Xuzhou Attractions - Things to Do

Long history blesses Xuzhou with deep cultures, especially the Han Dynasty (260BC-220) culture. The first Han emperor, Gaozu, was born in Peixian County of Xuzhou, which then went on to become the second cultural and political center of the nation during the Han Dynasty. The cultural relics are scattered in the beautiful scenic spots, making the city extremely attractive.
 

You may have heard of the Museum of Terracotta Warriors and Horses in Xi'an, but you will be more surprised when you see the Han terracotta warriors in this museum. Located in the west side of the Lion Hill, the museum shows thousands of terracotta warriors and horses. Standing in the two pits, the warriors, old or young, silent or naughty, all present different expressions of crying, laughing, frowning or contemplating. The ancient artisans emphasized to show the inner heart world and the characteristics of the warriors through their different gestures and expressions. These vividly made warriors have been shown abroad and won praises and appreciations again and again.

Xuzhou Museum of Terra-cotta  Warriors and Horses of Han Dynasty

Cultural Relics in Guishan Han Tomb

Located in the west side of Guishan Mountain in the Jiuli District, it is the most famous Han tomb due to it's large scale, exquisite architecture and mysterious building ways. It is the tomb for the sixth prince and princess of the Western Han Dynasty-Liu Zhu (128BC- 116BC) and his wife. The workmen at that time dug out the mountainside and built this palace like tomb, which is consisted of two corridors, two tomb paths and five halls including bedrooms, parlors, kitchens and stables.
 It is a special museum collecting and exhibiting the stone sculptures of the Han Dynasty. It is located near the Yunlong Mountain and holds over 1,000 stone sculptures. The most precious and famous sculptures amongst the collection are the Weaving Picture, the Cattle Ploughing Picture, the Drinking with Dance and Music Picture as well as the All Birds towards Phoenix. Combined painting and carving art together, these stone pictures present the true life and beautiful fairy stories of the ancient people.
 It is located in the Jiuli district. As a modern architecture built in the Han Dynasty style, it is one of the television bases of CCTV (China Central Television) where many teleplays and films are made. Also, it is an artistic palace both to enjoy the Han culture and to relax and recreate. The Imperial Palace displays nearly all the artifacts from the ancient palace. The statues of the emperor and other officials give it a realistic atmosphere. There are many entertainment activities that you can take part in, such as cockfight, kid show and arrow shooting. You can also appreciate various performances telling the stories and customs of the Han Dynasty.
 Located in the south suburb of the city, it is praised as the 'Nature Oxygen Bar' due to its breath- taking natural beauties and rich varieties of plants and birds. Mt. Quanshan consists of five mountains and ranks the first among all the mountains of Xuzhou. In the park, you can visit China's biggest bird garden- Niaoyue Garden and various arboretums. The old-timey bridge and pavilions draw you back to the ancient world while the grass sliding ground, the Golf club and the badminton playground bring you back to modernity. The serene studies and teahouses relax you while the Children's Paradise and the Pets Village make you feel younger. Also, there are the Rose Palace and Rose Square where marriage ceremonies are often held and wooden vacation houses where people enjoy their free time.

Lying in the south of Xuzhou, it is a well-known scenic spot of the city. The mountain is divided into nine sections just like nine dragons winding in clouds, hence its name. There are many historical relics hiding among the ever green pines and cypresses and beautiful ravines, including the huge stone sculpture of Buddha of the North Wei Dynasty (386-534), the inscriptions carved on cliff surfaces of the Tang (618-907) and Song (960-1279) dynasties, the Setting Free Cranes Pavilion of the Song Dynasty and the Xinghua Temple of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Every year on February 19th, the local people hold the temple fair on the mountain. They usually dance, sing and show the traditional foods and handicrafts to the tourists on the fair, making the mountain more attractive.
 

It is to the west of the Yunlong Mountain and is the sister lake of the West Lake in Hangzhou. Encircled in three green mountains, the lake is just like an emerald setting in the city. Walking along the lake, you will be totally relaxed by enjoying the lovely green grass, the pure broad lake surface and the different kinds of pretty flowers. The most attractive place there is the Above-water World on the central island of the lake. Seen from afar, the park just looks like a huge whale playing with water. There collects over 200 varieties of fish from all over the world, which swimming in the pools under colorful lights. It seems you were in the real benthal world. In addition, there are performances like Human Dancing with Sharks and Mermaid Dance for you to enjoy. The lake also has hotels to help make your travel more convenient.
 

Located on the north side of the Yunlong Mountain, it is a comprehensive museum responsible for collecting, restoring and exhibiting the cultural relics discovered in the city. It now shows various cultural relics in the eight exhibition halls, including ancient calligraphic works, furniture, stone tablets and some precious relics once buried with the dead in the ancient tombs. The souvenir center provides you with stone inscription rubbings, calligraphic works and pictures as well as other traditional handicrafts.

Pottery Vessel, Xuzhou Museum

Jade Dragon, Xuzhou Museum

Male Standing Figurine

It is located in the Hubu Hill in the center of the city. It is rebuilt on the original site of the Ming Dynasty residential houses, which are skillfully designed in picturesque disorder along the mountain. There, you can feel the ordinary life of the local people in the traditional houses; appreciate the interesting marriage custom through the photos and the bridal sedan chair and enjoy the local handicrafts through the exhibition of the peasant's paintings, children's paintings and paper-cuttings. The traditional farm tools like hoes, ploughs, stone mills and spinning wheels will draw you back to the ancient times while the performance of the local operas and the folk artists' show of their unique skills like cutting paper and making potteries will fill your mind with the present local customs.
 Jiayue Yuan (Happy Farming Garden) is a garden theme in agriculture and ecology. It is situated in the eastern economic development district of the city. You can watch various precious animals and insects in the Precious Animal Hall; learn the knowledge of farming in the Plant Garden; feel the farmers' serene life in the small farmyards and taste the delicious local food in the Cate City. This garden gives you an opportunity to return to nature.

Pengzu Yuan (Pengyuan Garden) is a comprehensive garden combining animals, plants, natural beauties, cultural sights and entertainments. It is located in the south of the city and was the place where Pengzu and his people lived about 4,000 years ago. In Chinese history, Pengzu is a widely known god of longevity who knows how to preserve human's health. In this garden, you can see the Pengzu Memorial Temple, the statue of Pengzu, the Prayer Pavilion and the stone toriis that are in ancient and simple architectural style, presenting the deep culture of Pengzu's ways of keeping healthy. The zoo and the amusement park dotted among the green mountains and pure springs, together with the cherries blooming from March to April every year, make the garden attractive to all kinds of tourists.

In addition, Xuzhou also has several peculiar villages and counties. Chinese Chess Village in Pixian County is a place where most villagers are good at playing Chinese chess; Peixian County is the mother town of martial arts where most people are skillful in martial arts. Mazhuang Village, Chinese Folk Custom and Culture Village, is an affluent and civilized village where you can appreciate the orderly farmyard and folk performances. You can also go fishing, have a picnic or even dig up edible wild herbs by yourself.

With so many unique and interesting attractions, Xuzhou will no doubt satisfy your expectations. The true glamour of the city cannot be described in words and is just waiting for you to explore.