Xi'an
Discover Xi'an
Xi'an (西安 Xī'ān, read as SEE-AHN) is a city in Shaanxi Province in China. The oldest surviving capital of ancient China, Xi'an is home to thousands of years of Chinese heritage and history. The city has a pleasant cosmopolitan flair to it and it is worth visiting for the famed Terracotta Warriors. It has often been said that, "if you have not been to Xi'an, you have not been to China!" Xi'an is home to numerous historical and cultural attractions. The Terracotta Army of Emperor Qin Shi Huang is vast, magnificent, and lifelike; the history museum houses a wealth of artifacts, and entering it will surely leave you amazed and enlightened. The towering Giant Wild Goose Pagoda invites reflection on Xuanzang's profound contributions; climbing the ancient city wall offers a panoramic view of the old town, and cycling around it lets you listen to the rise and fall of history. In the evening, when the lights come on, the Bell and Drum Towers shine resplendently. If you happen to visit Furong Garden when a performance is on, it feels as though time has traveled, and you are transported back to the glorious days of Chang'an.
What to Experience in Xi'an
Taste of Xi'an...
Xi'an used to have only a few restaurants known by the locals to serve delicious food. Now the restaurants are everywhere, especially ones like KFC and McDonald. The younger generations don't seem to appreciate the traditional cuisines and rather choose to eat fast food. Therefore, some of good old restaurants are forced to close down, being taken over by the newer ones. A good way if you do not want the expensive hotel food or just want to try real Chinese cuisine, is to simply go into a small restaurant and point to a dish somebody else is having and you will get a meal for less than ¥10 (seldom ¥20) per person. It's best to do so within the City Walls, as most restaurants there are family businesses and may have been there for a very long time. The real good old restaurants, especially those run by Hui people, usually serve very delicious food that is also very cheap. Most of these have been there for quite a long time, and are usually found within the City Walls. But such restaurants are scattered across the area. It's best to ask someone that you know for which ones to go to. A good street for eating is Xiyang Shi running east–west near the mosque in the Muslim quarter. McDonalds, Starbucks, Pizza Hut, KFC or its Chinese brother, Dicos, are widely available within city walls for a change from the daily Chinese cuisine. Luxury restaurants serving western food are virtually everywhere to be found in big shopping malls these days, mostly in the southern suburbs.
A Rich Past
Explore the historical roots that shaped Xi'an into what it is today.
Xi'an is more than 3,000 years old and was known as Chang'an (长安) in ancient times. For 1,000 years, the city was the capital for 13 dynasties, and a total of 73 emperors ruled here. Xi'an is the undisputed root of Chinese civilization having served as the capital city for the Zhou, Qin, Han, and Tang dynasties. With so much history within the ground the city lies upon, it is no wonder that there are so many historical ruins, museums and cultural relics to be found here. It was already influencing the world outside of the Great Wall of China (长城) as the eastern terminus of the Silk Road (丝绸之路). Here traders from far and wide brought goods and ideas for sale and took goods and ideas back with them to their native countries. In present-day Xi'an not much of its former glory remains within the city confines, due to the constant warfare and political changes that swept China particularly throughout the 20th century. Xi'an, historically known as Chang'an and Jingzhao, and abbreviated as "Hao" during the Republic of China period, is one of the cradles of Chinese civilization and the starting point of the Silk Road. Throughout history, approximately 13 (officially recognized) or 21 (according to local belief) dynasties established their capitals here, including the Zhou, Qin, Western Han, Western Jin, Former Zhao, Former Qin, Later Qin, Western Wei, Northern Zhou, Sui, and Tang dynasties....
Climate
Xi'an has a permanent population of 8.7 million, with approximately 5.1 million living in the urban area. Xi'an is located in the central part of the Guanzhong Plain in the Yellow River basin, in the heart of China's inland region. It is bordered by the Qinling Mountains to the south, with higher terrain to the southeast and lower terrain to the northwest, making it a typical radial city. The Guanzhong Plain, known as the "800-li Qin Chuan," has vast plains, fertile soil, and a superior natural environment. Xi'an’s terrain is higher in the southeast and lower in the northwest, with an average elevation of around 410 meters. The area is characterized by continuous "plateau" terrain, with distinctive features, often high and open in nature. The city’s suburbs are most famously known for the Longshou Plateau, Bailu Plateau, Shaoling Plateau, Shenhe Plateau, Xiliu Plateau, and Leyou Plateau. Xi'an has long been known for the saying "Eight waters surround Chang'an.
Essential Information
Best Time to Visit
Year Roundbest times to visit Xi'an are in spring and autumn....
