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Xi'an, a city with excellent value for money, boasts direct high-speed rail access and year-round airfare discounts. If you only have two or three days off, Xi'an is definitely a top destination on your travel list. A trip to Xi'an for over 500 yuan per person is no exaggeration! But how do you make the most of your tight travel time? It's a real headache.
Today, I've compiled a list of Xi'an's top 20 must-do experiences! They're divided into three categories: attractions, food, and experiences!
You can arrange the trip according to your own preferences, whether it is 2-3 days or 7-9 days, you will definitely have a great time in Xi'an!
The Xi'an City Wall is the largest and best-preserved ancient city wall in China, with a total length of 13.74 kilometers. Due to cultural relic protection reasons, the building height within the city wall cannot be higher than 100 meters, so many old-style houses and temple attractions are still preserved. However, outside the city wall, due to urban development, high-rise buildings are lined up one after another. This huge visual gap will make you feel unreal!
While riding along the way, we can see the ancient Forest of Steles Museum, the bustling South Gate CBD business district, the busy Bell Tower South Street, the Guangren Temple with its red walls and golden tiles, the Xi'an Railway Station built in the Republic of China, and other unique landscapes. And looking down from above, there is a unique sense of beauty!
If you start riding between 3-4 pm, it is recommended that you pay attention to the sunset time of the day. The most beautiful sunset can be seen from the southeast corner tower of the Xi'an City Wall!
Tips:
Car rental points: Cars can be rented at the South Gate, West Gate, North Gate, and East Gate of the city wall
Vehicle type: Single car/Double car (single car is recommended)
Car rental fee: Single car 45 yuan/3 hours, double car 90 yuan/3 hours, deposit 100 yuan/car
Time: 8:00-22:00 for the South Gate rental point; 8:00-19:00 for other rental points. You can return the car at the nearest location.
The current Xi'an city wall was built during the Ming Dynasty on the basis of the Tang Palace city wall, so there is a unique museum in the city wall, which also preserves the ruins of the Tang Dynasty city gate. This is the Hanguanmen Tang City Wall Ruins Museum!
The Tang Hanguang Gate, now 1,400 years old, no longer possesses the majestic grandeur it once held. However, the towering rammed earth structure still leaves a lasting impression. The worn-down doorway tiles and the precious, intact remains of the water culvert reveal a bustling and vibrant scene thousands of years ago.
Tips:
Address: Inside Hanguang Gate, Xi'an City Wall Scenic Area
Tickets: Tickets for the city wall scenic area are free to visit
Shaanxi History Museum is a must-see attraction in Xi'an. In addition to the three basic exhibition halls, there are also two special exhibition halls. It is these two special exhibition halls that make Shaanxi History Museum famous all over the world. These are "Treasures of the Tang Dynasty - Hejiacun Cellar Unearthed Cultural Relics Exhibition" and "Tang Dynasty Mural Treasures Hall"!
The "Treasures of the Tang Dynasty: Cultural Relics from the Hejiacun Hoard" exhibition, hailed as a "major archaeological discovery in China in the 20th century," showcases 319 artifacts from the Hejiacun Hoard. Unearthed in Hejiacun, Xi'an, in 1970, the Hoard's owner remains a mystery, as do their burials and their origins. These artifacts are believed to be worth the annual tax revenue of 1.5 million men during the Tang Dynasty.
The "Treasures of Tang Dynasty Murals" exhibits nearly 600 exquisite murals from over 20 Tang Dynasty tombs, covering over 1,000 square meters. Eighteen of these murals have been designated national treasures, and 82 have been designated first-class masterpieces! Approximately 80% of China's unearthed tomb murals originated in Shaanxi, and the Shaanxi History Museum's Mural Gallery houses 70% of these unearthed Shaanxi tomb murals. This means you can view the vast majority of China's exquisite tomb murals here!
Tips:
Tickets: Tang Dynasty Treasures Exhibition Ticket 30 yuan/person; Mural Museum Ticket 300 yuan/person
The Terracotta Army is known as one of the "Eight Wonders of the World," but there's actually a relic just 2 kilometers away that's the greatest wonder! It's the Qin Bronze Chariot and Horses!
This is the largest, most complex and most complete ancient chariot unearthed in the history of Chinese archaeology. It is known as the "Crown of Bronze". It is equipped with countless black technologies. All parts can be disassembled freely. Many of the assembly techniques are discovered for the first time. All parts fit together perfectly, and small parts of one or two centimeters can be seen everywhere. The bronze umbrella on the car is actually a semi-automatic structure, and when disassembled, it becomes a spear and shield, which can be used as weapons. I can't imagine that these were all handmade more than 2,000 years ago!
