Brief information on Shuyuan Men  

Shuyuan Men is a cultural street located on the eastern side of South Gate. It was named after the Guanzhong Shuyuan (academy of classical learning) originally situated in the street. Guanzhong Shuyuan was the foremost educational institute in Shaanxi Province, and was one of the Four Famed Academies of Classical Learning during the Ming and Qing dynasties. At the east end of the street is Xian Stele Forest Museum. Initially, people made rubbings in stele forest and sold them in the street. Gradually, the street became a prosperous and  elegant market in the city. In the 1990s, Shuyuan Men underwent reconstruction and resurfaced as an ancient-style  commercial street in the busy South Avenue.

Stores and shops lining both sides of the street are not asthetically pleasing like  the ones in southern China, or the splendid and majestic ones in Beijing Da Zhalan, rather, they are simple and unsophisticated. Entering through the archway of the street, tourists are suddenly transported to a tranquil  cultural atmosphere. Various   arts and crafts are sold on this crowded street. Historical relics, calligraphy, Chinese paintings, antiques, jewels, jade articles and folk art  are all tourist favorites.

Nowadays, Xian Normal School and its attached primary school stand on the site of Guanzhong Shuyuan. Strolling down the street, tourists can sample a taste of local life and the remains of a dynasty that continues to glitter through the ages.

*You can download the bilingual note to show it to a taxi driver or someone else to find your way to Shuyuan Men if you plan to visit Shuyuan Men and have language problems.

   

Chinese Pinyin: Shu Yuan Men
Location: South Gate
Ticket Price: free
How to Get to: take bus No. 600, 603, 608, 46, 229, 800, 609, 239, 29 or 6