Home>>China Travel Guide>>Xi'an Travel Guide>>Kids Activity in Xi'an
Activities for Kids in Xi'an
Xian offers many attractions and activities that are suitable for families travelling with children and some opportunities for the young ones to try out their creative talents, such as in producing clay sculptures, making paper cut-outs and designing and building kites.
Kite Flying
Flying kites is very popular with children and adults in China and when there's a wind blowing, you’re likely to see kites in the sky. Chinese kites are made in many different and colourful forms, from simple square kites to the very elaborate 15 to 20 foot-long centipede and dragon kites. Competitions are held from time to time, with each participant trying to win over the audience and judges with their kite’s beauty. If you want to join in, you’ll find that kites are sold everywhere, or you can make your own
Window Paper Cuts
The province of Shaanxi is an ancient birthplace of Chinese culture and the art of creating window paper cuts has a long history here. During the Spring Festival, people living in the countryside craft paper cut-outs of various designs and decorate windows with them. These creations usually consist of red cut-outs on a white paper background. Many tours feature a stop in the countryside to see how the cut-outs are made.
Fengxiang Colour Clay Sculpture
The intriguing clay sculptures hand-made in Fengxiang County have a history going back over 600 years. Their unusual shapes, bright colours and exquisite craftsmanship can be found in the form of animals, birds and characters from folk tales, historical events and Chinese dramas. The process involves several steps: firstly, a craftsman prepares a model; then a rough cast is made from the model; a special type of clay is applied to the cast; when this dries, the rough-cast model is taken out and white clay is applied; and then, finally, designs are carved into the model and colors are applied. Tours are arranged to visit this area where tourists can watch the modeling process and then can try making their own piece of clay sculpture.
Visiting Hui Families
Near the mosque in Huajue lane, is a neighborhood populated by families of the Hui nationality. After touring the mosque, tourists can visit the families, where they will be offered tea, fruits and snacks: it’s also possible to arrange dinner with a Hui family, experiencing their Muslim culture, food and dining customs. The houses are tidy, the people hospitable and the traditional dress and customs make for a very interesting experience for families with children.