Tips:
Location: Bronze Chariot and Horse Museum of the Qin Shi Huang Mausoleum
Tickets: Terracotta Warriors tickets are free to visit
How to get there: Take the free shuttle bus from the Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum
The Forest of Steles Museum is simply the most unique museum. It houses more than 11,000 cultural relics, including more than 4,000 steles and epitaphs, and 134 national treasures. It can be said that "the best place to see stele art is the Forest of Steles Museum"!
But if you come to the Forest of Steles Museum, in addition to various stone tablets and cultural relics, we can carefully look for old masters making rubbings. Rubbing is a traditional Chinese skill. The state stipulates that rubbings are prohibited on stone tablets from the Yuan Dynasty and before, but rubbings are still allowed on stone tablets after the Yuan Dynasty. Put the paper on the stone tablet and start beating it rhythmically. These old masters all have more than 10 years of work experience, so watching the rubbing process is also a kind of enjoyment!
Tips:
Next to the rubbing hall, there will be special unique stone rubbings for sale. If you are interested, you can also buy one as a souvenir. The price ranges from dozens to hundreds!
The mysterious world of archaeology has opened a new door for us here! The Shaanxi Archaeological Museum is definitely one of the must-see museums in Xi'an. Traditional museums only show you cultural relics, but archaeological museums go beyond just exhibiting them and also share the knowledge behind these relics and the archaeological behind them, truly understanding both the facts and the reasons behind them!
The entire museum is a large archaeology exhibition, telling everyone the origin and future of Chinese archaeology, the usage of the Luoyang shovel, and the difference between archaeology and tomb robbing.
Tips:
Admission: Free
Address: Northeast side of the intersection of Wenyuan South Road and Zhongnan Avenue, Chang'an District, Xi'an City, Shaanxi Province
Time: 9:00-17:00, ticket checking stops at 16:00, closed every Wednesday (except statutory holidays)
Mount Huashan is known for its dangers, but where exactly does it get so dangerous? If you visit two locations on the summit, you'll experience its sheer rigor. Traversing the cliffs, with a chasm looming behind you, it's like walking in the air. These are the Skywalk and the Kitesurfing!
The aerial plank road is about 110 meters long and was built by He Zizhen, the first generation master of Huashan School in the Yuan Dynasty. It has a history of more than 700 years. Holding the iron chain in your hands and stepping on the wooden planks to slowly move forward on the cliff, your adrenaline will be secreted like crazy!
Although the Yaozi Flip is not as famous as the Skywalk, it is definitely more dangerous than the Skywalk because it is an inclined road, but it is inclined from the inside. You can't see the road at all and can only use your feet to feel the way. Therefore, the experience requires not only a strong psychological endurance, but also good physical strength!
Tips:
Harrier Turnover Location: Next to Huashan East Peak Hotel
Cost: 30 yuan/person
Changkong Plank Road Location: South Gate of Huashan South Peak
Cost: 30 yuan/person
Note: The Skywalk/Kite Flip will be suspended in windy, rainy, snowy or other weather conditions.
Hukou Waterfall is the second largest waterfall in China. "The wind is roaring, the horses are neighing, and the Yellow River is roaring" describes the scene of Hukou Waterfall. Here, the Yellow River shrinks from a width of 300 meters to 50 meters in an instant. The tumbling Yellow River water pours down from more than 30 meters away, and the waterfall makes a huge sound like thunder. This scene happens during the flood season of the Yellow River!
Hukou Waterfall has four flood seasons: the Ice Flood, the Peach Blossom Flood, the Summer Flood, and the Autumn Flood. The Peach Blossom and Autumn Floods are the most abundant! From March to April each year, the ice and snow in the upper reaches of the Yellow River melt, and the peach blossoms on both banks quietly bloom. Like a giant dragon awakening, the Yellow River surges forward, and the large and small cascades of Hukou Waterfall merge into one, steam rising from the air. This is known as the "Peach Blossom Flood"!
The autumn flood occurs in October and November every year. The Loess Plateau has entered the rainy season. The Yellow River, carrying mud and sand, gushes and roars at the Hukou Waterfall and leaps into the deep pool. The water vapor is illuminated by the sunlight, and a curved rainbow hangs above the waterfall!
The most special thing is the ice flood. The banks of Hukou Waterfall have been frozen, and it has lost its former turbulent momentum. The Yellow River water comes to Hukou Waterfall accompanied by pieces of ice. The entire Yellow River has become a world of ice and snow, with layers of ice stacked and squeezed together. This is the famous landscape of Hukou Waterfall, "Hukou Ice".
