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
Included with Qianling admission: peak season (Mar-Nov) CNY 100; low season (Dec-Feb) CNY 80.
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
A short stop within the main-mausoleum Sacred Way route.
Best Time
The Sacred Way is exposed in summer.
Visitors
All ages
How to Visit
1
Enter the main Sacred Way with a Qianling main ticket.
The Statues of Sixty-One Foreign Envoys stand outside the Vermilion Bird Gate and are visited with the Qianling main ticket: CNY 100 in peak season and CNY 80 in low season.
Tip:The statues have no separate entrance, ticket, or shuttle stop. Plan them as part of the same main-mausoleum stone-carving route as the Wordless Stele.
2
Use the Vermilion Bird Gate as your reference point and inspect the statues on both sides.
There are 61 surviving statues: 32 on the west side and 29 on the east side, all outside the gate.
Tip:Do not take photos on only one side and leave. The numbers and arrangement on both sides are part of the group's spatial design.
3
Follow the rows and compare posture, clothing, and surviving inscriptions.
The figures are close to life size. Their clothing varies, including belted robes, turn-down collars with narrow sleeves, and loose hair with left-closing garments; all stand with feet together and hands held in front.
Tip:Most identity inscriptions on the backs are now difficult to read, so do not force unclear text into a specific historical identification.
Highlights
- There are 61 surviving statues: 32 on the west side and 29 on the east side.
- The statues stand outside Qianling's Vermilion Bird Gate and form a key point on the main Sacred Way.
- Their varied clothing preserves visual evidence of multi-ethnic exchange in the Tang period.
- The figures share a clear formal posture: feet together and hands held in front.
- All surviving figures have lost their heads, but their clothing, bodies, and arrangement remain visible.
Insider Tips
✦The Statues of Sixty-One Foreign Envoys are an ensemble, not a single sculpture. Visit both sides to complete this section.
✦Foreign envoys does not mean only modern-style foreign ambassadors; the term includes tribal leaders, ethnic minority leaders, and rulers or officials from tributary states who submitted to and served the Tang court.
✦The statue area and Wordless Stele are on the same outdoor Sacred Way route. In hot weather, avoid treating them as two separate return walks.
✦If you also visit the subsidiary tombs, use the scenic shuttle between the main mausoleum and other stops. If not, return after completing the stone-carving 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
All Ages
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