Henri
Replicas of the Terra Cotta Warriors, ancient calligraphy rubbings, paper art and fine porcelain are some of the alluring artefacts to be bought in Xian. These make fine souvenirs and collectibles.
Calligraphy is an integral aspect of Chinese history; the art is made up of various styles and schools and is considered part of Chinese heritage and culture. Rubbings are a derivation of calligraphy. Cut inscriptions and pictures are used to make a rubbing which will be called by different names depending on the type of ink used. Rubbings originated with a need to preserve abandoned sites and historical events; this was done by carving copies of ancient writings into stone steles. In time these vintage steles were considered historical artefacts that reflected past events. These writings often belonging to ancient calligraphy masters were copied many times over the centuries and passed down as Calligraphy Rubbings. Today Xian is the proud owner of over 300 steles dating back to dynasties of Han, Wei, Song, Tang, Ming, Yuan and Qing; view these at Forest of Stone Steles Museum. Near the museum is the paintings and calligraphy Street where shops sell books of famous calligraphy rubbings.
As capital of the Tang Dynasty Xian has a history of art and heritage of cultural relics such as the Tang tri-coloured porcelain replicas. Colour glazed Tang porcelain works of art are referred to as tri-coloured porcelain replicas. Pottery colours are made up of blue, black, white, yellow, brown and green. The prime tones are brown, green and yellow. The ornaments were first made with white porcelain that was fired at temperatures of 1,000 to 1,100 degrees centigrade. This was then applied with a mineral frit that included copper, cobalt, iron and manganese. A very valuable gift or souvenir to take back, these figurines are still handmade according to ancient methods. Popular creations include female figures, camels, horses and figurines. Choose hotels in Xi an that are well placed for browsing local shops. Just ten minutes from the Xi'an Train Station, Citadines Xingqing Palace Xi'an is an ideal choice for conveniently travelling across the region.
The immensely popular Chinese folk art paper cuts are a speciality in the Shaanxi Province. These colourful paper cuttings are used to decorate the doors and windows of homes especially during occasions such as weddings and the Spring Festival. The basic colour of paper cuttings is red as a symbol of the Chinese people's passion and happiness. There are three types of paper cuttings these are customs, animals and figures. Paper cuttings are generally made to look bold or comical and profess good faith. It is quite a treat to watch skilful artists creating the beautiful paper cuts from just a piece of paper, scissors and a knife.
The Terra Cotta Warriors and horses are the most iconic attraction in Xian. These are yours to take back in the form of miniature replicas. In fact various sizes of Terra Cotta Warrior replicas are available such as miniature figures and life-size replicas. The figurines too are replicated to represent the different ranks of the soldiers and sport varied looks such as fat, short, ugly, good looking, young and old.
These are a replica of the Qin style cakes enjoyed in ancient China. Boasting a history of over 900 years this cake originated during the Song Dynasty and was once on par with delicacies such as birds nest, Jinhua Ham and white fungus. The origin of the Crystal Pancakes has an interesting story to it and is a tale to look forward to while enjoying this delicacy in Xian. Definitely a must buy when visiting the city.
