Written by Clementine |
The logo of Xian Museum adopts the pagoda image consisting of gray and yellow colors because the Small Wilde Goose Pagoda is the largest cultural relic in the museum. The image also stands for time changes and the continuing of Chinese civilization.
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- Quick Facts about Xian Museum
- Main Exhibition Halls & Theme of the Museum
- Exhibits and Relics Displayed in Xian Museum
- Travel Information
- Top Things to Do in Xian Museum – Explore Beyond the Cultural Treasures
- Travel Tips for Xian Museum
- Travel with ChinaĀ Xian TourĀ to Explore Xian Museum with Insiders
Quick Facts about Xian Museum
- Location: 72 Friendship West Road, Beilin District, Xiāan City, Shaanxi Province.
- Entrance Ticket Price: Present your passport to get a ticket for free.
- Opening time: 09:00-17:30. Close on Tuesdays (except for public holidays)
- Highlights: Jade articles, seals, calligraphy, paintings, porcelain, Buddhist Art, etc.
- Time needed: about 2-3 hours
- Best for: History- and culture-obsessed travelers
Main Exhibition Halls & Theme of the Museum
The museum covers an area of 16000m2 and collects 130 thousand historical relics. Some of the best ones are the relics of the Zhou, the Qin, the Han, and the Tang Dynasties. The exhibition in the museum falls into three parts: Regular Exhibition Hall, Special Subject Exhibition, and Temporary Exhibition.
Regular Exhibition Hall – āAncient Capitalā
The exhibition area in the museum themes on āAncient Capitalā, and dedicated to relics of the 13 dynasties which chose Changan as their capitals. The displayed relics reflect basic facts of Changan in different period in history. The exhibition hall covers an area of 2485m2 and totally 660 relics are on display.
Under the theme of āAncient Capitalā, there are two sections: Millenary Imperial Capital and Phenomenon of Imperial Capital.
In the Millenary Imperial Capital section, the mini themes of exhibition are named as Fenghao of the West Zhou Dynasty, Epang Palace of the Qin Dynasty, Changan of the Han Dynasty, Changan of the Sui and Tang Dynasties, Xian of the Ming and the Qing Dynasties. This section uses the different names of Xian City in different dynasties and models to present the layout and scale of Xian in each dynasty. Through these models, visitors will clearly see the city development and changes from 400 BC to the 1900s.
In the Phenomenon of Imperial Capital section, there are three mini themes: Civilization of the Zhou and Qin Dynasties, Demeanour of the Han and Tang Dynasty, and Important Northwestern Town. The relics in different dynasties are the best things to learn about the cityās history.
Special Subject Exhibition and Temporary Exhibition
In the Special Subject Exhibition of the Xi’an Museum, the “Little Yanyatang”, a pearl of the Silk Road, was introduced. Precious Buddhist statues and jade artifacts were displayed, as well as many fine works of calligraphy and paintings from various dynasties.
In the Temporary Exhibition, the curator and staff would carefully select exhibits based on specific themes and the current seasonal cultural festivals, including archaeological discoveries, Silk Road civilization, and digital art. For example, to welcome the 2026Ā Chinese Lunar New Year, the global zodiac culture of the Year of the Horse was exhibited here. And 115 pieces/groups of porcelain from the “Wanjiao No.1” shipwreck that sank in the early Qing Dynasty in Pingtan, Fujian Province, are precious cultural relics of the Maritime Silk Road.
Exhibits and Relics Displayed in Xian Museum
Buddhism in Changan
The mainly displayed subjects in this section are stone and bronze statues of Buddhist figures. Through these subjects tourists could see the Buddhismās influence and position in the cityās development. There are 120 relics in the 640m2 exhibition hall.
Chinese Calligraphy and Ā Paintings Exhibition
In this 760m2 hall 100+ Chinese calligraphy and painting works are on display.
Jade Articles Exhibition
This exhibition parts classifies ancient jade articles by their main application. The 120 set exquisite jade works are selected and displayed in the 350m2 exhibition hall.
