With the wonderful experience of spending the New Year in Pingyao Ancient City and Kaifeng Prefecture in 2013, where to go for the Spring Festival in 2018? It is said that five thousand years of civilization look at Chang 'an, and it coincides with the birth of "2018 Xi'an Year·Most China". Going to Xi'an to celebrate the New Year has become our only choice. "Born as Chang 'an grass, it is better to be a border flower. Enjoy traveling around the plains and looking up to see the spring in the capital." Li Bai, a great poet of the Tang Dynasty, described the grand Spring Festival in Chang' an City. We are full of expectations for going to Xi'an to celebrate a truly Chinese Year.

Why is Xi'an the most important year in China? As a world-famous historical and cultural city, Xi'an is the starting place of the Chinese Spring Festival. In the sixth year of Yuanfeng (104 AD, in Chang 'an at that time, and now in Xi'an City), Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty formulated a calendar with the first month of each year as the beginning of the year, and changed the year name to the first year of Taichu. It was called the "Taichu Calendar" in history. The Spring Festival was born from this. Since then, through the Han Dynasty, Sui and Tang dynasties, new festival rituals were continuously added, and the Chinese nation gradually formed the traditional custom of holding celebrations in the country and celebrating among the people at the beginning of the first month.

On the evening of February 17, 2018 (the second day of the first lunar month), we took the Z252 from Nanjing Station (stayed on the train that night) and arrived in Xi'an on the morning of February 18. After breakfast at the station of "Mr. Li", take Bus No. 6 from the West Square of the Railway Station, stop 3, get off at Xi'an North Street Station, and walk west along Qingnian Road for about 200 meters. You will arrive at Home Inn (Xi'an North Street Subway Station Store), which we booked by Ctrip and had an online rating of 4.5., standard room is 236 yuan, single morning. Hygiene and simplicity are the style of home, and the service is naturally impeccable.

Choosing accommodation here has our considerations. First, there are a lot of tourists coming to Xi'an for the New Year this year, and the price of accommodation in Xi'an has been soaring. There is still a certain distance from the city center. The price of the hotel is relatively cheap, and the quality of the brand hotel is also guaranteed; Second, the hotel is away from Xi'an Beijie Subway Station is only 200 meters away, and there are multiple bus lines in front of the door, making public transportation very convenient. If you go to popular Spring Festival spots such as Huimin Street, Bell and Drum Tower, and City God Temple, you can walk up to 15 minutes. Third, this place is a local residential area. There are supermarkets and farmers 'markets near the hotel. Shopping is convenient, there are many dining options, and the prices are reasonable.

The ancient city of Xi'an is the city with the earliest and longest capital in China (excluding the Warring States Period, it has a history of at least 1200 years) and the most dynasties. Known as the ancient capital of the thirteen dynasties of China (also known as the seventeen dynasties), Xi'an embodies the essence of Chinese history: from the Western Zhou Dynasty, the peak of slave society, to China's first unified empire Qin, and then to China's first prosperous Dynasty. The Western Han Dynasty and the peak of Chinese feudal society, the Tang Dynasty, Xi'an wrote the most colorful chapter in Chinese history.

Xi'an Hui Street, Bell and Drum City God Temple, Capital City God Temple

After checking in to the hotel and taking a short rest, we immediately walked along Lianhuachi Road and Xihuamen Street to the west of the hotel for about 15 minutes to reach the famous Xi'an Hui Street, Bell and Drum Tower and City God Temple.

Xi'an Hui Street is a famous food and cultural district in Xi'an and one of the must-see places for tourists when coming to Xi'an. The archway in front of you is the North Courtyard of Huimin Street (because this was the official office area of the Qing Dynasty, the Shaanxi Governor's Yamen was located north of the Drum Tower, hence the name North Courtyard).

Xi'an Hui Street was named after the Tang Dynasty famous general Guo Ziyi put down the "Anshi Rebellion". When he returned to Chang' an from Gansu, he brought back more than 200 Hui He generals and their entourage. They lived here at that time to study the laws of the Tang Dynasty and Han people. Culture (so Hui Street was also called "University Xi Lane"). Later, they settled here for generations and maintained the traditional Hui food culture, and gradually evolved and expanded into the famous Huifang Street in Xi'an.

Today, Yuanmen in the north of Huifang, Xiyang City, and Huajue Lane form a circular tourist trail with a total length of 1100 meters and is also called "Hui Street". The block is in the antique Ming and Qing architectural style, including bell and drum towers, archways, mosques, ancient houses and rows of northwest specialty snacks, restaurants, restaurants and shops. Walking into it, you will find hanging golden plaques, the old streets are full of brocade, and the delicious fragrance. Xi'an is a tourist district with an ancient capital style and modern civilization. It is also one of the ideal places for domestic and foreign tourists to come to Xi'an to enjoy folk customs and delicious food.

Here we tasted a kind of flour cake called "Guomen"(one yuan serving cannot be eaten by one person). The strong aroma of flour melted immediately in the mouth and was easy to carry on travel (it is said to be the staple food on the ancient battlefield. Pin it on your chest and can also resist bows and arrows, hence the name "Guomen"), which has a deep aftertaste.

Follow Hui Street to its southernmost tip and you will reach Xi'an Gulou Square. Tickets for the Bell and Drum Tower total 40 yuan, and are free for 60 years old.

Xi'an Drum Tower is the largest existing Drum Tower in China. It is located at the southern end of the North Gate of West Street in Xi'an City. It was built in the 13th year of Zhu Hongwu, Taizu of the Ming Dynasty, and was rebuilt twice in the 38th year of Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty and the 5th year of Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty. There are already 1 giant drum and 24 large drums upstairs, representing the 24 solar terms of the lunar calendar respectively. In ancient times, giant drums were used to tell the time during the day, so it was called the "Drum Tower." The Drum Tower and Bell Tower are 500 meters apart and reflect each other.

