Four must-dos for heads of state in Xi’an

1． Visit the historic sites

More than 3,000 years of history including over 1,100 years as the capital city of ancient dynasties have endowed Xi'an with an amazing historical heritage. Tourists marvel at the numerous historical sites and cultural relics in and around the city.

Almost every senior politician chooses to visit at least one historic site in Xi’an. As the Eighth Wonder of the World and a UNESCO world cultural heritage site, the Terracotta Warriors are undoubtedly the No. 1 tourist attraction.

Lee Kuan Yew, the former prime minister of Singapore, was the first foreign leader to visit the site in 1976 when the museum was still under construction. UN secretary-general Ban Ki-Moon once wrote an inscription for the museum in Chinese, and told the museum staff that the Terracotta Warriors were the best reflection of the splendid culture and exquisite technology of ancient China, which deeply impressed him.

Followed the foodstep of other world leaders, Modi finished the trip to the Terracotta Warriors on his first day in China.For the following stop, he went to the Big Wild Goose Pagoda and Ci’en Temple, where Buddhist monk Xuanzang translated scriptures after an epic 17-year journey to India.

Big Wild Goose Pagoda is also a hotspot. Emperor Akihito of Japan and President Ram Baran Yadav of Nepal visited the temple and spoke with the monks when they were in Xi’an.