The Daxingshan Temple is one of the oldest Buddhist temples in China, situated in the suburbs south of Xi'an.

It was built during the Western Jin Dynasty (265-316). During the Sui and Tang Dynasties, Buddhism prevailed widely in Chang'an, Xi'an City's earlier name. Many Indian monks remained there to translate the sutras and promulgate the Buddhist doctrines. Over time, the Daxingshan Temple became one of three temples especially used for translating sutras. The other two are Ci'en Temple and Jianfu Temple.

The present-day Daxingshan Temple is the result of large-scale restorations in 1955 and 1983. Inside the temple, Qing-style architectural features are predominant, including Mountain Gate, Devajara Hall (Hall of the Heavenly Kings), Mahavira Hall (Daxiongbaodian), Bell and Drum Towers, Kwan-yin Palace and many other halls in which Buddhist followers can pray.

As one enters the Mountain Gate, the Bell and Drum towers can be seen on either side. A wood-carved Maitreva statue from the Song Dynasty stands in the middle of the Devajara Hall, with four Heavenly Kings flanking it. On walking into the Kwan-yin Palace, a sandalwood-made, thousand-hand Kwan-yin statue is sure to surprise you! During some of the Buddhist festivals, the temple is crowded with believers.

Today, the Daxingshan Temple and its surroundings has been developed into a park temple and is open to tourists.

Admission fee: RMB ￥ 20 per person
Traffic: Bus No.3, 5, 11, 14, 215, 239 can take you there.

The Bell Tower, is a stately traditional building, that marks the geographical center of the ancient capital. From this important landmark extend East, South, West and North Streets, connecting the Tower to the East, South, West and North Gates of the City Wall of the Ming Dynasty.

The wooden tower, which is the largest and best-preserved of its kind in China, is 36 meters (118 feet) high. It stands on a brick base 35.5 meters (116.4 feet) long and 8.6 meters (28.2 feet) high on each side. During the Ming Dynasty, Xi'an was an important military town in Northwest China, a fact that is reflected in the size and historic significance of its tower.

The tower was built in 1384 by Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang as a way to dominate the surrounding countryside and provide early warning of attack by rival rulers.

The tower has three layers of eaves but only two stories. Inside, a staircase spirals up. The grey bricks of the square base, the dark green glazed tiles on the eaves, gold-plating on the roof and gilded color painting make the tower a colorful and dramatic masterpiece of Ming-style architecture. In addition to enhancing the beauty of the building, the three layers of eaves reduce the impact of rain on the building.

On the second floor, a plaque set in the west wall records the relocation of the tower in 1582. When it was first built in 1384, it stood near the Drum Tower on the central axis of the city, and continued to mark the center of the city since Tang Dynasty and the following the Five Dynasties and the Song and Yuan Dynasties. As the city grew, however, the geographical center changed. Therefore, in 1582, the Tower was moved 1,000 meters (3,280 feet) east of the original site. Except for the base, all parts are original, and history tells us that the relocation was accomplished quickly and inexpensively, making it a truly notable achievement in the architectural history in China.

Originally, the northwest corner of the tower housed the famous Jingyun Bell from the Tang Dynasty. Legend has it that although nothing had changed in the tower, the Jingyun Bell fell silent during the Ming Dynasty, so the current bell, a much smaller one weighing only 5 tons, was cast. The original Jingyun Bell can now be seen in Forest of Stone Steles Museum.

The engravings on the doors of the Tower reflect the decorative fashion of Ming and Qing Dynasties, recounting popular stories of ancient China.

On each side of the base, there is an arched door 6 meters (19.6 feet) high. In the past, vehicles were allowed to pass through the arches and under the tower, but as the city has grown the volume of traffic has become too great, so a bright, spacious pedestrian subway has been constructed under the tower. The entrance to the tower is from this subway.

A fenced-in area around the tower is planted with grass and flowers. In early spring, the tender plum blossoms and bright new grass surrounding the old tower provide a harmonious contrast. Not far from the Tower, modern shopping malls and a brightly decorated square reveal the prosperity of the city. When night falls, lanterns hung from the eaves illuminate the tower, making it even more enchanting.

The Bell Tower definitely deserves a visit on your trip to Xi'an.

Admission fee: RMB ￥ 20 per person
Traffic: Bus No.7, 8, 601, 611, 618 can take you there.

Ba Xian'an Monastery, located on Changle Fang Street, is in the suburbs east of Xi'an. Originally built during the Song Dynasty (960-1279), it is the largest Taoist temple in the northwest China.

Daoism derived from China since the period of Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220). According to the legend, Daoism has eight immortals known to the world. One day these immortals passed by the site of the temple and stayed for a time. Since some people thought that these immortals appeared to bless them, a temple was built on this site in order to make sacrifices to these immortals. Hence it was named as Ba Xian'an Monastery (namely, Temple of the Eight Immortals).

During several restorations of the later Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties, the Ba Xian'an Monastery took on a larger diversity as it became a public place for the Taoist to learn its religious culture. Moreover, when the Eighth Allied Force invaded Beijing in 1900, the Emperor Guangxu and his mother, Empress Cixi, came to Xi'an to take refuge in this temple. While they lived there, CiXi ordered decorated archways to be built inside. It was at that time that the temple got another name Ba Xian'an Palace.

In 1983, the State Council proclaimed that it was one of the most important palaces in China and ordered it rebuilt according to its original layout and architectural style. At present, the tall-wooded Ba Xian'an Monastery looks simple and serene. In front of the monastery, there's a huge Screen Wall with four Chinese characters “Wangu-Changqing” (means remaining fresh forever) on it. Then stepping through the Mountain Gate of this temple, one can see a Bell Tower and a Drum Tower flanking both sides. The monastery is divided into the middle, the eastern and the western parts. Walking along the middle route, one will reach Linggong Palace, Baxian Palace (Eight Immortals Palace), and Doulao Palace respectively. In the east, there are Luzu Palace, Yaowang Palace and other features, besides Qiuzu Palace and Jianyuan Room in the west. Every year, a grand Taoist celebration is held on September 9th of the lunar calendar. Many people come here to burn joss sticks and pray for a blessing.

On the street outside the monastery, the government has made it a commercial venture where one can find many religious curios, which are very popular among visitors.

Admission fee: RMB ￥ 2 per person
Traffic: Bus No.11, 27, 102 can take you there.