Xian Travel Guide

Xi'an is an ancient and historical city dotted with the historic relics of past dynasties, from the restored City Walls to the majesty of the Terracotta Warriors. Xi'an will delight travellers today as it did centuries ago as the starting point of the Silk Road.

Xi'an, the capital of Shaanxi Province, has over 3,000 years of recorded history with human habitation presented here as early as the Neolithic times has discovered at the Banpo Village. Xi'an has been the capital of 12 dynasties, though it has been known as various names, most notably as Chang'an. It was also the starting point of the Silk Road, where camels were loaded for their long and perilous journey to Central Asia. Xi'an's links to Central Asia goes beyond trade as Islam continues to have an influence on the local flavour through the Muslim Hui minority.

Dynasty after dynasty added their mark to Xi'an, and the relics of old palaces temples and tombs abound throughout the city and surrounding countryside. The tyrannical Qin dynasty emperor Qin Shihuang, with his capital at Xianyang, close to present-day Xi'an, left his indelible mark through the famed Terracotta Warriors.

Experiences not to be missed in Xi'an:

Xi'an is most attractive city for travellers who come to China for the first time.

The City Wall, Bell & Drum Tower and Big Wild Goose Pagod are famous landmark buildings in Xi'an.
If you are a fan of Chinese imperial culture, we recommended you to visit the Huaqing Hot Spring.
Terracotta Warriors is one of the greatest wonders of the world.
If you are interested in local customs & life, Muslim Quarter will not let you down.
Shaanxi History Museum is the perfect place to witness the path of Xi'an's development.

Xi'an Tang Culture

The Tang dynasty is considered one of China's golden ages for its unmatched cultural achievements. Trade has been reached in Central Asia and Europe, thousands of students from Japan and Korea arrived in Xi'an to study in acknowledgement of Tang cultural pre-eminence and Chinese monks travelled to India to copy Buddha sutras. At the Zenith during the Tang Dynasty, Xi'an was the world's largest and, most cosmopolitan city stretching 84.1 square kilometres and holding over one million residents.

Xi'an Music and Dance Performance

Travel in Xi'an:

Transportation:

Xi'an is one of the important transportation hubs with daily connections by flights and trains to other destinations in China, and its transportation options within the city are likewise plentiful. Xi'an has many areas that are easily accessible on foot. In many commercial, residential, educational zones and the scenic areas in the city, especially in the shopping and entertainment districts around the Bell Tower, underpasses and overpasses have been built for the safety and convenience of pedestrians. The electric bikes are popular among students and offer easy transportation in and around the city for many residents. A bicycle-sharing network started operating in 2013 and today has 52,000 bikes, used by over 200,000 people per day. Taxi services are numerous, but many citizens of Xi'an still commute to work using the city's 270 official municipal bus routes serviced by a fleet of over 7,800 buses, with an average system-wide ridership of over 4 million people per day. The bus network is complemented by a rapidly expanding subway system that carries over 1.5 million commuters per day. Xi'an Transportation.

Local Food:

Shaanxi Province has one of the longest and richest culinary histories in China, dating back more than 2,000 years ago. Shaanxi cuisine prefers wheat over rice in terms of its staple foods. When it comes to noodles, Shaanxi style is wider and thicker than noodles from other regions. Flavours are complex and strong, while the sugar plays a sparing role in Shaanxi dishes. Read more about Xi'an Food and Restaurants.

Pay Attention:

You should be very careful when you plan to visit to Xian city. During your visit to Xian you should pay attention to avoid unnecessary tactics when you travel to Xian. Here we prepare Xi'an Travel Tips for you.

Xi'an Climate

Xi'an has a temperate climate that is influenced by the East Asian monsoon, situated on the borderline between a semi-arid climate and humid subtropical climate. The Weihe River Basin is hot and humid in summer, cold and dry in winter, and dry in spring and autumn. The annual precipitation is mostly from July to late October. It snows occasionally falls in winter but rarely settles for long. Dust storms often occur during March and April as the city rapidly warms up. Summer months also experience frequent but short thunderstorms. The monthly 24-hour average temperature ranges from around the freezing mark in January to 27.0 °C in July, with an annual mean of 14.08 °C. With monthly percent possible sunshine ranging from 31 percent in December to 47 percent in August, the city receives 1,536 hours of bright sunshine annually. Best Time to Visit Xi'an.

The Charm of Xi'an

Traditional downtown of Xian lies in the area encircled by the old City Wall, but now with the rapid urbanization, the downtown has been expanded to encompass the area within the second ring road. The Bell Tower is the geographical centre of Xian, and the four main streets are respectively Dong Dajie(East Street), Xi Dajie(West Street), Nan Dajie(South Street) and Bei Dajie(North Street) compose the main prosperous commercial area.

Today the city's charm lies in its historic atmosphere. There's a palpable sense of past glories, and vestiges of its history are ever-present. One can easily imagine the sights and sounds of Xi'an at the height of its glory when wandering along the city walls or strolling through the old Muslim quarter.

Xi'an Accommodation:

Accommodation is an important part of travel, we will provide a comfortable and warm hotel during your Xi'an tours. Here, we listed three hotels for reference.