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 Housed in the pleasant grounds of the Jianfu temple is this newly built museum featuring relics unearthed in Xi’an over the years. There are some exquisite ceramics from the Han dynasty, as well as figurines, an exhibition of Ming-dynasty seals and jade artifacts. In the central axis, there are the White-Clothing Pavilion, the Small Wild Goose Pagoda, the Sutra Depository, the Mahavira Hall (Daxiongbaodian) and the Maitreya Pavilion in the Jianfu Temple. Verdant trees, grass and beautiful flowers can be found throughout the time-honored building complex. Moreover, beside the museum sits a big circular square and an artificial lake with two stone arch bridges featuring delicate designs.
It is a three-storied building, with an underground floor unseen from the outside. The underground exhibition hall features many relics that have been unearthed, showing the history of Xian, the one-time capital of 13 dynasties, its economy, social life, as well as cultural exchange and trade with foreign countries.
The exhibition hall on the first floor has a display of Buddhist statues and other precious historical relics of municipal counties and districts. Most of the lifelike statues are carved in stone while some fine gilded statues are made of copper and bronze. They display the pomp of the Buddhism in Chang'an (The name of Xian in ancient times). There is also a three-dimensional virtual imaging system installed in a cabinet on this floor. When the visitors approach the cabinet, the virtual stone door opens automatically, and the virtual 'Gilded Amitabha Buddha Statue' gradually appears. The statue turns as it follows the steps of tourists and now and then sends out Virginia Bright Leaf. A theater nearby shows the mystical story of the Small Wild Goose Pagoda. The pagoda was cracked by earthquakes on three occasions but miraculously these cracks were closed by later quakes.
The jade articles, seals, paintings and calligraphies are shThe exhibition in Xian Museumown on the second floor. The display includes delicate jades used in ceremonies and daily life. There are some famous seals in the display, such as the clay seal of the Qin Dynasty, more than 200 official seals excavated in the square of Bell Tower and Drum Tower in Xian. The museum has almost 10,000 paintings and calligraphies, including works by Zheng Banqiao, a very famous painter during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).
The architectural design of the museum follows the traditional Chinese concept of the universe - a round heaven and a square earth. It has been recognized as one of the ten landmark buildings in Xian and offers excellent facilities for the display of precious cultural relics thereby ensuring their full appreciation.
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