Xian Introduction Walking Tour (Self Guided), Xian

Xian became a cultural and political center of China in the 11th century BC and was the capital city of eleven imperial Chinese dynasties.

For a western comparison, Xian closely resembles Rome. At the beginning of the first millennium, there were two major powers sitting at the ends of the civilized world, the Roman Empire in the west and the Han Dynasty in the east, each commanding roughly the same population size and land mass. The Romans lasted a little over 500 years while the Han made 422.

The two empires never had a direct contact, but were linked by a trade route known as the "Silk Road". Xian was the capital of the Han Dynasty, its main commercial hub, and the starting point of the Silk Road in China.

Prior to the Han Dynasty, except for a brief period of about 15 years, there were anywhere from several to dozens of small countries co-existed within the territory of China, each with its own language, much like Europe has been. It was largely during the course of the Han Dynasty that China emerged as a unified nation it is known today.

Later, in the 7th-10th centuries AD, Xian was capital of the Tang Dynasty which is generally considered the height of ancient Chinese civilization and a golden age of cosmopolitan culture. Xian reached its peak during the Tang period. Just as the “Eternal City” and its empire had left a large imprint on the Western civilization, Xian played a similar role in the Chinese civilization.

Today, tourists from all over the world flock to Xian anxious to visit its historical landmarks and archaeological sites. Chief among them is the Xian City Wall. Measured at 12 meters high and 14 kilometers long, it is the largest defense barrier in the world. The Small Wild Goose Pagoda dates back to 709 AD in the Tang Dynasty and was the home of the first Buddhist "Bible" brought from India. For centuries, the Bell Tower served to announce important news to the local citizens.

Xian is the place to visit for anyone interested in getting a glimpse of China's glorious past. This self-guided walking tour takes you to see some of the most iconic landmarks in the former imperial capital of Han and Tang Dynasties of China.