The Great Mosque of Xi’an










The Gao Family Mansion

With a history stretching back over 400 years, the Gao Family Mansion is the ideal place to experience what ancient life would have been like in the rapidly expanding metropolis of Xi’an. Its entrance is an unassuming gate on the side of Beiyuanmen Street in the city’s bustling Muslim Quarter and it offers a slice of tranquillity amongst the lively chaos of this popular dining area. This venerable mansion was originally established during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and served as the former residence of a scholar-official named Gao Yuesong. During his illustrious career, Gao Yuesong achieved the second highest mark in the imperial examination and was awarded with this mansion by the reigning Chongzhen Emperor for his loyal service as an imperial official. His story might be worth mentioning next time you talk to your boss about Christmas bonuses!

Gao Yuesong’s mansion was often a hive of activity, as he regularly hosted events with prominent writers, thinkers, scholars, and performers. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to enjoy his luxurious home for long, as he tragically died at the age of 31. His family, however, continued to live in the mansion for seven generations and many of his descendants went on to have successful careers as officials within the imperial government.

The mansion itself sprawls over an area of over 2,500 square metres (26,910 sq. ft.) and is made up of 86 rooms, 56 of which are currently open to the public. The entire complex is separated into two courts, the north court and the south court, which in turn each contain four small courtyards. Wandering through this labyrinthine complex, visitors will be met with rooms lavishly decorated with period furnishings and walls beautifully bedecked with traditional Chinese paintings. Alongside being a popular tourist attraction, the Gao Family Mansion serves as the offices for four different organisations, including the Xi’an Chinese Painting Academy.

Nowadays, the Gao Family Mansion acts as a beacon of ancient culture in the city of Xi’an. Every day, performances of traditional Chinese opera and Shadow Puppetry take place on its main stage. Shadow Puppetry is a type of performance that uses simple colourful figures made from leather or paper to act out its stories and is believed to have originated in Shaanxi province during the Han Dynasty (206 BC–220 AD). In-keeping with this local flavour, both the opera and shadow puppet shows at the mansion utilise the local dialect of Shaanxi province and the stories they tell revolve around popular folk legends. These lively performances are complemented by classes on the traditional Chinese art of papercutting and peaceful tea ceremonies at the courtyard teahouse.

Make your dream trip to The Gao Family Mansion come true on our travel: Explore the Silk Road in China

The 8 Immortals Temple











Mount Hua












Xinyue Temple


The Jade Spring Temple (Yuquan Temple)







Muslim Quarter







The Small Wild Goose Pagoda

The Small Wild Goose Pagoda Scenic Area is made up of three main areas: Jianfu Temple, the Xi’an Museum and the Small Wild Goose Pagoda. The histories of these three buildings are tightly intertwined and this is why they have been grouped together rather than being kept as separate attractions. The Small Wild Goose Pagoda Scenic Area is one of the lesser known tourist attractions in Xi’an and, in spite of its elegance and natural beauty, it rarely attracts large crowds. This, coupled with its peaceful gardens and crystal clear lake, makes it one of the more relaxing sites to visit in the bustling city of Xi’an. Not to mention the fact that, in 2014, UNESCO listed the whole area as a World Heritage Site. Though the museum was only built in 2007, Jianfu Temple and the Small Wild Goose Pagoda both have histories that date back over 1,000 years ago. As a matter of fact, like Da Ci’en Temple, Jianfu Temple was constructed as a gesture of filial piety[1].