From the exit of the Drum Tower, walk east along West Street for about 200 meters. You can directly enter the interior of Xi'an Bell Tower for sightseeing by taking the underground passage. The Bell and Drum Tower during the Spring Festival is decorated with lights and colorful colors, full of joy. Although there are many tourists, people queue up in an orderly manner and do not feel crowded.

During the Spring Festival, the Bell Tower is lively, and there are three chime performances in the hall every day in the morning and afternoon, which are free to watch. The songs we saw were "The Charm of the Bell Tower","Welcome Song", etc., each lasting about 20 minutes. It attracted a large number of tourists to stop and watch.

Xi'an Bell Tower is an ancient building with the architectural style of the Ming Dynasty in China. It was built in the 17th year of Hongwu of the Ming Dynasty (AD 1384). Its original site was at Guangji Street Corner of the present West Street and moved to its current site in the 10th year of Wanli of the Ming Dynasty (AD 1582). It is located in the center of the ancient city of Xi'an and becomes an axis building that traverses east and west. A large clock hangs from its upper floor. In ancient times, it was used to strike the bell to announce morning and alarm, hence the name "Bell Tower."

Coming out of the Bell and Drum Tower, we went to the Capital City God Temple in Xi'an. The Capital City God Temple in Xi'an was built in the 20th year of Hongwu of the Ming Dynasty (1387). The original site was located on Jiuyao Street in the East Gate. It was moved to the current site in the 8th year of Xuande of the Ming Dynasty (1432). Because it governed the city gods of several provinces in northwest my country at that time, it was called the "Capital City God Temple." In 2001, it was listed as a national key cultural relic protection unit by the State Council.

Xi'an City God Temple is large in scale, divided into two parts: a temple courtyard and a monastery. The hall in front of you (the opening ceremony is being held) was rebuilt in the first year of Yongzheng of the Qing Dynasty (1723). It is majestic and magnificent, with glazed tile roofs, courtyard walls, doors and windows embossed various patterns, fine carving and exquisite patterns. The original sculptures in the hall include city gods, judges, and ghosts. They are simple and spectacular, showing the intelligence and artistic creativity of the ancient Chinese working people.

Big Wild Goose Pagoda, Tang Dynasty Sleepless City, Tang Dynasty Furong Garden

At noon, we ended our sightseeing around Huifang and returned to the hotel for a short rest. In the afternoon, take Metro Line 2, 5 stops, get off at Xiaozhai Station, turn to Metro Line 3, 1 stop, get off at Big Wild Goose Pagoda Station, exit at Exit C, and then walk all the way from Big Wild Goose Pagoda North Square to South Square-Datang Sleepless City-Datang Furong Garden.

A view of the North Square of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda.

A view of the North Square of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda.

You can reach the South Square of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda by walking south along the Yanta Road in front of you for about 800 meters.

Behind this tall statue of Xuanzang, an eminent monk of the Tang Dynasty in front of the South Square of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda is Xi'an Daci' en Temple. It has a history of more than 1350 years and has a very prominent position in the history of Chinese Buddhism. It is the Zuting Temple of the Weishizong School of Han Buddhism founded by Xuanzang and is deeply believed by the Buddhist circles at home and abroad.

Xi'an Dacien Temple was the most famous and magnificent Buddhist temple in Chang' an City in the Tang Dynasty. It was a royal temple of the Tang Dynasty at that time. It was built in the 22nd year of Zhenguan (648) of Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty. At that time, Xuanzang, who returned from the Western Regions, once presided over temple affairs here, led the compilation of Buddhist scriptures translations, and founded the Weishizong School of Han Buddhism, becoming the ancestral home of Han Buddhism. Xuanzang personally supervised the construction of the famous Big Wild Goose Pagoda in the temple here. 1961, Xi'an Dacien Temple. The Big Wild Goose Pagoda was announced by the State Council as a national key cultural relic protection unit and was included in the World Cultural Heritage List in 2001.

Due to the large number of tourists that day, Daci 'en Temple adopted a restriction on the flow of tourists, as much as they could enter. Looking at the endless array of tourists, we had to give up our original plan to visit the temple and walk from the South Square of Dayan Pagoda along Yanta South Road to the Datang Sleepless City Pedestrian Street.

At this time, the Tang Dynasty City that never sleeps, where the lights were first lit, had just opened the ancient city of Xi'an, the most traditional curtain in China. Everywhere you go is full of brilliance, and wherever you can see is gorgeous. No matter how many streets and alleys are brightly lit, and red lanterns are hung high. Lights full of Chinese elements illuminate the night sky of the ancient city of Xi'an and illuminate the hearts of every Chinese people. It appears in front of your eyes that both the true and modern Xi'an and the colorful and prosperous city of Chang' an in the past. It is as if "the glory of the Tang Dynasty has passed for thousands of years, and the trees and silver flowers shine in China."

Evening. We walked to a Chinese restaurant called Xibei on the third floor of Block G, a commercial building on Yannan 1st Road (next to Zhenguan Cultural Square in Datang Sleepless City). Each person received more than 60 yuan and had the most enjoyable meal of the day. After dinner, we stood in front of the glass curtain wall of the restaurant and looked downstairs at the Spring Festival night in Xi'an. At this time, the Tang Dynasty never sleeps fully displayed the most prosperous side of Chang' an in front of you. The statue of Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty in the square-the emperor who founded the Tang Dynasty in 290 years, led his ceremonial ceremonies and civil and military officials. Under the bright lights, he was majestic, as if he was coming to you from the depths of history! Faced with this situation, we came to Xi'an to celebrate the New Year, and the feeling of a worthwhile trip was suddenly born!

We then walked east along the Yannan Road for about 10 minutes and arrived at the west gate (Yuyuan Gate) of the famous Tang Furong Garden in Xi'an. Tickets for Datang Furong Garden are 120 yuan/person, and tickets are half for 60 years old. Various performances in the park, rides on float boats, etc. are charged separately.

