Xi'an is one of the oldest cities in China, one of the four Great Ancient Capitals. The population of 4 million is  mostly Han Chinese, with a significant Muslim population as well. Xi'an is a popular tourist attraction especially for its archeological sites and historical monuments.   (Thomasz Dunn, Wikimedia Commons)
 

Xi'an has more than 3000 years of history, including 1100 as the capital city of ancient dynasties. 

Since the 1980s, Xi'an has re-emerged as cultural, political, industrial, educational and science research center for the Northwest region of China.
 

Xi'an gained renewed attention after the discovery in 1974 of pottery shards by farmers digging a well, leading to the discovery of the vast necropolis of the first Chinese emperor Qin. Inside the hangar-like buildings are 3 excavation pits.
 

Terracotta warriors have been found arranged in battle formation to protect Emperor Qin in the afterlife. The terracotta warriors and horses museum displays the find while also serving as an active archeological site.
 

Each of the thousands of terracotta warriors has unique clothing and facial features. Over 7000 pottery soldiers, horses and chariots have been uncovered and restored.
 

Encircling the city center, the city wall, 12 meters high and 12 meters wide, is the largest ancient military defense system in the world. 

The entrance plaza to the city wall in Xi'an was a gathering place for elderly Chinese to perform Tai Chi, children to fly dragon kites and hundreds of people to navigate on bicycles.
 

A view from the ramparts shows the extent of the wall to the moat, the far barbicans, and the modern city center beyond.

The Daci'en Temple is a complex of buildings and courtyards built 1300 years ago to house Buddhist scriptures and sutras. 
 

The Daci'en gardens were immaculately maintained by hard-working gardeners.

Within the complex, the Wild Goose pagoda, built in imitation of Indian architecture has become the symbol of Xi'an.

Murals depicting the life of monk Xianzang and Buddhist wisdom on the shanmen and mahavira hall have been beautifully restored.
 

Our evening's entertainment was a dinner theatre, featuring 17 kinds of dumplings, rice wine, and a pageant of traditional song and dance.
 

During the evening, Xian's streets are lively with local citizens sampling foods from kiosks and playing mahjong.