Review: The exhibition hall on the first floor holds many Buddhist statues. Most of these lifelike sculptures are carved in stone while some of the fine gilded figures are made of copper and bronze. They illustrate the pomp and ceremonial aspects of Buddhism in Chang'an, the ancient name for Xi'an. The city was China’s capital for more than a thousand years and it has been a center of Buddhism since the fifth century. Xian was also the eastern terminus of the Silk Roads, the caravan routes that were the main conduits for the entry of Buddhism into China.

Introduction: Located in the Small Wild Goose Pagoda Scenic Area, the Xian Museum opened to the public on World Museum Day: May 18th, 2007. As many as 130, 000 fine cultural relics are currently kept in the museum, most of which were unearthed from several important tombs and ancient capital sites.

The museum is a three-storied building, with a hidden underground floor. The underground exhibition hall features many relics that have been unearthed. These exhibits demonstrate Xian’s multi-faceted history. The city was once the capital for 13 dynasties; its economy, social life, as well as cultural exchange and trade with foreign countries had wide and far-reaching effects.

Numerous jade articles, seals, paintings and works of calligraphy are on display on the second floor. The museum has almost 10,000 paintings and calligraphic scrolls, including works by Zheng Banqiao, a very famous painter during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).

Visiting info:

Admission fee: 50 yuan

Address: #76, Youyi West Road, Xi’an

Tel: 029-87889170

Bus routes: 21, 29, 32, 40, 46, 203, 204, 218, 224, 407; Tourist bus 7 and 8.

(China.org.cn by Wang Zhiyong November 10, 2007)