Xi'An

Today we have a look at the well-preserved city wall, the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, the Drum and Bell Tower and the Muslim district. You will have a dumpling dinner and join a Tang-dynasty song-and-dance show in the evening.

The Big Wild Goose Pagoda was built in 652 during the Tang Dynasty and back then had five stories. The pagoda was built to store sutras and figurines of Buddha, which were brought to China by the Buddhist translator and traveler Xuanzang. In the beginning of 8th century under the ruling of Empress Wu Zetian five more stories were added to the pagoda. Sadly wars on later times damaged the pagoda reducing its height to current seven stories. It stands 64 meters tall and from the top it offers great view over the city of Xi'An.

Known as the symbol of Xi'An, the history of the Drum and Bell Tower can be traced back to the Ming dynasty. Each Ming city had a bell tower and a drum tower. The bell was sounded at dawn and the drum at dusk. The Bell Tower was originally set at the intersection of Xi Dajie (West Street) and Guangji Jie (Guangji Street) in the Yingxiang Temple, which was the center of the site of the old Tang Imperial City. It was removed to its present place in 1582 in the center of the southern section of the walled city and was restored several times.

The Great Mosque of Xian is located in the "Huajue Xiang" district, inhabited mainly by the Muslims Hui minority. The 60,000 strong Muslim community that lives and works today in Xian traces its history to Arab and Persian merchants who, after traveling the Silk Road, became permanent residents of such cities as Guangzhou, Quanzhou, Hangzhou, Yangzhou, and Xi'An.