Xi'an

Big (Wild) Goose Pagoda

大雁塔; Dàyàntǎ

Built by Emperor Gaozong Li Zhi (高宗李治) in 652 AD. Emblem of the city of Xi'an. In the fountain in front of the pagoda there are various water and music show sometimes during the day with pleasant parks and western eateries nearby.

Closed · opens 8 am·¥30 for the temple complex. Entering the pagoda additional ¥12.5, purchased inside · Heritage listed

Shaanxi History Museum

陕西历史博物馆; Shǎnxī Lìshǐbówùguǎn

This museum houses a collection of local artefacts that span the province's history from the Neolithic period through the Qing dynasty. In particular, it contains fabulously well preserved pottery from the nearby Banpo neolithic village (also worth a visit) and many excellent Shang Dynasty bronzes. Although some guidebooks call it "one of the best museums in China", its old fashioned pots-and-arrowheads-behind-glass format may appeal mainly to enthusiasts. The most eye-catching articles are those from the Tang Dynasty that were used by the royal family. All visitors are required to make a booking on the museum's official WeChat account before visiting (see website for QR code). Upon arrival at the museum, you will need to pick up your pre-booked tickets from the counters on the east side of the South Entrance. The specific counter you will need to go to will depend on what kind of tickets you have booked. Go to Counters 1 or 2 for tickets to the 'Treasures of the Great Tang Dynasty', Counter 3 for tickets to the 'Mural Paintings of the Tang Dynasty' or Counter 4 for tickets to the main exhibition halls. You will also see automatic ticketing machines but these can only be used by visitors with Chinese ID cards.

Nov 15-Mar 14: 09:00-17:30; Mar 15-Nov 14: 08:30-18:00, no tickets issued in last 90 minutes,:closed on Mondays·Entry to the main exhibition halls is free. Tickets for the 'Treasures of the Great Tang Dynasty' cost ¥30 and tickets for the 'Mural Paintings of the Tang Dynasty' cost ¥270. The fees for English language tour guides are ¥300 for the main exhibition halls, ¥100 for the 'Treasures of the Great Tang Dynasty' and ¥100 for the 'Mural Paintings of the Tang Dynasty' · Free entry · Wheelchair accessible

Bell Tower

钟楼; Zhōnglóu

The traffic island is almost ringed by a subway, enter from north side next to Metro entrance. Great tower with ancient bells to toll the time for the city. Short musical performances every hour or so.

In high season (April 1st to October 10th), opening hours are 08:30-21:30, the last combo tickets are sold at 19:00, and the last standard tickets are sold at 21:00. In low season (October 11th to March 31st), opening hours are 08:30-18:00, the last combo tickets are sold at 16:30, and the last standard tickets are sold at 17:30·¥30, or ¥50 including Drum Tower

Xi'an City Wall

西安城墙; Xī'ānchéngqiáng

The world's largest city wall, it has been restored and is 12 m high, 18 m wide at the bottom, 15m wide on the top, and 13.7 km long. Bikes (including two- or three-person models) can be rented for ¥40 per 120 minutes/bike (or ¥80 for a tandem) plus a ¥200 deposit. You can hire one at the top of the South or East gate; you may return it to other stations on the wall (there is one at each of the four main gates), but be sure to verify this before starting your ride, and remember that most gates close at 18:00 or 19:00 and the Zhongshan Gate shuts at 21:00. Only the south gate is open till 23:00. Bikes will not be rented if there is any chance of rain, because the top of the wall becomes slippery. Check the weather forecast before you buy a ticket to enter the wall. If you want to foot it though, a complete loop of the walls takes 4-5 hours. The landscaped park around the base of the exterior walls and moat also makes for a pleasant stroll and gives a different perspective on the battlements and towers. The wall is lit up at night and makes for a pleasant stroll. The present city wall was built in the Ming dynasty (AD 1368-1644) on the foundation of the Chang'an Imperial city wall of Tang dynasty (AD 618-907). The Xi'an City Wall International Marathon is held each year in November since 1993, with athletes from more than 50 countries running on top of the wall. Also, the Xi'an city wall Cycling Race is held on top of the wall since two years ago. There is a small museum inside the city wall at Hanguang Gate, about halfway between the southwest corner and the South Gate, accessible from the top of the wall. Look for a staircase down inside a covered structure. Inside are the unrestored remains of a gatehouse and a calligraphy collection.

