Day 1 → → → → → Xi'an gathering day
All day
The whole day is the gathering day for Xi'an
Tourists should go to the meeting hotel on their own and report "China-Travel Note + Name" at the hotel front desk to check in. The general check-in time is after 14:00. After checking in, you will be free to do as you please. During the free time, please keep your belongings safe and pay attention to safety.
Recommended attractions in Xi'an: City Wall, Bell and Drum Tower Square, Big Wild Goose Pagoda, Forest of Steles, Daming Palace, Tang Dynasty City, etc.
Recommended Xi'an cuisine: biangbiang noodles, roujiamo (Chinese roujiamo), oil-splashed noodles, mutton soup, cold noodles, spicy meatball soup, Huanggui persimmon cake, gourd chicken, Bingfeng (a type of pork stew), etc.
Internet celebrity must-visit food: bowl-breaking wine, brush pastry, Thirteen Yao, small crispy pork, egg and vegetable steamed bun, sour plum soup, etc.
Day 2 Xi'an → Jingyang Chongwen Pagoda → Sanyuan City God Temple → Liang Lin Former Residence → Yaowangshan Stone Carvings → Stay in Fuping
All day
After breakfast, go to [Jingyang Chongwen Pagoda], the fifth national tower and the tallest ancient brick tower in China.
The Chongwen Pagoda in Jingyang, built in the Ming Dynasty, was designed according to the ancient architectural principle of the Bagua (Eight Trigrams) pattern. Built from base to top, it is entirely constructed of blue brick. The tower is an octagonal prism with a double-eaved bottom floor. The south-facing gate is inscribed with the characters "Chongwen Pagoda." The tower is a pavilion-style structure, hollow within, with a spiral brick staircase of over 400 steps leading directly to the summit. The copper plated roof, shaped like a gourd, is topped with an iron pagoda. The tower, including the main structure, stands 87.218 meters tall, with 13 steps, making it the tallest ancient brick pagoda in China. Except for the top floor, each floor has four doors and four niches, staggered between each level. Each niche houses a stone Buddha, either standing or sitting, in various poses. The doors lead to the side eaves, allowing visitors to exit the tower and circumnavigate along the eaves, making it a treasured Ming Dynasty artifact.
Then go to [Sanyuan City God Temple] National Five, complete the civil engineering work, and explore the ingenuity of the shape
The Sanyuan City God Temple was first built in the Ming Dynasty. It is one of the largest and best-preserved city god temples and large ancient building complexes in Shaanxi Province. More than 40 individual buildings, including towers, halls, corridors, verandas, and pavilions, are arranged in a balanced and symmetrical orthodox manner on the vertical and horizontal axes in a primary and secondary manner. All the buildings are covered with glazed roofs, with carved beams and painted rafters, and have a rigorous structure and are solemn and magnificent. Its huge scale and magnificent architecture are second to none among China's city god temples.
Then go to [Yaozhou Liang Lin's Former Residence] where Liang Lin completed the surveying and mapping of the Yaozhou ancient city wall and the protection of the inscriptions.
In 1934 and 1937, Lin Huiyin and Liang Sicheng stayed here during their two visits to Yao County (now Yaozhou District) to inspect the cliff carvings on Yaowang Mountain. This building became an important site for their research into ancient architecture. The building houses 11 themed exhibition halls showcasing Lin Huiyin's life, manuscripts from her Yaozhou research, and the architectural features of traditional dwellings. The building retains typical features of Yaozhou dwellings from the Qing Dynasty.
