Xi'an

Introduction

City walls of Xian

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Xi'an (西安) is an industrial city of 8 million people and the present day capital of Shaanxi province. Xi'an was the capital of China from the Zhou dynasty (11th century BCE) to the famous Tang dynasty (7th century CE) and has the sights to prove it including the marvelous city walls, which still encapsulate the city centre.

After losing its title as the capital it remained important for its strategic location and became a rich city on the Silk Road. Today Xi'an has become a center of commerce for the north west of China and of the coal industry. Although the city is primarily known for the famous Terracotta Army there are plenty of other excellent – and some claim more interesting – sights, including the ancient city wall which is wide enough to walk or cycle across.

Neighbourhoods

The urban and suburban areas of Xi'an are divided into seven districts although most tourists never leave the area within the city walls other then to see the provincial museum:

• Beilin
• Yanta
• Weiyang
• Baqiao
• Xincheng
• Lianhu
• Chang'an

Sights and Activities

• Terracotta Army is one of the most famous sights in the world and only found in 1974 by farmers. They stumbled upon around 8,000 clay soldiers, horses and chariots that were built at the request of the then fourteen year old King Zheng for his future royal tomb.
• City Walls (城墙) have been completely restored and are wide enough to take a nice walk or bike ride. The south gate is the best starting point and your cycling is ppossible from 8:00am to 10:00pm. There are several cafés located at the various towers.
• The Bell Tower（钟楼）is at the centre of town and was used to in ancient times to tell people in the city what time it was.
• The Drum Tower（鼓楼）arriving around 5:00pm and climb to the top, where you’ll have a beautiful view of the city.
• Big Goose Pagoda（大雁塔）is the main pagoda in Xi'an, a well-preserved ancient building and a holy place for Buddhists.
• Little Goose Pagoda（小雁塔）
• Great Mosque（大清真寺）is an amazing mosque that is set up like a Taoist temple and one of the oldest, largest and best-preserved Islamic mosques in [China]], located northwest of the Drum Tower (Gu Lou) on Huajue Lane.
• Muslim Quarter is the area around the great mosque.

Events and Festivals

Weather

Xi'an has a temperate climate, with sharp distinctions between seasons. Summers tend to be hot (30 degrees Celsius or sometimes more) and a little wet, and winters tend to be cold and dry with frost and little snow.

Getting There

By Plane

Xi'an Xianyang International Airport (XIY) is located about 45 minutes outside of the city centre. International connections to XIY include Bangkok, Hong Kong, Seoul, Singapore and Tokyo. Domestic flights, one the other hand, are mostly operated by China Eastern Airlines, China Southern Airlines and Hainan Airlines.

The airport is 47 kilometres from Xi'an city centre and 13 kilometres from the town of Xianyang. Buses and taxis are available between the airport and Xi'an city centre. There is a shuttle from the front of the Melody Hotel from 6:00am to 6:00pm located at 86 Xi Dajie (西大街86号).

By Train

The Xi'an train station is a major hub for transport between western and eastern China and located a the outer north east corner of the city walls. The train station serves every major and most minor cities in China, and is especially well connected to Beijing in the north and Chengdu further south. There are also several trains a day to Lhasa, depending on the time of the year. Be careful of pickpockets at this train station.

By Car

By Bus

Getting Around

Most of what tourists want to see in Xi'an and where tourists stay is within the city walls. The streets are set up in a rough grid system, with the bell tower at the center of town. Traffic can be horrible within the walls so it is better to walk.

By Car

By Public Transport

By Foot

Xi'an is an easy city to walk around. Grab a map and go off exploring on foot!

By Bike

Eat

The Bell Tower International Youth Hostel is located at No 1 North Street near the post office building. (西安市北大街1号). It does pretty good food and has cheap beer to enjoy in a relaxed setting with other travellers.

Drink

Sleep

Budget

Mid-Range

Upscale

• Grand Park Kunming 20 Hong Hua Qiao As one of the top business and leisure hotels in Kunming, this 5 star hotel offers luxury accommodations, close proximity to golf and Green Lake Park, a fitness center and 3 gourmet dining options.
• Hyatt Regency Xian 158 Dong Da Jie (东大街158号) is a decent luxury hotel located within the city walls of Xi'an. This hotel offers an unbeatable location and rooms at Western prices. There is a nice restaurant that serves Western and Asian cuisine.

Work

Learn

• Xi'an Jiaotong University
• Xi'an University of Technology
• Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology
• Xi'an University of Finance and Economics
• Xi'an Foreign Language University

Keep Connected

Internet

Most hotels and hostels have internet access, either for a small fee or sometimes free to guests.

Phone

See also: International Telephone Calls

Post

China Post (中国邮政) is the official postal service of the People's Republic of China, operated by the State Postal Bureau of the People's Republic of China (website in Chinese only), and has more details about price to send letters, postcards and parcels, both domestically as well as internationally. The Chinese postal service is very good. Remember that in more remote places usually only one post office in a city can handle sending international boxes or letters. Also many times it might be worth having the name of the country you are trying to send to in Chinese characters. Post offices have a striking green logo and can easily be found everywhere in the cities. They are mostly open every day (including weekends!) from 8:00am to 6:00pm, though small offices might have shorter opening times, while the bigger ones in central and touristic areas are sometimes open during evenings as well.