four streets connect the four city gates respectively. It the largest and most complete among the bell towers left by the ancient dynasties.
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It was built in the 17th year (1384)during the Hongwu period of Ming Dynasty, and was originally situated at the corner of Guangji Jie of the present Xi'an City. It was removed to the present location in the 10th year during the Wanli Period (1582)of Ming Dynasty and was repaired in the fifth year (1740)during the reign of Emperor Qianlong of Qing Dynasty. The Bell Tower is composed of base, body and apex, with a total height of 36 meters. The base is 8.6 meters high and each side is 35.5 meters long, totaling about 1,377.4 square meters. It features a style of architecture typical of Ming Dynasty.
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On the northwest corner of the bell tower rests an iron bell of Ming Dynasty, with eight diagrammatic designs etched on its sides. It was cast during the Chenghua Period (1465-1487) of Ming Dynasty, but it is smaller than the one formerly hung in the tower. This enormous former bell is the "Jingyun Bell, "cast during the Jingyun Period of Tang Dynasty, and now exhibited in the Forest of Stone Steles Museum.
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Bell Tower, Shaanxi
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Bell Tower, Shaanxi
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<tour_word bg_image_filename="2_27_7">
<title>
{2_27_7}Drum Tower
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Drum Tower is located at the junction of Xi Dajie and Bei Yuanmen in Xi'an, facing Bell Tower across the square.
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It was built in the 13th year (1380)during the Hongwu Period of Ming Dynasty and repaired twice during Qing Dynasty. Being rectangular in shape, the tower is 33 meters high including the base and covers an area of 1,204.3 square meters. There was originally a huge drum at the top of the tower which was struck at regular intervals to indicate the time, hence the fact that this forerunner of the city clock has always been known as Drum Tower.
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Drum Tower, Shaanxi
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<tip>
Take Nos.1, 6, 8, 11 or 45 buses, all of which run directly to the Tower. The price of the entrance ticket is 30 Yuan and the opening times are from 08:00 to 17:00. Please note that this is a major traffic intersection. Cultural Street, Clothes Street, Food Street and many other thoroughfares are centered in this part of the city.
</tip>
</tour_word>
<tour_word bg_image_filename="2_27_8">
<title>
{2_27_8}Da Xingsansi Temple
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<text>
Da Xingsansi Temple was built in the time of the Jin Dynasty (265-420), and was originally known as Zunshansi Temple. During the Kaiyuan period (713-741)of the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang Dynasty, the Indian monks known as "Kaiyuan Three Mahatmas", Subha Karasimha, Vajrabodhi and Amoghavajra, came to the temple to initiate the Esoteric School, thus developing it into one of the most important places where the Buddhist sutras were translated into Chinese in Chang'an, as well as establishing it as the cradle of the Esoteric School of Chinese Buddhism.
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All the remains of the temple date from the time of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Bell Tower and Drum Tower lie on the eastern and western sides respectively, immediately inside the door. Next is the Tianwangdian Palace, housing the Buddha Maitreya in its center, which is a woodcarving from Song Dynasty (960-1279). On both sides of the palace stand the four heavenly kings. Jingangdian Palace lies in the front followed by the Dadian Palace which houses the statue of Sakyamuni with eighteen arhats on both sides. The Buddhisattva of Mercy With Multiple Hands and Eyes lies behind, with five supplementary palaces on both sides. The rear courtyard of the temple is Dharma Hall and Abbot's Quarters, on which hang the stele with the inscription of "Juewu Zhongsheng (Releasing the Mass Common People)" written by the Emperor Guangxu of Qing Dynasty. The temple includes the site of the prayer wheel sutra house of Tang Dynasty, one meter high and square in shape.
</text>
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Da Xingsansi Temple, Shaanxi
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Da Xingsansi Temple, Shaanxi
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<tip>
The Temple is located at Xiaozhai in the southern part of the city and can be reached by taking No.603 and 5 buses. The price of the entrance ticket is 20 Yuan.
</tip>
</tour_word>
<tour_word bg_image_filename="2_27_9">
<title>
{2_27_9}Qinglongsi Temple
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<text>
The Qinglongsi Temple is located on the Leyouyuan in the north of Telumiao Village, itself in the southeast suburb of Xi'an, being three km away from the downtown area of the city. It is an illustrious temple with a long history.
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<text>
It was built in the second year during the Kaihuang Period of the reign of Emperor Wen, Yang Jian of Sui Dynasty (581-618), and was originally called Linggansi Temple (Inspiration Temple) but renamed Qinglongsi in the second year (771) during the Jinglong Period of Tang Dynasty. It is one of the most famous Buddhist temples of Tang Dynasty and achieved prosperity in the ninth century. It is the ancestral temple of the Shingon sect of Japanese Buddhism.
</text>
<text>
During the Heian period, large numbers of shamans came to the temples of Tang Dynasty to learn Buddhism, of which Kukai is the most famous. He formally acknowledged Huiguo Rabbi as his teacher and made great efforts to learn the doctrines and culture of the Shingon sect of Esoteric Buddhism as well as Sinology of China, and made significant progress in the various aspects of Buddhist sutras, poems and ci, Sanskrit and calligraphy. When returning to Japan in 806, he took along large numbers of Buddhist sutras and other books and set up the Shingon sect in Todaiji Temple in Nara. Meanwhile, he initiated Buddhist rites and popularized the branch of Esoteric Buddhism, becoming the founder of what came to be known as the "Eastern Esotericism." In 1982, the "Kukai Monument" was added to Qinglongsi Temple.
</text>
<image filename="2_27_9a">
Qinglongsi Temple, Shaanxi
</image>
<image filename="2_27_9b">
Qinglongsi Temple, Shaanxi
</image>
<tip>
Take the No.19 bus at Dayanta Station and get off at Tielumiao Station. The price of the entrance ticket is 10 Yuan and the opening times are from 08:00 to 17:00.
</tip>
</tour_word>
<tour_word bg_image_filename="2_27_10">
<title>
{2_27_10}Great Mosque in Huajue Alley
</title>
<text>
Constructed on a grand scale and lying in Huajue Alley to the northwest corner of Drum Tower of Xi'an City, Shaanxi Province, the Great Mosque is an ancient palace-style architectural complex with a long history.
</text>
<text>
It was built in the first year (742) during the Tianbao Period of the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang Dynasty, but due to subsequent repairs the extant buildings are mostly of the architectural style of Ming and Qing dynasties. They are precise in layout, with carved girders and painted ridgepoles, solemn and elegant. Along with the Great Mosque in Daxuexi Alley it is one of the two oldest mosques in China to be found inXi'an.
</text>
<text>
Facing east, the mosque is 50 meters wide from north to south and 250 meters long from east to west. It is divided into four courtyards, covering an area of 12,000 square meters (including 4,000 square meters of actual buildings). The palace of worship has seven rooms in front and nine rooms to the rear, occupying an area of 1,300 square meters, and can accommodate 1,000 persons. It is a mosque in China's ancient architectural style. Its four courtyards feature diverse characteristics, with formal layout and garden features.
</text>
<image filename="2_27_10a">
Great Mosque in Huajue Alley, Shaanxi
</image>
<image filename="2_27_10b">
Great Mosque in Huajue Alley, Shaanxi
</image>
<tip>
No. 1, 6, 8, 11 and 45 buses go directly to the mosque. The price of the entrance ticket is 20 Yuan and the opening times are from 08:00 to 18:00.
</tip>
</tour_word>
<tour_word bg_image_filename="2_27_11">
<title>
{2_27_11}Banpo Site
</title>
<text>
This refers to Banpo Site Museum, lying in Banpo Village six km to the east of the downtown area of Xi'an. It is a typical site of matriclan community village, belonging to Yangshao Culture and boasting a history of 6,000 years.
</text>
<text>
The museum is composed of three exhibition halls and one main exhibition hall on the site. The site is divided into three sections, namely a living section, a pottery-making section and the burial section, of which the living section forms the principal part of the village. The production tools and daily utensils excavated from the site are exhibited in the halls, and are catagorized into stone tools, bone tools and pottery.
</text>
<text>
The Design of Human Face and Fish is typical of the colored pottery paintings of Banpo, boasting vivid lines. There are triangular markings on the top of the head design, with fish held in each side of the mouth. This design reflects the close relationship and special feeling between the Banpo people and fish, and the fish may be the totem esteemed by the Banpo clan.
</text>
<image filename="2_27_11a">
Banpo Site, Shaanxi
</image>
<image filename="2_27_11b">
Banpo Site, Shaanxi
</image>
<tip>
Take No.105 Bus at Drum Tower or the No.11 Bus at the Railway Station. The price of the entrance ticket is 30 Yuan and the opening times are from 08:30 to 17:00.
</tip>
</tour_word>
<tour_word bg_image_filename="2_27_12">
<title>
{2_27_12}Mausoleum of Emperor Qinshihuang (Not yet excavated)
</title>
<text>
The Mausoleum lies at the northern foot of Lishan Mountain, five km away from the east downtown of Lintong County, Shaanxi Province.
</text>
<text>
Emperor Qinshihuang, named Yingzheng and born in 259 BC, was an outstanding politician in the history of China. He ascended the throne at the age of thirteen and was managing State affairs by the age of twenty-two. During more than a decade of war of consolidation, he destroyed the Kingdoms of Han, Zhao, Wei, Chu, Yan and Qi and founded the first united centralized country in the history of China.
</text>
<text>
On ascending the throne in 246 BC, Emperor Qinshihuang began to build the mausoleum, work continuing until his death in 210 BC. The mausoleum building project lasted for thirty-seven years and involved over 700,000 workmen. The mausoleum is grand in scale, consisting of an interior square city and an exterior rectangular city. The burial area lies to the south, the heap of earth over the burial mound is of a flat-roofed square cone shape, originally 515 meters long from north to south, 485 meters wide from east to west and 115 meters high. Through more than two thousand years of weather erosion, as well as human destruction, the burial mound has been reduced to a length of 350 meters, a width of 345 meters and a height of 76 meters.
</text>
<text>
As a result of archaeological exploration, over 500 various accessory pits, accessory graves and the graves for mausoleum builders have been discovered. The important accessory pits include those designed to hold terracotta warriors and horses, as well as those for bronze chariots with draught horses, stables, rare birds and beasts, stone armor, Celadon male figures, bronze water birds and others as yet unidentified. Moreover, inside and outside the mausoleum there is a large area of palace buildings such as bedrooms, dining rooms, interior gardens, temples and government officials' houses.
</text>
<image filename="2_27_12a">
Mausoleum of Emperor Qinshihuang (Not yet excavated), Shaanxi
</image>
<image filename="2_27_12b">
Mausoleum of Emperor Qinshihuang (Not yet excavated), Shaanxi
</image>
<tip>
Take the green No.306 tourist bus from the east of the Railway Station. The price of the entrance ticket is 30 Yuan and the opening times are from 08:00 to 17:00.
</tip>
</tour_word>
<tour_word bg_image_filename="2_27_13">
<title>
{2_27_13}Qin Terracotta Warriors and Horses
</title>
<text>
The pits housing Emperor Qinshihuang's terracotta warriors and horses lie to the south of the Xiyang Village six km away to the east of Lintong District of Xi'an City, being 1,225 meters to the west of the Mausoleum of Emperor Qinshihuang. It is the largest group of accessory pits of the cemetery, in which the vast terracotta warriors, the microcosm of the mighty army of Qin Dynasty (221 BC-206 BC), were buried.
</text>
<text>
It is composed of three differently sized pits, numbered as No.1, No.2 and No.3. They cover an area of some 20,000 square meters, in which there are about 8,000 terracotta figures and horses accurately representing the actual warriors and horses, as well as thousands of practical weapons.
</text>
<text>
The terracotta figures and horses are arrayed in ancient battle formation. The No.1 pit is a rectangular battle array composed of more than 6,000 terracotta figures and horses and over forty chariots; No.2 pit is L-shaped and contains a mixed battle array of infantries, including over 900 terracotta figures, 89 warriors, 356 draught horses and over 100 pack horses; No.3 pit includes 68 clay armored warriors, four terracotta horses and one chariot, and it is most likely the headquarters of the corps of No.1 and No.2 pits.
</text>
<text>
The various terracotta figures excavated are divided into generals, military officials and warriors, each according to their rank, with different fineries, decorations and postures. Among these several thousand figures there is no exact duplication of facial features ΓÇô each is an individual. They are created from actual life, boasting an exquisite and vivid artistic technique. They are of incalculable value in the history of world art.
</text>
<image filename="2_27_13a">
Qin Terracotta Warriors and Horses, Shaanxi
</image>
<image filename="2_27_13b">
Qin Terracotta Warriors and Horses, Shaanxi
</image>
<image filename="2_27_13c">
Qin Terracotta Warriors and Horses, Shaanxi
</image>
<tip>
Take No.306 (No.7 tourist bus) at the doorway of the railway station. The price of the entrance ticket is 100 Yuan and the opening times are from 08:30 to 17:00. Most of the exhibited terracotta figures are from the No.1 pit, and, due to limited protection technology, over 4,000 have been reburied, leaving only approximately 1,000 figures on public view.
</tip>
</tour_word>
<tour_word bg_image_filename="2_27_14">
<title>
{2_27_14}Lintong Museum
</title>
<text>
Lintong Museum lies to the east of the downtown of Lintong County, and is a local museum exhibiting the cultural relics excavated from the county. It is close to Huaqing Pond, with sturdy red columns and winding cloisters.
</text>
<text>
It was built in 1979 and covers an area of 6,600 square meters, including 600 square meters of exhibition area. Following the traditional north China pattern of siheyuan (a courtyard with building on four sides), the museum includes three exhibition halls: Zhou and Qin dynasties Art Hall, Tang Buddhism Art Hall and Han and Tang Art Hall, as well as one stele gallery in which are collected over 10,000 cultural relics from the Neolithic Stone Age to Ming and Qing dynasties. Of the total, there are bronze wares of Western Zhou Dynasty (1046 BC-771 BC), these representing the only relics recording King Wu's conquest over King Zhou. They include gold coffins and silver vessels as well as the treasure curtain of Sakyamuni unearthed from the site of Qingshansi Temple built in Tang Dynasty.
</text>
<image filename="2_27_14a">
Lintong Museum, Shaanxi
</image>
<image filename="2_27_14b">
Lintong Museum, Shaanxi
</image>
<tip>
Take the coach to Lintong from Xi'an. The price of the entrance ticket is 30 Yuan and the opening times are from 08:00 to 17:00.
</tip>
</tour_word>
<tour_word bg_image_filename="2_27_15">
<title>
{2_27_15}Huaqing Pool
</title>
<text>
Huaqing Pool lies to the north of Lishan Mountain in Lintong District of Xi'an City, 30 km to the east of Xi'an. Due to the story of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang Dynasty and his favorite concubine, Yang Kwei Fei, Huaqing Pool has become a popular tourist destination. Boasting an extremely long history, it is said that as early as the time of the Western Zhou Dynasty (11th century BC- 771 BC), King You built Ligong Palace there, and it was also where the Emperor Qinshihuang and Emperor Wu of Han Dynasty built Xanadu. During the Tang Dynasty Emperor Xuanzong's reign (742-756)constructed an incredibly ornate deluxe palace here, known as "Huaqing Palace".
