Xian 3-day 2-night
Package Tour
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Xian 3-Day & 2-Night Tour
Two Full Days Tour to Terracotta
Warriors, City Wall, Big Wild Goose Pagoda
Enjoy the Famous Dumpling Banquet and the Tang Dynasty Show
Make your own Terra Cotta
Warrior and take it home!
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Xi'an was
China's capital for 1,100 years, and other Asian cities
such as Seoul, South Korea, are modeled on its grid-style
layout.
In 1998,
in a colorful
display filled with symbolism, U.S. President Clinton received
an official welcome to China in a ceremony at the South
Gate of the ancient city of Xian. At the extravagant welcoming
ceremony, the president was greeted with an old Chinese
proverb: "Isn't it a delight, should friends visit from
afar."
Clinton visited one
of the country's most popular tourist sites in the region
- the imperial tomb and the
Terracotta Warriors.
The terra cotta
warriors, thousands of life-size figures frozen in time,
are on Xi'an's outskirts. Uncovered in 1974 by farmers digging
a well, the exquisitely molded figures were buried in pits
to guard the spirit of tyrannical emperor Qin Shihuangdi.
The first ruler to unify China, more than 2,000 years ago,
Qin had books burned and scholars buried alive to protect
his rule.
Highlights:
• Experience the Terracotta Warriors, Xi’an, and quite
possibly China’s most amazing archaeological discovery
• Make your own Terracotta
Warriors and bring it home!
• Witness the splendor and glory of Xi’an’s past, with
the Tang Dyansty show, which will also included a
dumpling feast
• Take a walk along the ancient city wall, one of the
only ancient city walls in China still standing
B= Breakfast
L= lunch D= dinner
DEPARTURE: seven days a week
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TOUR ITINERARY |
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Tour
code:
GWAC-XA-02 |
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DAY 1: ARRIVE IN XI'AN (L, D)
In the morning you will arrive in
Xi’an, and your local English-speaking guide will pick
you up either from the Xi’an airport or train station.
For your accommodation, you will be staying in a 3 or 4
star hotel, and if you choose the deluxe tour, you will
be lodging at a 5 star hotel. After giving you a little
time to unpack and freshen up, we’ll set out for Xi’an’s
major claim to fame, the Terracotta Warriors.
The
Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses Museum is the result
of the most significant archeological excavations of the
20th century. Work is ongoing at this site, which is
around 1.5 kilometers east of Emperor Qin Shi Huang's
Mausoleum. Upon ascending the throne at the age of 13
(in 246 BC), Qin Shi Huang, later the first Emperor of
all China, had begun to work for his mausoleum. It took
11 years to finish. It is speculated that many buried
treasures and sacrificial objects had accompanied the
emperor in his after life. A group of peasants uncovered
some pottery while digging for a well nearby the royal
tomb in 1974. Life size terracotta figures of warriors
and horses arranged in battle formations are the star
features at the museum. They are replicas of what the
imperial guard should look like in those days of pomp
and vigor.
The museum is divided into three sections: No. 1 Pit,
No. 2 Pit, and No. 3 Pit respectively. They were tagged
in the order of their discoveries. No. 1 Pit is the
largest, first opened to the public on China's National
Day, 1979. There are columns of soldiers at the front,
followed by war chariots at the back. No. 2 Pit, found
in 1976, contains over a thousand warriors and 90
chariots of wood. It was unveiled to the public in 1994.
Archeologists came upon No. 3 Pit also in 1976. It is
the command center of the armed forces. It went on
display in 1989, with 68 warriors, a war chariot and
four horses.
MAKE YOUR OWN TERRACOTTA WARRIOR!
You will have an opportunity to visit the Terracotta
Reproduction Factory. At the factory, talented craftsmen
make these life size replicas in the same manner as
their counterparts did two thousand years ago - with
just their hands, a few basic tools, and clay. By
watching how a terracotta is made, you can try to make
your own miniature reproduction of the famous artifact
and take it home!
For dinner, you’ll have a real treat in store for you in
the form of a splendid dumpling dinner. Xian, an ancient
city that has been the nation's capital during no less
than eleven dynasties spanning more than a thousand
years is regarded as the home if not the birthplace of
the great dumpling tradition. It was here that the art
of creating the most tasty and delicate of dumplings was
refined and no visit to the city is complete unless you
partake of a Dumpling Dinner.