The Furong Garden of the Tang Dynasty was built in the 3rd year of Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty (AD 583), and was later destroyed in war. The current Datang Furong Garden was built north of its original site, covering an area of more than 1000 acres, and was built with an investment of 1.3 billion yuan from Xi'an City. It is the first large-scale royal cultural theme park in China to comprehensively display the style of the Tang Dynasty. It is also the largest imitation of the Tang Dynasty royal building complex in the country. It integrates the masterpieces of Chinese garden architectural art and reproduces the splendid culture and prosperous scenery of the Tang Dynasty.

At this time, the 2018 Xi'an Large-scale Chinese New Year Lantern Festival was being held in the Tang Dynasty Furong Garden. People flock here from all directions, forming a sea of people. Here, the strong flavor of the New Year wraps you everywhere and infects you! It is a reproduction of the former prosperity of the ancient capital Xi'an. It presents to you the colorful culture of my Chinese nation for five thousand years!

Today, the Tang Dynasty Furong Garden has become a spiritual home for Chinese descendants to seek their roots and pursue their dreams and relive the prosperous times. It is known as the "Garden of Chinese History, Humanities, and Art". It symbolizes the great era of the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. It is a century-old symbol of New China's prosperity!

Coming out from the north gate of Datang Furong Garden, we were going to take the bus back to the Big Wild Goose Pagoda North Square Subway Station, and then take the subway back to the hotel. At this time, the Tang Dynasty Furong Garden to the Tang Dynasty Sleepless City, and then to the north and south squares of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda were filled with people. No matter how many streets and alleys, the people were like a tide. All bus lines have been suspended. We had to walk slowly with the crowd (2 kilometers, about 40 minutes) before returning to the North Square of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda.

At this time, the "2018 Xi'an's Most China" large-scale musical fountain light show is being staged in the North Square of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. We finally found a good position in a gap between the crowd and recorded this beautiful and wonderful moment.

The musical fountain in the North Square of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda is said to be the largest pool and fountain array in the world. There are 7 levels of overlapping water (the 7 floors of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda are superimposed). There are 22 water spray types such as overwhelming water, blooming lotus flowers, vast clouds of clouds, and sea gulls spreading their wings. The maximum water spray can spray water from a water column of 60 meters high. The music system adopts a high-fidelity long-range sound system. It also has the world's longest frequency variable color laser light and shadow band, which makes the sound, light, water and color energy of the fountain organically blend, and has a shocking and magnificent spirit.

The night is late. We slowly followed the crowd to the Big Wild Goose Pagoda North Square subway station, took subway line 3 and line 2 to return to the hotel. At this point, we ended our long and rich journey on the first day of searching for the New Year's flavor in Xi'an.

Huaqing Palace and Qin Mausoleum Terracotta Warriors Museum

On the morning of February 19, we took Bus No. 205 from front of the hotel. It took about 15 minutes to arrive at Xi'an Railway Station Square early. We planned to take Bus No. 306 special line (Tour No. 5) to Xi'an Huaqing Palace first, and then from Huaqing Palace to Qin Mausoleum Terracotta Warriors Museum. At this time, tourists gathered in the railway station square, all aiming to go to the Huaqing Palace or the Qin Mausoleum Terracotta Warriors Museum. Fortunately, there are many people and cars, and the order of riding is in good order. The traffic control department's work in guiding passenger flow is very worthy of praise! After a while, we got on the bus smoothly. The journey takes about one and a half hours (ticket is 5 yuan, 28 kilometers, 6 stops, get off at Huaqingchi Road Station, and then walk 250 meters) to the Huaqing Palace Ticket Office.

On that day, there were many tourists in Huaqing Palace. As long as they were some outstanding viewing spots, such as the former site of the Xi'an Incident, the Wujian Hall, Chiang Kai-shek's Travel Hall, the Military Remonstrance Pavilion (where Chiang was captured), the Imperial Consort Pond (below), and the Xijia Tower (where the Imperial Consort came out of the bath and leaned on the fence), the crowded places made it difficult to move an inch.

We visited the Imperial Consort Pond of Huaqing Palace and walked around Furong Lake, where there were few tourists. We immediately chose to escape Huaqing Palace (and refunded the cableway ticket to and from Lishan) and go to the Qin Mausoleum Terracotta Warriors Museum as soon as possible. It is estimated that the tourists there will be even more "popular" than Huaqing Palace, and it will definitely be another "difficult journey".

On the way to the bus station, we passed the "Song of Eternal Sorrow" Square in front of Huaqing Palace. The double-spinning sculptures of Emperor Xuanzong and Imperial Consort Yang on the square can be said to be "the top is poor and the bottom of the Yellow River, and neither place can be seen in the vast expanse."

"Song of Eternal Regret" is a famous piece by Bai Juyi, a poet in the Tang Dynasty. It was written in the first year of Yuanhe of the Tang Dynasty (806) in response to the love story between Emperor Xuanzong and Yang Guifei. The general idea of the poem is that after Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty sentenced Yang Yuhuan to death at Mawei, he changed from love for Yang Yuhuan to hatred for himself, and asked Taoist priests to find Yang Yuhuan in the artistic conception. When the Taoist priest said that he had found Yang Yuhuan on an illusory immortal mountain on the sea, Yang Yuhuan reappeared with the image of "a jade face lonely with tears, a pear flower with spring rain". He was affectionate, sent a message with objects, reiterated his previous oath, and responded to Tang Xuanzong's longing for her. The end of the poem is concluded with "The eternal world will last, and this hatred will last forever". The end is moving and full of sadness. "Song of Everlasting Regret" is known as: a soul-stirring song of Everlasting Regret, a history of rise and fall that has been lamented through the ages.

