Xian (actually Xi’an, but for the ease of reading/writing we will keep it Xian) is a Chinese inland city located in the Shaanxi Province that became world famous following the discovery of the Terracotta Army in 1974. We visited it in 2016, and planned to stay a few days to see some other attractions that seemed to be worth it. As we felt our stay was too long, we decided to make this post listing those attractions, what we thought about them, and how to organize a visit to make the most of your time (and possibly include some other city in your Chinese itinerary). See here our post about “First impressions of China”
Which are the must see of Xian:
The Terracotta Army
The Terracotta Army is a collection of Terracotta Sculptures depicting the armies of the first emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang. They were buried with the emperor on 209 BCE, as protection for the emperor in his afterlife. Over 8,000 figures are estimated to exist, and the ones already unburied are now displayed in halls, all organized in the same place where archeologists are still working. You can see warriors, horses, chariots and other figures, and all of them have different faces. While we didn´t find the visit spectacular, it is one of the places you have to see if visit Xian.
To visit without paying a tour, you can take one of the buses next to the Xian Railway Station (slow trains station). Bus 306 leaves right east of the station, and you will notice it because of the tourists in the line :). When you see it, just go up. Eventually someone will come onboard and sell you a ticket for 5 CNY one way (ensure to have cash). Trip takes about 1 hour, and you will recognize the place easily. You can buy the tickets to see the Terracotta Army directly upon arrival for 120-150CNY. To go back to Xian, you will see 306, among other buses, upon leaving the Terracotta Army site. Just try to take 306, as it is way more direct (we took another one following a man shouting ‘Xian, Xian’ and took us like 2 hours to get back).
If you go to the site really early in the morning (taking the bus before 9am) you can complete the visit and be back in town by 3PM easily. You can buy food and drinks on site; however it is possibly cheaper to bring some stuff from the city.
The Muslim Quarter
Xian was the easternmost point of the Silk Road back 200 years BC, when this trade route carried products between East and West, going all the way to Europe. This route brought Muslim influence to China, and Xian is certainly the most important place to see that influence. Within the area known as the Muslim Quarter, you can find a lot of food stalls, alleys, clothes sellers and some mosques, making it a very picturesque area. We really enjoyed walking around, trying food that was a lovely mix of Arab and Chinese food, including spectacular bread, noodles, fish and some juices.
The City Wall
Xian was one of the many Chinese cities protected by a Wall. This one in particular was built in the 14th Century and has been refurbished multiple times. The rectangular design creates a great walking runway of 14 kilometers that can be enjoyed in a bike, while seeing the city from above. Wall can be accessed from many points, probably the best one is the south gate, Yongning, as it is the mostly decorated one, and it is close to the Bell Tower and the centre of the city. Admission fee is 54 CNY, and if you decide to rent a bike, it will cost approximately 45 CNY for two hours (enough for the ride). You can get a double bike for 90 CNY, and a refundable deposit of 200 CNY is needed. Rental places are in all four gates, closing at 6PM except for the south gate that closes at 8PM. We recommend the bike ride!
The Bell Tower and the Drum Tower
These towers are one of the most famous symbols of the City. They were built during the early Ming dynasty in the 1300s, and are located in the middle of the city. They are built of brick and timber. The Drum tower´s name is given by a drum that used to be beaten to mark the end of the day. On the other side, the Bell tower has a bell that rings at dawn, to mark the beginning of the day.
If you have time:
The Giant Wild Goose Pagoda
We didn´t enjoy this Pagoda, possibly because it was all covered with scaffolds, but if you have the time, it can be visited. It is a Buddhist pagoda located south of Xian, and can be reached via Metro (Line 3 – Da Yan Ta station). Height is 64.5 meters. Tickets costs 50 CNY, including the visit to the DaCi’ temple. For an extra 30CNY, you can ascend to the pagoda.
The Small Wild Goose Pagoda
This Pagoda was slightly nicer to us. Current height is 43.3 meters (lost a few after earthquakes), the Jianfu temple, were it is located is nice. Entrance is free, except for the period of the temple fair, from the 1st to the 15th of the lunar month. Ascending to the pagoda costs 30 CNY.
What we did, what we recommend, what others told us.
What we did
What we did is stayed there for three entire days. It was too much. We were able to relax, but ended up thinking that maybe one day less in Xian would have given us the chance to see something else. We arrived early in the Z19 sleeper train from Beijing, and took the first day to go around the Muslim Quarter, visit the Bell Tower and the Drum Tower, and ride the bike around the City Wall. Then, we walked the city by night a little bit. Our day number two was to visit the Terracotta Army, coming back to the city in the middle of the afternoon to relax. On the third day, we visited the Small and Giant Wild Goose Pagodas, walked around the Muslim Quarter again, and ended up leaving the city at 9.35PM on the Z254 train to Shanghai.
What we recommend
Stay two days-one night. If you arrive like we did from Beijing on the Z19, get rid of your stuff in your accommodation place (the closest to Xian Railway Station the better), and get the first available bus to the Terracotta Army. When finished, get back to the city and walk around, seeing the Bell Tower and Drum Tower. The next day, wake up; go to the City Wall and do the bike ride. Then visit the Muslim Quarter, enjoy food and smells, walk around. If time allows, visit one of both of the Wild Goose Pagodas. Then take the night train to Shanghai (alternative trains like Z42 or Z166 exist).
What someone told us
We meet a guy on the train to Shanghai who told us that he actually didn’t sleep in Xian at all, coming and leaving by train. He arrived in Z19 in the morning, went to visit the Terracotta Army, came back, wandered around the city for a while, and took the train to Shanghai the same night. He was travelling really light, had short time to be in China, and probably two consecutive nights of train sleeping plus no shower can be a challenge, but if short on time and only interested in the Terracotta Army, it is doable. There is a luggage consignment service in the station. We haven’t used it, but in case you are interested.
This is a brief detail of what we did in Xian. As our entire China trip was done by train, we like to mention how we made it. It is certainly a great experience, and we strongly recommend doing it “tour free” 🙂 more to come about that. In the meantime, you can check here our post on how to plan a trip, including train trip planning.
Have you been to Xian? Planning to go? Please ask us, and we are open to adding suggestions to this post if you have any. Tell us what you think!