12 Must-See Tourist Spots – Xi’an: Crossroads of Culture and Historic City

Xi'an, China, is known for being featured in the famous "Journey to the West" with the legendary Monkey King, Sun Wukong. Xi'an was once the ancient capital of China, formerly known as "Chang'an." For over 1,100 years, Chang'an was the capital, and today, tourists from around the world visit this historic city.

Xi'an is also the starting point on the eastern side of the Silk Road and a cultural crossroads with Islam. With its long history and diverse culture, Xi'an is home to many great and unique cultural landmarks. Here, we introduce 12 must-see tourist spots in Xi'an that you don’t want to miss.

1. Qin Shi Huang Terracotta Army Museum

The Qin Shi Huang Terracotta Army Museum is one of Xi'an’s most famous historic sites, designated as a World Heritage Site. Many people may be familiar with the story of its discovery.

In 1974, a farmer named Yang Zhifa, while digging in search of water, found a vast number of ceramic figures lined up in an underground chamber. The excavation revealed approximately 8,000 life-sized terracotta soldiers, generals, and horses, as well as 40,000 bronze items. These terracotta figures were made over 2,000 years ago! What's more, each figure has a unique facial expression.

Colored ceramic statues were also discovered, and it has been determined that originally, all of these statues were brightly colored. Today, the site has been developed as a tourist attraction, and visitors can view the entire collection from walkways along the museum's windows.

2. Xi'an City Wall

The Xi'an City Wall, built during the Ming Dynasty, is the largest surviving city wall in the world. The wall completely encircles the city's urban area, and most of it remains in its original form.

The wall stretches 13.7 km with a height of 12 meters, and the top of the wall features a wide 15-meter path, making it a popular route for cycling tourists, although most visitors prefer to walk. The wall offers stunning panoramic views, and the scenery from the top is breathtaking.

The city wall has several gates, including the West Gate, South Gate, and North Gate. The West Gate was used by caravans traveling along the Silk Road, and near the gate, a statue commemorates over 2,000 years of exchange along the Silk Road.

3. Xi'an Bell Tower

The Xi'an Bell Tower, located within the city walls of Xi'an, is a wooden structure built without the use of any nails. From the outside, it appears to have three floors, but upon entering, visitors will find only two floors. The extra floor is purely decorative. On the second floor, a large bell is suspended, which was historically struck to signal the time.

The Bell Tower stands at the center of the city, with roads extending in all four directions from it. When visiting, tourists can use an underground passage. This underground area features many souvenir shops selling Xi'an folk crafts and other items.

On the second floor of the Bell Tower, Chinese traditional musical instruments are on display, and at scheduled times, Chinese music is performed for visitors. In the evening, the Bell Tower is illuminated, offering a different view of the building than during the day.

4. Muslim Quarter

Located just 100 meters from the center of Xi'an’s city, the Muslim Quarter is a unique tourist spot. Xi'an, as the starting point of the Silk Road, welcomed many foreign cultures, including Islam. Today, around 50,000 Muslims live in the area, and there are 10 mosques, or Islamic temples, in the district.

Interestingly, within the same area, there is also a City God Temple, a place dedicated to the guardian deity of the city. The Xi'an City God Temple is considered one of China’s "Three Great City God Temples."

In the Food Street of this area, visitors can experience both cultures simultaneously. A particularly popular dish is the lamb meat bun, which combines Islamic lamb meat with Chinese-style steamed buns. When visiting the Muslim Quarter, be sure to try this delicious treat.

5. Xi'an Great Mosque

As mentioned earlier, there are 10 Islamic temples in the area, and the central one is the Great Mosque of Xi'an. Located near the Drum Tower in the city center, the mosque is also known as the Huajue Alley Great Mosque. It is sometimes called the Eastern Great Mosque because of its location to the east of Xi'an’s University Alley.

The Great Mosque consists of four courtyards, with the fourth being the prayer hall, which accommodates about 1,000 worshippers who visit five times a day. The prayer hall is quite large, covering 1,300 square meters. The walls of the hall are adorned with traditional Islamic art, such as arabesque patterns, and there are many Arabic inscriptions. This mosque represents a unique blend of cultures in cosmopolitan Xi'an, offering a fascinating sightseeing experience.

