Xian Museums

Xian Museums
Xian is a must see city. There are lots of museums and sites to see in and around Xian. Shaanxi Province is the birthplace of the ancient Chinese civilization. Xian City was the capital city in thirteen dynasties which in total lasted over 1100 years. Consequently, the ancient history of Shaanxi is to some degree the ancient history of China. The Museums in Shaanxi display the historical relics left behind by these dynasties.

The museums in Xian include:

Terra-Cotta Warriors and Soldiers Museum, Xian
One of the greatest archaeological discoveries of the last century occurred in March 1974, near the city of Xian in the north-central province of Shaanxi when the Terra-Cotta Warriors and Soldiers were found. The State Council authorized to build a museum on the site in 1975. Today nearly two million people visit the site annually, and almost one-fifth are foreigners. The Terracotta Army now serves as an icon of China's distant past recognizable to the world over.

Famen Temple (Famen Si), Xian
Famen Temple is located in Fufeng County, 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 discovered here.

Shanxi History Museum, Xian
The Shaanxi History Museum is a newly built modern building which recreates Tang-dynasty architecture and successfully symbolizes the great extent of Shaanxi history and its remarkable culture. The two-storied primary pavilion is divided into the following three main exhibition halls which are The Basic Exhibition Hall, Theme Exhibition Hall and

Forest of Stone Steles Museum, Xian
Situated in Sanxue Street, downtown Xian, the Forest of Stone Steles Museum is a splendid treasury of Chinese art and history. It was once the site of the Temple of Confucius during the Northern Song dynasty (960-1127). It was initially established in AD 1087 when some precious stone steles were moved here for safe keeping. Altogether six corridors, seven rooms and eight pavilions are used to display these invaluable treasures.