</text>
<text>
You will discover Lotus Flower Pavilion, Feixia Pavilion and Five-room House in the eastern district of Huaqing Pool. Of especial notice is the
<bold>
Hot Spring Ode Stele;
</bold>
carved on the cliff of the hot spring it is one of the most elaborate examples of the stele art tradition of ancient China. In the central area lies the Tang Huaqing Imperial Pool Site Museum, including Lotus Pool, Haitang Pool, Prince Pool, Shangshi Pool, Star Pool and Cultural Relics Exhibition Hall. In the western district you can see Nine Dragon Lake, Feixia Palace and the large scale mural
<bold>
Yang Yuhuan at Hot Spring Palace
</bold>.
</text>
<image filename="2_27_15a">
Huaqing Pool, Shaanxi
</image>
<image filename="2_27_15b">
Huaqing Pool, Shaanxi
</image>
<image filename="2_27_15c">
Huaqing Pool, Shaanxi
</image>
<tip>
Take No.306 and 307 buses from the east of the Railway Station. The price of the entrance ticket is 50 Yuan. The opening times are from 08:00 to 17:00.
</tip>
</tour_word>
<tour_word bg_image_filename="2_27_16">
<title>
{2_27_16}Lishan Mountain
</title>
<text>
A part of the Qinling Mountain Range, Lishan Mountain extends over 20 km from east to west, with a peak of 1,256 meters. Because it was the locus of the Lirong Kingdom in the Western Zhou Dynasty, it is called as Lishan Mountain. Since Zhou, Qin, Han and Tang dynasties, it has been designated as the Imperial gardens. Lishan Mountain is famed for its beauty and is divided into eastern and western mountain ranges, with numerous ancient and famous trees.
</text>
<text>
Lishan boasts many relics, the principle of which are Beacon Tower, the Site of the Hall of Longevity of Huaqing Palace of Tang Dynasty, Laomu Palace, Laojun Palace, Forced Remonstration Pavilion, Shiweng Temple (stone-jar temple), Fire Holding Building, Yuxian Bridge (meet-with-immortal bridge) and ChengTuo Stone. All the relics are accompanied by many familiar historical stories. For example, the Beacon Tower is inscribed with the literary quotation recording how the seigneurs were fooled with a war flame by King You; Laomu Palace was built to commemorate Nv Wa who, according to legend, "refined multicoloured stones to patch the sky;" on the Yuxian Bridge, Zhousheng met with an immortal who coached him to pass the government examination; and the Palace of Longevity contains the peak of poetic perfection, the "Song of Eternal Sorrow".
</text>
<image filename="2_27_16a">
Lishan Mountain, Shaanxi
</image>
<image filename="2_27_16b">
Lishan Mountain, Shaanxi
</image>
<image filename="2_27_16c">
Lishan Mountain, Shaanxi
</image>
<tip>
Take No. 306 or 307 buses at Xi'an Railway Station to get there directly, or walk there after visiting the Huaqing Pool. The price of the entrance ticket is 30 Yuan and the opening times are from 08:00 to 17:00.
</tip>
</tour_word>
<tour_word bg_image_filename="2_27_17">
<title>
{2_27_17}Guanzhong College
</title>
<text>
Lying in Shuyuanmen Jie inside the South Gate, this is the most famous college of Shaanxi Province from the Ming and Qing dynasties, founded by the famous scholar of Shaanxi, FengCongwu in the 20th year (1592) of Wanli Period of Ming Dynasty. The college is composed of the main entrance and then a second door, leading through to a schoolroom, right and left bedrooms, the western and eastern janitor's rooms, and various other chambers."Jingyi Hall" was added in Qing dynasty. In 1906, during the reign of Emporer Guangxu, it was converted into Shaanxi First Normal School; it became Shaanxi Provincial Normal School in the early Republic of China, and is now established as Shaanxi Xi'an Normal School. The extant buildings include the two doors, the original schoolroom, Jingyi Hall and the hundred meters long corridors on the western and eastern sides, forming a pattern of four courtyards. As soon as you enter the door of the college you will experience a strong cultural atmosphere, and you can purchase various cultural artifacts and original souvenirs.
</text>
<image filename="2_27_17a">
Guanzhong College, Shaanxi
</image>
<image filename="2_27_17b">
Guanzhong College, Shaanxi
</image>
<tip>
The buses which stop at Nanmenli Station such as No.600, 603, 215 and 216 all go to the College. It located to the east of the road inside the South Gate. You can arrive there by walking 100 meters along the wall in a westerly direction.
</tip>
</tour_word>
<tour_word bg_image_filename="2_27_18">
<title>
{2_27_18}Cemetery of Cai Wenji
</title>
<text>
The Cemetary of Cai Wenji lies in Caiwang Village of Sanli Town about two km away from Lantian County. Cai Wenji lived in the warring period of late Eastern Han (25-220). She became a widow very early and was captured by the troopers of Hun in the war. Later, against her will, she became the wife of King Zuoxian of Hun and gave birth to two sons. Because her father Cai Yong was a famous scholar and was much respected by Cao Cao, when the latter discovered the extent of Cai Wenji' suffering, he ransomed her with great quantities of treasure and married her to Dong Si. After returning to the central plains, she followed her father's unfulfilled wish and completed the
<italic>
Sequel to the history of the Eastern Han Dinasty
</italic>
in response to the wishes of Cao Cao. Poems written by her also include the five-character
<italic>
Poem of Grief and Indignation
</italic>
, Sao style, and
<italic>
Eighteen Tragic Parts of Barbarian Pipes
</italic>
, regarded as her masterpiece.
</text>
<text>
Cai Weiji made great achievements in the disciplines of history, music, calligraphy and literature. Her strongly emotive poetry adopts the style of traditional folk ballads and absorbs the rhythm of Hujia, a reed instrument of ancient western areas, which was new and fresh with regard to the untrammeled feeling, bold imagery, impassioned language, and novelty of form. It is a unique treasure in the ancient literature of China.
</text>
<text>
The cemetery of Cai Wenji, embraced by dense woods, is eight meters high, and it is said that the Caiwang Village developed from the dwellings of the protectors of her tomb.
</text>
<image filename="2_27_18a">
Cemetery of Cai Wenji, Shaanxi
</image>
<tip>
Take a bus from Xi'an to Lantian County, and then take the local bus to Sanli Town.
</tip>
</tour_word>
<tour_word bg_image_filename="2_27_19">
<title>
{2_27_19}Huayansi Temple
</title>
<text>
Huayansi Temple lies on Shaoling Plateau of Chang'an County 15 km to the south of Xi'an in Shaanxi Province, overlooking Fanchuan and facing Shenhe Plateau to the west and Yu'an of Zhongnanshan Mountain to the south, as well as the peaks of Wuyan Mountain. It is the cradle of the Avatamsaka Sect of Chinese Buddhism, built in the nineteenth year (803) during Zhenyuan Period of Tang Dynasty. On the site of the present temple lie two brick pagodas: the eastern pagoda is for the first founder of Avatamsaka Sect, Monk Dushun, being seven-stories high and square in shape. It is carved with the inscription of "Wugou Jingguang Pagoda" and "Yan Zhu." The western pagoda is for the fourth ancestor of Avatamsaka Sect, Qingliang Master. It is a five-storey building with six sides and carved with the inscription of "Pogada of Great Tang Qingliang Master Miaojue." The buildings of the temple suffered complete ruination due to the collapse of Shaoling Plateau during Emperor Qianlong's reign (1736-1795) in Qing Dynasty. During the period from 1984 to 1986, the pagoda was moved to the north, where an underground palace was discovered to house some of the most precious cultural relics.
</text>
<image filename="2_27_19a">
Huayansi Temple, Shaanxi
</image>
<image filename="2_27_19b">
Huayansi Temple, Shaanxi
</image>
<tip>
Take No.235 Bus to get to Huayansi Temple.
</tip>
</tour_word>
<tour_word bg_image_filename="2_27_20">
<title>
{2_27_20}Cemetery of Bianque in Xi'an
</title>
<text>
Bianque is the symbol of the famous and highly skilled doctor who worked among the peasant people of China, and who was an actual historical personage. He invented the art of feeling a patient's pulse, boasting preeminent technique in this form of determining a person's health. Bianque practiced medicine in various places and later came to Kingdom Qin. According to textual research, Bianque was subsequently assassinated by his fellow practitioners.
</text>
<image filename="2_27_20a">
Cemetery of Bianque in X'an, Shaanxi
</image>
<tip>
The special No.306 Tourist Bus takes you there directly.
</tip>
</tour_word>
<tour_word bg_image_filename="2_27_21">
<title>
{2_27_21}Dugong Ancestral Temple
</title>
<text>
Dugong Ancestral Temple lies on the border of Shaoling Plateau to the east of Weiqu Town of Chang'an District, about 12 km from Xi'an. It is the ancestral temple of the famed ancient poet, Du Fu, and backs onto Shaoling Plateau in the north and borders on Fanchuan in the south. Possessing beautiful flowers and a quiet and elegant environment, the temple is a delightful tourist retreat. It is a siheyuan-style architectural complex, and the gate is a Tang Dynasty brick and wood structure, being 3 meters thick, 6.7 meters high and 4.3 meters wide. There are five large parterres built of cement in the courtyard and three Xiang Palaces (sacrificial palaces), housing one sitting clay sculpture of Du Fu. The most precious cultural relics in the temple are the ink rubbings from the inscription of
<italic>
Fu Taizhong Yangong Jiuri Nanshansi
</italic>
written by Du Fu on the stone stele, which is the only one extant with Du Fu's original autograph characters. On the wall of the exhibition hall are the
<italic>
Tang Book-Biography of Du Fu, The Chronicle of Du Fu
</italic>
and "The Picture of the Track of Du Fu", "The Lineage Chart of Family Du" and "The Drawing of Du Fu's Trail in Chang'an" and many other magnificent records of this great poet. The extant temple was built in Qing Dynasty and opened up as Du Fu Memorial in 1960.
</text>
<image filename="2_27_21a">
Dugong Ancestral Temple, Shaanxi
</image>
<tip>
Take the small buses heading for Weiqu Town of Chang'an County or the tourist bus heading for Cuihuashan Mountain at South Gate or Nanshaomen of Xi'an. The opening times are daily from 08:00 to 18:00.
</tip>
</tour_word>
<tour_word bg_image_filename="2_27_22">
<title>
{2_27_22}Site of Lantian Man
</title>
<text>
This internationally famous ancient site lies on Gongwangling Mountain of Lantian County about 50 km away from Xi'an.
</text>
<text>
In 1963, the Ancient Acantha Archaeological Team of The Chinese Academy of Sciences discovered, at a dig near Chenjiawo Village of Lantian County, a fossil jawbone from an aged female plus a collection of stone tools; in 1964, during further excavations in Gongwangling Mountain, the skull fossil of Lantian Man was discovered, of even more primitive character than Beijing Man. Lantian Man is the most important human fossil discovery in China after Beijing Man.
</text>
<text>
Lying on the mountainside of Gongwangling Mountain of Lantian County, Lantian Man Site Museum is a six-sided stele pavilion in which the monument of the unearthed Lantian Man fossil stands. The stele is carved with the reconstructed head of Lantian Man and the inscription "the place where the fossil skull of Lantian Man was excavated" below. The cultural relics of the exhibition halls surround the monument, exhibiting mainly items from the Paleolithic Period, including over 200 articles such as scraping tools, chopping and smashing tools, sharp-pointed tools, stone balls and so forth. According to modern dating techniques, Lantian Man goes back 1.15-1.1 million years, and in the terminology of the International Academic Denomination Criterion, it has been named Lantian Homo Erectus of Asia.
</text>
<image filename="2_27_22a">
Site of Lantian Man, Shaanxi
</image>
<tip>
Take the bus from Xi'an to Shangzhou and get off at Jiujianfang Station and then walk one kilometer in a southerly direction. The price of the entrance ticket is 5 Yuan.
</tip>
</tour_word>
<tour_word bg_image_filename="2_27_23">
<title>
{2_27_23}Fengxi Chariots and Horses Pits (The Chariots and Horses Pits on the West Bank of Fenghe River)
</title>
<text>
These pits, built to house chariots and horses during the reign of King Chengkang in the early Western Zhou Dynasty (11th century BC-771 BC), are located near Zhangjiapo Village of Mawang Town of Chang'an. Since 1959, archaeologists have discovered a total of eighteen pits containing chariots and horses of Western Zhou Dynasty, and have, after repair and restoration, preserved the most perfect example for tourists to visit.
</text>
<text>
The horses in the pits are tidily and regularly arrayed. There is also one chariot drawn by four horses and one Yao cart (the cart for riding) drawn by two horses. The wheels are directed towards the east and the rectangular carts are made of wood. Each has a shaft to both sides of which the horse is harnessed. The horses lie face to face in front of the cart and six horses are arranged in the form of an arc. The horses that draw the chariot are decorated with bronze and those which draw the Yao cart with shells.
</text>
<image filename="2_27_23a">
Fengxi Chariots and Horses Pits (The Chariots and Horses Pits on the West Bank of Fenghe River), Shaanxi
</image>
<tip>
The pits are to be found in Keshengzhuang and Zhangjiapo of Mawang Town on the west bank of Fenghe River of Chang'an County of Xi'an. Special tourist buses take you there directly from Xi'an.
</tip>
</tour_word>
<tour_word bg_image_filename="2_27_24">
<title>
{2_27_24}Jiawutai
</title>
<text>
39 km from Xi'an, Jiawutai is located to the south of Baidaoyu Village, Dayu Township of Chang'an District. It is bordered on the west by Xiaoyu, on the east by Dayu, on the south by Qinling Mountain and on the north by Shaoling. The scenic area extends 7 km from north to south and some 1.5 km from east to west. It is a beautiful and famous Buddhist mountain.
</text>
<text>
Jiawutai is composed of five peaks, of which the highest has an altitude of 1,870 meters, boasting sheer ascents and wonderful views and is reputed as "Small Huashan Mountain." The "small ladder," a ten meters or so set of ten stone steps cut out of the cliff and supplied with iron chains is an essential way for tourists to ascend, grasping the chains and hauling themselves up the steps. The most dangerous means of ascent is the "big ladder," rising up a sheer cliff. On this slippery portion of cliff has been cut a line of stone steps which rise forty meters and next to which an iron chain forged in the 11th year (1584) of Wanli Period of Ming Dynasty is hung.
</text>
<text>
Jiawutai was famed throughout the country as early as the first year (627) of Zhenguan Period of Tang Dynasty. There have been over forty famous Lamas and hierarchs such as Yin Guang, Xu Yun, Miao Kuo and Ding Hui. In Tang Dynasty, when the Living Buddha Dalai and Panchen of Tibet came to the Capital Chang'an to take an examination, they lived in the mountain's Lama Caves.
</text>
<image filename="2_27_24a">
Jiawutai, Shaanxi
</image>
<image filename="2_27_24b">
Jiawutai, Shaanxi
</image>
<tip>
Take one of the medium buses heading for Taiyi Palace at South Gate. The price of the entrance ticket is 5 Yuan.