Tips:
Tickets: Full ticket 82 yuan/person, half ticket 45 yuan/person, sightseeing bus 40 yuan/person
Qianling Mausoleum is renowned for its inscriptionless stele. This joint tomb of Wu Zetian and Emperor Gaozong of Tang, Li Zhi, is the best-preserved of the 18 Tang Dynasty tombs in Shaanxi Province and the only one that has not been looted! When visiting Qianling Mausoleum, don't miss the three accompanying tombs nearby: the Tomb of Prince Zhanghuai, the Tomb of Princess Yongtai, and the Tomb of Prince Yide. Experience a real-life "Ghost Blows Out the Light" experience and step into the heart of a Tang Dynasty royal tomb!
I recommend you to visit the tombs of Princess Yongtai and Prince Yide. The tombs are of the highest level and the murals are very exquisite. Currently, the murals in the tomb passages are all replicas, and the originals are in the Mural Hall of Shaanxi History Museum, which is very worth viewing!
Tips:
Tickets: Qianling Mausoleum is free to visit, 20 yuan per person for sightseeing and bus transfer
Time: 8:30-17:30
Xi'an boasts a world-renowned intangible cultural heritage—Xi'an drum music. Originating from Tang Dynasty court music, it still retains a remarkably complete repertoire, musical notation, structure, instruments, and performance styles. On September 30, 2009, Xi'an drum music was inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
The musicians primarily play bamboo flutes, with other wind instruments including flutes, shengs, and guans. Percussion instruments include sitting drums, war drums, music drums, and solo drums, as well as large and small cymbals, large and small cymbals, large gongs, horse gongs, lead gongs, hinged gongs, large bangzi (a type of Chinese plucked instrument), and hand bangzi (a type of Chinese plucked instrument), presenting a thousand-year-old sound. If you're in Xi'an, we highly recommend experiencing Xi'an drum music; it'll transport you back to the Tang Dynasty.
Tips:
Title: Tang Dynasty Palace Banquet Music "Drum"
Location: 3rd Floor, Ziyun Tower, Tang Paradise
Session: 15:30-16:15, 45 minutes
Ticket price: 88 yuan/start
Famen Temple was built in the late Eastern Han Dynasty, with a history of over 1,700 years. In 1987, the underground palace of Famen Temple was opened, and the world-famous finger bone relic of Sakyamuni Buddha was discovered! Besides viewing the relic, you can also enjoy a vegetarian meal at Famen Temple!
In the Thousand-Armed Guanyin Hall on the east side of the Heshi Relic Pagoda is the vegetarian restaurant of Famen Temple. Before eating, the lay Buddhists will recite the "Offering Gāthā" and the "Concluding the Vegetarian Memorandum". In front of each person is a rice, a dish and a soup. The portions are not large, but the taste is very good!
Tips:
Meal time: 11:30-14:30
Price: 35 yuan/person
The entire dance drama "Song of Everlasting Regret" is 70 minutes long and consists of ten acts, including "The Daughter of the Yang Family Has Grow Up", "Once Chosen by the King's Side", "When No One Whispers in the Middle of the Night", "Bath in Huaqing Pool in the Cold Spring", "High in the Li Palace Reaching the Blue Clouds", "Drunken in Spring after the Banquet in the Jade Tower", "Fairy Music Heard Everywhere in the Wind", "The Drums of Yuyang Shake the Earth", "Flowers and Hairpins Scattered on the Ground, No One Collects Them", and "We Will Meet in Heaven and on Earth". With Mount Li as the backdrop and the Nine Dragon Lake of Huaqing Pool as the stage, it gives you a wonderful sense of time travel and is a must-see performance when you come to Xi'an!
The audience seating area is divided into 4 areas, namely Central Area A, Central Area B, East-West Area A, and East-West Area B. It is strongly recommended that you sit in the Central Area because the stage is a symmetrical structure along the central axis. The visual effect of the Central Area is the most shocking. There will be water and fire during the performance. If you are afraid of being splashed with water, you can buy Central Area B!
Tips:
Performance time: 18:30-19:40, subject to the actual performance
Transportation: Take Xi'an Metro Line 9, get off at Huaqingchi Station, and walk to the Huaqing Palace scenic area
The Bell Tower is definitely a must-visit place for everyone who comes to Xi'an. It has convenient transportation, numerous accommodations, and a large number of delicious foods. But in fact, the Bell Tower is also a good place to see the night view of Xi'an. At night, the Bell Tower, Drum Tower and the surrounding buildings light up at the same time. The endless stream of cars forms a neon circle around the Bell Tower. The singing of street performers can be heard from the Drum Tower Square from time to time. It would be a pity if you don’t go to experience the night view here!
