Local Culture
Culture: The Starting Point of the Silk Road
At the time of about the 2nd century A.D., in order to widen areas of Western Han, Empire Hanwu adopted the policy of associating with the distant countries and attacking the near ones and created the “Silk Road” starting from Xi’an and connecting Europe, Asia and Africa.
At the time of Western Han of two thousand years ago, Zhang Qian, starting from the ancient Chang’an, was sent to the western countries for a diplomatic mission twice. This is the first and largest economic exchanging activity with the western countries in Chinese history. Since then, the Silk Road had become noted all over the world. The Silk Road started from the ancient Chang’an in the east and went across Xinjiang from two roads of south and north respectively from the Hexi corridor to Dunhuang and till Europe. The overall length is more than 7000 kilometers. It becomes the main road for China to communicate with the western countries over the more than 1000 years. Due to the great power of Western Han and the prosperity of imperial Chang’an city, Chang’an had the basis of creating the Silk Road in material and vigor.
-
Farmer Painting of Hu County
Known as the “Back Garden of Xi’an” and a “Cultural County”, Hu County is located 38 kilometers southwest of Xian City, Bordering Qinling Mountain to the south and the Wei River to the north, Hu County boasts a splendid landscape. It was named the “County of Painting” in 1988 and the “County of Poetry” in 2009. The paintings in this county have been exhibited all over China and other parts of the world, including Japan, America, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Britain, France, Switzerland, Norway, and so on. In 1976...
-
New Year Activities in Xian
During the Spring Festival, the Temples of Town God are all decorated with red lanterns, creating a festive and joyous atmosphere. The board engraved with the golden characters “ni lai le me: Have you come” is sparkling. The beautifully decorated monumental archway attracts hundreds of foreign friends to take pictures...
-
Small Wild Goose Pagoda Temple Fair
The fair held in Small Wild Goose Temple during the Spring Festival lasts for 15 days. There are activities and performances every day, such as traditional folk festivities, yangko operas, land boating, dragon and lion dancing shows, drums beating, folk music playing, storytelling, shadow puppet shows, Muppet shows, Qin melody, acrobatics, modern dancing, and model show, folk sports including rope skipping and shuttlecock kicking and so on...
-
Chang An Annual International Convention of Calligraphy
Chang’an Annual International Convention of Calligraphy is a grand international calligraphy exchange activity held by Shaanxi Tourism Administration. With a history of several thousand years, calligraphy of Chinese characters is a unique kind of art in China. And Chang’an (the old name of Xi’an) is place where talents with Chinese calligraphy come forth in large numbers, thus gaining the fame “Home to Chinese Calligraphy”. Since the first convention in 1986, it has attracted a lot of masters in calligraphy home and abroad...
-
Xian Ancient Culture and Art Festival
Xi’an Ancient Culture and Art Festival is a big festive event about culture and art held in each September. This festival gathers the highlights of folk customs and arts of Shaanxi. There are such interesting activities as imperial gongs and drums procession, land boating, walking on stilts, dragon and lion dancing show, and so on. There is also the Tang Dynasty Dancing Show that attracts thousands of tourists from home and abroad...