</tip>
</tour_word>
<tour_word bg_image_filename="2_27_25">
<title>
{2_27_25}Site of the Daminggong Palace
</title>
<text>
The Site of the Daminggong Palace is located on Longshou Plateau in the northern suburb of Xi'an. Daminggong Palace was an imperial palace built on a comparatively large scale, lying in the Forbidden City in the north of Chang'an City. It faces south, with a commanding position. It was built in the eighth year (634) of Zhenguan Period during the reign of Emperor Taizong of Tang Dynasty, called Yong'an Palace as a Summer Palace built by Emperor Taizong, Li Shimin for his father, Liyuan. After the first year of Xianheng Period during the reign of Emperor Gaozong (670), Daminggong Palace became the center of governmental affairs.
</text>
<text>
It was destroyed in the late Tang Dynasty, but the remains of Hanyuan Hall, Linde Hall, Sanqing Hall, Yangluan Pavilion and Qifeng Pavilion as well as Taiye Pond and Penglai Pavilion can still be seen quite clearly.
</text>
<image filename="2_27_25a">
Site of the Daminggong Palace, Shaanxi
</image>
<image filename="2_27_25b">
Site of the Daminggong Palace, Shaanxi
</image>
<image filename="2_27_25c">
Site of the Daminggong Palace, Shaanxi
</image>
<tip>
The site of Hanyuan Hall is located at the northern crossing of Gexin Jie of Ziqiang Donglu and you can take No. 216, 528, 2 and 717 buses and get off at Tongjiaxiang Station or No. 708 and get off at Caiyinchang Station. The price of the adult entrance ticket is 25 Yuan. The site of Linde Hall lies at the eastern section of Longshou Beilu, and you can take No.616, 26, 36, 600, 609 and 601 buses and get off at Longshoucun Station and then walk in an easterly direction. The price of the adult entrance ticket is 10 Yuan.
</tip>
</tour_word>
<tour_word bg_image_filename="2_27_26">
<title>
{2_27_26}Cuihuashan Mountain Natural Scenic Area
</title>
<text>
Cuihuashan Mountain Natural Scenic Area is located on the northern mountain of Qinling 23 km to the south of Xi'an. Its main peak, Zhongnanshan Mountain, has an altitude of 2,604 meters and it covers an area of 32 square km. The scenic area is famous for "the unique beauty of Zhongnan" and "China Geology and Topographic Feature Museum." It is comprised of Bishanhu Scenic Area, Tianchi Area and Landslip and Stone Sea Scenic Area. It is one of the areas principally influenced by landslip in China.
</text>
<text>
Cuihuashan Mountain was called Taiyishan Mountain, and it is said that Taiyi Zhenren made pills of immortality and cultivated vital energy there, thus it got its name. Since the Qin Dynasty (221 BC-207 BC), it has been the garden of the imperial family. The Emperor Qinshihuang, Yingzheng often hunted and rested there, the emperor Wu of Han Dynasty set up a sacrificial altar to worship heaven, and the Emperor Li Shimin of Tang Dynasty also spent his summers there. Hence, it is regarded as Sanqin Tourist Resort.
</text>
<image filename="2_27_26a">
Cuihuashan Mountain Natural Scenic Area, Shaanxi
</image>
<image filename="2_27_26b">
Cuihuashan Mountain Natural Scenic Area, Shaanxi
</image>
<tip>
There are special tourist buses that depart from Nanshan Auto Service Station near the gymnasium outside the South Gate of Xi'an.
</tip>
</tour_word>
<tour_word bg_image_filename="2_27_27">
<title>
{2_27_27}Louguantai Terrace
</title>
<text>
Lying on Zhongnanshan Mountain at the northern foot of Qinling in the southeast of Zhouzhi County of Shaanxi, Louguantai Terrace is 76 km away from Xi'an City, covering an area of 27,333.3 hectares. It is divided into four parks, namely Louguan, West Louguan, Tianyuhe River and Shouyangshan Mountain, including over 200 cultural, natural and forested scenic areas. The East Louguan Park in the Forest Park boasts over fifty scenic spots, principle among which are the Hundred Bamboo Garden, the largest of its kind in North China and containing the most varieties of bamboo plants; the Rare Animals House, where are bred the giant pandas of Qinling, as well as golden monkeys and antelopes, the oldest Taoist Temple in China, the platform of Laozi preaching, as well as Wenxiangou Scenic Area of beautiful natural forest.
</text>
<image filename="2_27_27a">
Louguantai Terrace, Shaanxi
</image>
<image filename="2_27_27b">
Louguantai Terrace, Shaanxi
</image>
<image filename="2_27_27c">
Louguantai Terrace, Shaanxi
</image>
<tip>
Take the special tourist buses from the western side of Nanjiao Coach Station. There are over ten large and small hotels and restaurants in East Louguan Garden.
</tip>
</tour_word>
<tour_word bg_image_filename="2_27_28">
<title>
{2_27_28}Southern Wutai Scenic Area
</title>
<text>
Lying 30 km to the south of Xi'an, Southern Wutai Scenic Area boasts steep mountains, green trees and beautiful views. At its highest point are five peaks, called Qingliang, Wenshu, Sheshen, Lingying, and Guanyin, these together forming one of the Buddhist holiest sites. It only takes twenty to thirty minutes to reach the summit by bus. You will pass river, bridge, bamboo forest and temples, while numerous wild flowers and birds will delight the senses. On the mountainside, there is a unique summer resort called "Single Pine Pavilion" where one can rest and enjoy a picnic. Ancient buildings are distributed throughout the mountain, the most famous of which include Shengshousi Temple, Shengbao Spring, Zizhusi Temple, Kwan-yin Platform and Five-Buddha Palace.
</text>
<image filename="2_27_28a">
Southern Wutai Scenic Area, Shaanxi
</image>
<image filename="2_27_28b">
Southern Wutai Scenic Area, Shaanxi
</image>
<tip>
Take any of the special tourist buses heading for Zhongnanshan Mountain at the auto station outside the South Gate of Shizixi of Nanshaomen. The price of the entrance ticket is 20 Yuan.
This is one of the oldest Buddhist temples in China, lying at the foot of Guifengshan Mountain 20 km to the southeast of Huxian County of Xi'an. Though the date of the temple's construction is unknown, there is an accurate record in the historical books that in the late Qin Dynasty (384-431)it had already been of sufficient scale that three thousand disciples translated sutras there together. It is the place where Hierarch Kumarajiva (one of the four translators of Chinese Buddhism) translated sutras. Due to the simple thatched cottage construction, it is known as Caotangsi Temple. The base of the Dagoba of Kumarajiva is 2.33 meters high, and there are twelve floors each with eight sides. It was built with beautiful eight-colored stone from the Western Regions, and is thus called "Babaoyu Pagoda (Eight Treasure Jade Pagoda)." There is an ancient well in the temple, from which a fine mist often rises, this being known as the "Mist of Thatched Pavillion." It is regarded as the ancestral temple of Three Shastra Sect and Satyasiddhi Sect.
Take one of the medium buses heading for Huxian County at Nanguan Passenger Transport Station outside Zhuque Gate, or the special tourist buses heading for Caoyangsi Temple at Xi'an Auto Station. The price of the entrance ticket is 15 Yuan and the opening times are from 08:00 to 18:00 daily.
</tip>
</tour_word>
<tour_word bg_image_filename="2_27_30">
<title>
{2_27_30}Shuilu Nunnery (Water and Land Nunnery)
</title>
<text>
Lying at the foot of Wangshunshan Mountain, Puhua County 10 km to the east of the downtown of Lantian County, Shuilu Nunnery is a famous temple of the Six Dynasties (220 -618), known for preserving the ancient exquisite and rare painted sculptures. It is surrounded by water on three sides and has a backdrop of verdant mountains, thus giving the impression of being an island, so it is called Shuilu Nunnery. According to the record of
<italic>
Annals of Lantian County
</italic>
and ancient steles, it is the temple of the Six Dynasties and formed a complex of Buddhist temples with the above and below Wuzhensi temples (truth awakening temples) during Tang Dynasty. It was renovated many times during Five Dynasties (907-960), Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties (1368-1911).
</text>
<text>
The extant Shuilu Nunnery is a siheyuan, being quiet and of simple construction. The colored clay wall sculptures are the pick of the nunnery, all of which are to be found in the great hall. They are divided into four parts, namely the southern and northern walls, the two walls of the compartment and the two shadow walls. There are all together over 3,700 differently sized Buddhist sculptures and it is said that all of them were made by the famous sculptor, Yang Hui of Tang Dynasty. They are also known as "hidden sculpture" or "screen wall", which is a form of art where paintings and wall sculptures are combined. For the most part, they take the mountains, rivers and flowers as their theme and are painted with a delicate variety of colors, forming special patters of altorelievo and embossment.
</text>
<image filename="2_27_30a">
Shuilu Nunnery (Water and Land Nunnery), Shaanxi
</image>
<image filename="2_27_30b">
Shuilu Nunnery (Water and Land Nunnery), Shaanxi
</image>
<image filename="2_27_30c">
Shuilu Nunnery (Water and Land Nunnery), Shaanxi
</image>
<tip>
Take the special tourist bus at the foot of Wangshunshan Mountain 10 km away to the east of Lantian County or one of the buses at Yuxiangmen Station. The price of the entrance ticket is 15 Yuan but this is reduced to 6 Yuan during the fairs. The opening times are from 09:00 to 17:00 daily.
</tip>
</tour_word>
<tour_word bg_image_filename="2_27_31">
<title>
{2_27_31}Xianyousi Temple
</title>
<text>
Located in a corner of Heishui Valley 17 km to the south of the county town of Zhouzhi, Xianyousi Temple is surrounded by four mountains with a river passing through. Set off by exhilaratingly beautiful peaks, sweet springs and cascading waterfalls, it is a charming spot that abounds in both natural and cultural sights.
</text>
<text>
Emperor Wen of Sui Dynasty built a Xanadu here in the first year (601) of Renshou Period, called Xianyou Palace. Now there only remain the southern and northern temples on the southern and northern banks of Heshuihe River. The southern temple is called Xianyou Temple and the northern one is called Zhongxing Temple, between which there is a "Heishuitan Pool," also known as" Xianyou Pool." There are many recorded anecdotes concerning various of the well-known literary figures and calligraphers of all the past dynasties, such as the sutra master, Ma Rong of the late Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220), and those of the Tang Dynasty (618-907) such as Wang Bo, Cen Shen, Li Shangyin, Zhu Qingyu and many others. Most notably, the famous poet Bai Juyi wrote the classic long poem
<italic>
Song of Eternal Sorrow
</italic>
, with its theme of the love story between Li Longji and Yang Yuhuan, during a period of unrelenting composition at Xianyousi Temple, a work that has since been regarded as the peak of the poetic perfection and passed down from generation to generation.
</text>
<image filename="2_27_31a">
Xianyousi Temple, Shaanxi
</image>
<image filename="2_27_31b">
Xianyousi Temple, Shaanxi
</image>
<tip>
Take the medium bus at Shuisi or Nanguan Coach Station heading for Zhouzhi. The price of the entrance ticket is 10 Yuan and the opening times are from 08:00 to 18:00 daily.
</tip>
</tour_word>
<tour_word bg_image_filename="2_27_32">
<title>
{2_27_32}Xiangjisi Temple
</title>
<text>
Lying in Xiangjisi Village, Guodu Town, Chang'an County, Xiangjisi Temple is 17.6 km away from the downtown of Xi'an. It was built in the second year (706) of the Shenlong Period of the reign of Emperor Zhongzong of Tang Dynasty to commemorate the second ancestor of Pure Land Sect, Master Shandao, by his favorite disciple Huaihun. There is a dagoba of Shandao built in Tang dynasty in the western part of the temple, a square brick pagoda constructed in imitation of wooden structures with dense eaves. It now has eleven steps, reaching as high as 33 meters, and is regarded as one of the cradles of Pure Land Sect.
</text>
<image filename="2_27_32a">
Xiangjisi Temple, Shaanxi
</image>
<image filename="2_27_32b">
Xiangjisi Temple, Shaanxi
</image>
<tip>
Take No.215 bus to Weiqu and then transfer to the medium bus from Weiqu to Xiangjisi. The price of the entrance ticket is 3 Yuan and the opening times are from 08:00 to 18:00 daily.
</tip>
</tour_word>
<tour_word bg_image_filename="2_27_33">
<title>
{2_27_33}Xingjiaosi Temple (The Temple of Flourishing Teaching)
</title>
<text>
Xingjiaosi Temple, constructed against the backdrop of Shaoling Plateau, is the principal among the eight temples of Fanchuan in Tang Dynasty, where the famous Hierarch Xuanzang of China lay down his head for the last time. After Xuanzang died, in 664, he was buried on White Deer Plateau and then reintered on Fengqi Plateau of Fanchuan in the second year (669) of the reign of Emperor Gaozong of Tang Dynasty. A five-story brick divine pagoda was also built there and the temple was constructed the following year. Meanwhile, Emperor Suzong of Tang Dynasty inscribed two characters "Xing Jiao," and in this way the temple received its name.
</text>
<text>
The pagoda in Xingjiaosi Temple is also known as Xuanzang Divine Pagoda. Square in shape, it is about 21 meters high and 5.2 meters at its base. It boasts life-sized sculptures, belonging to the typical works of pavilion style in early times. It faces south, and comprises halls, sutra house and courtyard. The temple houses one bronze Buddha Statue of Ming Dynasty and one Burma jade Buddha Statue as well as several thousand sutra volumes representing works from all the previous dynasties.
</text>
<image filename="2_27_33a">
Xingjiaosi Temple (The Temple of Flourishing Teaching), Shaanxi
</image>
<image filename="2_27_33b">
Xingjiaosi Temple (The Temple of Flourishing Teaching), Shaanxi
</image>
<tip>
Take any of the medium buses heading for Chang'an County. The price of the entrance ticket is 10 Yuan and the opening times are from 10:00 to 15:00 daily.
</tip>
</tour_word>
<tour_word bg_image_filename="2_27_34">
<title>
{2_27_34}Huayangmiao Temple
</title>
<text>
Huayangmiao Temple lies in a corner of Huayang Valley 13 km to the southeast of Huxian County of Xi'an, and originally covered an area of 30 hectares. One can observe Jitoushan Mountain to the east and Niushoushan Mountain to the west, and the temple borders on Qinling Mountain Range and looks out over Qinchuan Plain. The buildings of the temple are distributed according to classic design, being a comparatively complete ancient architectural complex.
</text>
<text>
Huayangmiao Temple got its name due to its location, and it is said that it was built in Song Dynasty and was restored seven times from the first year (1426) of Xuande Period of Ming Dynasty to the second year (1910) of Xuantong Period of Qing Dynasty. Dongyuexian Hall was built in Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368), covering an area of 107 square meters. In addition, there is a stele recording the repair of the relics of Dongyuemiao Temple, built in the third year of Jingtai Period (1452) of Ming Dynasty.
</text>
<image filename="2_27_34a">
Huayangmiao Temple, Shaanxi
</image>
<image filename="2_27_34b">
Huayangmiao Temple, Shaanxi
</image>
<tip>
The temple is 45 km away from Xi'an and a bus takes you directly to its entrance. There are also buses in Xi'an and Huxian County which will transport you directly to the temple. The fairs of Huayangmiao Temple continue to flourish and are held regularly on the twentieth day of the first lunar month and the tenth day of the sixth lunar month every year. Each lasts about ten days.
