Xuzhou Things to Do

The Xuzhou Concert Hall holds concerts and performances featuring performers from all over the world. We saw a spectacular two-hour performance by a Russian dance company. Check out the events calendar on the web site below. This could be an excellent evening activity while in Xuzhou.

During the Han dynasty, Xuzhou was the capital of the kingdom of Chu, the king being of the same bloodline as the emperor.
Most of the important artefacts in the museum's collection are those from the Han dynasty, unearthed in or around Xuzhou.
One of the most archaeologically and historically important artefacts unearthed in the tomb of the King of Chu would be the full suit of jade, bound together with fine gold wire. In Chinese this is called "jin1 lv3 yu4 yi1" and is an honour and privilege only accorded to the burial of extremely high-ranking nobility. Jade was believed to preserve the corpse and prevent it from decomposing. This particular jade suit is especially significant as it was the earliest ever jade suit (latest possible burial date was 154 BC), with the largest ever number of jade pieces used (4248 pieces) and for its high quality of jade (white and green jade from Hotan in present-day Xinjiang province).
Another notable artefact unearthed in the tomb is a leopard made of jade, also on display in Xuzhou Museum.
Admission is free, so why not? :) The museum is closed on Mondays (except for Chinese public holidays) and also on Chinese New Year Eve. Opening hours are 0900--1700, with the last entry at 1630.

During the Han dynasty, Xuzhou was the capital of the kingdom of Chu, the king being of the same bloodline as the emperor. Along with the famous Qin dynasty Terracotta Warriors of Xi'an (the one that springs to everyone's mind with the phrase "Terracotta Warriors"), the Han dynasty Terracotta Warriors of Hanyangling (also near Xi'an) and the Xianyang Yangjiawan Terracotta Warriors, the Han dynasty Terracotta Warriors of Xuzhou are the 4 most archaeologically, artistically and historically important terracotta warriors unearthed so far.
Located on Shizishan (Lion's Hill) to the east of downtown Xuzhou, the official English name of this place is the "Cultural Site of Han Dynasty in Xuzhou". There're 6 different areas covered by the admission ticket: Tomb of the King of Chu, Han Dynasty Terracotta Warriors Museum, Underwater Terracotta Warriors Museum (no scuba-diving gear required here, it's not what you think!), Han Dynasty Cultural Exchange Centre etc. The 4 that I've listed are worth visiting -- skip the last one on the ticket (some ancestral hall thingy, this is a new building) and the Exhibition Hall of the Tomb of the Queen of Chu doesn't seem to be open. My favourite would be the Tomb of the King of Chu (nothing beats walking into the real thing!) and the Han Dynasty Terracotta Warriors Museum.
The tomb of the King of Chu is relatively simple. There is a long entrance pathway going down to the main burial chamber, with a few small chambers on the left and right of the entrance pathway, before you get to the main one.
One of the most archaeologically and historically important artefacts unearthed in the tomb of the King of Chu would be the full suit of jade, bound together with fine gold wire. In Chinese this is called "jin1 lv3 yu4 yi1" and is an honour and privilege only accorded to the burial of extremely high-ranking nobility. Jade was believed to preserve the corpse and prevent it from decomposing. This particular jade suit is especially significant as it was the earliest ever jade suit (latest possible burial date was 154 BC), with the largest ever number of jade pieces used (4248 pieces) and for its high quality of jade (white and green jade from Hotan in present-day Xinjiang province). The jade suit on display here is a reproduction -- the original one can be seen in Xuzhou Museum.
Another notable artefact unearthed in the tomb is a leopard made of jade, also on display in Xuzhou Museum.
Near the start of the tomb's entrance pathway are a few stalls selling souvenirs. I bought some postcards and a colour booklet with some simple descriptions of this area.
Moving on to the Han Dynasty Terracotta Warriors Museum, you will see 3 long, shallow pits with glass "boxes" over them to protect the terracotta babes inside. Unlike the Qin dynasty Terracotta Warriors which were life-size, the Han dynasty nobility decided to save on materials and time by making baby-sized ones instead. I believe these were accidentally unearthed during construction work -- there're some sections where the terracotta warriors have been intentionally left as they had been crushed by the construction. In the museum there're informative displays about the history and such of the Han dynasty and the terracotta warriors here. Limited English captions available.
The "underwater" terracotta warrior pits were unearthed, cleaned out, and then had a building constructed over them, then the water around them pumped in again. This is apparently because the site was originally a big pool of water anyway, so all the water from unearthing the other sections had to find somewhere to go to...
In the Han Dynasty Cultural Exchange Centre are a collection of stone carvings which were unearthed here. Many were originally decorative parts of buildings, depicting festivities, auspicious animals, legendary deities, farming life etc.
Sadly, I'd say they're very under-promoted considering their historical and archaeological value. Most foreign travellers only know of the Terracotta Warriors in Xi'an, but not of these ones in Xuzhou. In fact, I don't think many foreigners even know of Xuzhou as a potential sightseeing city! Even our CouchSurfing host, a couple who had been teaching here for some time, hadn't even heard of its existence. On the other hand, we visited during the Qingming Festival holiday and yet the place wasn't crowded at all. If this is the amount of (Chinese) visitors during a Chinese public holiday, I wonder if it gets much in the way of visitors at all, throughout the year.
When I went, the admission price is 60 RMB, student price 30 RMB. Currently on the website the admission price is 80 RMB, so I suppose it has increased. I would say that 60 RMB is pretty reasonable and this should definitely be the No.1 stop for any sightseeing in Xuzhou -- whether it's worth 80 RMB or not, I'll leave you to decide. I could easily allow for half a day here.

