Xi'an (China) is the home of the great emperors and the capital of ancient China. Once this city has reached the status of the largest in the world. What stories remember the walls of the ancient city? What interesting can you see in it?
Ancient city
Xi'an (China) is one of the oldest cities in the world along with Athens, Rome and Cairo. It arose more than 3000 years BC. e. and survived the change of 13 imperial dynasties as the capital of ancient China. From here, Silk Road traders began their journey.
The ancient city of Xi'an in its plan was like a chessboard. Its territory was divided into 108 square in the form of quarters, each of which was surrounded by a wall. It was possible to get from one block to another through a gate that closed with sunset. A separate area in the city belonged to the emperor and the closest subjects.
Xi'an (China) is associated with legendary personalities. The mythical ancestor of the Chinese Yellow Emperor - Huang-di, who founded Taoism, lived on the territory of the city. Here Qin Shihuang also ruled, uniting the Chinese lands.
Xi'an flourished during the Tang Dynasty, when China became the most influential of the countries of Asia. In these times, Buddhism takes on Chinese national features, and other religions come: Christianity, Islam, Zoroastrianism, Judaism. After the collapse of the dynasty, the city began to fade, losing the status of the capital.
Modern Xi'an (China)
The city is located in the central part on the banks of the Wei River. Modern Xi'an on the map has become larger compared to past times, but the historical center has much decreased. In total, about 10 million people live in the city.
Now Xi'an is considered the spiritual and historical capital of China, one of its Christian centers. Local seminaries teach clergy to people from all over the country. Other religions also take place: the city has many Muslim mosques and even has a Muslim quarter.
Local authorities managed to preserve the historical face of the city. It does not at all resemble other Chinese densely populated cities with skyscrapers covering even the sky. Of course, the main streets, as elsewhere, are crowded with people. But this does not stop tourists from visiting Xi'an with thousands every year.
An international airport is located only 40 kilometers from the city, so getting to it is not difficult. The city also has 5 stations, one of which accepts high-speed trains.
Xi'an Attractions
The ancient part of the city is surrounded by high walls that have been preserved since the Middle Ages. Under the Ming and Tang dynasties , the walls were reconstructed and completed more than once. At first they were built from the ground, later they prepared a special mixture of rice, limestone and earth, and then they rebuilt it from brick.
The surviving wall has a thickness of up to 17 meters and a height of 12-15 meters. Its length is about 14 kilometers. The ramparts, for observation and protection, are located every 120 meters, a total of 98. The upper part of the ramparts has the appearance of numerous battlements (more than 5500).
Inside the old walls are many shops and restaurants with almost a century of history. There are many mosques in Xi'an. The most famous is the Grand Mosque, which is the fourth largest in all of China.
A separate attraction is the Muslim quarter. It is famous for its diverse cuisine from sweet halva to lamb or beef soup, which is even listed in the heritage of China.
Having a good time, you can escape from the hustle and bustle of city streets in the Lotus Park or the Qujiang Qi Ruins park with a beautiful lake and sculptures that are located throughout the territory.
Terracotta Army
Emperor Qin Shihuandi, revered by the Chinese, united the country, standardized hieroglyphs, but became famous throughout the whole world with an immortal clay army. Previously, belief in the afterlife forced to put household items, weapons, war horses, and often live people, next to the deceased. The Chinese emperor was more humane and ordered to make clay warriors for his tomb.
About 9 thousand clay warriors and their horses were buried with Qing Shihuandi in about 210 BC. e. Each of them weighs 135 kilograms. The faces of the warriors are not repeated, there is an assumption that they reflect the faces of real people. To create the army was a lot of perseverance and work. 700,000 people worked on it.
The legendary army was discovered by accident. In 1974, a peasant, digging a well, instead of water, dug up a statue at a depth of 5 meters. Archaeological excavations have been conducted for 40 years and have not been completed so far.
Temple of Confucius
The former temple is now rather a museum. Here is a huge exhibition dedicated to the Great Silk Road. "Forest of steles" is one of the most memorable places of the museum. This is a stone library, where 2,300 books are carved on the steles.
Under Emperor Qing, all important historical books were burned, and so that the bitter experience would not be repeated, the ruler of the Han Dynasty ordered the engraving of texts on stone steles. Among the carved books are the Nestorian doctrine of Christianity and the basic tenets of the philosophy of Confucius.
Nestorian Christianity was brought to Xi'an by Raban from Syria in 635. The emperor was so shocked by the new religion for him that he ordered the construction of a monastery in her honor and the construction of a stele with teaching in the temple of Confucius.
Conclusion
A long and turbulent history was imprinted in the old city walls, into which from the first minutes those who visit Xi'an immerse themselves. The sights of the city are the fortress walls with defensive towers and tunnels, the army of the Great Unifier of China, Qin Shi Huang, and many other monuments of Chinese culture.