Thoughts on staying in Song of Eternal Regret Square:

"Since ancient times, beautiful women have had poor lives." We thought that for Imperial Consort Yang, she was just a beautiful and weak woman. She was born for those who please herself, tolerated those who please herself, danced for those who please herself, and died for those who please herself. She had no desire for power and did not harm anyone. She only saw the pomp of court life and did not see the dangers behind the imperial power. What she wants to do is probably to make the person who loves her now love her always. It is extremely unfair to say that she is responsible for "beauty and disaster" for the "Anshi Rebellion". As for Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty, history books do not show how loyal he was for love, and it is unknown whether he really had the unforgettable "everlasting hatred" for losing Yang Yuhuan. But it was precisely because of the poet Bai Juyi's song "Song of Eternal Regret" that the love between the two people transcended the scope of national politics and power struggle and turned into an everlasting song of love!

On the way back to Bus Station 306, we passed the food street next to Changhenge Square. Two young people from Xinjiang sang and danced while selling kebabs, becoming a scenery next to the square, attracting many tourists to stop and watch. They are in sharp contrast to the statues of Emperor Xuanzong and Yang Guifei in the Song of Everlasting Regret Square. They are dancers in real life, truly pursuing their own happiness. For this reason, we bought 6 kebabs per person (3 kebabs for 10 yuan). It was both lunch (delicious) and a different performance.

We return to Huaqingchi Road Bus Station, take No. 306 for 3 yuan, and go through 4 stops. The journey is 12 kilometers and about 35 minutes. We arrive at the Qinling Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum Bus Station. After getting off the bus, we walk west for about 20 minutes to arrive at the entrance of the museum. As we expected, the Qin Mausoleum Terracotta Warriors Museum was crowded that day. It is said to have created the largest number of tourists received year-on-year, reaching more than 360,000 visitors in a single day. The Qin Mausoleum Terracotta Warriors Museum is 120 yuan/person, and is free for 65 years old (elderly people with ID cards can directly enter the museum exhibition hall from special channels).

The original route for us to visit the Mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang was: Cultural Relics Exhibition Hall-Bronze Horse and Horse Exhibition Hall-Pit 2-Pit 3-Pit 1-Ring Screen Movies. But when you enter the museum, you can only follow the crowd slowly based on your feelings. Not bad. In addition to Pit No. 3 and ring-screen movies, we finally saw the main parts of the copper chariots and horses and the terracotta warriors.

As people flow through the Cultural Relics Exhibition Hall of the First Emperor's Mausoleum.

As people flow through the Cultural Relics Exhibition Hall of the First Emperor's Mausoleum.

As the crowd passed through the bronze chariot exhibition hall.

As the crowd passed through the bronze chariot exhibition hall.

At this time, you are standing in the huge exhibition hall of the terracotta warriors, and the invincible army two thousand years ago is standing quietly in front of you. These majestic terracotta warriors and horses, arranged in formation, seem to be like vivid lives, coming towards you from the depths of history, impacting your vision and shocking everyone's heart! It is known as the Eight Wonders of the World and is a great treasure of the Chinese nation! It is also a precious world heritage. It symbolizes the five thousand years of Chinese civilization and represents the glory of our Chinese nation. The glorious history will also provide strong spiritual impetus for the great rejuvenation of my Chinese nation!

In the evening, we returned to Bus Station 306. Looking at the scene in front of us, you would know how many tourists visited the Terracotta Warriors and Horses of the Qin Mausoleum that day, and how crowded the number of passengers took the bus. Fortunately, the traffic control department is vigorously maintaining the order, otherwise it will get out of control. After waiting in line for two hours, we finally got on the bus. He returned to the hotel the same way that night.

Xi'an Forest of Steles Museum, Banpo Site, Daming Palace Site

On the morning of February 20, we took Metro Line 2 (towards Weiqu South) from front of the hotel for 2 stops, got off at Yongningmen Station (Exit D2), walked east along the ancient city wall for about 1 kilometer, passed Wenchang Gate and arrived at Xi'an Forest of Steles Museum. The journey took less than 30 minutes. Admission to Xi'an Stele Forest Museum is 50 yuan (off-season) and half a ticket for 65 years old.

Xi'an Stele Forest was founded in 1087 AD. It is the earliest museum with the largest number of ancient steles in my country. It displays more than 1,000 steles and epitaph of various generations from Han to Qing Dynasty. Because the stele stones are like a forest, it is named Forest of Steles. The Stele Forest Museum currently has 19 national treasure-level cultural relics with 134 pieces and 535 pieces of first-level cultural relics. Four of the famous Tang Taizong's "Six Horses of Zhaoling" are hidden in the museum. They are the treasures of the town museum.

There are many famous stone carvings in Xi'an Stele Forest, including Tang Zhongzong and Tang Xianzong. Authentic stone carvings by emperors such as Kangxu and Qianling in the Qing Dynasty (below).

The famous Six Horses Stone Carvings of Zhaoling were originally placed on both sides of the altar of Li Shimin, Taizong of the Tang Dynasty. These six lifelike stone embossed were made by two brothers of famous painters in the Tang Dynasty, Yan Liben (painting) and Yan Lide (carving). Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty, Li Shimin, was accustomed to fighting in order to establish the Tang Dynasty. He was called the "Emperor on horseback". The "Six Horses" were the six horses that Li Shimin rode successively before the founding of the Tang Dynasty. The names were Saruzi, Quan Mao Tu, Qingzi, Shivachi, Teliu, and Baihoofwu. Among them, the two stones "Saruzi" and "Quan Mao" are now hidden in the University of Pennsylvania Museum in the United States.

The "Terra Pao" yellow horse has a white bill that is slightly black and its coat is yellow and white, so it is called "Pao". "Teller" is the official name taken from the Turkic Khanate. In 619 AD, the "Special Service Pao" carried Li Shimin bravely into the enemy line during the battle to pacify Song Jingang. It fought dozens of rounds day and night, fought eight tough battles in a row, and established achievements. Taizong praised it as: "We should respond to the policy to fly into the sky, inherit the reputation of half the Han Dynasty, destroy the enemy by natural danger, and take advantage of danger to overcome difficulties."

