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Xian Attractions
Xi'an has a bewildering array of sights that can confound the visitor with little time to spare. The Terra-Cotta Warriors are a must, as is the Shanxi History Museum, but make sure you also leave time for a walk or bike ride along the city walls, a dumpling banquet, and an alfresco meal of kabobs in the Muslim markets after visiting the Great Mosque.
Eastern Route (Dong Xian) -- Of the two common tours from Xi'an, the Eastern Route is shorter, less expensive, and more popular than the Western Route. There is enough to keep you interested for a whole day, but organized tours of the Eastern Route include "shopping" and sights of dubious merit. While tours are convenient if you have the time, you can do without one. If you are short on time, simply visit Bingmayong as a half-day trip.
9 Results
- Religious Site
Ba Xian An
Tucked away in a narrow alley the tour buses can't reach is the most charming temple in Xi'an. As with the Great Mosque, the walk into it is half the adventure, with a flea market out front in some of the temple's old buildings. This becomes a huge antiques market on Sunday mornings.… - Historic Site
Banpo Bowuguan
If you're interested in archaeology, this is an essential visit. Otherwise, you can give it a miss. Given the amount of material unearthed here since its discovery in 1953 (tools, pottery, burial jars, and so on), it's amazing that only one-fifth of the site has been excavated…Eastern Route
- Landmark
Beilin Bowuguan
Formerly the Shanxi Provincial Museum, the Forest of Stelae is situated in a former Confucian temple (ca. 1087) that the literature describes as "unsophisticated and elegant." Originally forming the basis of a Tang university, many of the stelae have traveled a long way to get here;… - Religious Site
Da Qingzhensi
Founded during the height of the Tang dynasty in 742, this is one of the most tranquil places in town and the center of a sizable Muslim community, residents in Xi'an for over 1,200 years. As with Baxian An, half the adventure is getting there, as you veer left just north of the Drum… - Religious Site
Da Yan Ta and Da Ci'en Si
This is the best-known temple in Xi'an, and worth a visit if, like many in the U.K. and Australia, you were entranced by the TV version of "Monkey" as a child. The scripture-collecting journey of Xuanzang (596-664) to India, on which the show was based, lasted 15 years, and was… - The Performing Arts
Shanxi Grand Opera House
While it can't compete with Tang Yue Gong as a spectacle, this opera company has a more authentic feel, with revolutionary credentials tracing its origins to the Northwest Culture Work Group in Yan'an. If you opt for the dinner, you'll gorge on dumplings with 20 different fillings.… - The Performing Arts
Tang Dynasty
Run by a Hong Kong entrepreneur, this show delivers all your fantasies of Asia at once: lavish costumes modeled on the Mogao cave paintings, a six-course banquet (watch out for the rice wine), hammy acting, and some amazing music and dance. Gao Ming's performance of the Spring… - Landmark
Terra-Cotta Warriors
This is the reason most visitors come to Xi'an, and unlike many big sights in China, it does not disappoint. Amazingly, the warriors are just one piece of Qin Shi Huang's attempt to reconstruct his empire for the afterlife. The tomb to the west is supposedly booby-trapped and is…Eastern Route - Landmark
Xi'an Chengqiang
The largest and best-preserved city wall in China is definitely worth a visit. The pieces of the wall have recently been reconnected so that you can do the 14km (8 3/4-mile) loop around it by foot, bicycle, or a golf cart. The walls were built during the early Ming dynasty, on the…
Xian Shopping
Along with good clothes and sports shops on Dong Dajie, and a decent supermarket in the Century Ginwa (below Bell Tower Square), Xi'an has plenty of decent markets.
Ba Xian An -- The outdoor antiques market on Sunday mornings is the most atmospheric in town. Despite a sign warning that antiques must be declared with Customs before you leave China, there's no guarantee that what you buy is a genuine antique. But there is a buzz to the place, and you can find some wonderful Cultural Revolution kitsch, ceramics, bronze Buddhas, and Qing coins. See the Ba Xian An review in "Exploring Xi'an," above, for directions.
Huajue Xiang -- The most enjoyable place to shop for souvenirs is the covered alleyway that leads to Da Qingzhensi. Shopping here is a blood sport, and you are the game, but the vendors are friendly. Interesting finds include feng shui compasses, Mao lighters, Tibetan prayer wheels, Little Red Books in French, and gnarled walking sticks.
Shuyuan Xiang -- This enjoyable street for browsing is east of Nan Men, on the way to Beilin Bowuguan. Shops sell huge paint brushes, rubbings, paintings, and musical instruments, and you can watch artists at work in this faithfully restored street.
Xian Nightlife
As well as the cultural entertainment options listed below, Xi'an also has a fairly lively nightlife scene; the best place to sample this is Defuxiang Bar Street (Defuxiang Jiuba Jie), northwest of Nan Men, where there are plenty of different bars to choose from.
The Performing Arts
Two companies perform Tang-style banquets and musicals to entertain visitors. The competition for the group-tour dollar is fierce.
Catching Chinese Shadows -- Piying was the staple entertainment of rural Shanxi before karaoke. Puppets are carved from leather and dyed dazzling colors -- many date from the Qing dynasty (1644-1911). There are over 600 different plays, ranging from legends to love stories to kung-fu epics. Unlike opera, this is loud, irreverent entertainment for the masses. Piying is a dying art form; it takes 10 years to learn the craft, and for most, driving a taxi is a more appealing option, but tourism may just save the day and short performances (¥15) can now be seen on request at Gaojia Dayuan (8:30am-11pm; entrance ¥15) on the western side of Bei Yuan Men in the Muslim quarter.