There's a great spot near the Bell Tower where you can see both the Bell Tower and the Drum Tower at night. This is Kaiyuan Mall, located southeast of the Bell Tower. Kaiyuan Mall has two viewing platforms: the east viewing platform on the fifth floor of Kaiyuan Mall (on the east platform behind the Li-Ning store) and the west viewing platform on the fifth floor of Kaiyuan Mall (on the west platform behind the Carbine store).
The east platform currently has a Klein Blue installation art exhibition. It is closer to the bell tower and you can see the most beautiful night view of the bell tower. However, it is the most crowded here and the Drum Tower will be blocked. The west platform is farther away from the bell tower, but you can see both the bell tower and the drum tower at the same time!
Tips:
Recommended time to go: 17:30-18:00
Because there are many tourists, if you want to grab a great seat, it is recommended to go early!
Qinqiang can be said to be one of the labels of Xi'an. It is said that Shaanxi people have a character called "raw, cold, hateful, and stubborn". If you want to feel it, you can listen to Qinqiang once. As a national intangible cultural heritage, Qinqiang has penetrated into the daily life of Xi'an people. The Yisushe Cultural District on the northeast side of the Bell Tower is the best place to experience Qinqiang. There are two museums here, namely the Yisushe Centennial Museum and the China Qinqiang Art Museum!
The Yisu Society Centennial Museum also houses the Yisu Grand Theatre and Yisu Theatre. Yisu Society, along with the Bolshoi Theatre and the Royal Theatre, is considered one of the world's three oldest theatre companies. It has made significant contributions to the preservation of Qinqiang opera, including during the Anti-Japanese War and the liberation of the People's Republic of China. Qinqiang performances are frequently held at both the Yisu Grand Theatre and Yisu Theatre, and we highly recommend experiencing them!
The China Qinqiang Art Museum is definitely a treasure museum in Xi'an. Here you can learn about the birth of opera, the differences between different operas, and the various costumes and makeup. It is simply dazzling and will definitely give you a brand new understanding of Qinqiang!
Tips:
Qinqiang performances are occasionally held on the open-air stage of the Yisushe Cultural District. For details, please follow the "Yisushe Cultural District Official Account"
Inside the Xi'an city wall is the Old Town of Xi'an, which has the most authentic cultural customs of Xi'an. It is definitely worth walking around and taking a look at the Old Town!
Here I recommend a classic Xi'an CityWalk route: Wuxing Street Church - Bingjia Alley - Hanguang Gate - Wumu Gate - Zhuque Gate - Xiangzi Temple - Shuyuan Gate - Forest of Steles Museum. Walking here, you can see the authentic city life in Xi'an, delicious food everywhere on the street, the comfortable life under the city wall, the rich history of Xi'an, the ancient monuments and cultural relics located in the residential areas, and the streets with the strongest cultural atmosphere in Xi'an. Moreover, unlike the Huifang, here is noisy and crowded with tourists. You can slowly feel the sounds of this city along the way!
Markets are a defining feature of any city, from Kunming's flower market to Beijing's Dashilan Market. If you're in Xi'an, you absolutely have to visit Xicang! This "Hui"-shaped street in the Huifang area is popular with merchants from Xi'an and surrounding areas. Every Thursday and Sunday, vendors from Xi'an and surrounding areas gather here, selling everything from fruits and vegetables to flowers, birds, fish, insects, antiques, and household items. It's a true treasure-hunting paradise!
The four streets in the east, south, west and north have also formed different markets respectively. North Street sells flowers, birds, fish and insects, East Street sells crickets and clothes, South Street sells antiques and West Street sells second-hand electrical appliances. The lively side of Xi'an is displayed here to the fullest. The sounds of hawking, bargaining, insects chirping and birds singing are mixed together. It is hard to believe that there is such a market in the city center of Xi'an!
Tips:
The Xicang Market is open every Thursday and Sunday. It is busiest from 8:00 to 12:00 in the morning. Merchants will gradually leave in the afternoon. It is recommended to go there in the morning.
"Noodles are like belts, and pot cakes are like pot lids." Among the eight strange things in Shaanxi, the noodles as wide as belts are biangbiang noodles. The scene of Bai Jiaxuan eating noodles in the TV series "White Deer Plain" also made Xi'an's biangbiang noodles popular all over the country again. Biangbiang noodles got its name because of the biang, biang sound when pulling the noodles. Finally, put the side dishes and chili powder, pour hot oil, and the aroma is fragrant. There are usually only 1 or 2 noodles in the huge bowl, which is enough to fill you up!