"Shivachi" is also a horse named in Turkic. It is a pure red horse. It was Li Shimin's mount when he fought Wang Shichong and Dou Jiande in Luoyang and Hulao Pass. During the battle, Shi Fa was shot five arrows naked and was seriously injured, but he still ran like flying. Taizong praised him,"The river is quiet at the end of the river, the axe and axe demonstrate our majesty, the red sweat is marching, and the green flags are returning home." In this major battle, Li Shimin risked his life and death. Although three war horses were killed or injured, the world was settled in a battle and the great cause of reunification was completed.

"Green Stallion" is said to have come from a horse from the Western "Great Qin"(Roman Empire). This horse was used by Li Shimin, Taizong of the Tang Dynasty, when he pacified Dou Jiande. During the battle, Li Shimin personally led his strong cavalry to break into the enemy's line and captured Dou Jiande in one fell swoop. The horse was hit by five arrows on the battlefield, but it still galloped forward. Its speed surprised Li Shimin. Li Shimin's praise to it was: "The film is light enough, the gods create the secrets of heaven, and the talents of the gods are flying and practicing, and I am determined to wear my clothes.

"Fist Hair"(the original is now hidden at Pennsylvania State University in the United States) is a black-billed yellow-haired horse with a rotating fur. This horse was taken by Li Shimin when he pacified Liu Heita. In 622 AD, Li Shimin led the Tang army to fight Liu Heita in the Quzhou area of present-day Hebei Province. In the battle, Mao Yan was hit with six arrows in front of his fist and three arrows in his back, which shows how fierce the battle was. Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty praised it: "The essence of the moon presses on the bridle, the heavenly horse flies in the sky, the arcs carry the control, and the atmosphere is clear."

The "White-hoofed Black" is pure black with white hooves. It was used by Li Shimin when he pacified Xue Rengao. (618 AD) Xue Rengao from Gansu, who claimed to be Emperor Qin, stationed troops east of Gansu to threaten the unstable Tang Dynasty. After two months of confrontation with the Tang army, Li Shimin saw the fighter plane and personally led his main force to penetrate enemy lines, causing chaos to the Xue army's lineup. Li Shimin took the opportunity to pursue and urged the White-hoofed Crow to take the lead and galloped more than 200 miles day and night, forcing Xue Rengao to admit defeat and surrender. Li Shimin, Taizong of the Tang Dynasty, praised the "White-hoofed Black" as "a sword that relies on the sky, winds the wind and its feet; it flexes the bridle to level Long, and returns to the saddle and settle Shu."

"Saru Zi"(the original is now hidden at Pennsylvania State University in the United States) The word "Saru" also comes from the Turkic language and means "the purple horse of the brave." The man in the picture is Qiu Xinggong holding a horse and pulling an arrow. He is a brave and skillful courtier under Li Shimin, Taizong of the Tang Dynasty. In 621 AD, the Tang army and Wang Shichong's army fought a decisive battle in Luoyang. Li Shimin was separated from the cavalry of the central army and was surrounded by the enemy. At that time, only Qiu Xinggong followed alone. During the breakout,"Sa Luzi" was shot in the chest by a stray arrow. At the critical moment, Qiu Xinggong turned around to save her. The arrow was worth it, and the enemy did not dare to advance. Later, Qiu Xinggong gave up his mount to Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty and led Sa Luzi to charge bravely on foot. After returning to the military camp, although Qiu Xinggong drew an arrow at Sa Luzi, Sa Luzi eventually died of excessive blood loss. To demonstrate his achievements, Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty, Li Shimin carved the images of Sa Luzi and Qiu Xinggong on the stone carvings.

We took a quick tour of the stele forest for about two hours and ended our tour of the stele forest. After that, walk along Shuncheng South Road in the ancient city of Xi'an from the Beilin Exit to Yongning Gate, take Bus No. 11, pass 17 stops, get off at Banpo Bus Dispatch Station, and walk south along Banpo Road for about 300 meters. The whole journey takes about 45 minutes. I came to Xi'an Banpo Ruins Museum. Admission to Banpo Ruins Museum is 60 yuan, and 60-year-old tickets are half.

Xi'an Banpo Museum is a national first-class museum and China's first prehistoric site museum. It has a history of more than 6000 years. The Banpo site was discovered in 1953 and officially opened to the public in 1958. It is one of the first batch of national key cultural relics protection units. It is one of the "Top Ten Tourist Attractions in Xi'an" and is known as one of the "50 Places Most Worth Visiting for Foreigners in China." Today, the Banpo Ruins Museum is deserted and has few tourists, which is in sharp contrast to the popular attractions in Xi'an.

The Banpo Site Exhibition is divided into three parts: unearthed cultural relics, site hall, and auxiliary display. It is said that the collection contains more than 18000 cultural relics, more than 4000 cultural relics above level 3, more than 300 fossil specimens, and several human skeleton specimens from the Neolithic Era.

This is the human-faced fish pattern basin unearthed from the famous Banpo site (above). It is a national first-class cultural relic and the "treasure of the town" of the Banpo Museum. It is said that the creative inspiration of Fuwa at the 2008 Beijing Olympics came from it.

The above are all the living utensils, fishing, hunting and production tools, eaten animal bones, etc. used by the ancestors living here around 6000 years ago, recreating the living conditions of the ancestors at that time. It is said that the twenty-two symbols found on these pottery may be a primitive script.

This is the home ownership and settlement of the ancestors of Banpo around 6000 years ago. It is a reproduction of the real life scene of our Chinese ancestors. Banpo Culture is a culture in China's primitive society. It belongs to the Yangshao Culture of the Neolithic Age in the middle reaches of the Yellow River. It is a typical representative of farming culture in northern my country.

The Banpo site is not large, so more than one hour is enough to visit it. After lunch in front of the museum, we immediately went to our next destination, Xi'an Daming Palace Ruins Park.

