The Daming Palace was one of the best known palaces of the Tang Dynasty that ruled Xian for more than 250 years. Today the ruins of the old palace that was burnt by fires are being carefully reconstructed by the efforts of the Chinese Government who have declared the site as a National Key Cultural Relic Protection Unit.
The rebuilt Daming Palace was opened for public viewing in 2010. The Emperors of the Tang Dynasty lived and conducted affairs of the State from here. The Tang Emperor Li Shimin built it as a summer palace for his father. At the time it was a grand structure that covered an area of 1.2 square miles. Nine gates led to the original palace. It was divided into two sections. The emperors conducted state affairs in the Qian Chao section and lived in the Nei Ting section. Beside the main palace, there were many smaller palaces and gardens and a pond called the Taiye Pond covering an area of 1.6 hectares. The Daming Palace was burned completely by fires towards the end of the Tang Dynasty.
The complete restoration of all the palace buildings is expected to be finished in late 2012. Visitors can view two thirds of the restored buildings and the surrounding park for free. A fee is charged for viewing the Cultural Relics Preservation and Exhibition area that occupies one third of the restored structure.

The Great Mosque in Xian is the place of worship of the Muslim population especially the Hui people. It is the oldest, largest and best preserved mosque in China.
The Great Mosque was built in Xian during the reign of the Tang Dynasty in 742 AD. Several additions were made to the original structure during the reigns of the Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties. Xian is located at the beginning of the historic Silk Route and Muslim traders from other parts of Asia came here for purchasing silk and selling products from their respective countries.
The Great Mosque has a traditional Chinese design unlike those in Arabia and Persia. There are no minarets. The Mosque complex covers an area of 6000 square meters and has four courtyards. The first courtyard has a tile covered wooden arch constructed in the 17th century. There are chambers on either side with furniture dating back to the Ming and Qing Dynasties. The second courtyard has a stone arch and steles engraved with calligraphy. The main prayer hall with enough space to accommodate a thousand worshippers is found in the fourth courtyard. It is the only mosque open to visitors in China. Non Muslims are not permitted to visit the main prayer hall when prayer is in session.

The Forest of Stone Steles Museum has the largest collection of stone steles from the many dynasties that ruled Xian. It is an interesting stop in the city for handwriting enthusiasts and those who are interested in Chinese culture and history.
The Forest of Stone Steles Museum is housed in a tranquil 11th century Confucian temple. The first collections of steles placed here were the Kaicheng Shi Jing series and the Shitai Xiao Jing steles. Both were carved during the reign of the Tang Dynasty. During the reign of the Song Dynasty, the stele collections were placed in a specially built hall. The well known Chinese calligrapher, Yu Youren donated a large collection of over 300 stele rubbings to the museum in 1936.
Today, the Forest of Stone Steles Museum has over 3000 stone steles. It is the largest collection in China. The museum has seven exhibition halls displaying calligraphy, paintings and historical objects in addition to the stone steles. It also houses the stone sculpture gallery built in 1963. It consists of tomb and religious stone sculpture from the reign of the Tang Dynasty. Two well known exhibits are the Nestorian Stele and an 18th century stele describing a Yangtze River Flood Control Project.

The Small Wild Goose Pagoda is one of the two pagodas in Xian that date back to the Tang Dynasty. It has a unique architectural design that helped the structure withstand the earthquakes that shook the city.
The Small Wild Goose Pagoda was built in 707 AD during the reign of the Tang Dynasty (618 to 907 AD). It has 15 floors and starts reducing in size from the 6th to the 15th floors giving it a spiral shape. The semicircular base helped the structure to withstand the earthquake of 1487. Despite the magnitude of the earthquake, the stress was distributed equally to prevent the collapse of the structure. The earthquake caused cracks in the building which were covered by a subsequent earthquake. This phenomenon was called Magic Healing by the local people.
The Small Wild Goose Pagoda is made of bricks with eaves on each storey. The lintels have intricately carved figures of Arhats and grasses. Each floor has a wooden floor and a low roof with windows on the north and south. The interior of the pagoda has a tubular structure. A winding wooden staircase takes visitors to the top floor. The Small Wild Goose Pagoda is one of the last remaining monuments from Chang An, the name of the city of Xian during the reign of the Tang Dynasty.

The Tang Dynasty Palace is the venue of a well known song and dance show in Xian. The show seeks to recreate the arts culture and cuisine that flourished in the city during the reign of the Tang Dynasty that is regarded as the Golden Age of Xian.
The Tang Dynasty Palace located near the city center of Xian is the best known cultural entertainment theatre restaurants in China. It was established in 1988 and the show is conducted by the Shaanxi Provincial Song and Dance Troupe. They were inspired by the thriving tourist industry of the city to display the performing arts heritage of the region by a series of performances. Their efforts bore fruit and the show is very popular among foreign visitors today.
The Tang Dynasty Palace not only hosts a show but a banquet serving traditional Canton cuisine. The large banquet hall can serve over 600 diners at any given time and covers an area of 2000 square meters. The banquet serves an array of traditional Chinese steamed or fried dumplings called Jiaozi consisting of ground meat or vegetables wrapped in thin dough and fried or steamed. After 8.30 pm, the restaurant serves Midnight Tea a delicious beverage and specialty of Canton cuisine.