If you are planning a trip to Lhasa from China mainland, Xi’an should definitely be on your travel list. Xi’an plays an important role in China's history. The history of Xi’an is as old as China's which is just like a living history book of China. Xi’an is one of the birthplaces of the ancient Chinese civilization. As a saying goes: "Go to Shanghai and you will find a 100-year-old China; go to Beijing and you will find a 1000-year-old China; go to Xian and then you will find a 3000-year-old China."
Historically speaking, Xi’an was closely linked to Tibet. About 1,300 years ago, Princess Wencheng of the Tang Dynasty (618-907) left the then capital city, Chang'an (today’s Xi’an) and went to the Tubo Kingdom (today’s Tibet), which was about 2,000 miles away in the southwest of Xi’an. She was arranged by her loyal father to marry Songtsan Gambo, the King of Tubo. This interracial marriage helped strengthen the connection between the Tang Dynasty and the Tubo Kingdom. So the story of Princess Wencheng and Songtsan Gambo has been praised by the Tibetans and the rest of the Chinese people ever since.
In addition, as the eastern terminal of the Silk Road and the site of the famous Terracotta Warriors of the Qin Dynasty, Xi’an has enjoyed great reputation all over the world. It has a history of over 3,000 years, including over 1,100 years as the capital city of 13 ancient dynasties. So a lot of amazing historical heritages can be seen in Xi’an. Tourists will be surprised at the numerous historical sites and cultural relics in and around the city.
What’s more, as an important center for economy, culture, industry and education of the central-northwest China, Xi’an is a place where tourists can enjoy a lot of modern and convenient facilities. Therefore, Xi’an is a place you can’t miss when you plan a trip to Lhasa from other cities in China like Beijing, Shanghai, etc.
Option 1. Xi’an to Tibet by Train
The journey from Xi’an to Lhasa by train will be great. As the train will run through the highest plateau in the world, tourists can enjoy wonderful scenery all the way on the train. Unfortunately, trains originating from Xi’an to Lhasa are unavailable at present. Although several trains make stops in Xi’an, such as the trains from Shanghai, Guangzhou, or Chongqing to Lhasa, it is still not easy to get a train ticket to Lhasa from Xi’an. Therefore, if you decide to take a train to Lhasa from Xi’an, you'd better book the train tickets in advance. For your convenience, train tickets online booking service will be offered by our agency.
Trains to Tibet from Shanghai, Guangzhou and Chongqing would stop over at Xi’an. If you fail to get a train ticket from Xi’an to Lhasa but still want to experience the Qinghai-Tibet railway, you can take a plane or train to Xining and then take a train to Lhasa. But you still need to book the train tickets from Xining to Lhasa in advance because it is never easy to get a train ticket to Tibet from Xining ever since the operation of Qinghai-Tibet Railway.
Option 2. Xi’an to Tibet by Flight
It takes more than 3 hours to fly from Xi’an to Tibet. As taking flights is more convenient and can save time, travelling from Xi’an to Lhasa by flights is more popular than by trains. There are a total of 8 direct flights a day flying from Xi’an to Lhasa at present, operated by Sichuan Airlines, Tibet Airlines, Air China, and China Eastern Airlines. Xi’an Lhasa flights take off at Xi’an Xianyang International Airport and land at Lhasa Gonggar Airport, among which some are non-stop flights and the rest would stop over at Xiahe, Xining or Lanzhou.
If you travel to Tibet from Xian, it is suggested to stay one day or two in the ancient city.
The Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum is the most famous tourist site in Xi’an. It lies in about 50km east of Xi’an City. The site consists of Pit 1, Pit 2 and Pit 3 as well the exhibition hall of the chariots and horses.
The Pit 1, the largest one among the three, is an oblong-shape tunnel, covering an area of 14,260 square meters. It is 230 meters long from east to west, 62 meters wide from north to south and 5 meters deep. The terracotta warriors and horses in the Pit 1 are lined in a real battle formation.
The Pit 2, 20 meters on the north of Pit 1, is L-shaped and composed of four different services of military forces in four rows. It is recorded that more than 1, 000 pieces of pottery figures were found in Pit 2. It is about 6,000 square meters, containing 500 horse-driven chariots and saddled horses.
The Pit 3, concave shape, covers an area of 520 square meters. It is situated 25 meters on the north of Pit 1 and 25 meters on the west of Pit 2. Things have been found in Pit 3 are 68 clay armoured warriors, 4 terracotta horses, a chariot, a remaining deer horn and animal bones. It might be the site where sacrificial offerings and war prayers were practiced.
There are many ways to get to the Terracotta Warriors Museum. You can take a bus from the bus terminal outside Xi’an Railway Station. And you can take a taxi or rent a car from a local tour company to get there.
The Bell Tower and the Drum Tower are located in the center of Xi’an City. The Drum Tower lies in the northwest of the Bell Tower, across the Bell Tower and Drum Tower Square. Ever since the Ming Dynasty, there was a bell tower and a drum tower in each city in China. The bell within the Bell Tower was stricken at dawn and the drum within the Drum Tower was beat at sunset in ancient time to indicate the beginning and the end of the day. Besides, they were also used as an alarming tool when emergency happened. The two towers are also called the “sister buildings” or “morning bell and evening drum”. But now in modern times, they are not used as a timer any more. On top of the Bell Tower, you can see a full view of Xi’an City, and on top of the Drum Tower, you can get a bird's-eye view of the dwelling districts of the Hui people.