Seal Exhibition
Seal Exhibition hall displays 200+ ancient seals. The seals on display are mainly official seals of the Han, the Song, the Liao, the Jin, the Yuan, the Ming, and the Qing Dynasties. And here you will witness several precious seals of the Qin Dynasties unearthed in Xian. The private seals and seals of Buddhist and Taoist temples are also the highlights in this hall.
Important Collections
The collections of Xi’an Museum include various items such as gold and silver wares, pottery, bronze wares, calligraphy and paintings, seals, porcelain, jade, Buddhist statues, etc. For instance, the five-legged copper altar with gilded wing beast patterns, the silver-backed auspicious beast mirror from the Tang Dynasty, the national horse administration institution of the Tang Dynasty, the gray pottery camel from the Western Han Dynasty, the Chu grand chef’s tripod from the Western Han Dynasty, the scroll painting “Xicheng Qinggui Guan” by Song Bo Lu, the blue and white bowl with Arabic patterns, the jade dragon from the Yuan Dynasty, and so on.
Top Things to Do in Xian Museum – Explore Beyond the Cultural Treasures
Admire the Ancient Chinese ArchitectureĀ of Jianfu Temple – The existing ancient architectural complex of Jianfu Temple was renovated during the Ming and Qing dynasties. The ancient buildings within the temple largely follow the layout established during the renovation in the early years of the Ming Dynasty. The temple’s buildings are concentrated along the central axis directly opposite the Small Wild Goose Pagoda, from south to north, including the mountain gate, bell and drum towers, Cishi Pavilion, Great Buddha Hall, Library of Scriptures, Small Wild Goose Pagoda, and Baiwei Pavilion. The temple also houses various folk relics such as stone figures and horse pillars, as well as various folk art exhibitions.
Chiming the “Yan Ta Morning Bell”Ā – Since the reign of Emperor Kangxi in the Qing Dynasty, due to the relocation of the iron bell cast by the Jin Dynasty from elsewhere to the Jianfu Temple, the temple monks would strike it with care, and the clear sound would reverberate far away. Combined with the beautiful shadow of the Small Wild Goose Pagoda, this formed one of the “Eight Scenic Views of Guanzhong”, namely “Yantai Morning Bell”. If you are interested (especially if you believe in Buddhism), you can experience ringing the bell and praying for peace and health . Of course, the original Jin Dynasty iron bell, as an artifact, is still displayed in the bell tower of Jianfu Temple.
If you are interested in Chinese traditional culture, you can check the announcements on the official website of Xi’an Museum (https://www.xabwy.com) – there will be regular activities such as lacquer fan making, Tang Dynasty printing, and paper-cutting. These cultural activities are perfect for your kid-friendly tour of Xi’an.
Travel Tips for Xian Museum
- Xian Museum and Small Wilde Goose Pagoda were located in one scenic area, so the entrance tickets is also the entrance tickets of Small Wilde Goose Pagoda.
- The entrance tickets excluding ascending the pagoda and striking bell. Please pay on spot if you like to do it.
- To get to the museum, visitors can take bus No. 29, 18, 32, etc., and get off at Xiaotanta Station, then walk to the museum. Or, take Metro Line 2 or Metro Line 5 and get off at Nanshaomen Station, then walk to the museum.
Travel with ChinaĀ Xian TourĀ to Explore Xian Museum with Insiders
Right next to the Small Wild Goose Pagoda and Jianfu Temple, and boasting more than ten thousand precious cultural relics, the Xian Museum is uniquely fascinating. It is one of theĀ best places in Xian to exploreĀ Chinaās continuous civilization for over three millennia.Ā The team at China Xian Tour, a travel agency based in Xian, can tailor-make your journey to the Xian Museum, incorporating surrounding attractions and taking in some of theĀ cityās most impressive sights, including the Terracotta ArmyĀ and Xian City Wall.