The Xuzhou Museum of Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses of the Han Dynasty should not be missed if you're coming to Xuzhou. Although not as famous as the Qin Terra Cotta Warriors in Xi'an, these figures were in relatively good condition when they were unearthed in the 1980's. But their sizes are much smaller than the life-size ones in Xi'an. Most of the figures are still preserved in the channels in the ground where they were discovered and some are displayed in the museum gallery. The museum gallery also provides extensive descriptions of these figures and how they help to understand the history and culture of the Han Dynasty. Photos of the site before the discovery and the unearthing process are also presented. The museum is part of the cultural attractions at Xuzhou's Lion Hill. Admission tickets to this museum are 20 yuan each.

The ancient tomb of the Chu King of Han Dynasty is located on Xuzhou's east side, part of the attractions at the Lion Hill. You will get to walk into the excavation site, which is below ground where it is a little soggy and dark. You will see some large artifacts, tools, along with the tomb of the king. The excavation site is enclosed by a building. Admission tickets are 25 yuan each.

This museum presents the history of the Xuzhou area, including lots of interesting things from the Han Dynasty. It has eight permanent exhibition halls and one temporary exhibition hall, in which over 1,000 cultural relies are displayed.

Yunlong Mountain, which translates into "dragon in clouds", is popular attraction in Xuzhou. The mountain is actually made up of nine hills and looks like a dragon, hence its name. You will find some beautiful and ancient temples within this mountain. This mountain is not to be missed if you're visiting Xuzhou.

In Xuzhou there are some preserved traditional Chinese houses with courtyards. These houses are open for tourists. You can see how people (not ancient people, but people from the 1800's to maybe as late as the 1970s) lived.

The Huaihai Campaign Museum offers a look at the history of the campaign. It has some old photographs, writings, as well as displays featuring Chinese tanks, trucks, soldiers at war. It also has some nice Chinese paintings.

Along a wall next to the monument you will see panegyrics by leaders. This one shown in the picture is by former president Jiang Zemin. A lot of writings and lists of names on the walls -- all in Chinese. May not be too interesting for visitors who can't read Chinese.

This monument offers a little history of the area, especially during the Huaihai Campaign when a lot of Chinese soldiers died. The park highlights the history, the battles, the victims and casualties, of this fairly important event for this area. Park located roughly on the south side of Xuzhou.