Located at the southern foot of Qingliang Mountain in Yan'an, the Yan'an News Memorial Hall is the first journalism memorial hall in the country. Photo by Wan Guoqiang

A corner of the Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum. Photo by Guo Chunlong

All countries are strong and Yang Shuang

Travel tips

Beijing West - Xi'an North: G55, G0, G0, G0, G0

Shanghai Hongqiao - Xi'an North: G360, G0, G0

Shanghai—Xi'an: Z116, D0, T0

Guangzhou South-Baoji South: G842, G0

Guangzhou—Baoji: K226, K0

Beijing West-Yulin: K1115

Shanghai—Yulin: Z268

Beijing West-Yan'an: K41, T0, T0

Shanghai—Yan'an: K560

Shaanxi, also known as Sanqin. In this ancient and mysterious land, history and modernity are intertwined, and culture and nature are blended. The train, a means of transportation that carries the memory of the times, has now become a unique medium for people to explore the beauty of the cultural relics of the Sanqin Dynasty.

With the roar of the train, we embarked on a journey through the past and the present, to pursue the cultural treasures scattered in the land of Sanqin.

The history of thousand-year-old artifacts whispers

Xi'an, known as Chang'an in ancient times, is one of the world's four world-famous ancient civilizations, and is the capital city with the longest capital and the most dynasties in Chinese history.

Under the Ming City Wall of Xi'an, Xi'an Station is like an entrance to time, leading us into a thousand years of history. At this 90-year-old station, we took the subway and went straight to the famous Shaanxi History Museum.

In the museum, from the painted pottery of the Neolithic Age to the bronzes of the Shang and Zhou dynasties, to the ceramics of the Han and Tang dynasties, each exhibit is like a time capsule, carrying the memory of history. The patterns on those faience pottery, whether complex or simple, are full of the rhythm of life, and we seem to see the scene of the ancestors making pottery around the bonfire, and hear their singing and laughing.

Visiting the Shaanxi History Museum is not only a visual feast, but also a baptism of the soul, which makes people feel the weight of history. Like the ancients, we should also treat those old things that carry the memory of civilization with more patience and reverence. Perhaps, this is the true meaning of a visit to a museum.

After visiting the Shaanxi History Museum, we returned to Xi'an Station to take the train, and came to Lintong in less than half an hour. It is home to the Terracotta Warriors and Horses, one of the "Eight Wonders of the World".

Standing on the edge of the figurine pit, staring at these soldiers who had been "sleeping" for thousands of years, an inexplicable feeling surged in my heart. We saw the strength and glory of the Qin Dynasty, and felt the majestic momentum and indomitable spirit of that era. They are not only a witness to the unification of the six countries by Qin Shi Huang, but also a symbol of the long history and splendid culture of the Chinese nation.

An artistic symphony of bronze porcelain

We left Xi'an for Baoji by bullet train, and the scenery outside the window flashed like a movie. Baoji, a city located in the western part of the Guanzhong Plain, is known as the "Hometown of Bronze".

In the exhibition hall of the Baoji Bronze Museum, the bronzes are simple and quiet, they are either peculiar in shape or exquisitely decorated, and each one exudes a unique charm. He Zun, the treasure of the town hall, stands quietly in the center of the display cabinet, it is heavy, beautifully decorated, the banana leaf pattern and animal face pattern of the neck, the word "China" in the inscription at the bottom is particularly eye-catching, this is the earliest written record of the word "China". In an instant, a shock that is closely connected to history hits the heart.

Afterwards, we headed to Yulin. Yulin, a city located on the Loess Plateau in northern Shaanxi, is known for its unique location and long history and culture. In the Yulin Museum, we saw more cultural relics and treasures. The first thing that attracts us is those stone tools and pottery with unique shapes, which have different shapes and bright colors, like vivid paintings, showing the life and aesthetic interest of the ancient Yulin people.

Bronze tripods, bronze wine vessels, and bronze weapons come into view. The bronze tripod is thick and stocky, as if carrying the weight of history; The bronze wine vessel is delicate and unique, and every detail shows the aesthetic interest of the ancients; Although the blades of the bronze weapons are no longer sharp, they can still feel the cold light of the past.

The trip to Baoji and Yulin made us feel the solemn temperament of bronzes. They embody the savoir-faire and unique culture of the time, and bring us closer to the soul of both cities.

The spiritual inheritance of red cultural relics

The next day, we took the Fuxing train at Yulin Station and arrived at Yan'an, the holy land of the revolution, in about 2 hours. It is not only rich in red cultural resources, but also has a long history.

Visiting the Yan'an Revolutionary Memorial Hall is like opening the door to the eventful years, making people feel in that era when artillery roared and war burned the plains. Those precious revolutionary cultural relics, old photographs, letters, weapons, etc., all silently tell the arduous efforts made by the revolutionary ancestors for national independence and the happiness of the people. Subsequently, we visited Yan'an News Memorial Hall, Nanniwan, Yangjialing, Wangjiaping and other red memorial halls and sites. Every site and every cultural relic tells the power of ideals and beliefs, and we feel the surging of red genes in the blood.

We shuttled between the major cities in Shaanxi by train and felt the history and culture of this land. Every stop is a new exploration. When we walked out of the train station and into the museum, we were in close contact with the cultural relics, and we achieved a blend of modern and ancient cultures. Although these cultural relics are silent, they tell the glorious past and brilliant future of the land of Sanqin in a unique way.