In Xi’an, see China’s archeological treasures – art and technology over the course of six millennia
This is where you can see the incomparable cultural riches discovered by archeologists digging into 6,000 years of this province’s history-soaked soil: 3,000-year-old bronze ritual vessels, the oldest paper preserved in the world (from 100 BC), an iron gear wheel from the same period, clay reliefs from the palace of the first emperor, and the oldest known example of porcelain. There is also the splendid art of the Tang Dynasty, in gold, jade, colored glass, lively ceramics, and wall paintings from the tombs of the aristocracy. Coins from Persia, Arabia, and Japan document the transcontinental trade carried on by China as far back as 1,300 years ago. To really see it all, you should spend two half-days here.
