Xi'an Travel Guide: Terracotta Army, Muslim Quarter
Updated
Xi'an is 4½ hours from Beijing by fast train. Give it two days: one at the Terracotta Army, 40 km east, one on the city wall and in the Muslim Quarter.
A short story about Xi'an in Mandarin, with English alongside. The beginner version needs no Chinese. Jump to the storyA short history of Xi'an
The first Qin emperor, who unified China in 221 BC, built his tomb here with a clay army to guard it. The Han and Tang (618–907) ruled from Chang'an, as it was then, the start of the Silk Road. In the 700s it held about a million people.
The Ming wall, on Tang foundations, encloses a fraction of old Chang'an.
The Terracotta Army
兵马俑 Bīngmǎyǒng
In March 1974 farmers digging a well near Lintong struck pottery: the first of three pits holding over 8,000 life-size clay soldiers, buried around 210 BC. No two faces are the same. Pit 1, the largest, holds thousands in ranks.
They were painted, but the lacquer curls within minutes of meeting air. So the figures are grey, and the tomb mound stays closed.
How to visit the Terracotta Army
- 1
Book a named ticket
On the museum's website or WeChat, seven days ahead, or further out on Trip.com. Your passport is the ticket. Adults about 120 yuan.
- 2
Get there early
Metro Line 9 to Huaqing Pool, then a short bus or taxi. Tour groups arrive mid-morning.
- 3
Save Pit 1 for last
The bronze chariots first, then Pits 3 and 2 for close-ups. Pit 1 last.
- 4
Take a guide, or the audio
Few labels: hire a licensed guide at the gate or take the audio guide. Ignore any “terracotta factory” offer.
Allow three hours on site, most of a day with travel.
Things to do in Xi'an beyond the Terracotta Army
The Giant Wild Goose Pagoda is 4 km south of the South Gate.
The city wall 城墙
chéngqiáng
Built 1370–1378, 13.7 km around. Rent a bike at the South Gate, usually for three hours; the circuit takes about two. Go late afternoon.
The Muslim Quarter and the Great Mosque 回民街 · 大清真寺
Huímín Jiē · Dà Qīngzhēnsì
Home of the Hui, Chinese Muslims whose ancestors came along the Silk Road. Beiyuanmen is the food street. The Great Mosque looks like a Chinese temple with Arabic inside.
The Giant Wild Goose Pagoda 大雁塔
Dàyàn Tǎ
A brick pagoda from 652 for the sutras Xuanzang brought from India, the trip behind Journey to the West. Nearby, the Shaanxi History Museum is the city's best: main galleries free, booked days ahead on WeChat; the gate sells nothing.
What to eat in Xi'an
Roujiamo 肉夹馍
ròujiāmó
Chopped braised pork in a crisp flatbread, the “Chinese hamburger”. Beef or lamb in the Muslim Quarter.
Yangrou paomo 羊肉泡馍
yángròu pàomó
Lamb soup over bread you tear up yourself.
Biangbiang noodles biángbiáng面
biángbiáng miàn
Wide belt noodles doused in hot oil, chilli and garlic. The character biang has over fifty strokes.
Plan your trip to Xi'an
Best time to visit Xi'an
- JanMixed
- FebMixed
- MarBest
- AprBest
- MayBest
- JunMixed
- JulMixed
- AugMixed
- SepBest
- OctBest
- NovBest
- DecMixed
Summer is often in the mid-30s; winter is cold, smoggy and quiet. In the first week of October the museum lets in up to 80,000 people a day. Avoid it and Chinese New Year.
Getting to Xi'an
- Xi'an North station by train30 min
- Xianyang Airport by car45 min
- Dunhuang by air2½ h
- Chengdu East by train3 h
- Beijing West by train4½ h
Xianyang airport, 40 km northwest: taxi, or metro Line 14 then Line 2 at Xi'an North (an hour+). Fast trains use Xi'an North, on Line 2 to the Bell Tower.
Getting around Xi'an
Line 2 runs through the Bell Tower; inside the wall, walk. Otherwise, Didi.
Pay with Alipay or WeChat Pay; keep cash for Muslim Quarter stalls, and point at the menus.
Where to stay in Xi'an
Inside the wall, near the Bell Tower or South Gate, on Line 2 to the trains. Pagoda-area hotels are newer but further out.
Xi'an in three days
- Day 1. The Terracotta Army early by Line 9, then the Muslim Quarter at night.
- Day 2. The Giant Wild Goose Pagoda and Shaanxi History Museum, then the wall by bike in the late afternoon.
- Day 3. Huashan, the granite mountain half an hour east by fast train. It takes the whole day.
Questions about visiting Xi'an
How do you get to the Terracotta Army from Xi'an?
Metro Line 9 to Huaqing Pool, then a bus or taxi: about 1½ hours. A hotel driver is easier for a group.
Do you need to book the Terracotta Army in advance?
Yes. Named tickets sell out days ahead in summer and on holidays.
Can you still see colour on the terracotta warriors?
Barely. A few behind glass keep traces; the paint’s fate is why much of the site stays unexcavated.
Do you need a tour to see the Terracotta Army?
No. The metro and a bus get you there; guides wait at the gate.
Is Huashan worth a day from Xi'an?
If you like steep climbs: about 30 minutes by fast train to Huashan North, then shuttle and cable car. Check the last car down.
Chinese you'll see in Xi'an
At the station, on tickets and on menus.
- 西安北站Xī'ān Běizhàn
- Xi'an North station
- 钟楼Zhōnglóu
- the Bell Tower, the centre
- 城墙chéngqiáng
- city wall
- 兵马俑Bīngmǎyǒng
- the Terracotta Army
- 门票ménpiào
- admission ticket
- 回民街Huímín Jiē
- the Muslim Quarter
- 清真qīngzhēn
- halal
- 羊肉yángròu
- lamb
- 大雁塔Dàyàn Tǎ
- the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda
- 出租车chūzūchē
- taxi
Want more? Browse Chinese vocabulary by level.
Hear Xi'an in Mandarin
A ride on the wall and a look over Pit 1.
The story is Xi'an City Wall and Its 2,000-Year History. Every level has a transcript, pinyin and English.