Closed · opens 8 am·¥54 (standard entry ticket), ¥27 (students), ¥100 (combined with Beilin Museum)

Great Mosque

大清真寺; Dàqīngzhēnsì, 化觉巷清真大寺; Huàjué Xiàng Qīngzhēndàsì

Uniquely built in a traditional Chinese architectural style during the Ming Dynasty, with room for 1,000 worshipers. Built by the Muslim community who is settling in China for the Silk Trade. It is still an active place of worship for the local Hui community, and only Muslims are permitted entry to the main prayer hall. As with all mosques, visitors should dress conservatively and avoid revealing clothing, though non-Muslim women are not required to wear the hijab.

Closed · opens 8 am·¥25 (if not Muslim)

Beilin (or Stele) Museum

西安碑林博物馆; Xī'ān Bēilín Bówùguǎn

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.

Mar-Nov: 08:00-18:30; Dec-Feb: 08:00-18:00, no entry in last 45 minutes·Mar-Nov: ¥60, Dec-Feb: ¥50, or ¥100 (if combined with City Walls)

Drum Tower

鼓楼; Gǔlóu

Great tower with drums to toll the time to the old city. Short musical performances every hour or so.

In high season (April 1st to October 10th), opening hours are 08:30-21:30, the last combo tickets are sold at 19:00, and the last standard tickets are sold at 21:00. In low season (October 11th to March 31st), opening hours are 08:30-18:00, the last combo tickets are sold at 16:30, and the last standard tickets are sold at 17:30·¥30, or ¥50 including Bell Tower

Army of Terracotta Warriors and Horses

兵马俑; Bīngmǎyǒng

This mighty army of terracotta warriors and horses, found in three vaults, is perhaps the most popular tourist attraction of Shaanxi and one of the most popular in all of China. An in-site museum has been built over these pits, covering a floorspace of 20,000 m² and housing 8,000 lifelike terracotta warriors, 100 or so chariots, and 40,000 weapons, allegedly crafted to replace actual human sacrifices that had been commonplace in previous dynasties. Not all of these are on display, and the site is still an active archeological dig. There are 3 pits (numbered and clearly signposted 1,2,3). Going from pit 3 to pit 2 to pit 1 means that each pit gets more impressive and ensures a grand finale. The assemblage has been billed by the tourist industry as the Eighth Wonder of the World and a world cultural heritage site by UNESCO in 1987. The ticket office is next to the parking lot, which is a 5- to 10-minute walk away from the entrance to the museum. Buy your tickets at the ticket office or you can also buy them from resellers at the entrance for a ¥5 fee. For ¥5, you can opt to take a small bus from the ticket counter to the entry to the site, which saves you about 10 minutes of walking. On the way back, however, you are forced to walk in order not to "miss" the countless opportunities to buy small terracotta warriors, other tourist articles and food. When buying your ticket you are likely to be approached by a 'guide', especially if you look foreign. The normal asking price is ¥200 (per person) but you should be able to bargain them down to around ¥75-100. ¥100 is reasonable for the 2 - 3 hours they will accompany you. When talking to them, take the time to evaluate how they speak, because if you can't understand them at the start it'll just get worse. Inside Pit 1 there is a 'photo spot' to the left of the entry when you can be escorted to one of the nicer places. However it costs ¥200 for ~15 min (but includes a picture). You won't miss much by not doing it, but you wi

Closed · opens 8:30 am·¥120, students ¥60 (only for local students). Passport required for ticket purchase

Daming Palace National Heritage Park

大明宫国家遗址公园

This is, first of all, a huge park with both green spaces and an enormous open square with an equally-impressive ancient palace gate (the palace is Tang dynasty, built in 634 AD). There's a model of the palace next to the gate. The square sometimes hosts public performances. The park even has an IMAX theatre. The park, gate and square are accessible for free. If you pay for admission, you can actually go into the partially restored palace ruins and other sections of the park protected by a moat. Worth seeing for the sheer size of it - it's more than 4 times the size of the Forbidden City, and a very surreal effect compared to the crowding in the rest of Xian.

