Shaanxi · Travel Guide
Capital of emperors, city of noodles
Xi'an — the ancient capital Chang'an — is China's most history-saturated city. You can cycle the Ming-dynasty City Wall, stand face to face with a 2,000-year-old army at the Terracotta Army, and eat your way through the Muslim Quarter from breakfast to midnight. Spring (March–May) and autumn (September–November) have the best weather; plan 3–5 days with a mid-range budget of roughly ¥2,000–3,000 excluding long-distance transport. The metro reaches most sights, and headline attractions like the Terracotta Army require advance online reservation.
| Known for | Terracotta Army · City Wall · Muslim Quarter · Ancient capital |
|---|---|
| Budget | ¥2,000–3,000 for 3–5 days, mid-range |
| Days needed | 3–5 days |
| Comfort | Moderate |
| Best time to go | Spring (Mar–May) and autumn (Sep–Nov) |
Xi'an, known in ancient times as Chang'an, is one of the cradles of Chinese civilization. Thirteen dynasties — the Zhou, Qin, Han and Tang among them — ruled from here for over eleven hundred years combined, making it one of the longest-serving capitals on earth.
History here is daily life, not something behind glass. Inside the wall lies the old city; locals call the districts beyond it simply the east, west, south and north suburbs. People trace calligraphy models from the Stele Forest, sing Shaanxi opera under the South Gate at dusk, then walk into neon-lit shopping blocks.
When a glorious city fades into the years, it at least leaves behind a silhouette.
"Once You've Been, You Never Really Leave"
For travelers, Xi'an's themes are simple: history and food. One downtown day covers the wall, towers and pagodas; an eastern day goes to the Terracotta Army; Mount Hua and the western sites each deserve a day, and the rest of your appetite goes to the Muslim Quarter. Prepare for the climate above all — the air here is much drier than the south, so drink constantly and pack moisturizer.
Climb the best-preserved Ming-dynasty city wall in the country and watch tiled rooftops brush shoulders with glass towers. The full loop runs 13.7 km — too far to walk — so rent a bike like everyone else and rattle along bricks laid in the 1370s; steady pedaling takes about 40 minutes.
The Bell Tower anchors the crossing of the four great avenues; the Drum Tower stands 300 m west with the Muslim Quarter behind it. On a clear day the Bell Tower looks out to a city gate in each direction, and after dark both towers light up beautifully — the food street below is the logical next stop.
Thousands of life-size terracotta soldiers stand in the funerary pits of Emperor Qinshihuang, and no two faces repeat — every soldier was modeled on a real man. Pit 1 delivers the big wow. The pits and Lishan Garden at the mausoleum form one museum on a single ticket, with a free shuttle between them.
Yangrou paomo (lamb soup with hand-torn bread), spiced-beef roujiamo, skewers, mirror-steamed rice cakes — the Muslim Quarter is where Xi'an's street food concentrates, ideal for an afternoon of grazing. The side streets of Xiyangshi, Dapiyuan and Sajinqiao often beat the main Beiyuanmen strip on both flavor and price.
The westernmost of the Five Great Mountains, Mount Hua is famous for sheer danger: granite peaks rise like swords off the plain. At sunrise, mist floods the valleys and the sun bursts out of crimson cloud. Take the night hike for sunrise, or the cable car by day.
To grasp Xi'an's depth in one visit, head to the Shaanxi History Museum: Shang and Zhou bronzes, dynasties of pottery figurines, Han and Tang gold and silver, and Tang-tomb murals found nowhere else. Entry is free but strictly ticketed — reserve on the official WeChat account days ahead.
March–May and September–November. Spring is comfortable for the wall and Mount Hua; autumn brings fire-crystal persimmon season. Summer sun is brutal at midday; winter is dry and cold but quiet.
The food leans on wheat noodles, paomo (bread soaked in mutton broth) and beef or lamb, with bold flavors — but variety is enormous, so something will suit you. Tear the bread for paomo yourself and tear it small; halal restaurants serve no alcohol and no blood-based dishes; and choose busy stalls.
The site sits in Lintong District, about 35 km from downtown. Admission is ¥120 — including Lishan Garden at the mausoleum, same price all year — and you must book a real-name ticket through official channels. Transport options: a ticket-plus-shuttle package from the city (around ¥170–188), the You5 (306) tourist bus (¥6–7), or Metro L9 to Huaqingchi plus a short local bus or taxi.
