01Historic Walk
Maoling Museum
茂陵博物馆
All Ages
Admission
CNY 75 (Mar-Nov); CNY 55 (Dec-end Feb).
Typical Visit
1.5-2 hours
Quick Facts
Ticket
Peak season (Mar-Nov): CNY 100; low season (Dec-Feb): CNY 80. Scenic shuttle: CNY 20 per person.
Hours
Peak season (Mar-Nov): 08:00-18:00; low season (Dec-Feb): 08:30-17:30.
Transport
No direct metro. From Xi'an North Railway Station, take high-speed rail to Qianxian Station, then Qianxian Bus 1 or 2, or a taxi, to Qianling Scenic Area Visitor Center.
Duration
Main-mausoleum stone-carving route; add 2-3 hours for the Liangshan summit climb.
Best Time
The Sacred Way is exposed in summer.
Visitors
All ages
How to Visit
1
Buy the main admission ticket at the Qianling Scenic Area Visitor Center and enter from there.
The full ticket costs CNY 100 in peak season (March-November) and CNY 80 in low season (December-February). The official site offers date-based online ticket purchase.
Tip:The Wordless Stele and the Statues of Sixty-One Foreign Envoys are within the Qianling main-mausoleum visit area. The official ticket page does not list separate tickets for them, so do not buy duplicate tickets.
2
Travel from the visitor center to the Qianling main-mausoleum area.
You can buy a CNY 20 scenic shuttle ticket; ticket holders can board and get off repeatedly at stops within the scenic area. Walking is also possible, but the official route information says that walking between attractions takes about 30 minutes.
Tip:If this stone-carving route is your focus for the day, do not visit all three subsidiary tombs first and then return to the main mausoleum; that adds unnecessary return walking.
3
Visit the stone-carving route around the Sacred Way outside the Vermilion Bird Gate as one continuous section.
Use the Vermilion Bird Gate as your reference point and follow the on-site signs to see the carvings on both sides, the Statues of Sixty-One Foreign Envoys, the Wordless Stele, and the Shushengji Stele.
Tip:The carvings are outdoors and spread across both sides of the Sacred Way. Finish one side before crossing to the other, or you may miss pieces and repeat the same walk.
4
Treat the climb to Liangshan's summit as an optional final section.
The official guidance gives a round-trip climbing time of about 2-3 hours and notes that it requires physical fitness. The core carvings in this group are not on the summit route.
Tip:If time or energy is limited, leave after the Sacred Way carvings rather than shortening your time at the Wordless Stele and the envoy statues for the climb.
Highlights
- The joint mausoleum of Emperor Gaozong Li Zhi and Wu Zetian, built on Liangshan.
- The Sacred Way outside the Vermilion Bird Gate holds Qianling's most concentrated group of large ground-level stone carvings.
- The Wordless Stele and Shushengji Stele stand together, allowing a direct comparison between two very different uses of inscription.
- The Statues of Sixty-One Foreign Envoys stand on the east and west sides outside the Vermilion Bird Gate and form an important part of the Sacred Way layout.
- You can complete this main-mausoleum stone-carving route without climbing the mountain; the summit walk is an additional physical commitment.
Insider Tips
✦Start the main-mausoleum stone-carving route after opening rather than arriving shortly before closing.
✦The Sacred Way has little continuous shade. In hot weather, water, a sun hat, and walking shoes are more useful than extra camera equipment.
✦The scenic shuttle is useful for linking the main mausoleum with subsidiary tombs. Even if you visit only the main-mausoleum carvings, allow for the transfer time from the visitor center.
✦The Wordless Stele, Shushengji Stele, and envoy statues have no separate entrance or ticket price; plan them under one main ticket and one Sacred Way route.
More Xianyang Attractions
02City Guide
Maoling Mausoleum of Emperor Wu
汉武帝茂陵
All Ages
Admission
CNY 75 (Mar-Nov); CNY 55 (Dec-end Feb). Covered by the Maoling Scenic Area ticket.
Typical Visit
45-60 minutes
03Historic Walk
Tomb of Huo Qubing
霍去病墓
All Ages
Admission
CNY 75 (Mar-Nov); CNY 55 (Dec-end Feb). Included within the Maoling Museum grounds.
Typical Visit
45-75 minutes
04City Guide
Xianyang Ancient Ferry Covered Bridge
咸阳古渡廊桥
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Admission
Free pedestrian access
Typical Visit
Short walk
05City Guide
Han Yangling National Archaeological Site Park
汉阳陵国家考古遗址公园
All Ages
Admission
Mar-Nov: CNY 70; Dec-Feb: CNY 55; students half price.
Typical Visit
1.5-3 hours
06Food District
Mawei Post Folk Culture Experience Park
马嵬驿民俗文化体验园
All Ages
Admission
Free public area
Typical Visit
Half day