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As the capital of China's Shaanxi Province, Xi'an's long history was properly summed

up by our English-speaking guide: "If Xi'an is the grandmother of cities, Beijing is a

youth and Shanghai is just a baby in the womb. "

However, it was not until 1974, following the chance discovery of the Army of

Terracotta Warriors by well-digging farmers, that Xi'an was once again pushed onto the

international map. Three decades later, the local government is pouring funds into the

tourism sector. Ancient monuments and museums are being restored, and various copies of

Buddhist and Tang heritage are being constructed to help Chinese tourists rediscover their

national heritage.

One of those ancient monuments is the Big Wild Goose Pagoda-Xi'an's most sacred

(神圣的) monument-which was built in 652 by the monk Xuanzang ,who travelled

across India for 18 years and returned with a precious collection of Buddhist sacred texts.

In 1966,the Red Guards burnt the pagoda's scriptures, silk wall hangings and other relics

in a bonfire that raged all night. But that destruction has largely been forgotten as tourists

flock to the newly restored pagoda. The only original remainders-the empty shell of the

seven-storey pagoda-light up at night, standing out in the city's skyline.

Xi'an is also displaying the glories of the ancient Tang Dynasty, with a 165-acre

Tang Paradise Theme Park that is visited by flocks of tourist groups. Although every bit of

this Tang heritage is recreated, it is artistically pleasing, landscaped with ponds and

lakes, classical gardens, bridges, palaces and pavilions. Explore the vast area on a golf

cart, hopping on and off to see shortened operas from the Tang Dynasty days, laser shows

on the lake, highly structured man-made waterfalls, as well as murals and statues of

historical figures ,philosophers and poets.

A 36km drive northeast takes you to Xi'an's most famous attraction, the Army of

Terracotta Warriors. They were made to order in 221BC by the first emperor of China, Qin

Shi Huangdi, who used the forced labour of 700,000 subjects to create a mausoleum(陵

庙) guarded by an entire army.