In spring and summer (April 15th to October 15th), opening hours are 08:30-19:00, the last tickets are sold at 17:30 and the last entry is at 18:30. In autumn and winter (October 16th to March 14th), opening hours are 08:30-18:00, the last tickets are sold at 17:00, and the last entry time is 17:30·The standard ticket price is ¥60. Children aged 7 to 18 pay half-price. Children aged 6 or under and adults aged 65 or over are granted free entry · Heritage listed

Qin Shihuang's Mausoleum

秦始皇陵

Mausoleum of the First Emperor of China. You can visit the surrounding gardens and mountains, but the massive burial chamber has not been excavated, so the Mausoleum itself is very unassuming. There is a low quality museum with a reconstruction of the mausoleum. Optional carts available at a fee to go directly to the museum. Taking pictures in the dimly lit museum is forbidden, although staff will not control it too much. There are two small excavation pits in the area.

Mausoleum ¥40 (although it seems to be included in the Terracota Warriors ticket, as of Aug 2024), museum ¥15

Xi'an Museum

西安博物院

The Xi'an Museum isn't as large or as famous as the Shaanxi History Museum, but has a decent collection of over 110,000 artefacts, of which around 2000 are normally on display. Visitors are required to make a booking on WeChat or another app before entering the museum.

Mar 15-Oct 31: 09:00-18:00; Nov 1-Mar 14: 09:00-17:30, no entry in last 60 minutes, closed on Tuesdays·Free

Huaqing Palace

华清宫; Huáqīnggōng 华清池; Huáqīngchí; Huaqing Pool

Built by the Tang emperor Xuanzong near hot springs at the foot of Li Shan (Mount Li) so he could frolic with his favoured Imperial Concubine Yang to his heart's content. You may also take the nearby cable car (¥35 return) to catch a Birdseye view of the area. Most of today's structures date not from the Tang Dynasty, but from later dynasties. The exception is the ruins of the Tang Dynasty baths, which have been excavated and are open to public viewing. Also of interest is a residential compound dating from the late Qing Dynasty that was briefly home to Generalissimo Chiang Kai-Shek. This was the site of the Xi'an Incident in 1936 and the bullet holes from the incident can still be seen.

Closed · opens 7 am·Standard adult tickets are ¥120, Students, children and persons over 65 pay half price

Zhongnan Mountains

终南山

The Zhongnan Mountains are a branch of the Qin Mountains located south of Xi'an. the range's highest point is Cuihua Mountain. Other notable peaks and places in the Zhongnan Mountains include Lou Guan Tai, where Taoist sage Laozi is said to have dwelt and conveyed the Dao De Jing. Later this was also a place of dwelling for Nan Wutai and Guifeng.

Closed · opens 9 am·¥45

Daxingshan Temple

大兴善寺

Established in 266 AD during the Jin Dynasty, the Daxingshan Temple was one of the most influential temples in China during the Tang Dynasty, being the place where the eminent monks Śubhakarasiṃha, Vajrabodhi and Amoghavajra translated sacred Buddhist texts from India and disseminated Chinese Esoteric Buddhism. In the 9th century, Emperor Wuzong ordered the temple to be destroyed as part of his campaign against Buddhism. It was rebuilt during the 15th century.

Closed · opens 8 am·Free

Xingjiao Temple

兴教寺

Xingjiao Temple was built in AD 669 to reinhume Xuanzang and was one of eight famed temples in Fanchuan in the Tang dynasty. The five-storied Buddhist relic pagoda, preserving the remains of Xuanzang.

Closed · opens 9 am·Free

Little (Wild) Goose Pagoda

小雁塔; Xiǎoyàntǎ

Completed in 709 AD. Now administered by the Xi'an Museum.

Mar 15-Oct 31: 09:00-18:00; Nov 1-Mar 14: 09:00-17:30, no entry in last 60 minutes, closed on Tuesdays·You can claim a ticket for free to walk around the temple area. But you must pay ¥50 (student half-price) to enter the pagoda (the ticket still states the old price of ¥30, however ¥50 is charged)

Qinglong Temple

Green Dragon Temple, 青龙寺

It was established in the 6th century AD. The Qinglong Temple rose to prominence during the Tang Dynasty when the eminent Vajrayana master Huiguo served as the temple's abbot. Huiguo's most famous disciple was the Japanese monk Kūkai who upon his return to Japan founded the Shingon school of Buddhism. After being destroyed during the 11th century, the temple was largely forgotten about until the 20th century when it was finally rebuilt with funding from local governments in both China and Japan. During the rebuilding, hundreds of cherry blossom trees were planted in the surrounding garden, and these days many people come here just to see the cherry blossoms (which usually bloom in March and April).

