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
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
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)
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