Located in central China, Xi'an is the capital of Shaanxi province, with Qinling Mountains to the north and the Weihe River to the south, which is a favorable geographical location surrounded by water and hills. Xi'an belongs to temperate and continental climate with four distinct seasons; cold and dry in winter and hot in summer and rainy season comes in July, August and September. With many rivers and man made canals in this area, the fertile land on the plain has easy access to irrigation facilities and an abundant yield of farm produce. The population is 6.62 million, with an area of 10,000 square kilometers.

During Xian's 3,100 years of development, 13 dynasties held it as their capitals, and many historical relics are maintained. The world-renowned would be Terra Cotta Warriors.

Museum of Qin Terra-cotta Warriors and Horses. In 1974 a group of peasants digging a well, made what was to become the greatest archaeological find of the 20th century when they unearthed fragments of a life sized Terra Cotta Warrior. Excavation of the vault revealed thousands of warriors and their horses; an entire army designed follows its emperor into eternity. The site is located 1.5 kilometers (1 mile) east of the Qin Mausoleum. The emperor's terra cotta army was found in three underground timber lined vaults. Pit 1 contained chariots and ranks of six thousand soldiers. Pit 2 held fourteen hundred figures of cavalrymen, horses and infantrymen, along with ninety wooden chariots. Pit 3 contained about seventy figures. Excavating them has been a massive undertaking. Now the museum is a stunning display that every visitor to China should see.

Shaanxi Provincial History Museum. Located northwest to the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, Shaanxi Provincial History Museum boasts for the thousands of splendid cultural relics it houses. As a Tang Dynasty style complex, the museum covers an area of almost 60,000 sq meters. Among all the culture relics shown in the museum, over 400 murals from the tombs of nobles of Tang Dynasty are most striking. Covering an area of more than 1,000 sq meters (0.25 acres), the murals depict life, constructions, hunting, religions and the communication with other countries during the Tang Dynasty. Thus, you can have a better understanding about the superb dynasty. Besides, exquisite bronze mirrors of Han and Tang dynasties, terra cotta figures, building materials and currencies of all the dynasties are also well preserved in the museum. Shaanxi Provincial history Museum is indeed a best place for you to appreciate the centuries-old history of China.

Big Wild Goose Pagoda. It was built in 652 by the hierarch Xuanzang. It is said that Xuanzang traveled through the Silk Road from Chang'an (now Xian) to India, where he learnt and preached Buddhism. 17 years later he came back with many volumes of sutras, figures and relics of Buddha. For better preserve these, Emperor Gaozong permitted him to built the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. At first, the pagoda was only five-story, after the remedy during the reign of Empress Wu Zetian it came to the current size. The Wild Goose Pagoda is now 64 meters (about 210 feet) high, with a square base of 45 meters (about 147.6 ft) long. Murals and steles preserved in the pagoda are treasures of Chinese art. Visitors can climb to the top by stairs inside. Standing on the top floor, visitors can overlook the beautiful landscape of Xian as well as the marvelous scenery of South Hill.

Huaqing Hot Springs. It is famous for the romantic love story of Emperor Xuanzong (685-762) and his concubine Yang Guifei in Tang Dynasty (618-907). It boasts the top-class hot springs as well as a witness of Xian Incidence. Located 30 km (18.6 miles) west of Xian, the hot springs allured many kings and emperors in the past 3,000 years. Destroyed and rebuilt several times, the extant Huaqing Palace is reconstructed in 1959, covering an area of 85,560 sq meters (21.1 acres). The splendid scenery and abundant cultural relics of Huaqing Hot Springs is indeed a must-see for visitors.

The Bell Tower. The Bell Tower, a remarkable symbol of Xian, is located in the center of city, where the four main streets crossed. The 36-meter (118 ft) high old tower was built on a square base with a length of 35.5 meters (116.4 ft) in each side. Covering an area of about 1377.4 sq meters (0.34 acres), the Bell Tower is the largest and also the best preserved one among the extant bell towers in China.

Xian City Wall. The wall was built of earth, rammed layer upon layer during the early time. The base layer was made of earth, quick lime, and glutinous rice extract, tempered together. This made the wall extremely strong and firm. Later, the wall was totally enclosed with bricks. Although many cities had city walls in the history, few of them have been preserved. Among those preserved city walls in China, the one in Xian is the biggest and most impressive.

East to Xian:

Huashan Mt. Famous for its egregious cliffs, Mt. Huashan stands 120 km (about 75 miles) east of Xian. In the past, many emperors came to pray and sacrifice the god of Huashan Mt. It is also a holy mountain of Taoism. It is said that Lao Zi (Lao Tzu), the founder and patriarch of Taoism, once lived and gave sermons here. Nowadays many Taoism temples are still located on Mr. Huashan. If you have sufficient time in Xian, one-day-excursion is suggested to enjoy the beauty of Huashan Mt.