Xi 'an is a city with time-honored history. It is the city can bring you back in time to ancient Chinese civilization. During its 3,100 years development, 13 dynasties have occupied the region. Besides, the city was the start point of the famous Silk Road. You'll find Xi 'an a large city with a much more relaxed atmosphere than that of Beijing. There are lots of cars but without the traffic pace of Shanghai. One of the important reasons for no subway in the city is that there is large part of the wealth of ancient treasures buried here. After a good rest in a comfortable hotel TCT recommended, you are ready for the incoming exciting tour with full energy.

Qin Terra-cotta Army Museum, regarded as the '8 th Wonder of the World', is located at 30km east of Xi'an City. The site was discovered by farmers in 1974. It was created to guard Emperor Qin Shihuang's tomb that's to protect him in his afterlife in the mind of ancient Chinese. Three excavation pits have been opened to the public with a fourth underway. During his visit to China, US former President Clinton came to visit the dig. The fine troops, horses and carriages in battle formation are ancient art treasure and complete illustration of the history of Qin Dynasty.

Banpo Neolithic Village Museum, located at the east of Xi'an, is one of the most important sites of the Neolithic culture that existed 6,000-7,000 years ago. Archeologists have discovered a residential area, a pottery workshop and a cemetery in an area that covers some 50,000 square meters of ancient ruins. The museum features prehistoric art, folklore and architecture. Tonight if you are interesting in, you could choose a special Jiaozi Banquet which covers over 10 kinds of Jiaozi in China. To match Chinese name of different Jiaozi, the shapes of Jiaozi various from one to one, such as rabbit, duck, shrimp, peanuts and so on. Or you can choose a special Tang Dynasty Show with Dinner that was ready for Emperors only in ancient China. You are enjoying the delicious food while watching a fabulous dancing and singing performance of Tang Dynasty. This is not only a performance of Chinese traditional dancing and singing but also a recurrence of Chinese ancient society and culture.

Located 120 km east of Xi’an, Mt. Huashan, a stunning mountain not far from Xi'an, is one of Taoism's five sacred peaks. It is said that seen from far away, the five peaks of Mt. Huashan are supposed to resemble the five petals of a lotus flower. You are leaving from Xi’an to Mt. Huashan by bus and about one hour and half later and you arrive at your destination today.

Mt. Huashan attracts a huge number of domestic and international tourists, as well as the Tao pilgrim. The natural beauty of the mountain is mind-blowing, yet the authorities have still done their best to artificialize the area, as seems to be the case with all Chinese tourist attractions. A swish cable-car has been built along the side of the mountain, capable of transporting '1000 tourists an hour' to North Peak, as the sign proudly announces. Senior men prefer the cable car while young men prefer a more strenuous experience by walking for about three hour ascent from Huashan village up to North Peak.

The trail passes crystal-clear streams, cave temples, and pathways literally carved into the hard granite of the mountainside. There are a couple of sections which consisted of narrow steps cut straight out of the cliff, and it is pretty nerve-wracking clambering up them with an 80-metre drop right behind you.

North Peak, at 1600 meters, is quite wonderful. You have a bird-eye of whole Mt. Huashan. It is covered with rugged cliffs, shear faces, and narrow dangerous walking paths; some of the paths are near vertical and require holding onto metal chains for safety. The eco-system on the mountain is extremely diverse with around 1200 plant species, five of which are endemic to Mt. Huashan only. Mt. Huashan is also home to a subspecies of the Chinese Tiger Butterfly.

Then you grab the cable-car back to the bottom. It takes you to the bottom in ten minutes, which beats the three hour trundle back via the original pilgrim's route. If you have more time, you are willing to spend two days in climbing the other four peaks of Mt. Huashan in your next trip.

Although not an obvious stop for every tourist in Xi'an, and certainly not a must-see like the Qin Terra-cotta Army Museum, Mt. Huashan indeed is one of the most beautiful alpine areas you have ever seen. For a slice of the China from the picture-books - pine trees, pagodas, incense, craggy mountains, birds and squirrels hoping along snow-dusted tree branches - Mt. Hua Shan is the place to go. Then you drive back to Xi’an and have a hot shower to relax you from the extremely exhausted climbing today.

Great Wild Goose Pagoda and Shaanxi History Museum, these two are not far from each other. The former site is where the sixty-four meter high multistoried brick structure erects. The pagoda was built in the Tang Dynasty in 652AD to house and protect Buddhist scriptures collected in India by Xuan Zang, a famous Chinese monk. Although simple, it is very much an appealing structure considering its sacredness especially to Buddhists. Besides, climbing the building rewards you with a bird-eye view of the whole city. In the ancient city like Xi'an, the museum should be an indispensable part of your visit. Shaanxi History Museum is a showcase of the civilization from Emperor Qin Shihuang to the present day. The museum is housed in a striking Tang Dynasty-style pavilion and features an enormous collection of 113,000 historic and cultural relics. You continue your trip to the nearby Ancient City Wall. It is the most complete city wall that has survived in China as well as one of the largest ancient military defensive systems in the world.