Located on Zhongshan Street, in Xianyang City, the Xianyang Museum is a
famous local history museum in China. Originally a Confucian Temple, it was
opened to the public in 1962 after reconstruction and expansion.
About 28 kilometers (some 17 miles) away from Xian City, Xianyang City was
the capital of the Qin Dynasty (221BC - 206BC) and also the central location of
the Han Dynasty 's(206BC-220) Mausoleums. Accordingly, the cultural relics in
the Xianyang Museum focus on the Qin Dynasty and the Han Dynasty. The museum
features nine exhibition halls and a stele corridor. Among the rich cultural
relics, the 3,000 Painted Terra - Cotta Warriors and Horses of the Western Han
Dynasty (206BC - 24AD) are the most famous.
The nine exhibition halls are divided into four parts as follows:
Exhibition halls one, two and three mainly show the historical cultural
relics of the Qin Dynasty. This includes all of the records indicating that Qin
Shi Huang,the first emperor of the Qin Dynasty, was responsible for the
unification of China. These halls also display various fine potteries, jade
articles and the famous Qin bricks. With a hard texture, these precious bricks
were carved with many elaborate flower patterns.
The fourth exhibition hall displays the paintings and calligraphies of
contemporary famous persons.
The fifth and sixth exhibition halls show the world famous Painted Terra -
Cotta Warriors and Horses of the Western Han Dynasty. The 3,000 figures
comprised the great image of the royal guards of the Western Han Dynasty. This
troop, full of power and grandeur, exemplifies the strength of the military
power of the Western Han Dynasty. Displayed in Western Europe, North America,
Japan and Singapore, this troop contributed much to carry forward the
civilization of ancient China and promote the intercommunion between home and
abroad.
The seventh, eighth and ninth contain the biggest sitting bronze Buddha of
the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) in China as well as religion cultural relics.