A:   We are located Xi'an, which is part of the Shaanxi Province in the northwestern part of China.

A:  Xi'an enjoys equal fame with Athens, Cairo, and Rome as one of the four major ancient civilization capitals. It is home to the famed Terracotta Warriors, which was nicknamed by President Bill Clinton as “The Eighth Wonder of the World.” The Terracotta Warriors are one of China's biggest tourist attractions, with over two million people visiting them annually.
There is a great deal to see in Xi'an other than the Terracotta Warriors. This is a great way to spend your day if you have extra time in Xi'an. Please see http://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g298557-s4/Xian:China:Things.To.Do.html .

Big Goose Pagoda Those who watched TV Series Monkey this is the pagoda that was offen featured. The Temple was built around 648 by Emperor Gaozong to house the Busshist scriptures that had been brought back from India by the travelling monk Xuan Zang. You can climb the Pagoda for an extra fee which will gives you a great view over Xian. On the site there is also the Tang Dynasty Arts Museum.

The Magic Square A day in the Big Wild Goose Quarter can only be properly completed by viewing the magical fountains on the North Square (大雁塔北广场) Because every night that square transforms into Asia's largest musical fountain.

At around 9:00pm (but ask around for the exact time, because it may vary from time to time) the square is illuminated in a way that even would make the mayor of Paris exceedingly jealous. Lights twinkle in the trees, moving light canons beam into the sky and music seems to come from every place. Then the magical fountain starts. And the fountain is really

gigantic, covering the entire North Square from the base of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda to the opposite end of the square at least 500 meters further. On the tunes of both European classics like the Radetzky March as well as Chinese evergreens, columns of water appear to be all around you. A really marvelous experience, that no one visiting Xi'an should miss.

Forest of Steles Museum This  museum contains the heaviest collection of books in the world. There doesn't seem to be alot of western tourist who visit this site, however all the signs are bi-lingual so you will have no problem understanding what each of the tablets are about. One of the most important and interesting tablets is the Stele of Daiqin Nestorianism which was ingraved in AD781 to market the opening of a Nestorian (Early Christian Sec) Church. At the top of the Stele you can see a small cross engraved.

City Walls Xi'an city walls are still visable and it is possible to walk or cycle the whole way around the on the wall which is 14km.  There is still a lot of restoration occuring and sections may be closed to the public. There is a fee charged to access the wall. Bicycles may be rented on the top of the wall at the south gate.  From the Forest of Steles Museum, you can walk along the wall to the South Gate, along the streets on this walk they are lined with shops and stalls which sell many souviners.

Bell Tower  The Bell Tower is within walking distance from the South Gate, proceed down Bei Daijie. The tower is located in the centre of Xi'an and you enter it from an underpass on the north side. You can for a fee strike one of the bells.

Drum Tower

The Drum Tower is just west of the Bell Tower. The Drum would be beaten to mark the hours of the day. It is a small building than the Bell Tower and is where the Muslim Quarter starts.

Muslim Quarter

A:  Paper-Cut

Paper-cut is a very distinctive visual art of Chinese handicrafts. It originated from the 6th century .Though simple, the color then appears charmingly bright.

It is easy to learn about cutting a piece of paper but very difficult to master it with perfection. One must grasp the knife in an upright fashion and press evenly on the paper with some strength. Flexibility is required but any hesitation or wiggling will lead to imprecision or damage the whole image. Engravers stress the cutting lines in several styles and there are four ideal but basic lines that that they endeavor to master. They attempt to carve a circle like the moon, a straight line like a stem of wheat, a square like a brick, and jaggedly like the beard.

People find hope and comfort in expressing wishes with paper cuttings. For example: for a wedding ceremony, red paper cuttings are a traditional and required decoration on the tea set, the dressing table glass, and on other furniture. A big red paper character 'Xi' (happiness) is a traditional must on the newlywed's door. Upon the birthday party of a senior, the character 'Shou' represents longevity and will add delight to the whole celebration; while a pattern of plump children cuddling fish signifies that every year they will be abundant in wealth.

Martial Arts

Martial Arts are traditional Chinese sports which have developed over a long historical period. In order to survive the extremely hostile environment, our primitive Chinese ancestors learned some primary means of attack and defence such as leaping, tumbling and kicking. Moreover, they generally knew how to fight with weapons made from stones and wood or bare-hand fighting. This is considered to be the origin of martial arts.

The movements in martial art include kick, boxing, wresting and seizing, which are performed by rules. Sects of martial arts are various. Generally speaking, Shaolin Sect and Wudang Sect are the two most famous sects. As the old Chinese saying goes 'In the north, Shaolin Kungfu is primarily recommended. While in the south, Wudang Kungfu is especially valued.' Both of them lay emphasis on the external practice for Jing (genuine energy), Qi (vital energy) and Shen (spirit) and internal practice for muscle, bone and skin.

There are many world-famous martial arts actors such as Bruce Lee, who is regarded as the 'King of Kungfu' as well as a great film star. Jet Li, a super star of martial arts, has successfully developed many Kungfu figures in a number of blockbusters. Jackie Chan is noted for his outstanding kungfu skills in the film industry at home and abroad. People can really marvel at and admire the charm of Chinese martial arts from their marvellous works.