Then go to [Yaowangshan Stone Carvings] National Treasure No. 004, the place where Medicine King Sun Simiao lived in seclusion
The Yaowangshan cliff carvings, dating from the Northern Zhou, Tang, and Song dynasties to the Ming and Qing dynasties, are scattered across the cliff face, stretching over 20 meters from east to west, in the southeast corner of the mountain. The Yaowangshan rock carvings are divided into three sections. The first section comprises cliff carvings from the Sui and Ming dynasties, totaling 45 large and small Buddha statues, delicately carved with flowing lines. The second section comprises stele carvings, encompassing over 100 religious stele carvings from the Northern Wei to the Tang dynasties. The third section comprises inscriptions from various dynasties, totaling nearly 200 surviving stone tablets. Among these, the Ming Dynasty Sun Simiao prescription stele, "Qianjin Baoyao" and "Haishang Fang," are particularly valuable. Among the cave sculptures, the Northern Zhou Maitreya statue in Cave No. 2 is the most exquisite, standing 33 meters tall. There are also 11 Tang Dynasty statues, all dating from the heyday of the Tang Dynasty. The Bodhisattva statue in the fifth niche of Cave No. 3 is exceptionally well-shaped and ranks among the finest of Yaowangshan's sculptures.
After a satisfying trip, check in to Fuping, where you can rest well and enjoy the local delicacies.
Day 3: Fuping Bus: Tangqiao Mausoleum → Cangjie Temple → Sima Qian Temple → Stay in Hancheng
All day
After breakfast, we will go to [Tang Ruizong Qiaoling] Ruizong Li Dan, the fifth emperor of the Tang Dynasty, was crowned emperor twice and reigned for 8 years.
Built during the Kaiyuan Period (1116-1180), Qiaoling Mausoleum is even grander than Qianling Mausoleum and is considered a representative example of the flourishing Tang Dynasty imperial tombs. Over 50 monumental stone tomb corridors still surviving in front of the mausoleum and at its gates speak of the majesty and glory of the heyday of the Tang Dynasty. Among them, the Qinglong Gate features a crouching stone lion looking back, known as the "Looking Back Lion," a rare find among Tang Dynasty tombs. The construction and stone carvings of Qiaoling Mausoleum, along with Qianling Mausoleum, are considered treasures of Tang Dynasty stone carving. The difference lies in the change in the attire of the stone figures lining the sacred path: from hair-binding crowns to bird crowns, they each hold swords, wear wide robes and belts, and have beard sleeves that reach down to their knees.
Then go to Cangjie Temple, the only remaining temple in China commemorating the invention of writing
The exact date of its founding is unknown, but according to the Cangjie Temple Stele, it had already reached considerable size by the fifth year of the Han Dynasty's Yanxi reign (162 AD), boasting a history of over 2,000 years. The complex, arranged from south to north along the central axis, consists of the screen wall, mountain gate, front hall, announcement hall, central hall, sleeping hall, and tomb. The Cangjie Temple is the only site of its kind in China designated a National Key Cultural Relic Protection Unit and the only one to incorporate revolutionary cultural heritage. The former headquarters of the Northwest Field Army is located within the temple. The ancient cypress trees within the temple grounds are of remarkable age and unique shape, making them one of the three largest ancient temple cypress clusters in China, along with the cypress clusters at the Yellow Emperor's Mausoleum in Shaanxi and the Confucius Temple in Qufu. Their average age is the highest among the three.
Then go to [Sima Qian Temple] National Second, admire the lofty mountains and the beautiful scenery
The Sima Qian Shrine, nestled against Liangshan Mountain and facing the Yellow River, is built along the mountainside, following the ancient Shang Dynasty path. When the shrine was built during the Western Jin Dynasty, the site and layout of the shrine were meticulously chosen. Climbing the steps, later generations can feel the awe and admiration of Sima Qian. Sima Qian is considered the father of Chinese historiography. Lu Xun described "Records of the Grand Historian" as the swan song of historians and the rhymeless Li Sao. His influence is universally recognized by all literati. The Sima Qian Shrine consists of four terraces. The fourth terrace houses the core buildings of the shrine and tomb, including the offering hall, sleeping quarters, and tomb. Originally constructed during the Northern Wei Dynasty, the shrine underwent numerous renovations throughout the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties. Sima Qian's statue stands majestically, his deep gaze seeming to speak of millennia of vicissitudes. Strolling through the grounds, every inscription and sculpture speaks of the weight of history.
