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A city of central
China southwest of Beijing. The capital (221-206 B.C.) of the Qin dynasty, it is a major
commercial center and the capital of Shaanxi province. Population, 1,730,000. 
The City Walls
The Walls were first built during the Tang dynasty (618-907) when Chang’an (Xian) was
capital of all of China. Today’s rectangular walls date back to the Ming dynasty
(1368-1644) and are the only complete city walls in China. They enclose the old city for
12km (8 miles) and have turrets, battlements and a moat.
Huashan
It is located about 120km (74 miles) east of Xian and is a sacred mountain area. Visitors
can walk up the 2,200 meters (7,220 ft) peaks of Huashan. The hike takes about 2 days to
complete.
Qianling Tomb
It is located 85km (53 miles) northwest of Xian on Liang Hill. It is the joint mausoleum
of Tang emperor Gaozong (Li Zhi) and his consort, Empress Wu Zetian.
The tomb once had two walls, but now only the inner wall and Xian Hall remain. The wall is
5,920 meters (19,400 ft) long and 2.4 meters (8ft) thick with gates and giant stone
carvings. The grounds of the tomb features statues and carvings of birds and animals.
Also present are statues of some of the people who attended the Emperor’s funeral.
There are 61 stone statues of foreign envoys and chiefs of Chinese minorities as well as
imperial guards.
Famen Temple
The Temple is located 118km (73 miles) west of Xian and was built during the Eastern Han
dynasty (25-220AD) to store a relic of Buddha’s finger bone. In 1987 the largest
Buddhist underground palace in China was also uncovered here.
The temple houses many precious treasures including more than 2,400 gold and silver items,
glazed wares, porcelain, pottery, jewelry and textile products of the Tang imperial court.
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Xi'an