The Beijing Olympic organizing committee have announced the exciting news that Martial Arts will be included in the list of competitions at the Beijing Olympics.

Chinese Cuisine

Chinese culinary arts are famous all over the world. Chinese dishes appeal to the senses through color, shape, aroma and taste. Chinese cuisine's entree normally strives for three to five colors, made up of the main ingredient, with more secondary ingredients of contrasting colors and textures; these are prepared and cooked to enhance their own qualities, with the use of appropriate condiments and garnishing, enabling to chef to present a delicious platter of fragrant delicious art.

If you are interested in any traditional Chinese art and culture, our club will arrange some courses for you to experience it yourself, such as a paper-cutting class or a martial arts course or a chinese cusine lesson once a week.

A:   To fly from Beijing or Shanghai to Xi'an, it costs about 1500 RMB (Chinese currency).To take a train from Beijing or Shanghai to Xi'an, it costs about 400 RMB (Chinese currency).

A:   Our club can provide you with basic transportation such as pick-up/drop off from the airport or getting downtown. We can assist you with arranging any of your further transportation needs.

A:   Xi'an is most famous for its Chinese Hot Pot. However, from Tibetan to Sichuan, you can taste food from every corner of China in Xi'an. Western food is also available.

A:   Average Temperatures in Xi'an (Fahrenheit)

Average Temperatures in Xi'an (Celsius)

A:   As long as you would like.

A:   □ Local Culture, Art and Food
Xi'an has always been one of the richest central regions of China with regard to food supplies. It is known as “the most prosperous place on earth”, the cradle of China's agricultural civilization, and the representative of China's civilization as well, displaying profound and colorful civilization and art: Hu County peasant pictures, shadows play, paper-cuts, clay sculptures, colored steamed buns, embroidery, tri-coloured glazed pottery, drawed porcelain plates, wheat skeleton pictures, etc. Besides, the cooking culture of Xi'an boasts a long history: it converges the most famous Chinese food, as well as American and European food, and various other types of delicious food, such as Japanese, S.Korean barbecue, flavors of Southeast Asia, Islamic flavor, etc. Eight famous dishes from Xi'an have winned the Gold Pot Award, especially the local snacks, are real attraction for guests from home and abroad.

□ Geographic Location

Xi'an is located in the East of China's western region, the center of Guanzhong Plain, it is situated at 107°40'～109°49'and 33°39'～34°44'N. With Mt. Qinling to the South and the Weihe River to the North, the terrain of Xi'an is higher in the southeast and lower in the northwest, at an average altitude of 424m.

Xi'an is the capital of Shaanxi Province and has an advantageous position which binds the east and the west, and the north and the south, and to implement the develop-the-west strategy.

□ Area

Xi'an covers a total area of 10,108 km2，of which 1,256 km2 is urban area (187 km2 already constructed). Xi'an has jurisdiction over such nine districts and four counties as Beilin district, Xincheng district, Lianhu district, Yanta district, Weiyang district, Baqiao district, Lintong district, Yanliang district, Chang'an district and Zhouzhi county, Hua county, Lantian county and Gaoling county.

□ Population

By the end of 2002, the total registered population of Xi'an has reached 7.0259 million people, of which 4.0255 million are rural and 3.0004 million are urban residents. The population is composed of 46 ethnies, but the Han nationality accounts for 99% of the total population.

□ Climate

Xi'an lies in the temperate zone under continental climate with distinct seasons. The annual average temperature is around 15℃. January, the coldest month, is about –3℃～-4℃,while July, the hottest month, is about 32℃. The yearly sunshine period reaches 1,500 hours and the annual average rainfall is 500mm-750mm, mainly concentrated in summer and fall.

□ People and Religion

The population of Hui minority constitutes the majority of the ethnic population in Xi'an.A large number of Hui people lives in the northeast area of the city where a lot of mosques locate there, for example, the Great Mosque which was built in Tang dynasty. The number of Hui minority in the whole city is about 3,000, and accounts for 0.7% of the city's total population (about 50,000). Besides, Xi'an was a Buddhists' Holy Land in Tang Dynasty, and now the most important bouddhist place in China (in quantity): there are 109 halls of Buddhist nunnery temples. The famous Buddhist scriputures translated by monk Xuan Zang are now in the Great Wild Goose Pagoda. The Blue Dragon Temple (Qinlong) is a place for holding rituals in the past. The Land and Water Buddhist Nunnery is well known for its exquisite painted sculptures, etc. Nowadays they are all famous scenic spots of Xi'an.

Q: Do you want see something about downtown in Xi'an?

A:   Around the city center-Bell Tower in Xi'an, there are four main street pointed four directions, they are: Eest Avenue, South Avenue, West Avenue and North Avenue.

Bell Tower

South Avenue

Eest Avenue

West Avenue

North Avenue.

Xi'an is a mixture of modern and ancient architectures. Please see some beautiful snowscapes take in Xi'an Xing Qing Park