Closed · opens 8:30 am·Free

Xi'an Art Museum

西安美术馆

Displays a wide range of artworks from both Chinese and foreign artists.

10:00-22:00, closed on Mondays·Free

Tang Paradise

大唐芙蓉园

A large (67 ha, 165 acres) theme park based on the royal gardens of the Tang Dynasty. It claims to be the first theme park for all five senses (sight, sound, taste, touch, and smell). It includes a large fragrance garden and the largest movie-on-water screen in the world.

Guangren Temple

广仁寺

Established by the Kangxi Emperor in 1705. The temple is noteworthy for being the only Tibetan Buddhist temple in Shaanxi Province.

Closed · opens 8 am·Free

Wolong Temple

卧龙寺

This active Buddhist temple dates back to 200 BC. It has been restored, and is vibrant and busy.

Closed · opens 8:30 am·Free

Banpo Village Ruins

半坡遗址, 半坡博物馆 Banpo Museum

6,000-year-old ruins of a village site including residential and pottery-making areas, ancient tools, and a burial ground. You should also visit the Shaanxi History Museum to see some of the best examples of the pottery found at Banpo.

Closed · opens 8 am·Tickets are normally ¥65. Children aged 6 to 18 pay half price. Children under 6 and adults over 65 get in for free

Daxuexi Alley Mosque

大学习巷清真寺

The temple was founded in 705 AD, it is one of the oldest mosques in Xi'an.

Closed · opens 8 am·Free

Tang West Market Museum

大唐西市博物馆

Said to be China's first privately run on-site archaeological museum. The museum is located at the site of the excavated ruins of the West Market, probably the most important market in China during the Tang Dynasty. Thousands of artefacts have been unearthed at the site, including not only Tang Dynasty artefacts, but also artefacts from earlier and later dynasties.

09:00-17:30 (summer), 09:00-17:00 (winter), no entry in last 60 minutes, closed on Mondays and the eve of Chinese New Year·General admission is free. Tickets for the special exhibitions are ¥60. Tickets for the epitaph collection are ¥150.

Eighth Route Army Xi'an Office Museum

八路军西安办事处纪念馆

The Eighth Route Army was a Communist-controlled group army that was created from the Red Army in 1937 when the Communists and the Nationalists formed the Second United Front against Japan. From 1937 to 1946, this site served as the army's official liaison office for coordinating communications with the Nationalist authorities in Xi'an.

09:00-17:00, closed on most Mondays, except Mondays that fall on a public holiday·Free

Shaanxi Art Museum

陕西美术馆

Not to be confused with the Shaanxi Province Art Museum (listed below). The Shaanxi Art Museum is the smaller of the two museums and mainly displays paintings and calligraphy.

09:30-17:00, closed on Mondays·Free

Shaanxi Nature Museum

陕西自然博物馆

The museum has exhibitions on nature, science and technology. There is also an exhibition hall devoted to the coal industry, as well as a dome cinema and a 5D cinema.

09:00-17:00, no tickets sold after 16:00, no entry after 16:30·¥30 (nature exhibition plus coal exhibition), ¥20 (science & technology exhibitions), ¥40 (science and technology exhibitions plus dome cinema), ¥30 (dome cinema only)

General Zhang Xueliang's Official Residence

张学良将军公馆

The Xi'an Incident Museum's main exhibition halls are at this site.

08:30-17:00, closed on Mondays·Free · Heritage listed

Shuilu Nunnery

水陆庵

Originally, it was the Water and Land Hall within the Beiputuo Lanzhu Nunnery of Wuzhen Temple. Wuzhen Temple was first built during the Northern Dynasties, but the temple was later destroyed, leaving only the Water and Land Hall. The main hall contains more than 3,700 statues, making it the largest existing group of painted sculptures in China.

Closed · opens 9 am·Free

Eight Immortals Temple

敕建万寿八仙宫; Chìjiàn Wànshòu Bāxiān Gōng, 八仙庵 Bāxiān Ān

An active Daoist temple built for the famous Eight Immortals, including the Eight Immortals Bridge, lots of steles in the walls with text and illustrations, and multiple worship halls.

Closed · opens 8 am·¥3