Standing in the south of Xi’an city, Shaanxi History Museum covers an area of about 70, 000 square meters. Although it is a Tang architectural style museum in appearance, it is a much more modernized national history museum in China. As one of the four largest museums in China ( the other three are Forbidden City Museum, Shanghai Museum and Henan Museum), it treasures more than 370,000 cultural relics which were all unearthed in Shaanxi province. The relics include objects made of stone, bone, bronze, terracotta, china, jade, gold, and silver. There are also murals, seals, calligraphy and paintings in the museum. The history of these relics can be traced back to the period between over 1 million years ago and the end of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). They represent the culture, art and science in ancient times, thus reflecting the history and people’s life that time. Most of the relics are rare old treasures in the world.
Big Goose Pagoda is not only one of the most famous Chinese pagodas, it is also one of the oldest structures in China. It was built inside the Temple of Great Mercy, which is in the south of Chang’an City (today's Xian). It was built in the Tang Dynasty (618-907). Or to be more exact, that was in 652 BC. One of the functions of the pagoda was to hold the Sanskrit classics and Buddhist statues as well as the relics brought back from India by the famous monk Xuanzang, who was a great translator and a famous traveller. At the southern square of the Temple of Great Mercy stands a bronze statue of Xuanzang. The statue was made to commemorate the great achievement he has made in developing Buddhism.
Tourists can walk or even cycle around Xi’an City Wall. Xi’an City Wall is considered to be the best-preserved ancient city wall in China and also the largest and most complete military defensive system in the world. It is the main magnet of Xi’an. It was founded in Sui Dynasty and then expanded in Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) from the remains of Tang Dynasty. Now it is 12 meters in height and 14km in perimeter. Its width on top is between 12-14 meters. There is a deep moat surrounding the wall. The walls are still strong and solid nowadays. Its well-preserved walls, moat, gates, drawbridge, main towers, watchtowers, parapet walls and crenels show an integrated ancient defense system to the tourists today. It takes about 3 hours to walk around the City Wall. People can also choose tourist cars or rent bicycles at the South Gate and the North Gate to enjoy the trip there.
Hanyangling Mausoleum was built in 153 AD, covering an area of 20 square kilometers (4,942 acres). It is a joint tomb of a notable emperor of the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD), Liu Qi, , and his wife, Empress Wang. It is about 20 km away from Xi’an airport, which is 30km on north of the downtown Xi’an. As a magnificent and abundant cultural relic, Hanyangling Mausoleum consists of the emperor's tomb, empress' tomb, the south and north burial pits, ceremonial site, human sacrifice graveyard and criminals' cemetery. The mausoleum is neatly arranged with the emperor's tomb at its center, revealing the strict social hierarchy in ancient times. The Outside Pits Exhibition Hall is the first underground museum in China and it was open to the public in 2006.
Tang Dynasty Music and Dance Show is a wonderful performance of the ancient music and dance. It is a must-see program that can not be missed when you visit the city. Xi’an has a long history and it was called Chang'an in ancient times. It was the imperial capital of 13 Chinese dynasties, among which Tang Dynasty (618 - 907) was the most prosperous and glorious one. The Tang Dynasty Music and Dance Show outstandingly demonstrates the social stability and prosperity that time. What’s more, the show also plays an important part in keeping alive the splendid culture and providing an insight into the peaceful life style of the period.
The Great Mosque in Xi’an is one of the oldest, largest and best-preserved Islamic mosques in China. Northwest to the Drum Tower, the Great Mosque is among the most popular tourist sites of Xi'an. Unlike most mosques in Middle Eastern or Arab countries, the construction and architectural style of the Great Mosque is completely Chinese, except for some Arabic lettering and decorations.
The Great Mosque was first built in the Tang Dynasty ((618-907) and was renovated in later periods. There are four rows of buildings in Ming and Qing dynasties architectural features, covering a total area of 12,000 square meters. Its 4, 000-square-meter main hall can hold 1, 000 people. Around the mosque there are several lanes where things like snacks, antiques, and scripts and paintings are sold. Compared with the bustling lanes, the garden-like mosque is rather pure and quiet.
1. One-Day Xi’an Tour of Terracotta Warriors and Huaqing Hot Spring
By following this route, you can visit the amazing Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum from Pit 1 to Pit 3. Terracotta Warriors Museum is the eighth wonder of the world. There are over 6, 000 pottery figures with different facial expressions in the museum, describing history of the Qin Dynasty from 221 BC-206 BC. After visiting the museum, you can turn to appreciate the imperial garden and palace of Tang Dynasty, the Huaqing Hot Spring, which was used as a resort place by many emperors.
2. One-Day Xi’an Tour of Terracotta Warriors and Xi’an City Wall
You can first go to visit the Terracotta Warriors in the morning, which is the eighth wonder of the world. It is about 50 km in the east of Xi’an City. In 1987, the Terracotta Warriors was listed by the UNESCO as one of the world cultural heritages. Two hours is enough to visit the place. Then you can go to visit the ancient Xi’an City Wall. It remains the most complete city wall in China and one of the largest ancient military defensive systems in the world.
3. One-Day Xi’an City Tour of Xi’an City Wall, Shaanxi History Museum, Big Wild Goose Pagoda, the Bell and Drum Towers
This route focuses on the tourist sites in Xi’an City. The first stop to visit is the ancient Xi’an City Wall, which is known as the most complete city wall in China and one of the largest ancient military defensive systems in the world. The next stop to visit is the Shaanxi History Museum, where more than 370,000 historic and cultural relics and artifacts are collected. The third stop to visit is the Great Mosque, which is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Xi’an today. The last stop of the route is the Bell Tower and the Drum Tower, where you can get a full view of Xi’an City.
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