Things to do in Qian County

No. 1 of Best Things to Do in Xianyang

Qianling Mausoleum

The Qinling Mausoleum was constructed in the year 684 and is one of the rare places in China - or even the world - where emperors from two dynasties and an imperial husband and wife are interred. Emperor Gaozong of Tang (Li Zhi) and his wife Wu Zetian, China's only empress, are interred here. This mausoleum is also one of the few imperial tombs in China that has not been looted. The Qinling Mausoleum Scenic Area is quite large. In addition to the Qinling Mausoleum itself, it also contains many “companion tombs” (peizangmu) in which members of the imperial court and major ministers are buried. The tombs of Prince Zhanghuai, Crown Prince Yide, and Princess Yongtai are currently being excavated.

Qianling Mausoleum - Uncharactered Stele

The Qianling Mausoleum - Uncharactered Stele at the Qianling scenic area in Qian County, China, is located at Qianling Mausoleum, 6 km north of the county seat in Xianyang, Shaanxi Province. It is part of the joint burial mausoleum of Emperor Gaozong of Tang and Empress Wu Zetian. This massive stone tablet, carved from a single block of limestone, features eight hornless dragons on its top, cloud patterns and ascending dragons on its body, and lion and horse carvings on its base. Its grand scale and exquisite craftsmanship represent the pinnacle of Tang Dynasty stone carving art. As a monument to the only female emperor in Chinese history, its "wordless" nature has sparked centuries of debate. The prevailing view is that the 3,300 grid marks on the tablet's surface prove that Wu Zetian had prepared the inscription during her lifetime, but it remained uncarved due to the complex political grievances between her successor, Emperor Zhongzong of Tang, and his mother. Since the Song and Jin dynasties, the tablet's surface has been gradually covered with inscriptions by visitors. The 42 existing texts, including the Khitan script "Stele of the Imperial Brother of the Great Jin," have become valuable historical materials for studying minority scripts. Today, this tablet, which blends the essence of Tang art with historical mystery, stands opposite the "Shushengji Tablet" on the west side, which records Emperor Gaozong's achievements, forming a unique cultural Qianling Mausoleum view.

Qianling Museum

Princess Yongtai's tomb is one of the 17 tombs of Qianling Mausoleum, located 2.5 kilometers southeast of Qianling Mausoleum. The owner of the tomb, Li Xianhui, was the granddaughter of Emperor Gaozong of Tang Li Zhi and Wu Zetian, and the seventh daughter of Emperor Zhongzong of Tang Li Xian. She was only 17 years old when she died, and was buried together with her husband Wu Yanji in Qianling Mausoleum.

Tomb of Prince Yide

The Tomb of Prince Yide is the tomb of Li Chongrun, the eldest son of Li Xian, the Zhongzong Emperor of Tang, and Empress Wei, the grandson of Emperor Gaozong of Tang and Empress Wu Zetian. It is an earthen tomb close to Qianling Mausoleum, and is also the largest, highest-standard, and imperial-level tomb among the Tang Dynasty tombs excavated so far. Prince Yide Li Chongrun was "beaten to death" in Luoyang because he secretly discussed Wu Zetian's private life in her later years with his sister Princess Yongtai and brother-in-law Wu Yanji. In 705 AD, Li Xian, the Zhongzong Emperor of Tang, ascended the throne and posthumously named him the crown prince, with the posthumous name "Yide". In 706 AD, his coffin was moved from Luoyang to Shaanxi, "called the tomb as a mausoleum", and buried with the Qianling Mausoleum with imperial rites. The tomb passage is 100.8 meters long and 3.9 meters wide. It consists of a tomb passage, six passages, seven patios, eight toilets, front and back corridors, and front and back tomb chambers. The most valuable things in the tomb are the murals. These murals are rich in content, colorful, and full of life. They fully demonstrate the momentum and environment of the heyday of the Tang Dynasty, provide very important physical materials for studying the history and culture of the Tang Dynasty, and also show people the superb artistic attainments of Tang Dynasty painters and the highly developed painting level in China nearly 1,300 years ago.

No. 2 of Best Things to Do in Baoji

Famen Cultural Scenic Spot

Famen Cultural Scenic Spot is located in Famen Town, Fufeng County, Baoji City, Shaanxi Province, covering an area of 1395 mu. It consists of core areas such as the Heshita Pagoda and Famen Temple Museum. The Heshita Pagoda is the iconic structure of the attraction, standing 148 m tall. Designed in the shape of hands clasped in prayer, it embodies the beautiful vision of peace, harmony, unity and reconciliation. The Famen Cultural Scenic Spot museum is a specialized museum dedicated to the collection, preservation, research, and exhibition of cultural relics unearthed from the underground palace of the Famen Cultural Scenic Spot. Its collection includes rare treasures such as gold and silver artifacts, secret-color porcelain, and glassware. The high grade, diverse types, large quantity, superior quality, and exquisite craftsmanship of these relics are exceptionally rare in the archaeological community both domestically and internationally, making them treasures of history and art.

No. 8 of Best Things to Do in Xianyang

Zhao Mausoleum

Zhao Mausoleum is the tomb of Li Shimin, Emperor Taizong of Tang Dynasty. It is located on Jiuzong Mountain in the northeast of Liquan County, Xianyang. Zhao Mausoleum is one of the largest among the "Eighteen tombs of the Tang Dynasty" in Guanzhong, Shaanxi. The scenic spot is arranged along a central main road, with the memorial tablets of generals of the Tang Dynasty placed on both sides. After entering the gate, you will find that the terrain rises. There are four steps on the main road, with one building site on each step. The entire scenic spot is of great historical significance and value.

