Xi’an: The Glory of an Ancient Capital

Xi’an, alongside Rome, Athens, and Cairo, is hailed as one of the world’s four great ancient capitals. A 3,100-year-old city of historical and cultural significance, it served as a capital for over 1,000 years across multiple dynasties. With rammed-earth city walls as its skeleton and the glorious memories of thirteen dynasties as its soul, the city has left a constellation of cultural heritage behind.

Trace the millennium-old patterns on Qin Dynasty (221-206 B.C.) bricks and Han Dynasty (202 B.C.-220 A.D.) tiles, feel the warmth of ancient civilization while wandering along the ancient city walls, and admire the imposing underground Terracotta Army while hearing the echoes of history amidst the bronze swords and halberds. Visitors also get lost in the graceful dancers in “rainbow skirts and feathered coats” and enjoy the lasting charm of the prosperous Tang Dynasty (618-907) at the Datang Everbright City. In this millennia-old ancient capital, you’ll enjoy a surprising rendezvous with ancient civilization.

Curated Journeys

Day 1
The Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor and the Terracotta Army—Huaqing Palace—Yongxingfang Night Market
Highlights: A journey through the civilizational epic of Qin and Tang dynasties.
Salute the well-armed terracotta warrior formation in No. 1 Pit of the Terracotta Army and listen to a symphony chanted by the “underground legion” that has been kept silent for thousands of years.
Explore the ruins of the Huaqing Palace and watch the large-scale live-action dance drama The Song of Everlasting Sorrow, with the water-screen projection recreating the grandeur of the prosperous Tang Dynasty and reviving the eternal love story between Emperor Xuanzong of Tang and his concubine Yang Yuhuan.

Day 2
Cycle the Ming Dynasty City Wall—Xi’an Beilin Museum—Muslim Street—Enjoy the night view of the Bell and Drum Towers—Bars in Shuncheng Alley
Highlights: An experience of the city’s daily life.
Cycle along the world’s best-preserved ancient city wall and overlook the barbican gates and arrow towers above people doing morning exercise in Xi’an City Wall Park.
Admire the millennium-old stele inscriptions of the Kaicheng Classics at the Xi’an Beilin Museum and try rubbing calligraphy engraved on stone steles.

Day 3
Shaanxi History Museum—Music fountain at the north square of the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda—Datang Everbright City— “The Longest Day in Chang’an” Theme Block
Highlights: A mesmerizing travel back to the heydays of the Tang Dynasty.
Step into the Shaanxi History Museum to explore legacies from the Zhou (1046-256 B.C.), Qin, Han, and Tang dynasties.
Try on traditional clothing and take photos in Datang Everbright City, immersing yourself in the grandeur of the “sleepless capital city of the Tang Dynasty.”