We took Metro Line 1 (direction of Fenghe Forest Park) from Banpo Subway Station for 7 stops, got off at Wulukou Station, and transferred to Metro Line 4 (direction of Xi'an North Railway Station) for 1 stop, and got off at Hanyuandian Station (exit B). Then we walked about 300 meters along Taihua South Road for 40 minutes to reach the South Gate Ticket Office of Daming Palace National Heritage Park. Admission to Daming Palace National Heritage Park is 60 yuan. 60 years old and half ticket. (Sightseeing bus)30 yuan/person

Daming Palace National Heritage Park is included in the World Cultural Heritage List and is a national key cultural relic protection unit. It is located on Taihua South Road in Xi'an City, on Longshou Plain in the north of ancient Chang' an City. It was built in the eighth year of Zhenguan of Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty and destroyed in the late Tang Dynasty. Daming Palace was once the main palace site of the Tang Empire and was also the largest palace complex in the world at that time.

This is a condensed prototype of the Daming Palace Palace complex. It reproduces its grandeur and grandeur.

It is said that the main reason why Daming Palace is listed as a world cultural heritage is its original palace foundation and rammed earth layer structure. All the ground buildings we saw were newly built (many of them were under construction), and the overall image gave people a bit of a messy and pieced image. At this time, it is 2018 Xi'an. In China, there are many Spring Festival celebrations in the park, giving people a festive atmosphere everywhere.

Sculptures can be seen everywhere in the park, recreating the bustling and luxurious life scenes of Chang 'an in the Tang Empire in the past and the luxurious palace life scenes.

From time to time in the park, there is the noise of gongs and drums, folk songs and dances, and sonorous and resounding Qin opera rap.

It is said that this is the Xuanwumen ruins (the palace in front of you is newly built). The thrilling Xuanwumen Incident occurred here.

A view in the Daming Palace Ruins Park.

Some royal rituals and court celebrations are being simulated in the park, but the performances are also lively and colorful, wave after wave, which is very lively and full of the flavor of the New Year.

After our tour of Daming Palace Ruins Park, we returned to the south gate of the park, took Metro Line 4 and transferred to Line 1, got off at Beijie Subway Station, and returned to the hotel in the evening. At this point, we ended our second day in Xi'an.

Qianling Mausoleum in Xianyang, Prince Yide Tomb Museum

On the morning of February 21, we took the 8375 bus from Xi'an Railway Station (8.5 yuan from 09.18 to 10.44) to Shaanxi Qian County Railway Station, then took the Qian County Bus No. 1 from the station and passed through 16 stops. The whole journey took about two hours and arrived at Qianling at noon. The joint ticket for Qianling Scenic Area is 40 yuan, the single ticket is 25 yuan, and the 60-year-old ticket is half. There is a dedicated bus between the scenic spots, and each ride is 5 yuan.

Qianling is located in Qian County, 80 kilometers west of Xi'an. It is the most completely preserved royal cemetery among the "Eighteen Tombs of the Tang Dynasty." It is the tomb of Li Zhi, Emperor Gaozong of the Tang Dynasty, and Empress Wu Zetian. It is also the only tomb in Chinese history where both couples are emperors.

Qianling is a mountain mausoleum and covers a large area. The relics of the outer city have disappeared, and the relics of the inner city are still intact. The stone road in front of the mausoleum is 575 meters long and 11 meters wide. There are 526 steps and 18 platforms made of ink jade in front of the mausoleum. There are a total of 114 stone carvings (human and animal) on the ground of the mausoleum. There are 17 tombs of Princess Yongtai, Prince Zhanhuai and Prince Yide in the southeast of the mausoleum. The Qianling Museum is built in the Princess Yongtai Cemetery.

When Qianling was built, the Tang Dynasty was full of national strength, so the cemetery was large in scale and the buildings were majestic and rich. The tomb follows Emperor Taizong's burial system of "taking mountains as mausoleum" and combines tomb buildings with carvings, and is arranged in an orderly manner on Liangshan Mountain, 6 kilometers north of Qian County, Xianyang, which has the potential of "dragons and phoenixes."

The wordless stele in front of me personally built for him by Wu Zetian is the theme of Qianling. It not only attracts attention for its prominent position, but is also favored for its various legendary legends. Almost all tourists when they come to Qianling have to stop in front of the wordless stele, or stare at it, take photos, or give advice and comments. In the eyes of countless tourists, the wordless stele is not only a symbol of Qianling, but also a legendary symbol of Wu Zetian, the empress of the ancient generation.

The wordless stele is carved from a complete boulder, weighing a hundred tons, and is integrated. Eight dragon dragons are carved on the head of the monument, which are full of vitality. However, faced with this wordless stele in front of the tomb of Empress Wu Zetian for thousands of generations, people have more doubts about it "has a stele but no words"!

In his later years, Wu Zetian had enough time to plan the inscription for himself, but in the end, he did not engrave a word on his tombstone? There are three main theories in history: (What the world agrees with is the theory of "self-knowledge").

1. The theory of boasting about merit: Wu Zetian believed that during his reign, he served the people's livelihood, appointed poor families, suppressed powerful families, developed imperial examinations, rewarded farmers and mulberry trees, and adhered to the border. Inheriting the "governance of Zhenguan" and the "prosperous era of Kaiyuan", the country is peaceful and the people are safe, and the political achievements are remarkable. Think that you have infinite merits and do not need to express it in words.

2. The theory of deep sin: During Wu Zetian's reign, the Wu family was knighted and promoted due to their kinship. On the other hand, Wu Zetian was engaged in eradicating dissidents, appointing cruel officials and building male pets. At one time, the foreign war was lost, and the former dynasties lost Mobei, the Western Regions and other territories that were painstakingly managed by generations of the previous dynasties. I blame myself and cannot speak.

3. Self-evident saying: Wu Zetian is extremely smart and knows his merits and demerits. It is useless to say it, so it is better not to say it. It is difficult to grasp the severity of the language of the inscription, so we simply "say nothing" and let future generations judge the merits and demerits.