</tip>
</tour_word>
<tour_word bg_image_filename="2_27_35">
<title>
{2_27_35}Xianyang Museum
</title>
<text>
Xiangyang Museum is located in the Zhongshan Jie in the center of the ancient city Xianyang, being originally Xianyang Wenmiao Temple built in early Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) which was converted into a museum in 1962. Xianyang is the capital of Qin Dynasty as well as the place where the mausoleums of Han are collectively distributed. Hence, most of the cultural relics stored in the museum are of Qin and Han dynasties, of which the three thousand warrior and horse figures with coloured drawings of Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-24) are the most famous.
</text>
<text>
The museum boasts a construction area of 3,855 square meters and an exhibition area of 1,216 square meters. There are seven exhibition halls now, including three exhibiting the cultural relics of Xianyang of Qin Dynasty, one exhibiting that of the imperial mausoleums of Western Han and two special halls exhibiting the 3,000 warrior and horse figures with coloured drawings of Western Han Dynasty. There are all together over 7,000 articles. The museum also brings together more than 20,000 cultural relics of Zhou, Qin, Han and Tang dynasties, including bronze ware, iron ware, potteries, porcelains, stone carvings, calligraphies and paintings, and items of jade.
</text>
<image filename="2_27_35a">
Xianyang Museum, Shaanxi
</image>
<image filename="2_27_35b">
Xianyang Museum, Shaanxi
</image>
<tip>
Take any of the coaches heading for Xianyang in Xi'an. The price of the entrance ticket is 30 Yuan and the opening times are from 08:00 to 17:00.
</tip>
</tour_word>
<tour_word bg_image_filename="2_27_36">
<title>
{2_27_36}Zhaoling Mausoleum
</title>
<text>
Zhaoling Mausoleum is over 20 km to the northeast of Liquan County of Xianyang City, about 80 km from Xi'an. Grand and majestic, it is the cemetery of Emperor Li Shimin (who reign in 598-649, and Empress Zhangsun. It is the largest imperial cemetery, covering an area of 20,000 hectares and having a perimeter of 60 km.
</text>
<text>
Zhaoling Mausoleum is a beautiful example of a mausoleum being built with the mountains as a backdrop. To the south of Zhaoling there is a large accessory burials complex, including the final resting place of over 200 princes and dukes as well as minor nobles. 185 individual burial chambers have now been formally identified. The Mausoleum is a rich repository of cultural relics, boasting many gravestone epitaphs, the embossment of "Zhaoling Six Fine Horses" and large numbers of color-painted glazed pottery figures excavated from the accessory burials, all of which are masterpieces of the art of Tang Dynasty.
</text>
<image filename="2_27_36a">
Zhaoling Mausoleum, Shaanxi
</image>
<image filename="2_27_36b">
Zhaoling Mausoleum, Shaanxi
</image>
<tip>
Take the buses heading for Liquan in Xi'an and then a further bus from Liquan to Beitun. The price of the entrance ticket is 30 Yuan and the opening times are from 08:00 to 17:00.
</tip>
</tour_word>
<tour_word bg_image_filename="2_27_37">
<title>
{2_27_37}Qianling Mausoleum
</title>
<text>
Lying on the Liangshan Mountain of Qianxian County 80 km away from Xi'an, Qianling Mausoleum is the most complete imperial mausoleum among the "Eighteen Mausoleums of Tang Dynasty," the joint tomb of Emperor Gaozong of Tang Dynasty and his Empress Wu Zetian.
</text>
<text>
Qianling faces to the south and backs onto the mountain, giving it an altogether grand and majestic aspect. Among the three peaks of Liangshan Mountain, the northern peak is the highest, with an altitude of 1,047.9 meters. The joint tomb of Emperor Gaozong and Wu Zetian lies on this peak. The other two peaks are comparatively low, facing each other in the east and west, so they are called the "breast peaks." Qianling is composed of two cities, covering an extremely large area. The outer city has long disappeared, but the inner one remains completely intact, occupying an area of 2.4 square km. It has four doors, all with carved stones on their outer sides. These carved stones are 575 meters long and 11 meters wide, including 526 steps and 18 platforms composed of 3,200 Shaanxi black jade stones. The cultural relics to be found within Qianling Mausoleum are principally the stone carvings, totaling 114 articles carved mostly from whole giant blocks.
</text>
<text>
The mausoleum was never looted. According to the geographical survey, it is 631 meters long and 3.9 meters wide from the beginning of the grave way to the door of the grave, paved with a total of thirty-nine floor slabs. Each of these slabs is reinforced with iron, making them virtually impossible to break through with the sort of implements grave looters would have had at their disposal. To the southeast of the mausoleum lie seventeen accessory graves, and those of Princess Yongtai, Prince Zhanghuai and Yide have been excavated and restored. In addition, Qianling Museum has been built in the former mausoleum of Princess Yongtai.
</text>
<image filename="2_27_37a">
Qianling Mausoleum, Shaanxi
</image>
<image filename="2_27_37b">
Qianling Mausoleum, Shaanxi
</image>
<tip>
Take the special tourist bus that goes to Qianling from Xi'an. The price of the entrance ticket is 90 Yuan and the opening times are from 08:00 to 17:00.
</tip>
</tour_word>
<tour_word bg_image_filename="2_27_38">
<title>
{2_27_38}Maoling Mausoleum
</title>
<text>
Lying in the northeast of Xingping County of Xianyang City, Maoling Mausoleum is some 45 km away from the downtown of Xi'an, and is the grave of the fifth emperor of Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-25 AD), Emperor Wu, Liu Che (157 BC-87 BC).
</text>
<text>
Emperor Wu can be mentioned in the same breath as Emperor Qin Shihuang in the history of China. During his reign, the Han Dynasty experienced its heyday - especially with respect to military affairs. In the north he attacked the Hun and opened the road to the Western Regions, firmly controlling the Gansu Corridor, and in the south, his territory extended to Hainan, basically forming the pattern of the territory of China.
</text>
<text>
Maoling Mausoleum was the largest in dimension, took the longest time to build, and had the richest funeral objects among the mausoleums of Han emperors. The tomb was built of rammed earth in the shape of a four-sided dipper, 46 meters high and 240meters long. The mausoleum is square in shape, with the sides being some 420 meters in length. The eastern, western and northern cob walls still exist, and the accessory tombs include those of Mrs. Li, Wei Qing, Huo Qubing, Huo Guang and Jin Richan.
</text>
<text>
There is a group of stone carvings of Han Dynasty before the tomb of Huo Qubing, of which the most famous is the one built by Emperor Wu of Han Dynasty, Liu Che in honor of the achievements made by the young General. Maoling Mausoleum lies 1 km away to the northeast of Maoling, and here are collected many rare cultural relics such as a Gilt Bronze Horse, the figures of Qin and Han dynasties, and the characters and eaves tiles and so forth, all of which are of tremendous cultural and historical value.
</text>
<image filename="2_27_38a">
Maoling Mausoleum,Shaanxi
</image>
<image filename="2_27_38b">
Maoling Mausoleum,Shaanxi
</image>
<tip>
There are special tourist buses which depart from Xi'an Bus Station. The price of the entrance ticket is 30 Yuan and the opening times are from 08:00 to 17:00.
</tip>
</tour_word>
<tour_word bg_image_filename="2_27_39">
<title>
{2_27_39}Dafosi Temple (Grand Buddha Temple)
</title>
<text>
Lying 11 km to the west of the downtown of Binxian County of Xianyang City, a lofty classical pavilion backs onto the mountain with numerous cliff carvings behind it and surrounded by lush green trees. This is the grotto of Dafosi Temple.
</text>
<text>
Originally called Qingshousi Temple (Birthday Congratulating Temple), Dafosi Temple was built under the supervision of Weichi Jingde who was sent by Emperor Taizong, Li Shimin in the second year (628) of Zhenguan Period of Tang Dynasty as part of the celebrations for the 60th birthday of Emperor Taizong's mother. Hence, it got the name of "Birthday Celebrating Temple." Although the statues in the buildings of the temple belong to the Tang Dynasty, most of other stone statues of Buddha are the works of Northern Dynasties (386-581). There are all together 70 niches and 1,001 statues. The grand Buddha is the sitting statue of Sakyamuni, 24 meters high with a shoulder-span of 13 meters.
</text>
<text>
In addition, the temple also preserves 177 inscriptions and six steles left by all the visitors of all previous dynasties since those of Tang and Song. The poems are elegant and the calligraphies are of cursive, official and seal scripts.
</text>
<image filename="2_27_39a">
Dafosi Temple (Grand Buddha Temple), Shaanxi
</image>
<image filename="2_27_39b">
Dafosi Temple (Grand Buddha Temple), Shaanxi
</image>
<tip>
The Temple is on the No.312 national highway, 10 km to the northwest of the downtown of Binxian County. You can take buses heading for Changwu and Pinliang in Xi'an, and they will also take you to Xianyang and Qianling Mausoleums.
</tip>
</tour_word>
<tour_word bg_image_filename="2_27_40">
<title>
{2_27_40}Zhouling Mausoleum
</title>
<text>
This is the place where the mausoleums of King Wen and King Wu of Western Zhou Dynasty (11th century BC-771 BC)are to be found, located in Zhouling Town, Weicheng District of Xianyang City.
</text>
<text>
There are two mausoleums, one for King Wen and another for King Wu, one wooden memorial archway, two sacrificial palaces, two ancillary palaces and over forty imperial memorial steles representing all of the dynasties after Song Dynasty (960-1279). To the west of the mausoleum is a densely forested area of more than 2,000 ancient green cypresses.
</text>
<image filename="2_27_40a">
Zhouling Mausoleum, Shaanxi
</image>
<tip>
Take a bus from Xianyang to Zhouling Town. The price of the entrance ticket is 3 Yuan and the opening times are from 09:00 to 18:00.
</tip>
</tour_word>
<tour_word bg_image_filename="2_27_41">
<title>
{2_27_41}Changling Mausoleum
</title>
<text>
This is the mausoleum of Han Gaozu, Liubang, lying to the north of Sanyi Village, Yaodian Township, Weicheng District of Xianyang City and being 20 km away from the downtown of the city. The Mausoleum is 162 meters long from east to west, 132 meters long from north to south and 32 meters high. It is a four-sided dipper in shape, with completely rammed earth.
</text>
<text>
Liu Bang, also known as Ji, was the founder of Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-24 AD). He and Xiang Yu destroyed Qin Dynasty (221 BC-206 BC), and after he won the War between Chu and Han, he ascended the throne as Han Gaozu and established the capital at Chang'an. He died of an unspecified illness at the age of sixty-one in 195 BC. Around the Changling Mausoleum there is the Mausoleum of Empress Lu and the accessory mausoleums of civil and military generals such as Xiaohe, Cao Can, Zhang Liang and Zhou Bo and many others.
</text>
<image filename="2_27_41a">
Changling Mausoleum, Shaanxi
</image>
<tip>
No.5 or 8 buses at Xianyang Railway Station will take you directly to Changling Mausoleum.
</tip>
</tour_word>
<tour_word bg_image_filename="2_27_42">
<title>
{2_27_42}The Mausoleum of Yellow Emperor
</title>
<text>
This mausoleum is said to be the cenotaph of the primogenitor of Chinese Nationality, Yellow Emperor. As it lies on the Qiaoshan Mountain in the north of Huangling County of Shanxi Province, it is known as Qiaoling Mausoleum.
</text>
<text>
The family name of Yellow Emperor is Gongsun, the first name Xuanyuan, and the alias Youxiong. He was the leader of Xia Tribe of the primitive early clans. It is said that he led the people in the making of bows and arrows, the construction boats and vehicles, the art of silkworm-raising, the sewing of clothes and hats, and the sciences of arithmetic and agriculture. He also forged an alliance with Emperor Yan to defeat Chi You, thus founding the broad territory of China. Hence, he is respected as one of The Three Emperors together with Fu Xi and Shen Nong, and as one of The Five Emperors together with Zhuanxu, Di Xi, Yao of Tang and Shun of Yu. It is said that he was born in Shouqiu of Shandong and died in Jingshan of Henan, and that his clothes and headgear were buried in Qiaoshan Mountain.
</text>
<text>
Qiaoshan Mountain is surrounded by the Jushui River and by other mountains. The ancient cypresses are densely distributed, with strange shapes and unique characteristics. The Mausoleum of Yellow Emperor lies within them, before which, there is a dismounting stone with inscription "All civil and military officials dismount here." Walking to the sacrificial pavilion from here, you can see a stone stele in the center of pavilion, on which there is the inscription "Huang Di Ling (Mausoleum of Yellow Emperor) of Guo Moruo." This is followed by a carved stele with the inscription "Qiaoshan Longyu" built during the period of Jiajing (1522-1566) of Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). After this you arrive at the south-facing mausoleum. The grave itself is 3.6 meters high, with an perimeter of 48 meters.
</text>
<text>
Before the Mausoleum lies the Temple of Yellow Emperor built in Song Dynasty (960-1279). There are several halls, both grand and solemn. Look out for a gold plaque with the inscription "Ren Wen Chu Zu (Forefather of Human Culture)" which hangs on the gate of the great hall in which the memorial tablet of Yellow Emperor is housed. The temple is home to some fifty stone steles, as well as the earliest ancient cypress planted by Yellow Emperor plus another cypress which is known as "General Cypress." The Temple of Yellow Emperor and Mausoleum of Yellow Emperor compliment each other, each making the other appear more solemn and dignified by virtue of their proximity.
</text>
<image filename="2_27_42a">
The Mausoleum of Yellow Emperor, Shaanxi
</image>
<image filename="2_27_42b">
The Mausoleum of Yellow Emperor, Shaanxi
</image>
<tip>
The Mausoleum of Yellow Emperor is 196 km away from Xi'an. There are buses direct to the mausoleum which depart from Xi'an Bus Station. The journey takes about two hours.
</tip>
</tour_word>
<tour_word bg_image_filename="2_27_43">
<title>
{2_27_43}Huashan Mountain
</title>
<text>
Huashan Mountain, otherwise known as Taihuashan Mountain in ancient times, lies in Huayin City, 120 km to the east of Xi'an City of Shaanxi Province. It has an altitude of 2,200 meters, and is the most famous mountain in the history of Taoism.
</text>
<text>
Huashan Mountain is formed of a single, gigantic block of granite, famous for its steepness. The road by which the mountain may be ascended meanders for 12 km. There are cliffs everywhere, thus the traditional saying, "since ancient times there has only existed one way to climb Huashan Mountain."
</text>
<text>
Among the five peaks of Huashan Mountain, the east peak (rising sun), the west peak (lotus flower) and the south peak (fallen wild goose) are comparatively high: the east peak, as its name suggests, is a good place to view the sunrise, the eastern and western sides of the west peak look like lotus flowers, making this the most beautiful peak of Huashan Mountain, and the south peak is the highest of the five peaks. Under the three peaks, there are also the middle peak (wonder girl) and the north peak (Yuntai). It is said that there is a jade girl riding a white horse over the mountain. The top of the Yuntai Peak is as flat as the platform of a cloud.
</text>
<text>
There are also many places of interest to the tourist and a number of historic sites on Huashan Mountain, with temples, pavilions, statues and stone carvings everywhere. The famous historic sites on the mountain include Yuquan Yard, Zhenwu Palace, and Jintian Palace (the Ancestral Temple of Emperor Bai).
