Shaanxi History Museum

Reviews on Shaanxi History Museum

Visitor 1: “I wasn’t expecting this to be so interesting”
This is a very good museum to view prior to seeing the Terra Cotta Warriors. The museum takes you through Chinese history from Paleolithic times up to the Terra Cotta Warriors’ period and the Han Dynasty. It is interesting to see that other Emperor’s also had Terracotta Warriors, however those were only inches tall. There are some actual terracotta warriors and horses on display here.

 

Visitor 2: “It depends on what you’re looking for”
If Shaanxi History Museum is the only Museum on your China tour, it is worth spending a few hours here. Otherwise if you have already visited (or plan to visit) a place like Shanghai’s History Museum you may want to consider some other attraction in Xi’an if your time is limited.

Maybe we attended on an unusually crowded day, but I found it difficult to take the time read about and appreciate the relics. I had to either push to get a view of the collection or was getting pushed out of the way by the masses. This type of environment made it even more difficult for the kids to appreciate what they were seeing.

I am not saying the Shaanxi Museum doesn’t have interesting artifacts and history, but if you are already planning to visit the Terra-cotta Warriors and the Banpo Museum in Xi’an (and have seen another historical museum like Shanghai’s History Museum) you may want to consider an alternative attraction for your time.

Visitor 3: “A lesson in excellent museum presentation”
The Shaanxi museum is a recent, modern and beautifully designed museum that sets a fine example for others of its kind. The displays, of course, refer to the region’s ancient past, and thoughtfully provide information in English as well as Chinese, although westerners are vastly outnumbered by national visitors. Even concentrating on a few exhibits will bring rewards to the curious.

Visitor 4: “I wasn’t expecting this to be so interesting”
This is a very good museum to view prior to seeing the Terra Cotta Warriors. The museum takes you through Chinese history from Paleolithic times up to the Terra Cotta Warriors’ period and the Han Dynasty. It is interesting to see that other Emperor’s also had Terracotta Warriors, however those were only inches tall. There are some actual terracotta warriors and horses on display here.

 

Visitor 5: “A Great Museum”
This is a really great museum and well worth a visit. I was impressed by it’s layout and the quality of artifacts including some well known famous pieces. Some of the best Chinese artifacts come from around Xian so for someone interested in history then this is a place for you. All displays have english translations. And for those who might have missed going to the terracotta warrior pits, then dont despair. There’s some standing right here in this museum. The silk road gallery is also fabulous and worth seeing. The only thing that the museum would need to improve on is the lighting. Some displays were a little dark with details hard to see.

Visitor 6: “Good museum but de ja vu for us.”
This is a good museum but has much the same sort of artifacts as the one we visited in Shanghai and terracotta warrior museum. If you aren’t on an itinerary tour then this is as good as any other museum. If you are then it isn’t any different. As we hadn’t gone to the silk museum in Shanghai because of the national holiday the silk road part of this museum was the only attraction for us.

Visitor 7: “great museum to get an overview of history”
this is a well organized museum that gives a very good overview of chinese history in xi’an. since this history covers 3000 years, it also gives a nice perspective of chinese history in general. we enjoyed it very much. worth the time spent there. con: it is free = you have to queue. and this may take a bit of time.

Visitor 8: “Good collection of well-displayed material”
We visited this while on a 17-day tour of China, so there was inadequate time to do it justice (and no free time to allow us to go back). Our guide (who seemed to be very knowledgeable) said that it and the Shanghai Museum were the two best Museums in China. That may have been because they were the two major museums we were seeing, but based on our limited experience visiting other museums, it is probably correct. While the Shaanxi Museum did not have as extensive holdings as the Shanghai Museum, it had a lot of good stuff and most of it was very well displayed. You can get much better views of some items from the terra cotta army here than you can at the burial site out of town. It is very definitely worth a visit if in town.

Visitor 9: “An excellent way to learn about Chinese culture”
I liked this as soon as I got to the booth to buy my ticket. You just show your passport and you get in for free. Inside they have audioguides in most languages. Or you can decide to pay for a private guide. My guide spoke very good english and explained in detail, everything I wanted to know. The museum is big and has gourgeous pieces. I spent two and half hours and could have stayed longer. The only thing to keep in mind, is that it gets really crowded. So if you have kids try to go as early as possible.

Visitor 10: “Awesome but SUPER crowded”
It had a lot of great artifacts but you definitely need a guide to see it or you miss some of the really interesting pieces and facts. The line stretched around the block the day we were there. Again it helped to have a guide and previously purchased tickets. Don’t miss this museum there are a lot of cool pieces and history in it. Cool terra cotta warriors brought in. Be sure to check out the neat teapot with no obvious way to fill it, and the self emptying wine glasses. The only downside was the massive crowds…..