Getting There
Multiple OptionsMost people use taxis or the airport bus to reach town from the airport. A taxi will cost about ¥150 from the airport to the Bell Tower downtown. You will pay around ¥50-75 more if you take one of the climatized Japanese black taxis rather than the typical green taxis. At the airport, both types of taxis are waiting at the same spot to pick up passengers. Line 14 of the Xi’an Metro runs from the airport to Xi'an North station (more specifically, the metro station named "Beikezhan (Beiguangchang)" ), where there are connections to lines 2 and 4 as well as to the long-distance rail network. The airport bus leaves the airport from 08:00 until 01:00, a ticket costs ¥25 and takes about one hour; there are several lines but the most useful are Airport Bus No. 1 (no stop to the terminus in front of the Melody Hotel, at the beginning of West Street near the Bell Tower) and No. 2 (to the railway station)....
Getting Around & Staying
Getting Around
The old city is surrounded by a rectangular city wall. The Bell Tower (钟楼 Zhōnglóu) is in the dead center of the rectangle, and is considered the center of Xi'an. From here, the four main streets radiate along the four points of the compass. Do not get confused by different names in tourist guides, addresses and bus stops: Nandajie, Nanda Street, South Street, and South Avenue are all the same street. Locals often speak about Within the city walls (城里 chénglǐ, CHUNG-lee) and Outside the city walls (城外 chéngwài, CHUNG-why) when talking about locations. Outside the walls, the southern part is the most interesting - it offers shopping streets, bars and some nightlife. Basically the inner Xi'an, the part inside the City Walls, is the old Xi'an, which is equivalent to the term "downtown" used to describe certain parts of a North American city. The buildings are mostly pretty short due to government policies. People who live inside the City Walls largely preserve a traditional way of life.
Where to Stay
As with most Chinese cities, several cheap run down hotels can be found near the train station. There are a few decent ones inside the city walls, on a road called Jie Fang Lu, going directly south from the train station. Bargaining is possible, especially if you are staying for more than one night. Expect to pay under ¥100 for a single room as getting a room for as low as ¥30 is possible. There are at least six international youth hostels in the center of the city, and they are easy to find. Booking on the Internet will usually save you money, prices start around ¥15. Xi'an Jiaotong University is a locally prestigious institution that offers study programs to foreign students. The website of its school of international education is It's not very easy to make friends with the locals in Xi'an, especially if you don't speak the language. Also the most common, or even the only way to keep in touch with anyone in China these days is through Wechat.
Money & Budget
Xi'an souvenirs include small copies of terracotta warriors, wood-carved Buddhas and dragons, Tang Tricolored Pottery, hand made paper cut (by many regarded as the most important arts form in Xi'an), all other kind of folk art and also fake western products. Xi'an used to have only a few restaurants known by the locals to serve delicious food. Now the restaurants are everywhere, especially ones like KFC and McDonald. The younger generations don't seem to appreciate the traditional cuisines and rather choose to eat fast food. Therefore, some of good old restaurants are forced to close down, being taken over by the newer ones.
Safety Information
Safety Overview
Xi'an is, like other Chinese cities, generally quite safe. Just watch out for pickpockets in crowds, on the bus, and during national holidays. Look at the Beijing#Cope notes as they apply to Xi'an, too. Most importantly, take paper tissue with you to toilets. Generally, Western style accommodation will have western toilets, whereas the very inexpensive guest house (zhao dai suo) will usually have squat toilets. If you need to use western toilets, learn to plan your day accordingly. Major tourist attractions will have western toilets. There seems to be an unwritten agreement that foreigners can use the toilets in most hotels as necessary. If you arrive in Xi'an by train, try not to be overwhelmed when you exit Xi'an's train station. There are usually aggressive hotel touts looking for customers.
Nearby Destinations
Glimpses of Xi'an
white and brown concrete building under white sky during daytime
In today’s world of easy access information and increasingly amazing imagery you can often be left underwhelmed when seeing something in reality, It was a plesant surprise to find the Terracotta Army did not just live up to the hype but thoroughly exceeded it, a truly awe inspiring site that they have only just scratched the surface of The scale of the site and in particular what is still under the ground is mind bending
长安钟楼
a view of a wall with flags and buildings in the background
A large building sitting on top of a body of water
In today’s world of easy access information and increasingly amazing imagery you can often be left underwhelmed when seeing something in reality, It was a plesant surprise to find the Terracotta Army did not just live up to the hype but thoroughly exceeded it, a truly awe inspiring site that they have only just scratched the surface of
The Terracotta Army is a collection of terracotta sculptures depicting the armies of Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of China
a tall building sitting next to a body of water
City wall Xi'an china
Muslim Market, Xian, China
white and brown concrete building under white sky during daytime
In today’s world of easy access information and increasingly amazing imagery you can often be left underwhelmed when seeing something in reality, It was a plesant surprise to find the Terracotta Army did not just live up to the hype but thoroughly exceeded it, a truly awe inspiring site that they have only just scratched the surface of The scale of the site and in particular what is still under the ground is mind bending
长安钟楼