Moderate overall — eating and sleeping are genuinely cheap: paomo runs ¥30–60, chain hotels ¥200–350 a night, hostel bunks a few dozen yuan. The big-ticket items are entry fees (¥120 for the Terracotta Army, the Changhen Ge show from ¥268) and extras like the Mount Hua cable car. Budget roughly ¥2,000–3,000 for 3–5 mid-range days excluding long-distance transport.
First-timers should stay inside the walls around the Bell Tower and South Gate: Metro L2 runs through, the Muslim Quarter and the wall are a short walk, and hotels pack every price point. Budget picks include the courtyard hostels Xiangzimen and Qixian; for comfort, stay near the South Gate or the pagoda.
Xi'an Xianyang International Airport is about 45 km out: the easiest run is Metro L14, around ¥7 between the airport terminals and North Railway Station, where you change to L2 or L4. Airport shuttle buses cost about ¥25; a metered taxi into the center runs ¥120–150. High-speed trains mostly use Xi'an North — the metro sits directly beneath the platforms.
If you want the sunrise and your legs are willing, absolutely. The night route sets off from Yuquanyuan and follows the 'single path up Mount Hua' to the East Peak by dawn, joining a river of headlamps. The summit is far colder — bring a warm layer or rent a coat up top. Otherwise take the West Peak cable car by day.
Xi'an's sights cluster neatly, which makes planning easy. Two downtown days cover the walled city and the pagoda district, the eastern line takes one more, and Mount Hua or Famen Temple each merit an extra day. Read a little about the dynasties first — the pits, towers and steles double in meaning once you know what you are looking at.
The old-city day: start at the South Gate — stroll the wall there or rent a bike for the full loop while the air is cool. By noon, come down to the Bell and Drum Towers, then dive into the Muslim Quarter for yangrou paomo and liangpi. In the afternoon walk Shuyuanmen cultural street down to the Xi'an Beilin Museum — the Stele Forest — and finish at the Small Wild Goose Pagoda and Xi'an Museum.
Museums and the pagoda: spend the morning at the Shaanxi History Museum (book ahead!) — half a day disappears pleasantly among bronzes, figurines and Tang murals. In the afternoon move to the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda squares and the Tang Paradise Never Night City. Catch the musical fountain on the North Square in the evening, then let the light shows run you to midnight.
The eastern day: go straight to the Terracotta Army early to beat the tour buses, and consider hiring a guide — Pit 1 is the showstopper. In the afternoon continue to Lishan Garden for the bronze chariots, then on to Huaqing Palace for the imperial bath ruins. If you want the Changhen Ge night show, book tickets well in advance.
The surviving wall, built between 1374 and 1378 under the Ming, is China's most complete ancient city wall: 13.7 km around, pierced by 18 gates. The South Gate is the best entrance. Admission is ¥54 (¥27 for students), open 8:00–22:00; Metro L2 Yongnimen. There is almost no shade on top — avoid midday in summer.
The Bell Tower, first raised in 1384, anchors the axis of the old city; the Drum Tower beside it is among the largest surviving in China. A quirk worth knowing: the Bell Tower's entrance hides inside the underground roundabout. Tickets cost ¥30 each or ¥50 combined; Metro L2 Zhonglou.
The Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum combines the pits with Lishan Garden on one ¥120 ticket, with a free shuttle between them. Pit 1 is the largest and most theatrical; the finest single figures — kneeling archers and generals — stand in separate cases, and the bronze chariots at Lishan Garden are the crown of Chinese bronze. Crowds in high season are enormous: reserve a timed ticket and take a guide.
This is the treasury of the Zhou, Qin, Han and Tang, with over 1.7 million objects — bronzes, figurines, gold and silver, and Tang-tomb murals. The permanent galleries are free but ticketed via the official WeChat account; the Treasures Hall costs extra from about ¥50, the mural gallery around ¥300. Closed Mondays; Metro L2/L3 Xiaozhai.
Inside Da Ci'en Temple, the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda was built in 652 to house the scriptures Xuanzang brought back from India, and it has stood for over 1,300 years. The squares are free; the temple and the pagoda climb are ticketed separately — roughly ¥30–40 and ¥25–30. The North Square fountain claims to be Asia's largest; the evening show, lit against the pagoda, is worth the wait.