</text>
<image filename="2_27_43a">
Huashan Mountain, Shaanxi
</image>
<image filename="2_27_43b">
Huashan Mountain, Shaanxi
</image>
<image filename="2_27_43c">
Huashan Mountain, Shaanxi
</image>
<tip>
Huashan Mountain is 138 km away from Xianyang International Airport of Xi'an and it takes about one and half hours drive on the freeway. Alternatively, you can take a train that runs along the Lianyungang-Lanzhou Railway and get off at Huashan Mountain. Also, you can take a special tourist bus at Xi'an Railway Station or the coach from Xi'an to Huayin.
</tip>
<tip>
There are many restaurants at the foot of the mountain in Huayin City. Accommodation is available on the top of hills, but it is fairly basic and without running water.
</tip>
</tour_word>
<tour_word bg_image_filename="2_27_44">
<title>
{2_27_44}Xiyue Temple
</title>
<text>
This temple was built to worship the Deity of Huashan Mountain, located on the Yuezhen Jie 5 km to the north of Huashan Mountain. It was built during the reign of Emperor Wudi (157 BC-87 BC) of the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD), and became the place where the emperors of all previous dynasties sacrificed to the Deity of Huashan Mountain.
</text>
<text>
Xiyue Temple faces south, with the gate overlooking Huashan Mountain. Haolin Gate, Wufeng Building, Lingxing Gate, Jincheng Gate, Haolin Palace, Bedroom Palace, Yushu Building and Wanshou Pavilion are arranged on a central axis. The architectural style is one of ascension: the building slopes up from front to back and presents a truly grand aspect. Built at the summit of this design, Wufeng Building is over 20 meters high, and from it one has an excellent view of the five peaks of Huashan Mountain. Haolin Palace is capped with a half-hipped roof with colored glazed tiles and single eaves, laid over a wide platform of flange-style. It has seven rooms in the front and five in the rear, with cloisters around. All the emperors would stay here when sacrificing to the Huashan Mountain. The tablets inscribed by Emperor Kangxi, and Daoguang and Queen Mother Cixi are hung in the palace. The whole courtyard is a splendid garden of flourishing trees and craggy hills and rocks.
</text>
<image filename="2_27_44a">
Xiyue Temple, Shaanxi
</image>
<image filename="2_27_44b">
Xiyue Temple, Shaanxi
</image>
</tour_word>
<tour_word bg_image_filename="2_27_45">
<title>
{2_27_45}Yaozhou Kiln Museum
</title>
<text>
Lying in Huangbao Town of Tongchuan City, Yaozhou Kiln is one of the six famous kilns of ancient China, 13 km away from Yaoxian County and over 100 km away from Xi'an. It is the main production area of the celadon of the north and its wares were regarded as a significant tribute during the Song Dynasty (960-1279) and exported all over the world.
</text>
<text>
The site is situated in Huangbao Town from the Phoenix Gorge, where the Mud Pool produces its porcelain clay - a 10 square km site situated alongside the bank of Qishuihe River, where the porcelain kilns and workshops of Tang (618-907) and Song (960-1279) dynasties were located, known since ancient times as the "Five Kilometers' Kiln Ground". Yaozhou Kiln Museum is built on the kiln site of Huangbao Town, and includes three exhibition halls which exhibit over twenty kinds of Yaozhou porcelain. In demonstration and participation rooms, visitors are invited to produce their own porcelain. For those who prefer to let the experts demonstrate their craft, there is the Yaozhou Porcelain Workshop, where there is ample opportunity to see the porcelain being made and purchase their Yaozhou Porcelain souvenirs.
</text>
<image filename="2_27_45a">
Yaozhou Kiln Museum, Shaanxi
</image>
<image filename="2_27_45b">
Yaozhou Kiln Museum, Shaanxi
</image>
<tip>
Take one of the tourist buses heading for Tongchuan in Xi'an. The price of the entrance ticket is 16 Yuan and the opening times are from 08:00 to 18:00.
Lying 1.5 km to the east of Yaoxian County of Shaanxi Province, Yaowangshan Mountain is the place where the medical sage of Tang Dynasty (618-907), Sun Simiao, lived in seclusion for many years. Its name derives from the respect in which the doctor was held by the local people: Sun Simiao means "Medicine King". Buddhist temples were built here on Yaowangshan Mountain during the Northern and Southern Dynasties (420-589), and from the late Tang Dynasty, the Song (960-1279), Yuan (1279-1368), Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties a series of temples for Sun Simiao were established. Seen from a distance, the temples are particularly impressive, with their backdrop of mountains covered in green trees.
</text>
<text>
Sun Simiao (581-682) was born in Sunjia Yuan of Yaoxian County. Poor and sickly as a child, he began to study medicine at an early age and achieved great advances in his chosen field while still only a youth. He resisted the lure of the court, preferring to remain at home where he practiced medicine and set about the long-term treatment of his patients. In his later years, having spent his life combining folk remedies with his own treatments, he began to write medical books according to the medicinal literature of Tang Dynasty.
<italic>
Qianjin Yaofang
</italic>
and
<italic>
Qianjin Yifang
</italic>
(Valuable Prescriptions), each containing thirty volumes, are his masterpieces. In those ancient times, before the development of printing, the only copies of his books were hand-written, and not until Song Dynasty were digest copies of these two volumes printed. The two books include the classification of all known diseases, a record of symptoms, the methods of treatment, and the prescriptions, and are regarding as an enormously significant contribution to the development of Chinese medicine.
</text>
<text>
The main scenic areas of Yaowangshan Mountain can be divided into four parts, namely the northern caves, the forest of steles, the cliffside statues and southern nunnery. The former three are located on the mountain to the north of the Tongyuan Bridge, and the southern nunnery is situated some distance away on the southern mountain. Inside the northern caves, there are many ancient buildings, this area being the center of Yaowangshan Mountain.
Take trains or buses in Xi'an and get off at Yaoxian Station and then take No.18 bus to reach the mountain. The price of the entrance ticket is 20 Yuan and the opening times are from 08:00 to 18:00.
</tip>
</tour_word>
<tour_word bg_image_filename="2_27_47">
<title>
{2_27_47}Fudihu Lake
</title>
<text>
Lying 15 km to the east of the downtown of Yijun County of Tongchuan City, Fudihu Lake is 160 km away from Xi'an. It is the only lake in Weibei Plateau, where the forest coverage ratio is 97.8 percent.
</text>
<text>
The Northern Wei Grotto, which can be found in the mountainside above the lake, was built in 446, combining Buddhist and Taoist elements. The grotto was chiseled as early as Northern Wei (386-534) and experienced sporadic cuttings in Northern Wei (386-534), Northern Qi (550-577), Sui (581-618), Tang, Song and Qing dynasties. It is square in shape with a flat ceiling, 1.25 meters deep, 1.78 meters wide and 1.29 meters high. In the center and on the left and right walls of the grotto are placed statues. Besides the Buddhist and Taoist content, the carvings also depict music, sports, travel and clothes. A beautifully and vividly carved Hercules is shown wrestling, and the
<italic>
Flying Asparas
</italic>
is one of the great wonders of the art of ancient Chinese sculpture. The backlighting of the niche lintel is exquisite and rich and the designs and decorations are colorful, making them of enormous value in the study of the history of art and sports in China.
Lying in Dongxue Alley of Hancheng City 190 km to the northeast of Xi'an City, Hancheng Wenmiao Temple is the place to commemorate the ancient philosopher of China, Confucius. It was built during the time of the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) and restored in Hongwu Period (1368-1398) of Ming Dynasty, although basically maintaining the original style.
</text>
<text>
The construction area of the temple is 8,100 square meters, diverse in architectural styles. The main building, Dacheng Hall, is built on a flange-type brick platform, which still maintains the architectural style of Yuan Dynasty. The elaborate architecture boasts large quantities of exquisite carvings on doors and windows and incredibly ornate stone-carved decorations. The whole building pays attention to height and arrangement, stressing the symmetry of the principal axis and the buildings on the two sides. The courtyard is paved with black bricks, and includes ancient tall cypress trees, a pool and an ancient bridge, elegant and unique.
Take No.101 Bus to Nanguan from Hancheng Railway Station and then take No.102 Bus and get off at the corner of Dongxue Alley.
</tip>
</tour_word>
<tour_word bg_image_filename="2_27_49">
<title>
{2_27_49}Ancestral Mausoleum of Sima Qian
</title>
<text>
In Zhichuan Town 10 km away to the south of the downtown of Hancheng, an ancestral mausoleum was built for the famous history scholar of China, Sima Qian.
</text>
<text>
Sima Qian was born in Xiayang (the present Hancheng) in 145 BC and he began to write
<bold>
Historical Records
</bold>
at the age of forty-two. Because of implication, he suffered castration by Emperor Wu of Han Dynasty at the age of forty-eight. After his release from prison, he wrote continuously for sixteen years and completed his magnum opus, a work which boasts a length of 520,000 characters."In the Historical Records, the articles are frank and the facts are verified, which neither dream up beauties nor hide evils, thus it is regarded as genuine history." It is the first general history of China, with extremely far-reaching influence.
</text>
<text>
The ancestral mausoleum of Sima Qian was built in the fourth year (310) during the Yongjia Period of Western Jin Dynasty (265-316). At present, there exist the sacrificial hall and bedroom hall in the front and back respectively. In the sacrificial hall there are over sixty stone steles carved with memorial poems of the celebrities of Song, Jin, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties. In the center of the bedroom hall is located a sitting colored clay statue of Sima Qian, as high as four meters. At the back of the ancestral courtyard is the highest platform, in the middle of which lies the cenotaph of Sima Qian, round in shape and over two meters high. Black bricks are laid into the walls around the grave, with sixteen carved designs of Eight Diagrams and flowers on the brick walls. At the top of the grave grows an ancient cypress with five branches, giving the appearance of a coiled dragon.
</text>
<image filename="2_27_49a">
Ancestral Mausoleum of Sima Qian, Shaanxi
</image>
<image filename="2_27_49b">
Ancestral Mausoleum of Sima Qian, Shaanxi
</image>
<tip>
Buses heading for Hancheng from Xi'an will pass by Zhichuan Town.
</tip>
</tour_word>
<tour_word bg_image_filename="2_27_0">
<title>
{2_27_50}Dayu Temple
</title>
<text>
Located in Zhouyuan Village three km to the northeast of Hancheng, Dayu Temple was officially called Great Xia King Yu's Temple and Dayu Temple for short. It is the temple built for commemorating King Yu of Xia Dynasty (c.2070 BC-C.1600 BC).
</text>
<text>
It was built in the fifth year (1301) of Dade Period of Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368) and reconstructed in the seventh year (1579) of Wanli Period of Ming Dynasty. It now includes a sacrificial hall, the main hall and an opera tower. The two and a half meter high colored clay seated statue of King Yu built in Ming Dynasty lies in the main hall, and there are also five divine buildings in the hall.
</text>
<text>
During the period from the tenth to the twelfth day of the sixth lunar month every year, the people gather here to worship the deities and pray for rain; an extremely noisy tradition!
</text>
<tip>
Dangjia Village, nine km away to the northeast of the downtown of Hancheng, is the place where the buildings of Ming and Qing dynasties are particularly well preserved, and is well worth a visit.
</tip>
</tour_word>
<tour_word bg_image_filename="2_27_51">
<title>
{2_27_51}Heyang Qiachuan Scenic Area
</title>
<text>
Lying in the eastern area of Heyang County and on the shore of Yellow River, this scenic area is 22 km to the downtown of the county, bordering on the Ancestral Temple of Sima Qian in the north and looking over the Huanshan Mountain to the south. It covers an area of 165 square km, being the largest bank swamp in the Yellow River drainage area and belonging to the hot spring lake scenic area.
</text>
<text>
The scenic area boasts beautiful natural scenes and the swamp eco-environment, with 10,000 hectares of reed pool and 666.67 hectares of delightful lotus flower pond. Over one hundred species of rare birds, such as red-crowned crane, bustard, black marabou, swan, grey crane, heron and mandarin duck, can be observed here. The seven magic springs belong to the terrestrial hot spring, maintaining a steady temperature of 30 degrees Centigrade throughout the year. Of these, the Maiden Spring is the most famous because in its magical waters people do not sink. It is said that the beauties selected by the ancient emperors should wash in the spring before entering into the imperial palace. Hence, it got its name. There are also some yellow earth hills, with various relics distributed amongst them.
</text>
<image filename="2_27_51a">
Heyang Qiachuan Scenic Area, Shaanxi
</image>
<image filename="2_27_51b">
Heyang Qiachuan Scenic Area, Shaanxi
</image>
<image filename="2_27_51c">
Heyang Qiachuan Scenic Area, Shaanxi
</image>
<tip>
Take a bus to Heyang from Xi'an Chengdong Bus Station and then take one of the special buses from Heyang to Qiachuan.
</tip>
</tour_word>
<survey_word>
<title>
{1_27_11}General Survey of Baoji
</title>
<text>
Baoji is located in the west of Guanzhong of Shaanxi Province at the junction of Shaanxi, Gansu and Sichuan provinces. It exercises jurisdiction over nine counties and three districts, with a total area of 18,000 square km and a total population of 3.72 million. It is the second largest city in Shaanxi.
</text>
<text>
Baoji was called Chencang in ancient times, being the birthplace of the forefather of the Chinese nation, Emperor Yan, as well as the cradle of Zhou (1046 BC-256 BC) and Qin (221 BC-206 BC) dynasties. In the second year (757) during the period of Zhide of Tang Dynasty, there occurred an auspicious omen when "stone chickens crowed" on Jifengshan Mountain in the southeast of the downtown of the city, and the name became Baoji (treasure chicken). It boasts abundant resources of cultural relics, of which bronze ware occupies the largest proportion. Over 50,000 pieces of bronze ware, such as Maogong Tripod Caldron and Dayuding Vessel, have been successfully excavated, and Baoji is famous as the "hometown of bronze ware".
</text>
<text>
The famous historic sites include the Tiantaishan Mountain where Emperor Yan held various activities, the Buddhist Holy Land, Famensi Temple, Jintaiguan Taoist Temple built by the famous Taoist, Zhang Sanfeng, the elegant and beautiful Zhuge Liang's Temple on Wuzhangyuan Plain, the Fishing Platform from which Jiang Ziya fished when he lived in seclusion, the grand and majestic Zhougongmiao Temple, Tangyu Hot Spring of the imperial families of Sui and Tang dynasties and Fengxiang East Lake built by Su Dongpo, as well as many others. The scenic spots include Taibaishan State Forest Park, Tiantaishan Scenic Area and Guanshan Plain of Longxian County.
</text>
<text>
Baoji boasts extremes of climate and four distinct seasons, with the annual average temperature ranging between 7 to 13 degrees Centigrade.
</text>
</survey_word>
<survey_word>
<title>
{1_27_12}Traffic of Baoji
</title>
<text>
The railways of Baoji extend in all directions, with trains heading for Beijing, Hangzhou, Lianyungang, Hankou, Sichuan and Hunan and beyond. There are over forty pairs of trains starting from or passing through Baoji, making rail travel very convenient. Baoji Railway Station is situated on the city's prosperous Ji'er Road, and many buses such as No.4, 6, 8, 15 and 17 stop there.
</text>
<text>
Baoji has two long-distance passenger bus stations, namely the east station and the west station. The former lies on Xinjian Road behind the Culture Palace of Baoji City, and is the principle starting point for the long-distance buses heading for Xi'an and then the medium buses heading for the adjacent counties. The No.7 Bus takes you there. The latter is located near the railway station, and is where you will catch the medium buses heading for Qishan, Fengxiang, Fufen and Meixian counties. There are also one-day tourist buses to the key tourist areas in Xi'an and Baoji, and all the counties and scenic areas of Baoji have regular bus services.
