Shaanxi History Museum 陕西历史博物馆Shǎnxī Lìshǐ Bówùguǎn

Why go to Shaanxi History Museum

About 1 km north-west of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, the Shaanxi History Museum opened in 1991 in a Tang-style complex and holds more than 1.7 million objects. Its main exhibition traces the province's past from the earliest settlements through the Zhou, Qin, Han and Tang; then see the Hejiacun hoard of Tang gold and silver and, with a separate ticket, the gallery of Tang tomb murals.

The story

In October 1970 a construction worker digging foundations at Hejiacun in Xi'an struck a pottery urn and a silver jar packed with Tang gold and silver. The find, known as the Hejiacun hoard and including a gilt silver jar decorated with dancing horses, now fills one of the museum's permanent galleries.

What to see at Shaanxi History Museum

• Lantian Man fossils 蓝田人化石: The permanent exhibition runs in date order, opening with fossils of Lantian Man from the early Palaeolithic. They set the clock for everything that follows.
• Kneeling Archer 跪射俑: A 120 cm clay crossbowman unearthed in 1977 from the tomb complex of Qin Shi Huang, a close-up of the terracotta army's detail without the crowds.
• Empress's Seal 皇后之玺: A Western Han jade seal found near the tomb of the first Han emperor, Gaozu, and counted among the most important imperial seals found in China.
• Hejiacun hoard 何家村窖藏: Found in 1970 and buried around 755, during the An Lushan Rebellion, this hoard of Tang gold, silver and jade includes a well-known agate cup shaped like an animal head.
• Tang tomb mural: Playing Polo 打马球图: A Tang tomb painting of riders playing polo, one of the museum's best-known murals and a window onto court life in Chang'an. Murals are shown in the separately ticketed gallery.

How to visit Shaanxi History Museum

Follow the main exhibition in order, from the earliest settlements through the Zhou, Qin and Han to the Tang, then finish with the Hejiacun hoard and, if you have the ticket, the mural gallery. Guides are available in the galleries, which helps with a collection this large. In half a day you will see the main exhibition and the hoard; the Qin–Han branch lies far out in Xixian New Area and is a separate trip.

How to get to Shaanxi History Museum

Take Metro Line 2 or 3 to Xiaozhai, or Line 3 or 4 to Dayanta; both stations are about 800 metres from the museum, and a taxi from the Bell Tower takes about 20 minutes.

Where to stay

Base yourself around Dayanta or Xiaozhai, south of the city wall, where Metro Lines 2, 3 and 4 stop within walking distance of the museum.

What to eat

• Liangpi 凉皮: Chilled wheat or rice noodle sheets in a sour-spicy dressing, a Xi'an speciality sold at street stalls and snack shops across the city.
• Roujiamo 肉夹馍: Stewed meat chopped into a baked flatbread, a Shaanxi street food; in Xi'an's Muslim areas the filling is usually beef.

Tips for visiting Shaanxi History Museum

• Entry must be booked in advance under your passport through the museum's official WeChat account, where tickets are released five days ahead; in recent winters (mid-November to mid-March) the main museum has closed on Mondays except public holidays.
• The Tang mural gallery, with about 600 original paintings from more than 20 Tang tombs, needs its own paid ticket; if you buy it online, you do not need a separate booking for the main museum.
• The newer Qin–Han branch, opened in 2024 in Xixian New Area near Qingong station on Metro Line 14, shows finds from those two dynasties and needs no booking, just your passport; it has closed on Tuesdays in winter.

Nearby

• Big Wild Goose Pagoda 大雁塔 under 10 km
  A Tang-dynasty pagoda built for scriptures a monk carried home from India
• Datang Everbright City 大唐不夜城 under 10 km
  A lantern-lit, Tang-themed avenue of street performers, sculptures and evening crowds
• Small Wild Goose Pagoda 小雁塔 under 10 km
  A slender Tang brick pagoda, cracked by earthquakes, in the grounds of the Xi'an Museum
• Xi'an City Wall 西安城墙 under 10 km
  Cycle all 14 km of a Ming city wall, high above Xi'an's rooftops
• Forest of Stone Steles Museum 西安碑林博物馆 under 10 km
  Inscribed stone tablets of classics, calligraphy and Silk Road history by the south wall
• Bell Tower and Drum Tower 钟楼·鼓楼 under 10 km
  Two Ming towers at the heart of the walled city, where bell and drum once marked the day

Also within 30 km: Qujiang Polar Ocean Park 曲江海洋极地公园 (under 10 km), Tang Altar of Heaven (Tiantan Heritage Park) 唐天坛 (under 10 km), Shaanxi Natural History Museum 陕西自然博物馆 (under 10 km), Qinglong Temple 青龙寺 (under 10 km), Xi'an Incident Memorial Hall 西安事变纪念馆 (under 10 km), Yisushe Theatre 易俗社剧场 (under 10 km).

On the map

Open Shaanxi History Museum on the illustrated map to see the terrain around it, what else is close, and to add it to a trip and plan the days.

Learn more

• Wikipedia
• Official website
• Wikipedia (Chinese)