Tang Paradise is a full-scale Tang-style imperial garden rebuilt on the original site; it shines at night, when water-screen shows fill the lake — tickets roughly ¥60–120. Next door, the Tang Paradise Never Night City pedestrian mall is free and packed with visitors in hanfu — the postcard image of Xi'an nightlife.
Huaqing Palace, backed by Mount Li, has been a royal retreat since the Zhou and Qin; the stone bath pools of Emperor Xuanzong and Lady Yang survive intact. Admission is about ¥100–120, and at night Nine-Dragon Lake stages Changhen Ge, the open-air dance drama (¥268–888, book early). Metro L9 Huaqingchi.
The Xi'an Beilin Museum — the Stele Forest — holds over 2,300 stone inscriptions including masterworks by Yan Zhenqing, Liu Gongquan and Huaiti: a pilgrimage for anyone who has ever held a brush. The Shuyuanmen street outside sells the four treasures of the study. The Small Wild Goose Pagoda is a graceful Tang brick pagoda; the free Xi'an Museum beside it admits on ID.
Qinqiang is Shaanxi's own opera and one of the oldest vocal traditions in China. In the ring-city park below the wall, locals gather to sing and play; standing among them costs nothing. For a stage production, seek out the Yishe Society, one of the oldest theatre troupes on earth.
The fountain show on the North Square ranks among Asia's largest, typically at 12:00 and 16:00 by day and 19:00 and 21:00 with lights. It is free, but prime viewing fills up — arrive half an hour early.
Staged with Mount Li as the backdrop and Nine-Dragon Lake as the stage, Changhen Ge retells the love story of Emperor Xuanzong and Lady Yang with real mountains, water and history. Shows run nightly in season (from about 19:10), tickets ¥268–888 by seat zone, with a winter 'ice-and-fire' edition; book at least three days ahead.
Xu Wei, Zheng Jun and Zhang Chu — three defining voices of Chinese rock — all came out of Xi'an. Young singers with guitars often set up along the foot of the wall in the evening, and bar gigs never really stop. One night of live music tells you more about the local character than any museum wall text.
Xi'an covers every budget, and the choice is part of the fun. Inside the walls, courtyard hostels let you sleep in a traditional house within walking distance of everything; outside, high-rises pack in chains and serviced apartments. Dorm beds run ¥60–90, chain hotels ¥200–350, five stars from around ¥500 — prices swing with the season.
Xi'an's cooking has wheat noodles and beef-or-lamb at its core. When CNN named Asia's ten best street-food cities in 2012, Xi'an was the only mainland Chinese entry. Look past the main Beiyuanmen tourist strip to Xiyangshi, Dapiyuan and Sajinqiao, where locals actually eat.
Every Shaanxi specialty is buyable here: walnuts, pomegranates, crystal pastries, cured beef and rice wine all get dedicated shelves in the big supermarkets — transparently priced and easy to pack. The Muslim Quarter packs souvenir shops where haggling is expected. Craft classics: Terracotta Army replicas, stele rubbings, shadow puppets and paper cuts.
Shuyuanmen, hugging the wall near the South Gate, deals in antiques, calligraphy and the four treasures of the study — locals shop here too. Huajue Lane behind the Drum Tower overflows with shadow puppets and clothwork, though the goods lean 'generic Chinese': browse freely, buy carefully. For volume souvenirs, supermarket specialty aisles are stress-free.
One warning: anyone selling 'ancient relics dug up from my own field' is running a scam. Don't buy it — if it were real, the right move would be calling the cultural relics bureau, not reaching for your wallet.
Xi'an North is the high-speed rail hub — Metro L2/L4 sit beneath the platforms. Xi'an Railway Station, just north of the old walls, handles conventional services with its own metro stop. Check trains on this site and book online in minutes; eastern-line services to the Terracotta Army now depart from the city's east side.
Xi'an Xianyang International Airport lies about 45 km northwest. Metro L14 is the easiest way in — around ¥7 to North Railway Station, where you change to L2/L4; shuttle buses cost about ¥25 and a metered taxi ¥120–150. Landing late? Pre-book a ride.
