Xi'an (西安 Xī'ān, read as SEE-AHN) is a city in Shaanxi Province in China. The oldest surviving capital of ancient China, Xi'an is home to thousands of years of Chinese heritage and history. The city has a pleasant cosmopolitan flair to it and it is worth visiting for the famed Terracotta Warriors. It has often been said that, "if you have not been to Xi'an, you have not been to China!" Xi'an is home to numerous historical and cultural attractions.
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Xi'an is more than 3,000 years old and was known as Chang'an (长安) in ancient times. For 1,000 years, the city was the capital for 13 dynasties, and a total of 73 emperors ruled here. Xi'an is the undisputed root of Chinese civilization having served as the capital city for the Zhou, Qin, Han, and Tang dynasties. With so much history within the ground the city lies upon, it is no wonder that there are so many historical ruins, museums and cultural relics to be found here. It was already influencing the world outside of the Great Wall of China (长城) as the eastern terminus of the Silk Road (丝绸之路).
The urban area of Xi'an generally refers to the six central districts, which include Xincheng District, Lianhu District, Beilin District, Weiyang District, Yanta District, and Baqiao District. The first three districts are generally within the Second Ring Road, which is restricted in terms of development (as of 2024) and is considered the birthplace of Xi'an's urban area. Key attractions in these districts include the Bell and Drum Towers, Beilin Museum, and North Gate. Beyond the city walls, the urban area is divided into the eastern, western, southern, and northern suburbs.
The old city is surrounded by a rectangular city wall. The Bell Tower (钟楼 Zhōnglóu) is in the dead center of the rectangle, and is considered the center of Xi'an. From here, the four main streets radiate along the four points of the compass. North Street (北大街 Běidàjiē) East Street (东大街 Dōngdàjiē) South Street (南大街 Nándàjiē) West Street (西大街 Xīdàjiē) Do not get confused by different names in tourist guides, addresses and bus stops: Nandajie, Nanda Street, South Street, and South Avenue are all the same street. Locals often speak about Within the city walls (城里 chénglǐ, CHUNG-lee) and Outside the city walls (城外 chéngwài, CHUNG-why) when talking about locations.
1 Beilin (or Stele) Museum (西安碑林博物馆; Xī'ān Bēilín Bówùguǎn), 15 Sanxue St, Beilin District (碑林区三学街15号) (just inside the south city wall, near Wenchang Gate; about 800 m northeast of Yongningmen Metro Station on Line 2), ☏ +86 29 87210764. Mar-Nov: 08:00-18:30; Dec-Feb: 08:00-18:00, no entry in last 45 minutes. Remarkable collection of 4000 inscribed stone tablets, covering scripture, poetry, classic Chinese texts, triumphs of rulers, family history, and practical affairs such as instructions to rebuild a school. The 7th century Nestorian Stele (Showroom 2, first exhibit on the left) depicts the coming of Nestorian Christianity to China.
Stroll round the Drum and Bell Tower area after dark, when they're brilliantly illuminated. 1 Hui Muslim Quarter (Huimin Street (回民街 Huímínjiē)) (northwest of the Bell Tower). Walk through the Muslim quarter sampling food and buying souvenirs. The Hui Muslim Quarter (回民街 Huí mín jiē, hwei-min-jyeh) is a series of small alleys located in a high-density Hui community (very much like Chinatown in North America) inside the city walls, where the residences open up small restaurants and food shops like street food. Some of these restaurants are among the most famous ones in the city, regarded as the "true Xi'an cuisine" by the locals.
Xi'an used to have only a few restaurants known by the locals to serve delicious food. Now the restaurants are everywhere, especially ones like KFC and McDonald. The younger generations don't seem to appreciate the traditional cuisines and rather choose to eat fast food. Therefore, some of good old restaurants are forced to close down, being taken over by the newer ones. Xi'an specialties include: Yángròu Pàomó (羊肉泡馍) is one of the signature dishes of the area, it consists of a piece of thick, chewy bread and a kettle of lamb soup.
Night clubs in Xi'an are not abundant. All clubs play the same music, a mix of Chinese disco and some pop music. Most people go out between 22:00 and 01:00, but clubs are generally open until 04:00. Be mentally prepared to be aggressively approached by club operators desperate for patrons. In summer time, the area around South Gate (南门) is beautiful. East of it are three nice bars with terraces and gardens. Along the short Nandajie (南大街) are the most clubs (you can also eat on the street as there are restaurants open past midnight). MIX (Big light ad). Rather nice places to sit and drink. Palando. Rather nice place to sit and drink. Night Cat. Dance floor, some foreigners and OK DJs.
Xi'an is, like other Chinese cities, generally quite safe. Just watch out for pickpockets in crowds, on the bus, and during national holidays.
Guide content from Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA) — abridged; the full article has much more.
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In Jul, Xian typically sees ~37°C daytime highs and 6 rainy days.
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