[2025 Hancheng Attraction] Travel Guide for Sima Qian Memorial Temple (Updated Jul)

Life's journey must include a stroll on Hancheng's bluestone-paved roads, don't you think?! The breeze here carries the rings of time from ancient architecture; every wall is etched with the wisdom our ancestors couldn't contain~ Hancheng Ancient Town is a must-visit! The brick seams along Ming-Qing Old Street are inlaid with stories~ The bluestones gleam from centuries of footsteps, as vintage shop signs sway gently overhead. Turn a corner and you might bump into a restaurant wafting with the aroma of Sichuan peppercorns—bite into their flaky pastry corners so crisp they crumble at the touch! At dusk, the Shiji Cultural Block transforms with lanterns, instantly transporting you to a bustling ancient marketplace~ Take your time exploring Sima Qian Temple! Climbing the ninety-nine steps feels like conversing with "Records of the Grand Historian" at every turn~ Nestled against cliffs, the temple's red walls and dark tiles contrast beautifully with blue skies—every angle is photo-worthy! From the summit, the glistening Yellow River in the distance makes you suddenly grasp the grandeur of "exploring the boundaries of heaven and earth, connecting the changes of past and present"~ Dangjia Village holds the code to ancient dwellings! Its courtyard gatehouses are adorned with animated brick carvings of flora and fauna~ Wandering narrow alleys where sunlight filters through roof tiles into golden fragments, watching elders fan themselves on doorsteps—time slows down here~ Don't forget to touch the "fortune" character screen wall; legend says it transfers ancient blessings! The Rui State Ruins Museum is awe-inspiring! Glass cases display dazzling gold-and-jade ornaments, while bronze patterns still radiate warmth from 3,000 years ago~ These exquisite artifacts vividly reconstruct aristocratic life—proof that ancient aesthetics were trendier than we imagined! Our stay at Qianlong Joy Hotel was a delightful surprise! Minimalist rooms with smart mood lighting, motion-activated nightlights, and the star feature—a projector! Movie nights in bed with surround sound surpassed theaters~ The cloud-like mattress revived us after long exploration days. Drawing automated curtains to morning sunlight felt utterly healing~ Hancheng is that rare place you never want to leave—and can't stop longing for once gone~ Ready for your date with history?!

🚄High-speed train Xi'an Station-Hancheng: 2h20min to arrive (not North Station‼️) ✅What to eat ◾️Old Courtyard Pig's Trotters in the Ancient City: The pig's trotters and pig's head are both delicious. The best thing is the spicy pancake. You can eat a whole pancake just for this bite of spicy food. The more you eat, the more delicious it is. ◾️Peppercorn yogurt: It is sold everywhere on the streets of the ancient city. It tastes like ice cream and has a strong pepper flavor. I love it. ◾️Jinhuafu: One store to eat all over Hancheng, there are many kinds of snacks, and they are all small portions, you can try more, high selection ◾️Sanshe Mansion: An old shop located at the entrance of the ancient city street. It also sells various Hancheng specialty snacks. The cold dishes taste very good and are worth checking in. ◾️Laoxiangcun: If you want to eat stir-fried dishes, you can try it. The rice in Hancheng is generally very strong, so it is especially delicious with rice. ◾️Brother Half Round Pancake: A big pancake with dried fish, eggs, meat, etc. of your choice. It's so satisfying after one bite. ◾️Luyuan Spicy Hot Pot: It is also an old shop in Hancheng. Iron skewers are 1 yuan/skewer and bamboo skewers are 1 yuan/3 skewers. The average price per person is 30 yuan. You can try the Hancheng specialty page. You can eat it after just rinsing it in the pot. There is also a Qishan Saozi Noodles next to it, which is also delicious. ◾️Hancheng Night Market: A must-visit midnight snack. The barbecue smells very strong, and the casserole and eight-treasure dishes are delicious. If you are hungry at night, you must go there. ◾️Mutton dishes, mutton soup, red sweet noodles, etc. are all Hancheng's special snacks. Don't miss them. ✅What to play ◾️Hancheng Ancient City: 🎫 Tickets are free. You can stroll along the ancient streets with bluestone pavement under your feet. You can see many time-honored shops and taste special foods such as pepper yogurt. There are also ancient sites such as the Confucian Temple and the City God Temple, which are charged separately💰 ◾️Liangdai Village Rui State Ruins Museum: 🎫Ticket price: 50 yuan/person. The museum exhibits 798 precious cultural relics including bronze, gold, jade, etc. The treasure of the town is the jade pig dragon dating back 5,000 years. The whole museum is not large in scale. Those who like to take their children to learn about history can go there. ◾️Dangjia Village: 🎫Ticket price: 50 yuan/person. This is a traditional village with an ancient flavor. It preserves a large number of courtyards from the Ming and Qing dynasties. The buildings are neatly laid out and beautifully carved. Walking in the village, you feel like you have traveled back to ancient times and feel the strong historical charm and atmosphere of fireworks. ◾️Sima Qian Temple: 🎫Ticket price: 80 yuan/person. It was built to commemorate the historian Sima Qian. The building is built on the cliff and rises layer by layer. It takes 99 steps from the bottom of the slope to the top. Standing on the top of the temple, the view is very good. 🌈Travel around Xi'an, Hancheng is really a treasure town. Whether it is two or three days, you can arrange it fully. The key is that it is delicious haha

The temple dedicated to Sima Qian was built in the third year of Yongjia during the Western Jin Dynasty. It consists of four terraces, each connected by stone steps that ascend in layers, totaling ninety-nine steps. In front of each terrace stands a wooden archway. From the bottom up, the last terrace is the tomb of Sima Qian, where an ancient cypress tree stands. Here, one can pay homage to the Grand Historian and deeply comprehend the essence of 'the unparalleled masterpiece of historians, the verse-free 'Li Sao'.'

Sima Qian, a famous historian of the Western Han Dynasty, wrote the book "Historical Records", which opened up the general history of China. It has profound influence on the development of later history and literature. Later generations commemorated his achievements and built the tomb and tomb in his originality. Passing through the gate of the scenic spot, it is a rugged and rugged stone road. This is the oldest ramp in Hancheng - the Sima Trail and the predecessor of the 108 National Road. This seemingly ordinary stone road actually carries a long history. From the air, Sima Qiang's tomb is built on the mountain, with the Yellow River in the east, the Liangshan Mountain in the west, the Great Wall in the Wei Dynasty in the south, and the long flowing stream in the north. It has become more and more majestic after thousands of years of vicissitudes. The tomb of Sima Qian was built in the Yuan Dynasty by the Sima Qianyi crown. In front of the tomb, there was a monument to the Han Taishi cemetery written by the Buddhist governor of Shaanxi during the Qing Emperor Qianlong. There was a cypress on the tomb. The ancient cypress was very strong and the legend was planted in the Han Dynasty. The uneven stone road marks the footprints of the admirers who have been admirers for more than a thousand years. Visitors who come to Hancheng must first come here to pay tribute to the world cultural celebrity Sima Qiang's tomb.