The metro reaches the Bell Tower, Yongnimen, the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda and Xiaozhai — far faster than surface traffic. Fares: ¥2 for the first 6 km, capped at ¥13; a Changantong card takes 10% off, and QR entry is easy. For the Terracotta Army, ride L9 to Huaqingchi.
Taxis start at roughly ¥8.5–9 for the first 2–3 km, slightly more at night. Insist on the meter; refuse fixed-price touts around stations and the airport. Rush hour is heavy — use Didi or Amap — and 13:00–17:00 shift changes can make cabs scarce.
City buses cost ¥1–2. For the Terracotta Army and Huaqing Palace, tourist buses such as the You5 (306) run from the city's east side for about ¥6–7 — the departure point has moved, so check first. Board only vehicles marked 'Shaanxi Tourist Bus Line'.
Check trains and fares from Beijing to Xi'an
Search trainsFour pitfalls to dodge: never buy 'excavated relics' — always a scam; skip unmetered taxis around the stations and airport; beware cut-price day tours and temple 'giant incense' upsells that end in donation pressure; and remember that Golden Week crowds run several times normal levels — travel off-peak if you can.
Xi'an sits mid-way across the Guanzhong Plain, backed by the Qinling range and fronted by the Wei River — a natural fortress, as ancient strategists put it: 'girdled by mountains and rivers, sealed on every side.' The climate is warm-temperate semi-humid monsoon with four sharp seasons: annual average about 13.6°C, moderate rain but dry air.
Thirteen dynasties ruled from here over nearly 1,100 years, from the Zhou to the Tang. In 221 BC Emperor Qinshihuang unified China from nearby Xianyang, leaving the Great Wall and the Terracotta Army; the Han made Chang'an the eastern gateway of the Silk Road; Tang Chang'an ranked among the largest cities on the planet. The name 'Xi'an' ('Western Peace') dates to 1369.
Xi'an still lives with Qinqiang opera, paper cuts and shadow puppetry — better preserved in the surrounding villages. Buddhism, Daoism and Islam all took root here, each written into the skyline: the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda for the pilgrim-monk Xuanzang, Louguantai where Laozi is said to have composed the Dao De Jing, and the Great Mosque on Huajue Lane.
The westernmost of the Five Great Mountains and by far the steepest — a wall of granite rising off the wheat fields; high-speed rail takes about 40 minutes from Xi'an North. Take the night climb for sunrise or the West Peak cable car by day. The three great terrors line the walking route, and the Changkong plank walk costs extra. Tickets run roughly ¥100–160 by season; summit lodging is pricey and scarce. Not for the acrophobic.
In Fufeng County, Baoji — about 120 km west of Xi'an — Famen Temple dates to the late Eastern Han and holds a finger-bone relic of the Buddha. Its crypt reopened in 1987, revealing thousands of Tang treasures. Tickets ¥100 in season, ¥90 off-season; reach it by bus from the West Passenger Terminal or on a day tour. Ignore anyone offering a 'back door'.
The northern route: Day 1 to the Mausoleum of the Yellow Emperor, then Hukou Waterfall; Day 2 in Yan'an (Pagoda Hill, Zaoyuan) before returning. Hukou is the largest yellow waterfall on earth — the whole Yellow River narrows into a single roaring chute. D-trains reach Yan'an in about 2 hours; Hukou needs a change at Yichuan or a tour. Go in autumn.
"Gao Xing / Happiness" (2009, dir. A Gan): adapted from Jia Pingwa's novel, it follows Liu Gaoxing, a scrap collector making his life in Xi'an with relentless cheer — mainland China's first musical comedy, and a vivid portrait of the optimism of the city's working poor.
Jia Pingwa, "Old Xi'an": a native writer's spiritual history of the ancient capital. Bill Porter, "Road to Heaven: Encounters with Chinese Hermits": the American sinologist's 1980s search for the hermits of the Zhongnan Mountains, just south of Xi'an; afterwards the Qinling range will never look the same.
Zheng Jun, "Chang'an Chang'an": an album named for his hometown, washed with lazy melancholy and stripped-down swagger. Black Sha (Heisa), "Xi'an Girls": a homegrown Xi'an rap crew singing the city in Shaanxi dialect — the fastest way to get the local character in your ears.