</text>
<text>
There are currently over twenty bus lines in Baoji, extending to all parts of the city. The medium buses charge by sections and the other buses charge just one Yuan.
</text>
</survey_word>
<tour_word bg_image_filename="2_27_52">
<title>
{2_27_52}Baoji Bronze Wares Museum
</title>
<text>
Lying to the west of Gongyuan Nanlu in Baoji, Baoji Bronze Wares Museum covers an area of 1.38 hectares, including 10,000 square meters of the construction area of the main buildings.
</text>
<text>
The Zhou (11th century BC-256 BC)and Qin (221 BC-207 BC)dynasties formed and developed in Baoji, and their original capitals, Zhouyuan and Yongcheng, are both in the territory of Baoji.
</text>
<text>
Since the fourth year (54 BC) of the Shenjue Period of Emperor Xuan of Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD), there have been bronze wares excavated from the Baoji area. The quantity, the quality and the importance of the inscribed materials make these items the most significant of their kind in China. The reputed "four State treasures," namely Maogong Tripod Caldron, Dayuding Vessel, Guojizi White Tray and Sanshi Tray, were excavated from Baoji. Today, of the over 50,000 cultural relics stored by the museum, the bronze wares of Zhou and Qin dynasties account for about half, including the State-class Hezun (wine vessel), Zhegong (wine vessel), Qiangpan (tray), Weiding (tripod vessel) and Qingong Bell among many others.
</text>
<image filename="2_27_52a">
Baoji Bronze Wares Museum, Shaanxi
</image>
<image filename="2_27_52b">
Baoji Bronze Wares Museum, Shaanxi
</image>
<tip>
The No.8 and 10 buses as well as the special tourist buses all stop at the museum.
</tip>
</tour_word>
<tour_word bg_image_filename="2_27_53">
<title>
{2_27_53}Famensi Temple
</title>
<text>
Lying in Famen Town 10 km away to the north of Fufeng County, Famensi Temple was built in the late Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220), and is famous for its possession of the Buddha's finger relic of Sakyamuni. According to the records of the Buddhist classics, over 2,000 years ago, after Sakyamuni died, King Ashoka sent the Buddha's finger relics to many places in order to promulgate Buddhism. The places which received these sacred relics subsequently built towers where they could be worshipped. There are nineteen such sites, and Famensi Temple is the fifth. The temple was built for the tower, originally called King Ashoka Temple and renamed Famensi in the early Tang Dynasty.
</text>
<text>
The original tower is commonly called "the grave of the sage", and was rebuilt as a four-floor wooden tower during the Zhenguan Period (627-649) of Tang Dynasty. In the third year (1569) of Longqing Period of Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), the wooden tower fell down and was reconstructed as a thirteen-floor eight-sided brick tower from the seventh year (1579) to the thirty-seventh year of Wanli Period. It is forty-seven meters high, at once elaborate and majestic. Due to an earthquake in the eleventh year (1654) of the reign of Emperor Shunzhi of Qing Dynasty, the tower leaned badly and developed cracks. In the twenty-eightth year (1939) of the Republic of China, General Zhu Ziqiao donated money towards its repair but it collapsed due to excessively heavy rainfall on August 24, 1981.
</text>
<text>
At the end of 1986 and the early part of 1987, the government decided to repair the tower. In the course of cleaning up the base of the tower, the underground palace closed in the fifteenth year (874) of Emperor Yizong of Tang Dynasty was discovered and four of the Buddha's fingers as well as a large quantity of precious instruments were excavated.
</text>
<image filename="2_27_53a">
Famensi Temple, Shaanxi
</image>
<image filename="2_27_53b">
Famensi Temple, Shaanxi
</image>
<tip>
Take one of the tourist buses at Xi'an or Baoji Railway Station.
</tip>
</tour_word>
<tour_word bg_image_filename="2_27_54">
<title>
{2_27_54}Taibaishan Mountain
</title>
<text>
Taibaishan Mountain lies across the Meixian, Taibai of Baoji and Zhouzhi of Xi'an counties. Because of the perennial snow on the top of the mountain with silver light shining in all directions, it is known as "Taibai (very white)". It is the main peak of Qinling Mountain Range which traverses Shaanxi Province, with an altitude of 3,767 meters, as well as the highest peak of Qinling Mountain.
</text>
<text>
There are three lakes on the top of Taibaishan Mountain, boasting beautifully clear water and being the highest mountain lakes in China. They are usually obscured by cloud and mist, but when the mist disperses one can see waves as well as vividly splendid rays of sunshine.
</text>
<text>
Taibaishan Mountain is an abundant nature reserve, being the natural home to many animals and plants. The ancient trees on the mountain reach the sky and the saying that "there is no idle grass on Taibaishan Mountain" gained currency in ancient times. It boasts over 1,550 varieties of plants, of which the kingdonia uniflora is extremely rare and the Taibai rice and Taibai ginseng are all high-grade herbal medicines. There are over 230 species of birds and more than 40 animals on Taibai Mountain including such rarities as the giant panda and golden monkey.
</text>
<text>
Taibai has been famous since early times. Famous poets such as Li Bai, Du Fu, Liu Zongyuan, Han Yu and Su Shi often visited the mountain and wrote fame poems there. There also exist many ancient buildings on the mountain, including fourteen temples, thirty-two buildings with over eighty rooms, five stone steles, ten iron steles, over 110 iron statues of Buddha, and sixty-four wooden statuaries as well as iron bells, stoves and other ancient artifacts.
</text>
<text>
On the first day of the seventh lunar month a fair is traditionally held on the mountain, attended by many thousands of visitors.
</text>
<image filename="2_27_54a">
Taibaishan Mountain, Shaanxi
</image>
<image filename="2_27_54b">
Taibaishan Mountain, Shaanxi
</image>
<tip>
Take the special tourist line at the entrance of Xi'an-Baoji Highway in Lanjia Village, or take one of the Xi'an and Baoji one-day tourist buses.
</tip>
</tour_word>
<tour_word bg_image_filename="2_27_55">
<title>
{2_27_55}Fengxiang East Lake (Phoenix Flying over the East Lake)
</title>
<text>
Lying in the east of the downtown of Fengxiang County, Fengxiang East Lake is only twenty to thirty paces away from the east gate of the ancient city, called "Yinfeng Pool" in ancient times. Since those times there has existed a pool of limpid water here, and it is said that in the first year during the King Wen of Zhou Dynasty (1046 BC-256 BC), there was seen an auspicious phoenix flying over Yongzhou and drinking water there, hence its name. In the sixth year (1601) of Jiayou Period during the reign of Emperor Ren of Song Dynasty (960-1279), the famous writer Su Shi took the supervisory officer of Fengxiang County, encouraging the officers and people to dredge and expand the pool and then channel the Phoenix spring water to the northwest part of the city. He also advocated the planting of lotus and willows and the construction of pavilions and bridges, such as "Jun Zi" and "Wan Zai" pavilions. Thus it was renamed "east lake" and became reputed as the "sister lake" of the west lake of Hangzhou.
</text>
<text>
Fengxiang East Lake covers an area of 16 hectares, including the internal and external parts. The pavilions, platforms and other buildings are distributed in the internal lake. The "Sugong's Ancestral Temple" on the northern bank still treasures its collection of paintings of bamboo, orchid, and other plants, as well as the stone carving of the calligraphy of Su Dongpo.
</text>
<image filename="2_27_55a">
Fengxiang East Lake (Phoenix Flying over the East Lake), Shaanxi
</image>
<image filename="2_27_55b">
Fengxiang East Lake (Phoenix Flying over the East Lake), Shaanxi
</image>
<tip>
Take any of the regular buses on the northern line from Xi'an to Baiji and then change to one of the local buses, or take Baoji one-day tourist bus.
</tip>
</tour_word>
<tour_word bg_image_filename="2_27_56">
<title>
{2_27_56}Wuzhangyuan Plain
</title>
<text>
Lying in Wuzhangyuan Town of Qishan County of Baoji City, Wuzhangyuan Plain is the ancient battlefield where the Premier Zhuge Liang of Kingdom Shu engaged his soldiers in an epic battle and was exhausted to death. Zhuge Liang is a magic character who predicts the future with miraculous accuracy in many of the historical stories of China. The main historic site of Wuzhangyuan Plain is Zhuge Liang's Temple.
</text>
<text>
Zhuge Liang's Temple was built in Tang Dynasty (618-907), facing north. Inside the gate are the sacrificial hall, main hall and the Eight Diagrams Pavilion. On the walls on both sides of the sacrificial hall are the stone steles of the former and latter Memorials on Dispatching the Army, including forty connected blocks of 0.67-meter black stones.
</text>
<text>
To the rear of the temple is a cypress and bamboo garden with lawn and parterre. All the four seasons there are like spring, fresh and clean. The cenotaph of Zhuge Liang lies in the forest of cypresses, and the exquisite and elegant Luoxing Pavilion stands in the center of the rear gardens. The stele corridor embraces these gardens, and the civil and military officials' corridors lie on both sides, with a winding path leading to a quiet and secluded arbor.
</text>
<text>
There are many relics related to Zhuge Liang on Wuzhangyuan Plain.
</text>
<image filename="2_27_56a">
Wuzhangyuan Plain, Shaanxi
</image>
<image filename="2_27_56b">
Wuzhangyuan Plain, Shaanxi
</image>
<tip>
Take the coach on the southern line from Xi'an to Baoji and then change buses in Wuzhangyuan Town, or else take the one-day tourist bus from Baoji.
</tip>
</tour_word>
<tour_word bg_image_filename="2_27_57">
<title>
{2_27_57}Wushan Mountain
</title>
<text>
Wushan Mountain is situated in Miaochuan Village in the northwest of Xinjie Town, Baoji County, Baoji City. Baoji was the site of Yongzhou in ancient times and Wushan Mountain is the largest and most famous mountain in the ancient Yongzhou. Due to the beautiful mountain embraced by cloud and mist, the emperors of all previous dynasties respected and worshiped it.
</text>
<text>
Wushan Mountain boasts seventeen continuous ridges and peaks, of which the Zhenxi Peak, Daxian Peak, Lingying Peak, Wangnian Peak and Huixian Peak are most celebrated. Zhenxi Peak lies in the middle of the four peaks and is regarded as the main peak of Wushan Mountain. The title bestowed by all the previous emperors on Wushan Mountain is centered on this peak. From Sui Dynasty (581-618), many buildings were constructed for the convenience of the emperors' sacrificial rites. Centered around the Wuyuemiao Temple, the buildings form an ancient architectural cluster of impressive scale. Wuyuemiao Temple is two km away from the foot of Wushan Mountain, and was built in the sixteenth year (596) of the reign of the first emperor of Sui Dynasty and experienced reconstruction in Tang, Song, Ming and Qing dynasties.
</text>
<text>
Wushan Mountain also boasts many rare plants, such as the felicitous plant, and wild animals, such as the golden pheasant, white crane, antelope, procapara gutturosa and various species of deer.
</text>
<image filename="2_27_57a">
Wushan Mountain, Shaanxi
</image>
<image filename="2_27_57b">
Wushan Mountain, Shaanxi
</image>
<tip>
Take one of the regular buses from Baoji to Xinjie and then change to a local bus in order to reach the mountain.
</tip>
</tour_word>
<tour_word bg_image_filename="2_27_58">
<title>
{2_27_58}Tangyu Hot Spring
</title>
<text>
Tangyu Hot Spring in Meixian County of Shaanxi Province is located by the entrance of Taibaishan Mountain Forest Park. Also known as "Phoenix Spring" and "West Tangyu", Tangyu Spring lies at Tangyu Corner at the northern foot of Taibaishan Mountain in Meixian County, about 100 km away from Xi'an. It is surrounded by mountains and rivers and richly forested with ancient trees, as beautiful as any picture. Due to its location in the embrace of Dragon and Phoenix Mountain, it is known as Phoenix Spring. The Emperor Wen of Sui Dynasty, Yangjian who reigned in 581-604 built "Phoenix Spring Palace" as a summer bathing resort and Emperor Xuanzhong (685-762) of Tang Dynasty went there on three separate occasions, bestowing upon it the title of "Phoenix Spring." Tangyu Hot Spring boasts three major springs, with the temperature constant at approximately 60 degrees Centigrade. The water contains many elements such as potassium, sodium, magnesium, iron, calcium and iodine, of which sodium sulfate forms a large proportion.
</text>
<image filename="2_27_58a">
Tangyu Hot Spring, Shaanxi
</image>
<tip>
Take a passenger bus from Xi'an to Meixian and get off at Huaiya Station in Meixian, then take one of the buses heading for Tangyukou, or else take the special tourist bus from Xi'an to Tangyukou.
</tip>
</tour_word>
<tour_word bg_image_filename="2_27_59">
<title>
{2_27_59}Tiantaishan Mountain
</title>
<text>
Tiantaishan Mountain is located at the northern foot of Qinling Mountain in Yimen Town (originally called as Shennong Town) of Weibin District 20 km to the south of Baoji City. The scenic area covers an area of 124 square km, lying on the folded mountain of Qinling Mountain Range with an altitude that rises from 798 to 2,198 meters. It boasts majestic and steep peaks and lofty and continuous ridges as well as abundant water systems with rapid rivers and numerous springs and falls; it has four distinct seasons with plenty of sunshine and is densely covered with 90 percent forest, being home to a wide variety of plants and animals. The highest peak, Tianzhu Peak (Laojun Peak) boasts an altitude of 2,198 meters.
</text>
<text>
The scenic area of Tiantaishan Mountain is divided into four parts.
</text>
<text>
Mengyugou Scenic Area: centered on Mengyu, the birthplace of Emperor Yan and supplemented by Shennong Spring, Jiangyan Godness's Temple and the ancient site of Rujiazhunag, it exhibits the remote ancient civilization.
</text>
<text>
Shaoxiangtai Scenic Area: centered on Shaoxiangtai, it includes such scenic spots as Boyangshan Mountain, Houwashi Stone, Xuanguan and Shi'erwan Bay.
</text>
<text>
Yangjiatan Scenic Area: Centered on the gently sloping valley of Nongjiatan Beach, it includes Baima Pass, Qianchi Cliff, Yuema Gully, the East and West lakes and Yangmaishan Mountain.
</text>
<text>
Lianhuading Scenic Area: This includes such scenic spots as the temple area of Tiantaishan Mountain, Laojunding Peak, Sight-Seeing Spot, Lianhuading Peak, Horse-tying Stake and Rentou Peak and many other places of interest to the tourist.
</text>
<image filename="2_27_59a">
Tiantaishan Mountain, Shaanxi
</image>
<image filename="2_27_59b">
Tiantaishan Mountain, Shaanxi
</image>
<tip>
Take one of the medium buses from the downtown of the city to Jianshan Mountain.
</tip>
</tour_word>
<tour_word bg_image_filename="2_27_60">
<title>
{2_27_60}Jintaiguan Taoist Temple
</title>
<text>
The principal of the three Taoist temples of Baiji (Jintaiguan, Yintaiguan and Yutaiguan), Jintaiguan Temple lies on the plateau to the north of the downtown of Baoji, 0.5 km away from the Railway Station in the south. It was built at the end of Yuan Dynasty and early Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), and was the place of contemplation of Zhang Sanfeng, a Taoist of Liaodong of Ming Dynasty.