This is an experience for the dumpling connoisseur, the
flavors, shapes and colors will tempt the palette, while
the elegant names and stories attached to each variety
are truly amazing. It is no less amazing that a simple
way of preparing food has become so very popular and
sophisticated that it is now considered to be as much a
work of art as a tasty morsel.
Following dinner, you’ll be treated to an evening of
culture and entertainment in the form of the Tang
Dynasty Music and Dance Show. The Tang Dynasty Music and
Dance Show, a wonderful performance of the ancient music
and dance, is a must when you visit Xian. The city,
which was formerly known as Chang'an has a very long
history, and was the imperial capital during 13 dynastic
periods. Of these, the Tang Dynasty (618 - 907) was the
most prosperous and glorious of all.
The Tang Dynasty Music and Dance Show is an outstanding
exponent of this ancient stable and prosperous society,
keeping alive its splendid culture and providing an
insight into the peaceful life style of the period. As
an art form, the show has its roots in folk fetes, when
dances were first performed by people as part of rituals
of prayer for a good harvest or a better life. Combining
poetry with the skilled playing of musical instruments,
singing, dancing and also stunning costumes, the modern
presentation is certain to give you an impressive view
of ancient China including its splendid history,
brilliant arts, distinct traditions and customs.
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DAY 2: Xian (B, L)
Following breakfast in the hotel, we’ll get started
we’ll get started with the day’s sightseeing by
taking a stroll on Xi’an’s ancient city wall. It's
the most complete city wall that has survived in
China, as well being one of the largest ancient
military defensive systems in the world. Xi'an City
Wall was erected in the 14th century Ming Dynasty,
under the regime of Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang. When Zhu
Yuanzhang captured Huizhou, long before the
establishment of the Ming Dynasty, he was admonished
by a hermit named Zhu Sheng, who told him to "build
high walls, store abundant provisions and take your
time in proclaiming yourself emperor." If you like,
you have the option of renting a bike or a rickshaw
on the wall in order to cover more ground in a
shorter time.
Then we’ll make the short drive to the Big Wild
Goose Pagoda, a pagoda surrounded by a still
functioning Buddhist temple (named Da Ci’en Temple).
The Big Wild Goose Pagoda is one of the most famous
Buddhist pagodas in China. The Pagoda was built in
the Tang Dynasty (618-907) for the study of Buddhist
scriptures. Although it has been attacked by
centuries of weather, war and seismic activity,
which destroyed most of the original material of the
structure, a pagoda by this name and style still
exists on the site. The Tang regime gave orders to
build a chamber for the translation of Buddhist
scriptures in an effort to have the then widely
renowned Master Xuanzang agree to be the head of the
temple. Xuanzang was a Buddhist monk who traveled to
India, translated Sanskrit scriptures and developed
theories of consciousness, karma and rebirth that
were adopted by some later popular schools of
Buddhism.
The hallowed pagoda is an architectural marvel. It
was built with layers of bricks without any cement.
The bracket style used in traditional Chinese
architecture was also used in the construction of
the pagoda. The seams between each layer of bricks
and the " prisms' on each side of the pagoda are
clearly visible. The grand body of the pagoda with
its solemn appearance, simple style and high
structure, is indeed a good example of Chinese
traditional architecture.
You are free to spend your night at your own
leisure. You might want to start your evening at the
historic city center, the Bell Tower, before going
on to the Muslim Snack Street, which is among the
prime areas of interest in this part of the city.
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DAY 3: Depart Xian (B, L)
After breakfast in the hotel your guide
will take you to either the Xi’an airport or train
station, and you’ll travel on to your next
destination. If you would like to extend your stay
in Xi’an or your time in China then check with our
China City Tours or China Package tours page to find
out how! |
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Tour Inclusions：
1. Hotels with daily western breakfasts;
2. Meals in accordance with that listed on the itinerary.
3. professional local guide & driver;
4. Private air-conditioned car or van for transportation;
5. Admission of the first gate;
6.Two bottles of mineral water per day.
Tour exclusions：
1. Tips to the guide;
2. Personal costs.
 See
other Xian Tour Programs
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