Xi'an

Xi'an Wall which is unbelievably large - Xi'an was the capital of China and the Emperors for several dynasties and about 1,300 years

Xi'an moat all around the city from the wall - note how high the wall is and how long the construction must have taken!

Big Wild Goose Pagoda (648 A.D.) in background with the largest Chinese promoter of Buddhism Monk Xuanzang who went to India and brought back many texts to Xi'an

Buddhist Shrine at Big Wild Goose Pagoda

Tang Dynasty marble horse in Xi'an History Museum

Tang Dynasty warrior in Xi'an History Museum

Ram's head agate cup national treasure in Xi'an History Museum

Figures in Xi'an History Museum

Pool at the Neolithic Village of Banpo

Re-creation of a Banpo home - maternal society

Actual floor of a Banpo home - note the fire circle in the center

Kiln in Banpo Village

Banpo jars that contained bones of dead children right next to the homes so they were close

Four-person Banpo grave

Tiger sculpture national treasure in Xi'an History Museum

Stone mythological creature in Xi'an History Museum with Yellow River Hukou Falls photo in background

Rhinoceros in Xi'an History Museum

Buddhist statue

Buddhist statue

Engraving of largest Chinese promoter of Buddhism Monk Xuanzang who went to India and brought back many texts to Xi'an

Museum of Stone Tablets

Museum of Stone Tablets - Daqin Nestorainism describing spread of Christian religion in China 761 A.D.

Museum of Stone Tablets

Terracotta warrior army - discovered in 1974 by farmers digging a well and named the Eighth Ancient Wonder of the World

Terracotta warrior army - 7,200 Terracott Warriors have been discovered so far

Terracotta warrior army - the vast army was created during the entire rule of the first Qin Dynasty Emperor to protect his tomb

Terracotta warrior army

Terracotta warrior army

Terracotta warrior army - assembled as they were set in place by the Emperor to protect him while dead

Terracotta warriors - approximately lifesize statues around 6 feet tall

Terracotta warriors in situ after being destroyed when the Qin Dynasty was overthrown by the peasant rebellion c. 200 B.C.

Terracotta warrior - archer

Terracotta warrior - officer

Terracotta warrior - general

Terracotta warrior - calvalry man and horse

Terracotta warrior - bronze chariot with general driving the emperor's carriage

Terracotta warrior - modern day with tennis shoes, etc.

Tang Dynasty Dinner show

Tang Dynasty Dinner show

Tang Dynasty Dinner show

Tang Dynasty Dinner show

Tang Dynasty Dinner show

Tang Dynasty Dinner show

Grand Mosque - a number of Muslims came across the Silk Road which began in Xi'an and married Han Chinese people and formed a community that numbers around 60,000 today and look slightly different than the Han Chinese due to their background and their only marrying Muslims

Huaqing Palace & Hot Springs, resort palace of many emperors and dynasties with statue of Concubine Yang, one of the four prettiest women in China and most favorite concubine of the Tang Dynasty emperor c. 745 A.D.

Huaqing Palace & Hot Springs bath where empress and concubines would soak

Huaqing Palace & Hot Springs wooden beam from Qin Dynasty

Huaqing Palace & Hot Springs building architecture

Huaqing Palace building where Xi'an Incident took place and Generals forced Chiang Kaishek and the Nationalists to fight against the Japanese invaders in the late 1930s & 1940s