</text>
<text>
Jintaiguan is built along the mountain, with the main buildings distributed around a central axis. The main buildings and historic sites of Taoism include Yuhuang Pavilion, Sanqing Hall, Lvzu Hall, Cihang Hall, Eight Diagrams Pavilion, Shengmu Cave, Sanfeng Cave, Yaowang Cave and Chaoyang Cave. There is a high platform in the Taoist temple on which you can look down upon the whole city.
</text>
<text>
Every year, on the third day of the third lunar month and the tenth day of the tenth lunar month, fairs are held in Jintaiguan, including performances of the local dramas such as Shaanxi Opera and various other cultural activities.
</text>
<image filename="2_27_60a">
Jintaiguan Taoist Temple, Shaanxi
</image>
<image filename="2_27_60b">
Jintaiguan Taoist Temple, Shaanxi
</image>
<tip>
Take No.1, 3, 5 and 38 buses to reach the temple.
</tip>
</tour_word>
<tour_word bg_image_filename="2_27_61">
<title>
{2_27_61}Fishing Platform
</title>
<text>
The Fishing Platform is located in Fishing Gully (Fanxi Gully) in Tianwang Town, 15 km to the southeast of Baoji County of Baoji City. There is a plinth in the gully, which is said to be the place where Jiang Ziya of Western Zhou Dynasty (11th century BC-771 BC) used to fish before he entered politics. Thus it received its name.
</text>
<text>
The family name of Jiang Taigong was Jiang, the first name Shang and the alias Ziya. He was born in Shang Dynasty (c.1600 BC-1046 BC) and because of the fatuity of King Zhou, he resigned his post and lived in seclusion. He fished all day long and the saying that "There are always fish willing to be caught by angler Jiang Taigong" became familiar to later generations. Finally, he was discovered by King Wen of Zhou Dynasty, who was courteous to the wise and condescending to the scholarly and went to the gully to invite Jiang Taigong in person. Jiang Taigong subsequently became a counselor and assisted the King Wen and King Wu to elevate the Western Zhou Dynasty in the history of China. His name retains a permanent place in the annals of Chinese history.
</text>
<text>
The Fishing Platform and Fishing Gully are located at the northern foot of Qinling Mountain. There are eight scenic areas including over a hundred scenic spots for tourists to enjoy. Visitors can still see some of the ancient buildings and relics in the legend such as "Taigong's Temple", "King Wen's Temple", "Wanxian Platform", "Qizi Cliff" and "Fishing Platform" and so on.
</text>
<image filename="2_27_61a">
Fishing Platform, Shaanxi
</image>
<image filename="2_27_61b">
Fishing Platform, Shaanxi
</image>
<tip>
It is 40 km away from Baoji City and not far from the highway, and you can take buses to Baoji County from Baoji City and then take the small buses heading for Tianwang Town.
</tip>
</tour_word>
<survey_word>
<title>
{1_27_13}General Survey of Hanzhong
</title>
<text>
Hanzhong lies in the south of Shaanxi Province, to the south of Qinling Mountain, to the north of Dabashan Mountain and in the upper reaches of Hanjiang River. It exercises jurisdiction over ten counties and one district, covering a total area of 27,000 square km and having a population of 3.72 million. The topography of Hanzhong is high in the south and north with the low-lying Hanzhong basin, traversed by rivers, in between. The highest peak is Xinglongling Mountain of Qinling Mountain Range, boasting an altitude of 3,000 meters. It has the wet monsoon climate of the north subtropical zone. Because it lies at the southern foot of Qinling Mountain, the cold weather fronts from the north are blocked, so there are no extremely cold days in winter and no extremely hot days in summer. The annual average temperature is 14 degrees Centigrade, and one can travel there in comfort throughout the year.
</text>
<text>
Hanzhong is the natural habitat of many wild animals and plants, including the rare giant panda and the Japanese crested ibis.
</text>
<text>
Hanzhong was the Kingdom Fang of Shang Dynasty (c.1600 BC-1046 BC), and the Hanzhong County of Qin Dynasty (221 BC-206 BC), and then the cradle of the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-25 AD) of Liu Bang, as well as an important military base of the northern expedition launched by Premier Zhuge Liang of Shu Han (221-263). Its long history has resulted in many places of interest and historic sites for Hanzhong, including Baoxie Plank Way, stone gate and cliff inscriptions, the Baijiang Platform of Liubang of Han Dynasty and the site of his Imperial Palace when he became the emperor of Han Dynasty, as well as numerous mausoleums and ancestral temples of historical celebrities such as Wuhou Ancestral Temple and Zhangliang Temple.
</text>
<text>
Hanzhong boasts a favorable eco-environment and beautiful natural scenes. There are The Japanese Crested Ibis Natural Reserve of Yangxian County, Foping Giant Panda Reserve, Changqing Natural Reserve, South Lake Scenic Area and Tiantai Forest Park among many others. Eco-tourism is an important part of its attraction for the visitor.
</text>
</survey_word>
<survey_word>
<title>
{1_27_14}Traffic of Hanzhong
</title>
<text>
Hanzhong Xiguan Airport is only one km away from the City's downtown, with flights for Xi'an every week.
</text>
<text>
There are direct train routes to Ankang, Beijing West Railway Station, Hankou of Wuhan and Nanyang from Hanzhong. In addition, the trains from An'kang to Yangpingguan and from Chengdu to Shanghai also pass through Hanzhong.
</text>
<text>
Over a hundred scheduled bus services serve destinations both in and outside the city, and the principal scenic areas are supplied by main roads, thus making travel both easy and convenient.
</text>
</survey_word>
<survey_word>
<title>
{1_27_15}Accommodation of Hanzhong
</title>
<text>
There is plenty of good accommodation to be found in Hanzhong. The area from the Railway Station to Bei Dajie and Center Square along the Renmin Lu forms the prosperous part of the city and is a good place to stay, being close to the railway station, passenger transport station and bus stops. The restaurants and hotels in Hanzhong are divided into two classes. The prices of the star-graded hotels are comparatively high, whereas some old and private rest houses, although cheaper, have comparatively old facilities. The service in these places, however, tends to be very good, making them an excellent choice for the budget traveller.
</text>
</survey_word>
<tour_word bg_image_filename="2_27_62">
<title>
{2_27_62}Ancient Han Platform (Hanzhong Museum)
</title>
<text>
Situated in the southeast of Hanzhong City, the three-storey Ancient Han Platform is also known as Qixing Platform. The platform is seven meters high, 156 meters from north to south and 72 meters from east to west, covering an area of 11,230 square meters. It is said to have been the mansion of Emperor Gaozu of Han, Liubang (247 BC-195 BC) when he became the emperor in Hanzhong. The buildings on the platform were mostly built after Song Dynasty.
</text>
<text>
There is Wangjiang Building on the platform, 17 meters high, from which you can view the whole city of Hanzhong. The building suffered various degrees of damage during all previous dynasties and the one we can visit now the one reconstructed in the fourth year of the Republic of China.
</text>
<text>
The Hanzhong Museum houses over 10,000 precious cultural relics such as the stele of all previous dynasties, rubbings and calligraphies and paintings. Of all the exhibits the most famous is the Thirteen Articles of Shimen, which is of incalculable historical value.
</text>
<image filename="2_27_62a">
Ancient Han Platform (Hanzhong Museum), Shaanxi
</image>
<image filename="2_27_62b">
Ancient Han Platform (Hanzhong Museum), Shaanxi
</image>
<tip>
Take Nos.1, 21 and 23 buses and the entrance fee is 10 Yuan.
</tip>
</tour_word>
<tour_word bg_image_filename="2_27_63">
<title>
{2_27_63}Baoxie Path
</title>
<text>
The southern end of Baoxie Path is called "Baogu (lying in the north of Hanzhong City)" and the northern end "Xiegu (in Meixian County)" and it extends along the valley, the two combining to give it its name. The original path was a plank road built by cutting rocks and putting up timbers, which traversed Qinling Mountain and connected Guangzhong and Bashu in ancient times, also called Pavilion Path. It started from Baogukou, passed by the northeast of Liuba County and crossed Yalingshan Mountain and then reached Xiegukou in the southwest of Meixian County, with a total length of 250 km. It was opened in Spring and Autumn Period (770 BC-476 BC) and planks were added during the Qin Dynasty. During the Tang and Song dynasties, the path was both a vital route for marching soldiers as well as the principle road for merchants and traders. The products of ancient Sichuan were transported via the path. During the Tang Dynasty (618-907) eleven daks were built on Baoxie Path, but after Tang and Song (960-1279) Dynasties, due to the opening of Lianyun Plank Path, it gradually declined in importance.
</text>
<text>
Although the ancient plank path itself no longer exists, relics of it still remain. If you travel upstream of the river along the Baohe Valley, you can see that two rows of square holes with regular shape but different sizes are visible on the cliffs. The larger square holes were used to pave up the surface of the plank path and the smaller ones to emplace the planks supporting the path. It forms a kind of aerial corridor from which we can get some sort of idea of how the path might have looked in ancient times.
</text>
<image filename="2_27_63a">
Baoxie Path, Shaanxi
</image>
<image filename="2_27_63b">
Baoxie Path, Shaanxi
</image>
<tip>
Take the No.21 bus from Hanzhong to the terminal station, or the No.102 bus and get off at Baohe Qiaotou Station.
</tip>
</tour_word>
<tour_word bg_image_filename="2_27_64">
<title>
{2_27_64}Wuhou Mausoleum
</title>
<text>
Wuhou Mausoleum represents the final resting place of the famous politician and militarist of the Three Kingdoms (222-265), Zhege Liang, and is located at the foot of the ancient battlefield of Dingjunshan Mountain four km to the south of Mianxian County. In 234, Zhuge Liang died in the army of Wuzhang Plain, and the court of Shu Han buried him there according to his previously stated wishes.
</text>
<text>
The mausoleum covers an area of 23,000 square meters, with over sixty ancient buildings, two laurels and twenty-two cypresses dating back to the Han Dynasty. In the shrine in the center of the hall there is a profoundly solemn statue of Zhuge Liang, intended to fill its observers with deep esteem. The grave to the rear of the hall is 6 meters high and 60 meters around, enclosed by walls featuring the Eight Diagrams designs. Before the grave lies a stele with the inscription "The Grave of Wuhou, Zhuge Liang", and behind the grave stand the "two guardian laurels", 19 meters high and some one meter in circumference. The crowns of the trees look like a cover, shielding the grave, and the effect is both elegant and pleasing.
</text>
<text>
The temple is filled with tablets and couplets as well as steles, and the paintings on the wall illustrate the stories of Zhuge Liang.
</text>
<image filename="2_27_64a">
Wuhou Mausoleum, Shaanxi
</image>
<image filename="2_27_64b">
Wuhou Mausoleum, Shaanxi
</image>
<tip>
Special buses from Hanzhong to Mianxian take you directly to the Mausoleum. The price of the entrance ticket is 10 Yuan.
</tip>
</tour_word>
<tour_word bg_image_filename="2_27_65">
<title>
{2_27_65}Wuhou Ancestral Temple
</title>
<text>
Located on the Sichuan-Shaanxi Road four km to the west of Mianxian County, Wuhou Ancestral Temple faces Wuhou Mausoleum across the Hanjiang River. In the west, it connects such historic sites as Guyang Pingguan, Reading Platform of Zhuge, Lotus Flower Pool and borders on Machao Mausokeum and the site where Liu Bei ascended the throne and set up a platform in the east.
</text>
<text>
In 236, the second year after Zhuge Liang died, Liu Shan sent out a decree to set up an ancestral temple. Because of the saying that "if building the temple in the capital, it will force the ancestral temple", it was built on Wuhou Plain below the Dingjunshan Mountain, close to the mausoleum. The ancestral temple faces north, covering an area of about two hectares. The buildings are arranged in an orderly manner from north to south, and the central axis traverses five courtyards, of which three are connected, forming eighteen yards.
</text>
<text>
From Wei and Jin dynasties (220-420), the famous personalities of all subsequent dynasties left large quantities of calligraphy. There remain over sixty steles, thirty tablets and more than twenty couplets. Among them, the stele with inscriptions of "The Preface of the Inscriptions of the New Temple of Wuhou, the Premier Zhuge Liang of Shu Han" carved by Shen Jiong in the 11th year (795) of Zhenguan Period of Tang Dynasty is the most precious.
</text>
<image filename="2_27_65a">
Wuhou Ancestral Temple, Shaanxi
</image>
<image filename="2_27_65b">
Wuhou Ancestral Temple, Shaanxi
</image>
<tip>
Take regular buses from Hanzhong to Lueyang or Lianghekou.
</tip>
</tour_word>
<tour_word bg_image_filename="2_27_66">
<title>
{2_27_66}Zhang Liang's Temple
</title>
<text>
Also known as Liuhou Ancestral Temple, Zhang Liang's Temple is located in Miaotaizi 17 km to the northwest of Liuba County.
</text>
<text>
Zhang Liang's Temple is set against a backdrop of Ziguan Mountain in the north and Ziposhan Mountain in the west. The two mountains form the shape of a round-backed armchair, and the two rivers before and behind the temple also embrace it. So the environment around the temple is quiet and solemn, with lofty green pines and cypresses in stretching for a distance of 50 km around. The temple is wreathed in clouds throughout the year, giving it a lofty and spiritual aspect.
</text>
<text>
Zhang Liang, Xiao He and Han Xin are renowned as "the three outstanding persons of the early Han Dynasty." They made great contributions in assisting Liu Bang (247 BC-195 BC), the Emperor Gaozu of Han, to ascend the throne.
</text>
<text>
Zhang Liang's Temple was originally on the top of Ziboshan Mountain, but was moved to its current position during the Ming and Qing dynasties. The temple has six big yards with more than 150 halls, covering a total area of 14,000 square meters. The main scenic spots include Jinlv Bridge, Lingxiao Hall, the South and North Garden and Shoushu Building. There are also some one hundred cliff inscriptions which one can examine in the scenic area.
</text>
<image filename="2_27_66a">
Zhang Liang's Temple, Shaanxi
</image>
<image filename="2_27_66b">
Zhang Liang's Temple, Shaanxi
</image>
<tip>
Take the long-distance medium bus to Liuba from the bus station on Hanzhong's north ring road. The journey takes about two hours. The price of the entrance ticket is 12 Yuan.
</tip>
</tour_word>
<tour_word bg_image_filename="2_27_67">
<title>
{2_27_67}Zhang Qian's Mausoleum
</title>
<text>
Zhang Qian's Mausoleum is located in Zhang Qian Memorial in Raojiaying Village Bowang Town three km to the west of the downtown of Chenggu County.
</text>
<text>
Zhang Qian was the person who, during the reign of Emperor Wudi (157 BC-87 BC) of Han Dynasty, had been sent on two diplomatic missions, lasting for a total of nineteen years. The journey was long and hard, and Zhang Qian faced many difficulties, but finally he succeeded in his mission of making the people living in the hinterland understand the real condition of the Western Regions.
</text>
<text>
The mausoleum faces south, 15 meters wide from east to west, 15 meters long from north to south and 8 meters high. It is in the shape of a four-sided dipper, surrounded by ancient cypress trees. Before the grave lie four stone steles and one pair of stone tigers. A pair of stone ornamental columns, each 8 meters high, stands before the gate.