2026 Global 100 - Best Things to Do

Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum

Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum is a large site museum built on the site of the Terracotta Army pits, which are located approx. 1.5 km east of the mound of Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum. In March 1974, farmers from Xiyang Village accidentally unearthed fragments of terracotta figures while digging a well, and archaeological exploration confirmed Pit 1; in 1976, Pits 2 and 3 were successively discovered to the north of Pit 1. This army, which had slumbered for over 2,000 years, was thus brought back to light, and the discovery of the Terracotta Army has been hailed as "one of the great discoveries in the history of 20th-century archaeology." Pit 1 is the main military formation among the three pits, stretching over 200 m from east to west, with an estimated 6,000 pottery figurines and horses buried inside. Standing at the edge and looking down, armored warrior figurines, war chariots, and pottery horses are arrayed eastward in battle formation. A closer look at each figure reveals different facial shapes, hairstyles, beards, and even hand gestures. The figurines were originally painted all over, but most of the paint has peeled off and discolored due to fire and long burial. Pit 2 is L-shaped, with crossbowmen, cavalry, and charioteers arranged in a mixed formation; the vividly expressive kneeling archer was unearthed here. Pit 3 is small in scale, and scholars believe the ceremonial guard figurines and war chariots unearthed there indicate it served as the command center—known in ancient times as a "military tent"—directing the formations in Pits 1 and 2. The bronze swords, pi halberds, spears, crossbow triggers, and large quantities of arrowheads unearthed from the pits—many still sharp after more than 2,000 years—demonstrate the sophistication of Qin dynasty metallurgy. The Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum and the Qin Shi Huang Mausoleum at the foot of Mount Li were originally one integrated whole. After Qin Shi Huang ascended the throne at the age of 13, he began constructing the mausoleum, conscripting hundreds of thousands of laborers over a period spanning more than 30 years; the terracotta army, which replaced human sacrifice with figurines, served as the underground guard for this imperial mausoleum. To avoid the crowds during your visit, you might want to see Pit 3 and Pit 2 first, and then take your time to experience the awe-inspiring scene of Pit 1 last. After viewing the terracotta pits, you can also take the attraction's shuttle bus to Lishan Garden, where Emperor Qinshihuang's mausoleum is located; the Acrobats Pit, the Civil Officials Pit, and the Bronze Chariots and Horses Museum are all within the garden. The two painted bronze chariots and horses, cast at half the scale of real chariots, are exquisitely crafted with brilliantly gleaming gold and silver fittings, and are well worth a special trip to see.

Tomb of Crown Prince Zhanghuai

2026 Asia 100 - Family-friendly Attractions

Shaanxi History Museum

Shaanxi History Museum is a large modern museum built after China's reform and opening up and officially opened in 1991. The building was designed by architect Zhang Jinqiu and adopts a Tang-style architectural layout of "central hall and four corner towers," with a symmetrical central axis and a clear hierarchy of primary and secondary structures; in 2016 it was included in the first batch of the "Chinese Architectural Heritage of the 20th Century" list. Shaanxi was once the political center of dynasties such as the Zhou, Qin, Han, and Tang, and the museum's collection spans a million years of history, covering categories such as Shang and Zhou bronzes, pottery figurines of successive dynasties, Han and Tang gold and silver wares, and Tang tomb murals, with a total of over one million items. The permanent exhibition "Ancient Civilization of Shaanxi" follows a chronological main line and presents the historical process from prehistoric Lantian Man to the eve of the Opium War across three galleries, with the Zhou, Qin, Han, and Tang periods as the focus. The east and west sides of the central hall each host a thematic exhibition: on the west side, "Treasures of the Great Tang: Hejiacun Hoard Unearthed Artifacts Exhibition" concentrates on fine gold and silver wares of the High Tang, while on the east side, the "Tang Dynasty Mural Treasures Gallery" displays authentic murals removed from Tang tombs, with subjects covering figures, architecture, ceremonial guards, and more, making it a uniquely distinctive category of the museum's collection. Among the many artifacts in the museum, several are particularly notable. The agate cup with gold-inlaid beast head, from the Hejiacun hoard, is carved from a single piece of banded agate into the form of a curved-horn beast head, resembling Central Asian rhyton cups, and is one of the first batch of cultural relics prohibited from being exhibited abroad. The tri-color glazed camel carrying musicians figurine vividly recreates the lively scene of musicians playing and singers performing on a camel's back, with bright glaze colors and figures with distinct expressions. The Empress's Seal is made of Western Han Hetian mutton-fat jade and carved with a chi-tiger knob, and is the only known actual jade seal of a Han dynasty empress discovered to date. In addition, the gilt silver flask with a dancing horse holding a cup design, the celadon ewer with an overhead handle and bottom-filling design, and the black-glazed oil-spot bowl each have their own distinctive features. The gold and silver wares unearthed from the Hejiacun hoard are concentrated in the thematic gallery and are a highlight of any visit; visitors are advised to allow time to examine them closely.

No. 2 of Night Attractions in Xianyang

Yuanjia Village

Yuanjia Village is located in the heart of the Weihe Plain, about a kilometer from the Zhao Mausoleum of Emperor Taizong of Tang. Yuanjia Village has two sections, one devoted to the folk culture of the plain, and the other to agritourism. Shops line the lanes of Yuanjia. There's a replica ancient oil mill and tofu and noodle workshops. You can even go inside a textile workshop where older people are carefully weaving cloth. The whole setting makes it feel like you've returned to the Weihe Plain of centuries past.