The buildings that make up Jianfu Temple were never intended to be a temple when they were first built. In 684 A.D., after his ascension to the throne, Emperor Zhongzong adapted his place of residence into a temple and donated it, subsequently maintaining it so that it could house 200 Buddhist monks. He founded this temple precisely 100 days after the death of his father, Emperor Gaozong, to honour his memory. It was originally named Xianfu Temple, or the Great Monastery of Offered Blessings, but was renamed Jianfu Temple by Empress Wu Zetian in 690 A.D. The Small Wild Goose Pagoda was built later on, sometime between 707 and 709 A.D., and was so-called simply because it was smaller than the Great Wild Goose Pagoda. The pagoda was originally 45 metres (147 ft.) tall and 15 storeys high but was damaged by the same earthquake as the Great Wild Goose Pagoda in 1556 and is now only 43 metres (141 ft.) tall and 13 storeys high. Unlike the Great Wild Goose Pagoda, each storey on the Small Wild Goose Pagoda diminishes in width as it rises, giving it its iconic curved appearance. However, like many pagodas from the Tang Dynasty (618-907), it is archetypally square shaped. During the Tang Dynasty, Buddhist monks would bring Buddhist scriptures and sutras[2] from India to the temple and the pagoda to be translated.

mhrf_dspd16852Astoundingly, even in ancient times, architects had the foresight to make the base of the Small Wild Goose Pagoda out of packed earth and built it into a hemispherical shape. This meant that during earthquakes the tremors were distributed evenly throughout the base of the temple and the pagoda subsequently survived 70 earthquakes virtually unharmed. Interestingly enough, in 1487 a colossal earthquake sent a crack all the way up the pagoda, from top to bottom, and this crack was supposedly a third of a metre wide. Yet remarkably, in 1521, a subsequent earthquake appeared to seal the crack entirely. Years later, however, it was discovered that the crack had not healed but had merely become less visible and so, in 1965, the pagoda underwent extensive repairs. Today you’ll find, when you enter the pagoda, that the second, fifth, seventh, ninth and eleventh storeys have been reinforced with steel girders, although these have been cleverly hidden, and facilities have been set up on the roof so that it now has a lightning rod and is better protected from rain.

So there’s more than meets the eye in this peaceful, tourist haven. The pagoda and temple are not only wonderful relics of history in of themselves; they also house several artefacts that have been dug up around the city. You’ll definitely want to stop off and visit the Ancient Bell, which is in the Bell Pavilion and has been preserved in its original condition since 1192. The bell weighs approximately 8,000 kilograms and has more than a thousand characters engraved on its surface. In 1993 it had to be repaired and welded, as it was damaged during the Cultural Revolution, but it has remained virtually unchanged since then. It was said that, back when the bell was first forged, its ring was so deafening that it echoed throughout the city. In 1998, in light of its popularity, another bell was forged that visitors are allowed to hit, in order to simulate the experience of hitting the original bell.

Nestled within Jianfu Temple, near the Small White Goose Pagoda, you’ll also find the 10 Ancient Pagoda Trees, which are all over 1,000 years old. They are surrounded by ancient stone carvings, which were once part of house gates, and ancient hitching posts for horses. These hitching posts are just upright pillars with various carvings on top, including carvings of mythological creatures, deities and auspicious symbols. In the temple, all of the hitching posts have been placed together to form what looks like a stunning stone forest. This is a fantastic place to take photographs as it is both beautiful and surreal.

On top of all of these wondrous historical artefacts, the Xi’an Museum boasts nearly 130,000 relics that all relate to the history of Ancient China and Xi’an specifically. Most of these relics have been unearthed from tombs in the surrounding area. There you’ll find stunning jade ornaments, Buddhist statues, stone carvings, porcelain figures, famous pieces of calligraphy, and paintings. There is also a small exhibition hall beside the museum that is dedicated to displaying paintings by Huxian County farmers. These paintings are particularly famous because they focus on portraying ordinary aspects of country life and are made using any artistic medium that was available to the farmer, including everyday objects such as newspapers.

If this isn’t enough to draw you in, the Small Wild Goose Pagoda regularly hosts a Chinese calligraphy class where visitors can learn the meanings behind various Chinese characters, and where you may even learn how to write a few characters yourself! What could be a better souvenir than a beautiful piece of calligraphy that was hand painted by you? In short, though the Small Wild Goose Pagoda Scenic Area may be one of the smaller attractions in Xi’an, this simply adds to its charm and makes it a wonderful distraction from the bustle of the city, a place where you can just unwind, relax and truly enjoy Chinese history.