</text>
<image filename="2_27_67a">
Zhang Qian's Mausoleum, Shaanxi
</image>
<image filename="2_27_67b">
Zhang Qian's Mausoleum, Shaanxi
</image>
<tip>
There are many regular buses from the square of Hanzhong City to Chenggu. A ten-meter wide road has been laid from Chenggu to Zhang Qian's mausoleum, and it is usually possible to share a ride in one of the many cars that travel along it.
</tip>
</tour_word>
<tour_word bg_image_filename="2_27_68">
<title>
{2_27_68}Wumenyan Weir
</title>
<text>
Wumenyan Weir is located in Wumenyan Village of Yujiamiao Town, 15 km to the north of the downtown of Chenggu County. Xushui River lies to the east of the village, and the weir is one of the very few ancient irrigation works still functioning today in Chenggu County. According to records found carved on ancient stones, it was built during the reign of Wangmang (8-23 in reign) of Xinhan and experienced several repairs in later years. In the 26th year during the Wanli Period of Emperor Shenzong of Ming Dynasty, the weir drew the water from Xushui River which flowed five km to the south, passed by Stone Gorge, and then was divided into several branch canals, watering the Chenggu County and the broad areas around. It extended to Xushui River in the northeast, to the Shahe River in the west and to Hanjiang River in the south, covering an area of 33 square km.
</text>
<text>"Wumenyan Weir" boasts a long history and was repaired many times in order to extend its use. There are carved stone records on building the weir, inspecting the land, repairing the temple and raising funds for its restoration. The Cultural Relics Office of the weir keeps thirty-one steles, including one of Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368), four of Ming Dynasty, eight of Qing Dynasty and eighteen of the Republic of China. Around the weir also lie such historic sites as Kwan-yin Pavilion and Longmensi Temple. Kwan-yin Pavilion was built in the 17th year of Emperor Daoguan (1837), its architecture the typical style of Qing Dynasty. Longmensi Temple is 20 meters away to the west of the weir, including two courtyards with thirty-eight rooms with traditional tiled roofs.
</text>
<image filename="2_27_68a">
Wumenyan Weir, Shaanxi
</image>
<image filename="2_27_68b">
Wumenyan Weir, Shaanxi
</image>
<tip>
Take a bus from Hanzhong to Chenggu and then one of the buses heading for Xujiamiao in Chenggu Transport Company and then get off at Wumenyan Weir. It takes one hour from Hanzhong to Chenggu and twenty minutes from Chenggu to the scenic area.
</tip>
</tour_word>
<tour_word bg_image_filename="2_27_69">
<title>
{2_27_69}Cai Lun's Mausoleum
</title>
<text>
Cai Lun is famous as the inventor of paper, and his mausoleum, including the ancestral temple, stele and grave, lies in Longtingpu 15 km away to the Yangxian County of Hanzhong (in the south of Shaanxi Province). Due to renovation and redecoration, its former charm has been restored.
</text>
<text>
Cai Lun died in 121, and the people built an ancestral temple as part of his mausoleum. The grave itself is 30 meters long from north to south, 17 meters wide from east to west and seven meters high, before which stand three stone steles. The right stele, with regular inscriptions of "Grave of Longtinghou, Cai Lun of Han Dynasty" was set up in the 41st year (1776) during the reign of Emperor Qianlong of Qing Dynasty and the one on the left, with the same regular inscriptions, was built in 31st year (1603) of Wanli Period of Ming Dynasty. Behind the grave lies the Bright Moon Pool, which is said to be the place where Cai Lun washed the paper during its making. The ancestral temple of Cai Lun is in front of the grave, in which there are several ancient cypresses and one laurel of Han Dynasty. During the Mid-autumn Festival the fragrance of the flowers is overwhelming and delights the many visitors who come to pay their respects to one of China's greatest historical figures.
</text>
<image filename="2_27_69a">
Cai Lun's Mausoleum, Shaanxi
</image>
<image filename="2_27_69b">
Cai Lun's Mausoleum, Shaanxi
</image>
<tip>
Take the regular buses along No.108 National Highway in Yangxian County.
</tip>
</tour_word>
<tour_word bg_image_filename="2_27_70">
<title>
{2_27_70}Lingyasi Temple
</title>
<text>
Lingyasi Temple lies on the bank of Jialingjiang River 3.5 km to the southeast of Lueyang County of Hanzhong.
</text>
<text>
Situated on the bank of Jialingjiang River at the southern foot of Qinling Mountain where Shaanxi, Gansu and Sichuan provinces join, Lueyang is a mountainous city with a long history, and beautiful and pleasant place for the tourist to visit. Many sites of interest were created by a succession of dynasties, such as Lingyasi Temple, King Wu's City, Ziyun Palace and Jiangshen Temple, of which Lingyasi Temple is the most famous.
</text>
<text>
Lingyasi Temple, with its pair of natural caves, was built during the period of Kaiyuan (713-741) of Tang Dynasty (618-907). It attracted the poets and men of letters of all the dynasties, among them such celebrated figures as Du Fu of Tang Dynasty and Su Shi of Song Dynasty, both of whom boated on Jialingjiang River and visited Lingya Cliff. There are as many as 130 cliff inscriptions, of which the most famous are
<italic>
Ode of Old Pavilion
</italic>
of Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220), the
<italic>
Record of Kaicheng of Great Tang Dynasty
</italic>
, Farewell Record on Lingya Cliff, the imperial inscription of "Stele of Loyalty and Virtue" of Emperor Zhezong of Song Dynasty, the earliest traffic regulation in China namely the "Decree on Rite", the carvings of various poems of Du Fu, the stele with inscription of
<italic>
White Bone Pagoda Preface
</italic>and twenty-five stone steles predating the Song Dynasty.
</text>
<image filename="2_27_70a">
Lingyasi Temple, Shaanxi
</image>
<image filename="2_27_70b">
Lingyasi Temple, Shaanxi
</image>
<tip>
Take one of the regular buses in Hanzhong or Mianxian to Lueyang and get off at the corner when approaching Lueyang.
</tip>
</tour_word>
<tour_word bg_image_filename="2_27_71">
<title>
{2_27_71}Foping Giant Panda Reserve
</title>
<text>
Lying in Foping County of Hanzhong in the middle of the southern slope of Qinling Mountain, Foping Giant Panda Reserve covers an area of 35,000 hectares. Luban Zhai is the highest peak in the reserve, with an altitude of 2,900 meters. Extending from north to south, it exhibits complicated contours and numerous cliffs and valleys, and contains evidence of the ancient glacier of the Quaternary Period.
</text>
<text>
The whole reserve, throughout which the pandas are distributed, lies in a triangular area bounded by Foping, Yangxian and Taibai counties. Founded in 1978, the reserve centers on protecting, studying and breeding giant pandas. There is, on average, one giant panda per 5.4 square km. In March 1985, one rare brown and white female giant panda, subsequently named "Dandan," was discovered and rescued at Daguqiang Protection Station, and the subsequent publicity brought a great deal of public attention to the invaluable work being undertaken by Foping Natural Reserve.
</text>
<image filename="2_27_71a">
Foping Giant Panda Reserve, Shaanxi
</image>
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Foping Giant Panda Reserve, Shaanxi
</image>
<tip>
Take a regular bus on No.108 National Highway in Hanzhong to Foping and then take one of the special tourist buses of the administration bureau of the reserve. If you wish to explore the reserve on your own it is recommended that you contact the Foping Tourist Bureau first.
</tip>
</tour_word>
<tour_word bg_image_filename="2_27_72">
<title>
{2_27_72}Yangxian Japanese Crested Ibis Natural Reserve
</title>
<text>
Yangxian Japanese Crested Ibis Natural Reserve is distributed over Yaojiagou, Jinjiahe River and Sanchahe River areas in Yangxian of Hanzhong (in the south of Shaanxi Province).
</text>
<text>
The Japanese Crested Ibis (Nipponia Nippon) was included on the "international protected bird" list during the 12th World Birds Protection Conference in 1960. It is regarded as an auspicious bird, with a length of 80 centimeters and a weight of 1,800 grams. It is predominantly white with beautiful vermilion feathers on the wings, belly and tail. They inhabit the shallow gully and the paddy field, hunting for aquatic insects. They are gregarious and usually fly in groups.
</text>
<text>
Japanese crested ibises were once widely distributed in East Asia, but were on the verge of extinction in 1960s and 1970s. During a survey in 1981 only seven ibises were discovered in Yangxian County in Shaanxi Province, and in 1983 Yangxian set up the Shaanxi Ibis Protection and Observation Station to protect the ibis community. Since its instigation great progress has been made, with the number of recorded ibises increasing to more than 300 from the original seven.
</text>
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Yangxian Japanese Crested Ibis Natural Reserve, Shaanxi
</image>
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Yangxian Japanese Crested Ibis Natural Reserve, Shaanxi
</image>
<tip>
Take a bus from Hanzhong to Yangxiang and then proceed to the Ibis Garden. It is possible to see the wild ibis colony flying back to the habitat before seven o'clock in the morning or at five o'clock in the afternoon.
</tip>
</tour_word>
<tour_word bg_image_filename="2_27_73">
<title>
{2_27_73}Shaanxi Changqing Nature Reserve
</title>
<text>
Lying in Yangxian County in the middle of the southern slope of Qinling Mountain, Shaanxi Changqing Nature Reserve is 120 km away from Hanzhong City. As well as providing a rich natural environment for many species of plants and animals it centers on protecting the giant panda and its habitat. It covers an area of 30,000 hectares, including 10,000 hectares of designated scenic beauty. The main Quick Ground of Xinglong Peak is 3,071 meters, being the highest peak in southern Shaanxi Province.
</text>
<text>
Boasting high mountains, waterfalls and natural springs, Changqing Reserve is home to 2,039 seed plants and 248 species of birds, mammals and reptiles, including thirty kinds of wild animals under the special protection of the State such as giant panda, golden monkey, antelope and Japanese crested ibis. The giant pandas are particularly well distributed in the reserve, with a current population of over eighty. It is therefore possible for a visitor to actually observe giant pandas in the wild, and both brown and white giant pandas have been discovered a number of times.
</text>
<text>
Tangluo Ancient Path, opened in Han Dynasty (206 BC-220), traverses the interior of the reserve, with temples, mausoleums, plank paths, ancient bridges and the site of the city calls still remaining. In addition, Cai Lun's Mausoleum and Chaoyangsi Temple are places of interest to the tourist.
</text>
<text>
In Huayang Town, the strategic pass to the south of the mountain, you can appreciate the old slate street, the ancient opera tower, bamboo wood bridges and houses with tile roofs, all featuring the characteristic style of the South Shaanxi Province.
</text>
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Shaanxi Changqing Nature Reserve, Shaanxi
</image>
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Shaanxi Changqing Nature Reserve, Shaanxi
</image>
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Shaanxi Changqing Nature Reserve, Shaanxi
</image>
<tip>
Shaanxi Changqing Nature Reserve is, at its closest point, 30 km away from No.108 National Highway.
</tip>
</tour_word>
<survey_word>
<title>
{1_27_16}General Survey of Ankang
</title>
<text>
Lying in the south of Shaanxi Province, Ankang City is located in the middle reaches of Hanjiang River, bordering on Qinling Mountain to the north and backing on Bashan Mountain to the south. Bordering on Hubei, Chonqing and Sichuan provinces, it is of typical inland mountain composition, with the forest coverage rate being 50.2 percent. Ankang City covers an area of 23,391 square km and has a population of 2.67 million, exercising jurisdiction over one district and nine counties.
</text>
<text>
Although lying in the north subtropical zone with a continental monsoon climate, the city has a clear vertical land climate due to the complicated terrain and extreme variations in height. It has four distinct seasons without extremes of heat and cold in summer and winter. The spring is warm, the autumn cool, and there is a great deal of rain in the summer.
</text>
<text>
Ankang has an important historical significance, being a supply post for the trade along the ancient Silk Road.
</text>
<text>
The natural eco-environment also provides the area with majestic and beautiful natural scenery. The scenic spots are divided into several distinct types, such as high valley, lakeland, forest, waterfalls, grassland, water-eroded caves, cultural historic sites and volcanic sites, and include Yinghu Lake, Nangongshan Mountain, Xiangxi Cave, Qianjia Plain, Sandaomen, Pingheliang, Divine Land and Drum Beating Platform, of which, Yinghu Lake, the forest park of Nangongshan Mountain and Xiangxi Cave are probably most representative of the area as a whole.
</text>
</survey_word>
<survey_word>
<title>
{1_27_17}Traffic of Ankang
</title>
<text>
Ankang is the transport center of Sichuan, Shaanxi and Chongqing, with well-developed road, rail and air networks.
</text>
<text>
Ankang Airport is located in Wuli Town in the west of the city, about 17 km away from the center. There are weekly fights to Xi'an and Wuhan from Ankang.
</text>
<text>
Ankang Railway Station is situated to the north of the river in the city, with Yangping-Ankang and Xiangfan-Chongqing railways serving the city. The Yangping-Ankang, Xiangfan-Chongqing and Xi'an-Ankang railways provide important connecting lines to the rail networks of mid-south, north, southwest and northwest China. Ankang City occupies a hinge position, with trains heading for Beijing, Shanghai, Zhengzhou, Xi'an, Chengdu, Chongqing, Wuhan, Fuzhou and Qingdao and many other destination.
</text>
<text>
No.316 and 210 national highways traverse Ankang. There are all together 112 roads, providing a total of 1,253 km open to traffic. There is 180 km of interstate freeway, although most of the road system is of third or fourth class.
</text>
<text>
The navigation of Hanjiang River in Ankang reaches Hanzhong in its upper reaches and Wuhan downstream.
</text>
<text>
There are five bus lines in the downtown of the city, with routes totaling 60 km. The special tourist buses include ones from Anhuo Lu to the dock of Yinghu Lake, from Anhuo Lu to the White Clound Temple of Tianzhushan Mountain, from Anhuo Lu to Cuiping Island, Niufengbao and the Zoological Gardens, and from Thor Hall to Xiangxi Cave.
</text>
</survey_word>
<tour_word bg_image_filename="2_27_74">
<title>
{2_27_74}Scenic Area of Yinghu Lake
</title>
<text>
Lying at the foot of Tianzhushan Mountain 15 km to the southwest of Ankang, Yinghu, formed by the foundation of Ankang Water-power Plant, is the largest man-made lake in northwest China. It has a perimeter of 540 km and covers an area of 77.5 square km.
</text>
<text>
This vast lake extends to the horizon, with numerous small islands dotted about its surface. The mountains beyond it undulate continuously, providing a magnificent setting for the seemingly limitless waters. The main scenic spots include Super-large Cable-stayed Bridge, the hinge project of the power plant, Tianzhushan Mountain, White Cloud Temple, Yuxing Island, Guanping Island, Cowboy and Vega Stone, and the ancient graves of Han Dynasty. The best way to appreciate the beautiful views of the lake and the mountains, as well as the flavor of Hanjiang River, is to hire a boat and row out onto the lake itself.
</text>
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Scenic Area of Yinghu Lake, Shaanxi
</image>
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Scenic Area of Yinghu Lake, Shaanxi
</image>
<tip>
Take a bus from Ankang. The price of the entrance ticket is 10 Yuan.