Stay in Hancheng at night, you can go shopping and eat freely~
Day 4: Hancheng Ancient City Walk (Jiulang Temple - Beiying Temple - City God Temple - Wen Temple - Dongying Temple) → Dayu Temple Murals → Puzhao Temple Painted Sculptures → Disband in Xi'an
All day
After breakfast, we will go to Hancheng Ancient City, a historic city at the junction of Qin and Jin, which hides one-sixth of the Yuan Dynasty buildings in China.
Built during the Sui Dynasty, Hancheng Old Town boasts a history of 1,500 years. It retains architectural structures from the Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties. Hancheng boasts a high concentration of Yuan Dynasty architectural remains, making it unique not only in Shaanxi but also nationwide! The streets retain their pristine, ancient charm, with bluestone pavements, quaint houses, and exquisite wood, stone, and brick carvings everywhere. It's as if you can hear the whispers of history and feel the passage of time.
Hancheng Confucian Temple: Ranked fifth in the National Confucian Temple List and the third largest in China, it boasts a collection of architecture spanning four dynasties, from the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties. The thousand-year-old cypress trees in the second courtyard symbolize the wish for "five sons passing the imperial examinations," and students flock here to burn incense and pray for academic success. The overall layout embodies the Confucian philosophy of openness and inclusiveness, creating an atmosphere of cultural dynamism.
Hancheng City God Temple: Ranked fifth in the National List, it was first built in the Ming Dynasty. The main building, the Dacheng Hall, has a single-eaved hip roof, is five bays wide and four bays deep, and has the architectural style of the Yuan Dynasty. The exquisite craftsmanship and dazzling colors of the glazed Nine Dragon Wall still make people sigh in admiration.
Then go to [Hancheng Dayu Temple] National No. 4, the best preserved Dayu Temple in China
The Hancheng Dayu Temple, originally built in the fifth year of the Dade reign of the Yuan Dynasty, is known as the "best of Yu Temples." The main statue, a seated figure of King Yu, stands in the center of the hall, bearing a majestic expression. The east wall depicts the story of Sun Wukong accepting the surrender of Red Boy from "Journey to the West." The west wall features Guo Ziyi's "Feast and Celebration" and "Acceptance of Surrender," a clever integration of two scenes within one painting. The offering hall, with its columns reduced to three, is a rare example of this in ancient architecture, known as "three visible and five hidden." Each column of the main hall's shrine is adorned with hanging flowers, while the eaves and columns are decorated with relief or openwork lintels, featuring a pair of dragons playing with a pearl. The entire structure is painted and colored. An annual temple fair is also held here, drawing widespread public sympathy.
Then go to [Hancheng Puzhao Temple] National Five, the beautiful colored sculptures of Shaanxi Yuan Dynasty Architecture Museum
Hancheng Puzhao Temple, originally built during the Yuan Dynasty, boasts a south-facing entrance and ascending a series of steps. The Great Buddha Hall, the temple's core structure, is five bays wide and three bays deep, with a single-eaved hip roof. Within the hall, a Buddhist tent houses a statue of Sakyamuni Buddha from the third year of the Taiding reign of the Yuan Dynasty. The Buddha sits cross-legged on a lotus, his back and head halo painted behind him, and adorned with flying apsaras. Flanking the Buddha are Ananda and Kasyapa, and to his outer sides stand Manjusri and Samantabhadra. The entire group of sculptures is interactive and vivid, a masterpiece of Yuan Dynasty sculpture. Over 130 Ming and Qing dynasty caisson paintings adorn the ceiling of the Buddha niche in the Main Hall, creating a star-like shroud.
After that, we will return to Xi'an, with an estimated arrival time of 19:30 at Xi'an Xianyang Airport. We recommend booking a flight after 21:00. We will arrive at Xi'an North Railway Station at 20:10. We recommend booking a train after 20:50.
If your flight doesn't match your airport/station drop-off time or you have other travel arrangements, we will disband the group at Xi'an North Station and will not arrange additional airport/station drop-off services. Thank you for your understanding! During holidays, we recommend that you book a later train to avoid traffic jams.
