The Ancient Culture Street in Xi’an

For many people the most important reason to travel to Xi'an is the city's culture and its long history. Because of its great importance for China's early development the city of Xi'an has numerous interesting sites to offer which are related to different Chinese dynasties in and around the city center. On your Xi'an Tours you will certainly want to see some traditional and well-known places but apart from the must sees the less crowded and less visited locations often have a very different and more original atmosphere.   One place in Xi'an which in not unknown among tourists but still much less frequented by many visitors than other quarters is the Ancient Culture Street, called Shuyuanmen in Chinese (meaning the gate of the Academy for Ancient Learning) or also referred to as 'Old Street'. It got its name from the ancient Guanzhong Academy which used to be one of the four famous academies of ancient learning across the country. It is an old and original street in Xi'an, located inside the city walls east of the South Gate of the city wall. From the Bell Tower in the middle of the city it's not too far to walk but you can also take the bus or a cab. Depending on the direction you come from crossing the road to actually get to the arts and culture street can be a challenge because traffic can be really bad around the south gate.   Two archways mark the beginning and the end of the main street in this quarter which is in many ways more relaxed than all the popular places which you can find on any map and in any guidebook; this street gives you the opportunity to walk around in an area which used to be very important back in the Ming and Qing dynasties when this part of town was the cultural center of Xi'an, formerly called Chang'an. You can still find many relics from these times. This area is great to stroll around and buy some traditional Chinese handicrafts and unique gifts. You will find jade carvings, hand-painted folding fans, painting utensils like traditional brushes and ink, bronze ware, porcelain and different artworks. Especially in the side alleys there are many smaller galleries where you can find unique pieces of art from Chinese calligraphy to contemporary oil paintings and sculptures. If you're lucky you can watch some artists as they work on their paintings.   You can enjoy local food, like the delicious cold noodles or the famous dumplings, and different kinds of street food for regular prices instead of the imported and overpriced western food which you can find more or less anywhere in the touristy places. In general, I think people who go on China Tours might be a little skeptical about original Chinese food because it doesn't have much in common with the dishes you can get in western Chinese restaurant but once you've tried the original flavors you'll know why it is so famous. from China Travel Blog http://blog.chinatraveldepot.com

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