- Itinerary
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Trip Highlights
- Marvel at Emperor Qin Shi Huang’s Terracotta Army and visit the discoverer’s home.
- Learn with a local artisan to make a mini clay warrior and bring it home.
- Delve into Han-era imperial cultural and burial practices at Han Yang Ling Mausoleum.
- Enjoy a leisure walk or cycling on the ancient City Wall.
- Relive the prosperity of golden Tang era at Great Tang All Day Mall. Hereunder please find a sample itinerary. Our travel experts will be happy to customize a tour to meet your interests and needs.
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Day 1 Pick-up Service; Visit Han Yang Ling, Giant Wild Goose Pagoda, and Great Tang All Day Mall
Your professional guide and driver will pick you up at Xi'an Xianyang International Airport or Railway Station on time according to your arrival schedule. To ensure enough time for today’s sightseeing, you’re suggested to arrive before 10:00 am.
Start your 2 days Xian tour with a visit to Han Yang Ling (Yangling Mausoleum of Han Dynasty), where Emperor Jing and his Empress Wang of the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC - 24 AD) are buried. In the museum, one of the spectacles would be the underground Outside Pits Exhibition Hall - there is a dimly-lit corridor for you to wonder at the pottery funeral objects glass-encased. Those clay figures with their wooden arms and clothes long since decayed in the dust, livestock figures and barns, all curiously just a third of life size, are a window to look into the culture and burial customs of the time. With your guide explaining stories behind them, you may feel like traveling back to the flourishing period during the reign of Emperor Jing.
Next, we will drive to visit one of Xian’s well-preserved landmarks, the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda, China's largest existing brick tower in square pavilion style that can be dated back to the Tang Dynasty (618 - 907 AD), located in Da Ci’en Temple. It’s where the Buddhist sutras brought back from India by the famous monk Xuanzang were stored. Apart from admiring relics, tour around this royal temple, about which there are many interesting founding stories. One of them is that Emperor Taizong built the temple in the name of his son Li Zhi, the next emperor, to pray for his beloved dead wife, Empress Wende, since husbands were not allowed to mourn their wives at that time.
Afterwards, your guide will escort you to visit the nearby Great Tang All Day Mall. It’s also known as Great Tang Everbright City, named such for its spectacular lighting and nightlife from 6:30 pm through late midnight. Chinese-style buildings, free cultural performances, street food, souvenirs, girls and boys dressed in ancient costumes… You will love its prosperous vibes, which will take you to the Golden Era of Tang Dynasty. At the end of the day tour, you can choose to stay here till late and take a taxi back to hotel, or call it a day and be escorted to the hotel by your guide. Good night in the hotel we carefully chose for you.
Exhibit at Han Yang Ling
Big Wild Goose Pagoda
If you decide to stay at the Mall for more fun, then go to the Ben Pao Ba Shaanxi Cuisine (Great Tang All Day Mall branch) to try some authentic local dishes. The restaurant has topped the must-eat list in Xi’an for several years, and major traditional Shaanxi dishes such as Gourd-shaped Chicken and Chinese Hamburger (Rou Jia Mo) are all served here. We strongly recommend you to try the Chicken, their signature. It is cooked in three procedures: stewing, steaming and frying, to create crispy skin and tender meat. In addition to the food, you may also be pleased by its traditional Chinese décor - bamboos deck out corners; fish-shaped lanterns hang from the ceiling; Chinese landscapes are painted on the walls. The cost of eating here is about CNY 60 / USD 8.5 per person.
Day 2 Visit Terracotta Army Museum & the Discover’s Family, City Wall, and Muslim Quarter; See Off
New Exhibition of the Terracotta Army Museum
★ What Makes us Different
1. Marvel at Most Treasured Discoveries at the New Exhibition Hall
50 years have passed since a well-digging peasant happened to discover the first terracotta warrior in 1974, and finally, the opportunity comes for the most striking archaeological excavations, or the essence of all, to be officially unveiled to the world - many for the first time! For example, here you can meet face to face a high-ranking officer, one of a mere 10 such warriors unearthed! Also, encounter a kneeling armored archer and a standing archer dressed in cloth. What makes the archers special is that they actually make a combo, with the kneeling one in the front; they fire arrow alternately, working in synergy to attack and defense. Another intriguing figure is a general, who boasts a belt with clear colorful floral motifs - this is nothing short of miracle, if you realize that the pigments have remained there for two thousand years! It is also evidence to the advanced artisanal techniques and the aesthetic taste of Qin people.
2. Talk with the Discoverer of Terracotta Army
We will invite you on a unique visit to the home of Mr. Yang Zhifa, the peasant and discoverer. Witness the hoe he used to scoop up the first terracotta fragment, take a closer look at a 1:1 replica of the first terracotta warrior, and chat with Mr. Yang’s family to gain insights into the twists and turns behind this incredible discovery. In fact, Mr. Yang initially kept the fragment in the pigpen rather than his house, as according to Chinese cultural beliefs, bringing home unearthed things like burial objects can bring property damage or even danger to the family.
3. Make a Mini Warrior and Support Local Traditional Pottery
Ever wondered how the Terracotta Warriors were made? Let’s uncover the mystery at a local workshop led by local artisans who keep the ancient pottery tradition alive. Using techniques passed down for over 2,000 years, you’ll mold and carve your own mini warrior under guidance to take home. Your participation not only creates a fun souvenir, but also helps support the sustainability of this traditional art form and the local community.
Terracotta Army Museum
New Exhibition of Terracotta Army Museum
If time still allows, we will transfer you to the Muslim Quarter, another hot attraction for both tourists and locals. It’s a snack street on which stalls and restaurants were all run by Muslims. You can find all kinds of local food here, the most classic of which include Hot Oil Noodles (You Po Mian), Cold Skin Noodles (Liang Pi), and Rou Jia Mo. Your expert guide will introduce the food ingredients to you, and you might be interested to taste some.
Finally, a private ride will take you to the airport or railway station for your travel to the next destination. It's suggested that you book a ticket of plane or train departing after 18:00. Your Xi'an tour will come to an end at this point. Thank you for traveling with us!
Meals: Western buffet breakfast
Make a Miniature Terracotta Warrior
Cycling on Xi'an City Wall
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This trip can be customized to meet your individual needs!
Tour Prices
Prices with 4 Stars Hotels | |
---|---|
2-3 travelers | 4-5 travelers |
USD279 | USD199 |
Prices with 5 Stars Hotels | |
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2-3 travelers | 4-5 travelers |
USD299 | USD219 |
- Prices are per person on twin sharing basis.
Price Includes
- Hotel accommodation with breakfast
- Private English-speaking guide
- Private driver & air-conditioned vehicle
- Entrance fees to tourist sites
Price Excludes
- Any airfare or train fare
- Lunch and dinner
- Tips or gratuities to guide and driver
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