Xi'an is packed with noodle shops, but which ones are the best? Every Xi'an resident has their own favorite, and today I'd like to recommend a few of my favorites! First up is Lao Bai's Noodle House, located on Cehui East Road! They specialize in "gungun" noodles, but if you're looking for "biangbiang" noodles, ask the owner. They've been in business for 40 years, and because it's far from the tourist spots, it's always been frequented by locals, so the flavors are still top-notch!
The second one is Shangzhai Lingzhale Noodle House, which is a chain store with 3 stores at present. The taste is good and the price is very affordable. Moreover, their bowls are super large Guanzhong old bowls, which are perfect for taking photos!
Tips:
There are many noodle restaurants in Xi'an. If you want to eat noodles, it is recommended that you stay away from scenic spots as much as possible. Many delicious restaurants are near residential areas, and a bowl of noodles generally costs between 12 and 15 yuan!
Recommended noodle shop: Lao Bai’s Noodle House
Address: No. 118, Xinlvcheng, Cehui East Road, Beilin District, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province
Price: 12 yuan
Recommended noodle shop: Shangzhai Lingzhalie Noodle House (Taibai Impression City Branch)
Address: B1 Floor, Taibai Impression City, No. 155, West Section of Second Ring South Road
Price: 12 yuan
Time: 11:30-14:30, 17:30-21:30
Pao Mo is a signature Xi'an delicacy. Beef and mutton Pao Mo is the most well-known, but there are actually many different varieties of Pao Mo in Xi'an. Besides beef and mutton Pao Mo, there's also Hulutou Pao Mo, stir-fried beef and mutton, tofu Pao Mo, three-fresh steamed bun, and more! Each Pao Mo has its own loyal fans. Those who like stronger flavors tend to favor stir-fried beef and mutton, while those who prefer a savory broth prefer Hulutou Pao Mo. So if you're in Xi'an, you'll want to try a variety of Pao Mo!
Xi'an locals must break the steamed buns themselves when eating beef and mutton soup with steamed buns. Breaking the steamed buns and chatting while doing so is a way of socializing for Xi'an people. The steamed buns they break off should be as big as soybeans, so that they can be cooked with flavor. The following steamed bun restaurants are often eaten by Xi'an people. Friends who like delicious food can go and try them!
Tips:
Beef and mutton steamed bun restaurant: a Xingyuelou beef and mutton steamed bun stir-fry
Address: No. 133, Xushimiao Street, Qingnian Road Subdistrict
Price: 25 yuan
Beef and mutton stir-fry restaurant: Ma Hong stir-fry steamed bun restaurant
Address: No. 46 Hongbu Street
Price: 25 yuan
Hulutou Pao Mo Restaurant: Tianfa Ya Heji Hulutou Pao Mo
Address: No. 18 Baoensi Street
Price: 25 yuan
Huifang is a well-known food gathering area in Xi'an, which is also known as Sajin Bridge and Huimin Street. But in fact, these places are collectively called Huifang in the eyes of Xi'an people. Huifang is known as "Seven Temples and Thirteen Fangs", consisting of seven mosques and 13 streets. Dapiyuan, Xiaopiyuan, Hongbu Street, Xiyangshi, Miaohou Street, Beiguangji Street, and Beiyuanmen all belong to Huifang. These alleys are full of delicious food!
For example, sour plum soup, stuffed skin, persimmon cake, steamed buns, steamed dumplings, spicy soup, milk fermented glutinous rice, etc. We have compiled the delicacies of Huifang into a map, and everyone is welcome to check it out!
Online food bloggers often fly to a night market in Xianyang just for a bowl of noodles. This night market is known as "the largest open-air noodle restaurant in Asia". The entire night market only sells one kind of noodles, which is Huitong noodles!
Huitong noodles are actually a type of dry noodles with臊子 (sauerkraut) mixed with garlic sauce. Because there was a factory nearby, the workers had nowhere to eat after get off work. So a night market gradually formed here. Because it is located next to the Huitong Cross, it is called the Huitong Night Market. This type of noodles is also named after this place. If you have the chance, you must try some authentic Huitong noodles!
Tips:
Price: 10 yuan/piece
Transportation: Take Metro Line 1 to Fenghe Forest Park, transfer to Bus No. 35 to Zhonghua Shizi, and walk 300 meters to the destination