[1] Filial Piety: the concept of being devoted to and respectful of ones parents and elders. It is particularly important in Chinese culture.


Shaanxi Local Snacks

As you walk through the streets of Xi’an, you’ll be bombarded with the cries of vendors selling their unique variations on local snacks. In some cases, these local snacks are held in as high esteem as the signature dishes of the province. From the sweet to the savoury, from the large to the small, snacks play a very important role in Chinese culture. So if you want a real taste of China, you need to get stuck in and try a few of the local delicacies that you won’t find in any restaurant. Thanks to its Muslim community, Shaanxi boasts a wide variety of snacks that span a myriad of cooking styles. We’ve listed a few here to whet your appetite and showcase the grandeur of Shaanxi’s local nibbles.

Roujiamo or Shaanxi Hamburger (肉夹馍)

Roujiamo or Shaanxi Hamburger


The Shaanxi Hamburger earned its unusual name thanks to its suspicious similarity to its Western cousin. That being said, the two are entirely unrelated. The way roujiamo is made varies from vendor to vendor and region to region, with some vendors using mutton, some using beef, some using pork, and all of them using a different mixture of seasonings to make their roujiamo stand out from the crowd. The “mo” part of the name refers to a type of flatbread in China made from wheat flour that makes up the bun part of the hamburger. This type of bread dates all the way back to the Qin Dynasty (221-206 B.C.) and was originally baked in a clay or mud oven, although now it is often made in a frying pan or pressure cooker. The fluffiest, tastiest “mo” are made using the original method. The recipe for the meat used in roujiamo dates all the way back to the Zhou Dynasty (1045-256 B.C.) and usually consists of finely chopped meat, coriander and chillies, although recipes will vary from vendor to vendor. This tantalising snack is soft, moist and wonderfully flavoursome.

Liangpi or Cold Noodles (凉皮)

Liangpi or Cold NoodlesLiangpi are traditionally seen as one of the most popular snacks in Shaanxi. Liangpi are not actually noodles, but are often referred to as noodles due to the resemblance in shape and texture. Although liangpi are served cold, this dish is served throughout the year. Liangpi can either be made from rice flour (mianpi) or wheat flour (ganmianpi). The types of liangpi can be further subdivided into Hanzhong Liangpi, Majiang Liangpi and Shan Xin Gan Mianpi. Hanzhong Liangpi originated from the city of Hanzhong in southwest Shaanxi. These liangpi are steamed and seasoned with garlic and hot chilli oil. Majiang Liangpi are typically garnished with julienned cucumber and a sauce made from salt, vinegar, hot chilli oil and black sesame paste. Shan Xin Gan Mianpi are made from a different type of liangpi altogether, which looks darker in colour and has a firmer texture. These liangpi are always served with vinegar, chilli oil, salt, mashed garlic and bean sprouts. Whatever variety of liangpi you fancy, we’re sure that you’ll find this snack both delectable and refreshing!

Osmanthus Persimmon Cakes (黄桂柿子饼)

Osmanthus Persimmon Cakes These “cakes” are not cakes in the traditional sense of the word and actually resemble donuts in appearance, although they taste vastly different. Osmanthus Persimmon Cakes are made from the local persimmons grown in the Lintong District, which have earned the name “fire-crystal persimmons” due to their vibrant colour. A mixture of local persimmons and wheat flour is used to form a casing around the soft filling, which is made from osmanthus flowers, rose-petals, walnuts and sugar. The casing is moulded into a circular shape around the filling and is then fried in hot oil until the skin is slightly browned. The ingredients used to make the filling will vary from vendor to vendor. This snack was created by the Uyghur ethnic minority and is particularly popular in the Muslim quarter of Xi’an. These soft, crispy persimmon cakes are exotic to look at and comforting to eat.


Taste some Shaanxi Local Snacks on our travel Explore the Silk Road in China


An Army of Thousands





