| The capital of Shaanxi Province, Xi'an, its name translating as 'Western Peace', was the Chinese capital during the Tang dynasty (618-906 A.D). The Big Wild Goose Pagoda, completed in 704 on the orders of the Empress Wu Zetian during her period of rule as Empress of the Zhou dynasty, soon replaced by the restored Tang, is one of the oldest such structures in China. Of particular interest is the tomb of the Emperor Huang, regarded as the founder of the unified Chinese nation, and the remarkable terracotta warriors and horses discovered around the mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang Di, founder of the Qin dynasty, who died in 210 B.C.. The tour ends with views of the precipitous Huashan (Flower Mountain), so called from its five peaks, grouped in the shape of a great flower. |