This portrait of Wu Zetian on the wall of the Qianling Museum shows her majesty as an emperor, which is completely different from the Wu Meiniang who was joked about in the TV series we saw. The only queen in Chinese history has served two generations of emperors, from assistant to regent to governing. She has been active at the top of the political stage for nearly half a century. His life is full of legends and has attracted many comments from later generations. Many historians in the past dynasties listed Wu Zetian as a wise king. This evaluation should not be exaggerated.

Wu Zetian politically suppressed conservative forces and created fair and good conditions for social progress and economic development. Its "Twelve Suggestions""" advised farmers and mulberry trees and reduced taxes "strengthened the supervision of officials and adopted a policy of appeasing farmers whose land was annexed by aristocrats and fled. Promoting social stability, agriculture, handicrafts, and commerce have all developed greatly. During his administration, the population grew by an average of 0.91% per year. In ancient times, it was a very high growth rate and a concentrated expression of economic development during the Wu Zetian period.

Wu Zetian was quite talented in military affairs and faced several powerful enemies of Tubo, Turk and Khitan. It purged the army, governed Xinjiang and maintained peace, and organized effective strikes to drive the Turks out of the Western Regions and restore the four towns of Anxi, making Tubo and Khitan dare not act recklessly. At the same time, military towns were established on the border, and Tuyuhun State, which occupied Qinghai and repeatedly invaded the Central Plains, was destroyed in one fell swoop. Tuntian was extended from Qinghai to Zhangye, Wuwei, Gansu, Wuyuan, Inner Mongolia, and Jimsar (North Urumqi) in Xinjiang.

Wu Zetian attached great importance to the reform of the imperial examination system. Once he changed the imperial examination to an article test, he used the gorgeous article as the shortcoming of the admission criterion. Employing people does not look at family background, but at real talents and learning. The selection of senior officials from among the imperial examinations (such as Song Yi, Di Renjie, Yao Chong, Zhang Jiuling, Zhang Jianzhi and other honest officials) greatly stimulated the enthusiasm of scholars to participate in the imperial examinations and also stimulated the enthusiasm of the people for reading and learning. The social atmosphere of "fathers teach their sons, brothers teach their younger brothers" and "five-headed children are ashamed to speak no words of literature" began during the Wu Zetian period.

For a long historical period, Wu Zetian received more criticism than praise. Some people say that she favored untalented people in the Wu family (but did not entrust them with great responsibilities), appointed cruel officials, killed people wantonly, and killed innocents indiscriminately. However, what she killed were mainly Guanlong aristocratic officials and their followers who blocked innovation, not ordinary middle and lower-level officials and people. Regarding her inner pet issue, she also encountered great moral criticism. But some people think that this is just a matter of male power. Compared to the harem of any male emperor, she is insignificant.

Wu Zetian was full of wisdom and foresight throughout her life. In her late years, she handed over the imperial power to Li Tang and resolved a great political crisis. She returned to her husband as a woman, which enabled the prosperity of the Tang Empire to continue and laid a good foundation for the subsequent "prosperous times of Kaiping and Tianbao".

This stele to Shusheng Ji is located on the west side of Sima Road and is the tombstone of Li Zhi, Emperor Gaozong of the Tang Dynasty. It is accompanied by the wordless stele across the Shinto. The inscriptions were written by Wu Zetian himself and written by his son Li Xian, the Tang Zhongzong. It is a merit monument that praises Tang Gaozong. The article calls Tang Gaozong as a saint, who spent his life in culture and martial arts, with infinite merit.

The tomb monument of Emperor Gaozong of Tang Dynasty in front of you is from the Qing Dynasty. It was established during the Qianlong period.

Why do the stone statues of the "sixty-one ministers" on both sides of the Shinto Gate outside Qianling Mountain have no heads? Legend has it that in the early Ming Dynasty, a foreign envoy went to Qianling to visit and found that his ancestors were actually set up here to guard the tomb for the Tang Dynasty emperor. His self-esteem was greatly damaged, so he wanted to destroy these stone statues. But he was afraid of arousing dissatisfaction among the local people, so he came up with a plan. At night, he went to the crops near Qianling to trample on grain. During the day, he told the people that it was all the work of those stone statues. He advised the people to cut off the heads of these stone statues if they wanted to protect the crops so that they could not harm the crops again. The local people were bewitched by this foreigner, so they chopped off the heads of these stone statues (believe it or not).

After coming out of Qianling, we then went to the Tomb Museum of Prince Yide of Tang Dynasty (Prince Yide is Wu Zetian's grandson. It is said that he was bludgeoned by Wu Zetian because he criticized his grandmother. At that time, he was still young. It can be seen that the courts of feudal dynasties were so dangerous that flesh and blood fighting was common). At this point, we ended our trip to Qianling. In the evening, I returned to Qian County Railway Station on the same road and took the 8376 (19.52-21.23) back to Xi'an.

Shaanxi History Museum, Xi'an Ancient City Wall

On February 22, the last day of our trip to Xi'an, we arrived at the Shanxi History Museum early in the morning (online reservation and free visit). Walking into this exhibition hall, known as the "Central Hall, Four-Corner Chonglou", which integrates Tang Dynasty architectural styles and national styles, you can admire it for its large number, complete variety, high taste and wide value. Exquisite collection.

The land of Sanqin was the birthplace of Chinese civilization and the old capital of the thirteen dynasties. Rich cultural relics and profound cultural accumulation have formed a unique historical and cultural style. The Shaanxi History Museum, known as the "Pearl of the Ancient Capital and the Treasure House of China", is an art palace to display them.