6. Huaqing Pool

Huaqing Pool in Xi'an is known as the setting for the famous love story between Yang Guifei, one of China's Three Beauties, and Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty. The area is historically significant, as around 3,000 years ago, a volcanic eruption nearby led to the discovery of hot springs. Since then, successive emperors have developed the area as a popular tourist destination for its hot springs.

By the time Yang Guifei lived (719-756 AD), the hot spring facilities were already in place. These included bathhouses like Lotus Bath, Crabapple Bath, and Star Bath, with Yang Guifei primarily using the Crabapple Bath. Today, these baths have been restored and are open to the public as the Hot Spring Relics Museum.

7. Giant Wild Goose Pagoda Cultural and Leisure Scenic Area

The Giant Wild Goose Pagoda, located in the Ci'en Temple complex, stands 64.1 meters tall and is a seven-story brick structure. It was built in 645 AD to house Buddhist scriptures brought back from India by the monk Xuanzang, who had made a pilgrimage to India.

Xuanzang, known as the Tang Dynasty's legendary monk, was also the inspiration for the character in the famous novel Journey to the West. He spent 20 years translating the scriptures from Sanskrit to Chinese, finishing just before his death. The area surrounding the pagoda has since been developed into a cultural and leisure district, attracting many tourists, and a bustling shopping area has also sprung up nearby.

8. Xi'an Banpo Museum

The Xi'an Banpo Museum is located about 6 km east of Xi'an’s city center. It showcases the remains of ancient settlements from 6,000 years ago, found in the Yellow River Basin. The site is enclosed in a dome and made accessible for visitors.

The exhibits cover an area of approximately 50,000 square meters and are divided into sections for residential, pottery-making, and burial areas. The museum also has three exhibition halls and one relics hall where visitors can learn about ancient life in the Xi'an region. The site offers an insightful look into the prehistoric culture, settlement structure, and daily life of ancient people.

9. Shaanxi Song and Dance Theatre

The Shaanxi Song and Dance Theatre, built in 1998, is a popular tourist venue in Xi'an. The venue features a restaurant where many visitors dine before moving to the theater for a performance of traditional dance and song.

The meals typically consist of Chinese dishes and steamed delicacies like dumplings and hot pot, providing a luxurious dining experience. The shows showcase the songs and dances of the Tang Dynasty, re-enacted with authenticity using traditional costumes and stage designs, supported by historians, scholars, and artists specialized in Tang history.

10. Qinglong Temple

Qinglong Temple, located in the southeastern part of Xi'an at Liyouyuan, was established in 582 AD. The current building is a reconstruction, and the temple is known for its beautiful weeping cherry trees that bloom in spring.

The temple grounds also feature a monument dedicated to Kukai (known as Kobo Daishi), built in 1982. Shikoku is where Kukai trained, making this connection particularly meaningful.

11. Qianling Tomb

Xi'an is home to several imperial tombs, and the Qianling Tomb is the joint tomb of Emperor Gaozong of the Tang Dynasty and Empress Wu Zetian, China's only female emperor.

In the past, the tomb was surrounded by a large wall, but that has mostly disappeared. Inside the tomb complex, a 500-meter-long processional path is lined with around 120 stone statues of military officers, civil officials, and animals.

Qianling contains the tombs of the two emperors, as well as the tombs of the crown prince and his family. Excavations have revealed about 4,300 relics. Unlike the busy city center of Xi'an, Qianling offers a quiet and peaceful atmosphere, making it an ideal spot for relaxation.

12. Xingqinggong Park

Xingqinggong, the palace of Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty and his brothers, along with the surrounding park, is another popular tourist spot in Xi'an. Xingqinggong Park is bustling with tourists daily.

◎Summary

Xi'an, the capital of Shaanxi Province in China, has a history that spans over 6,000 years, from the ancient terracotta warriors that lay dormant for over 2,000 years to the era of the Tang Dynasty emperors, the starting point of the Silk Road, and the exchange of various cultures.

Xi'an is a city where you can travel back in time to experience its rich and remarkable past. Be sure to visit and immerse yourself in the fascinating history of this ancient city.