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Xian China
Xian China It is located in the Shaanxi province of southern China. As capital of this province, it has existed for 3,100 years; and it has witnessed many changes in its development through 13 dynasties. The land was fertile, and the mild weather was conducive to the successful growth of Xian. According to historians, it is as famous and as important as Rome, Athens, and Cairo. Chang'an was its name in the ancient world. The Chinese consider Xian (also known as the eternal city) a living history of their nation. The city played a major historical and cultural role in China. Its City Wall dates back to the Ming Dynasty from 1368 to 1644 and has the best preserved and largest Ming Dynasty castle. The finger bones of Sakyamuni, the founder of Buddhism, are in the Famen Temple located at Xian. We were very excited to be visiting Xian in September of 2002 because of the archaeological excavation. It has been described as the most important excavation of the 20th Century. The life size terracotta warriors and horses can only be described as magnificent. Each figure is unique. They are placed in battle formation so as to guard Emperor Qin Shi Huang's mausoleum. He is renowned as the first emperor of the Qin Dynasty from 246 to 209 B.C. of China. Emperor Qin united the provinces of China into one country after many years of war. He was emperor at 13. It took 11 years to finish his mausoleum which is located 22 miles east of Xian. According to our guide 7,000 pottery soldiers, horses, chariots and weapons have been excavated from this site. These items are all displayed in the museum built in 1975 to protect all the artifacts. The museum is divided into three pits. Pit 1 is the largest. It has, in front, columns of terracotta soldiers; and, in the back, are war chariots. This was opened to visitors in 1979. Pit 2 is northeast of Pit 1 and holds about a thousand soldiers and 90 wooden chariots. Although found in 1976, it wasn't opened to the public until 1994. Pit 3 was also found in 1976 and is northwest of Pit 1. The archaeologists believe this was the command area for the army. Pit 3 was opened to tourist in 1989 and contains 68 warriors and a war chariot with four horses. The work continues at the site. It is a massive historical find, and you feel very small and insignificant as you walk through the excavation. We were in constant amazement when touring the sites in China for what seemed to be a short 15-day tour. Everyday brought new and exciting historical and cultural experiences. We were able to taste the cuisines of the various provinces as well as shop for various arts, crafts, and clothing. When you plan a trip to China, we believe Xian should be at the top of your list of attractions to visit. In addition, we recommend the use of Bestours, Inc. (http://www.bestour.com) The company will guide you through the process of getting your travel documents and will help plan a trip you will long remember.
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Contributor's Note
This is the seventh of several articles relating our experiences and impressions of a 15-day escorted tour of China we took in September of 2002.
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This intel was contributed by The MUSEUM
The MUSEUM
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May, 2012
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