Shaanxi History Museum was established in 1983. It is China's first large-scale modern national-level museum. Its predecessor can be traced back to the Shaanxi "Quangong Exhibition House" established in 1909. The building area of the museum area is 55600 square meters, the cultural relics reservoir area is 8000 square meters, the exhibition hall area is 11000 square meters, and it has a collection of 1717950 cultural relics (groups). The collections in the museum are exquisite bronze wares of the Shang and Zhou Dynasties, pottery figurines of the past dynasties are in various shapes, and gold and silver wares of the Han and Tang Dynasties are famous for being unique in the country. It can be described as a dazzling array of high-quality products.

The treasure of the town hall-the Western Zhou Dynasty Ding (11th century BC-mid-10th century BC) was unearthed in Yangjia Village, Mei County, Baoji City, Shaanxi Province in 1972. This tripod is 77 centimeters high, 56.5 centimeters in diameter, and weighs 78.5 kilograms. The Ding was cast during the period of King Kang of the Western Zhou Dynasty. It inherits the style of the round Ding of the Shang Dynasty. It has a noble, majestic, heavy and solemn shape, solemn, magical, gorgeous and exquisite decoration. It is an outstanding bronze ware.

The treasure of the town hall-the dancing horse cup (one of the two cultural relics that have never been exhibited abroad). The dancing horse on the silver pot is a horse specially trained to perform horse dance in the Tang Dynasty. After the Anshi Rebellion, the skill of "horse dancing" was gradually lost. This pot is the only object that can prove that the Tang Xuanzong birthday party used this cup to celebrate his birthday.

The treasure of the town hall-Tang Dynasty Sancai Zai Le Camel. Based on the analysis of its form and style, this set of dance and music figurines has been determined to be a work from the Tang Dynasty. The instruments used in the figurines are basically Hu music, and the dancers are all Han people wearing Han costumes. There are as many as eight people in the dance and music figurines. Not only is the lineup huge, but also the musical instruments are complete. The distinctive colors of the three-color glaze have created a sensation.

The treasure of the town hall-the seal of Empress Lu Zhi (wife of Liu Bang, the Emperor of the Han Dynasty) is theoretically inferior to the seal of the emperor. There were three most powerful women in Chinese history: Empress Lu of the Han Dynasty, Empress Wu of the Tang Dynasty, and Empress Dowager Xi of the Qing Dynasty. Their related cultural relics are invaluable. Lu Zhi and Liu Bang jointly ruled the world. After Liu Bang's death, he went to the court for sixteen years and assisted the young Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty. She laid a solid foundation for the "rule of literature and scenery" and was the first uncrowned queen of China.

The overall image given to us by the Shaanxi History Museum is that most of the bronze ceremonial utensils from the Western Zhou Dynasty and pottery and porcelain from the Tang Dynasty are used. Many cultural relics are also expressed in the style of the Western Regions, fully reflecting the unique relationship between Shaanxi and the "Silk Road" in history. We spent more than three hours walking around the museum. Although we only saw the tip of the iceberg in the museum, we could still be regarded as "observing a spot and knowing the whole leopard."

After visiting the Shaanxi History Museum, we returned to the hotel. As usual (before leaving a tourist destination), we ordered a rich meal at a Hunan restaurant near the hotel at noon, which was a reward for our hard journey for days. After that, I had a good sleep at the hotel (the hotel has a late check-out service). In the afternoon, we arrived at Xi'an Railway Station in advance, preparing to take the train back that night.

At this time, it was still early for the return train. We had one last project, which was to visit the Xi'an City Wall. We climbed the City Wall from Shangde Gate opposite the Railway Station Square. Tickets for Xi'an City Wall are 40 yuan and are free for 60 years old. Bicycles are rented on the city wall for single (10 yuan/hour) and double (20 yuan/hour).

The Xi'an City Wall surrounds the central Urban area of Xi'an City. There are four city gates, namely the East Changle Gate, the West Anding Gate, the South Yongning Gate, and the North Anyuan Gate. It surrounds the city wall about 13 kilometers. The Xi'an City Wall was built on the basis of the Imperial City of the Tang Dynasty. The thickness of the city wall is greater than the height and is firm as a mountain. The top of the wall can be used for sports cars and drills. The current city wall was built in the seventh to eleventh years of Hongwu of the Ming Dynasty (1374-1378) and has a history of more than 600 years. It is one of the most famous city walls in Chinese history and the most complete ancient city wall in China.

We walked all the way from Shangdemen to Anyuan Gate, and then back to Shangdemen. The journey was about 2.5 kilometers. At this time, you are walking on the city wall of Xi'an. The blue bricks, gray tiles, pavilions, and buildings are still impressive and invincible. From here, you can travel through time and space and see its history and future.

At this time, Xi'an Year. "The Most China" is unfolding here, with flags fluttering on the city wall and red lanterns hanging high. History and reality blend here. We feel that every brick and every meter of city wall we walk through has stories that have happened and have been baptized by blood and fire!

Some people say that every brick here is filled with Chinese history. It leaves us not only the scenery, but also the marks of countless ancestors. Reading the past of each brick will shock your soul. Regarding the historical positioning of Xi'an's ancient city wall, some people say that its cultural relics value is no less than that of the Terracotta Warriors.

Returning to Shangdemen, we ended our entire trip to Xi'an to find the flavor of the New Year and celebrate the New Year with prosperity.

At this time, the lights in Xi'an are first on, and it should be another night in a charming ancient city. This famous historical and cultural city, the ancient capital of the thirteen dynasties, has experienced thousands of years of vicissitudes and accumulated thousands of years of brilliant culture. It is like a business card that will never fade, always retaining its unique charm. It is like a pearl, inlaid at the foot of the Qinling Mountains and the bank of the Wei River in China. Coming here to spend an authentic Chinese Year is a rare experience and a full gain. It is said that in the past five thousand years, China looked at Chang 'an, and Xi'an was the most China. Today, we come for you! I came here for you!

Goodbye, Xi'an! With a strong New Year flavor and full aftertaste, on the night of February 22, we took the Z88 train from Xi'an to return to the origin of life. (End) Jinling Le Sou