Xian Attractions
Xi'an Attractions are the luring factors to tourists at home and broad, featuring historical relics, museums, Muslim culture, Han culture of Tang dynasty, local food culture and natural scenery. This city, which has experienced the rise and fall of 13 dynasties, is like a huge museum of historical culture. Tourists have much to explore in terms of its history and culture by visiting Terra-Cotta Warriors, Ancient City Wall, Bell Tower , Drum Tower, Muslim Quarter, Giant Wild Goose Pagoda, Small Wild Goose Pagoda, Forest of Stone Steles Museum, Shaanxi History Museum, Banpo Museum in Xian and Huaqing Palace and Huaqing Hot Spring, etc . All the attractions are divided into 5 groups according to its geographical location namely city proper route, east route, west route, south route and north route.
Top Attractions in Xi'an
With many scenic areas to visit and things to explore in Xi'an, you may not have enough time for all of them. We selected the following highlight attractions for Xi'an tour, they are also the must-sees during your travel to Xi'an.
- Terra-Cotta Warriors: The Terra-Cotta Warriors Scenic Spot is the most representative one among Xi'an attractions, identical with Xi'an snacks, if one doesn't visit the Terra-Cotta Warriors, he or she doesn't have a real Xi'an tour. The Terra-Cotta Warrior is a collection of terracotta sculptures depicting the armies of Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of China. It is a form of funerary art buried with the emperor in 210–209 BCE with the purpose of protecting the emperor in his afterlife.
- Xian Ancient City Wall: The Ancient City Wall is the best place to have the overview of the city layout. Cycling or walking around on the city wall, you will feel the intimate tie with history although you are passing though modern buildings on both sides. It represents one of the oldest, largest and best preserved Chinese city walls and was built under the rule of the Hongwu Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang as a military defense system.
- Giant Wild Goose Pagoda: The highlights of visiting the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda is the music fountain and night scenery, and if you pay the visit in the daytime, the Bell Tower, Drum Tower and Muslim Quarter can be arranged together. The pagoda sits inside the Da Ci'en Temple complex. The Da Ci'en Temple was built in 648 to honor the Empress Zhangsun. The temple complex is open to the public and it receives millions of tourists each year.
See more about Top Xian Tourist Attractions & Things to Do in Xi'an
Tourist Attractions & Things to Do within City Proper
- Bell Tower
- Drum Tower
- Muslim Quarter
- Shaanxi History Museum
- Forest of Stone Steles Museum
- Great Mosque
- Small Wild Goose Pagoda
- Tang Paradise
- Tang West Market
- Defu Lane
- Tang Dynasty Palace
- The Site of Weiyang Palace
- Xi'an Museum
- Shaanxi Nature Museum
- Shuyuanmen Cultural Street
- Qujiang Pool Park
- Qujiang Polar Ocean Park
- Hancheng Lake Park
- Daming Palace Site
- Botanical Garden
- Qujiang Cool Cave Heritage Park
- City God Temple
- Daxingshan Temple
- Guangren Temple
- Jianfu Temple
- Qinglong Temple
- Temple of Eight Immortals
Attractions along East Route
Along the east route, you can take No.5 bus (306) to the famous Terra-cotta Warriors and Qin Shi Huang Mausoleum, then the Huaqing Hot Spring which is in the same location with Li Mountains boasting the amazing sunset scene, coming up with the Banpo Museum, which is a typical Neolithic matriarchal community of the Yangshao Culture dating back about 6,000 years. Mount Huashan is the must-see in this route, which is one of the five sacred mountains in China, tourists usually spend one night at the mountain to restore and enjoy the sunrise.
Read more about Xi'an attractions along the east route:
- Mt. Huashan
- Huaqing Hot Spring
- Qin Shi Huang Mausoleum
- Banpo Museum
- Hongmen Banquet Site Museum
- Shuilu Temple
- Tangyu Hot Springs
- Wangshun Mountain National Forest Park
- White Deer Plain
Attractions along West Route
The west route is themed on mausoleums and temples, for the place Xianyang was best known as the capital of Qin Dynasty with its suburbs scattered widely with mausoleums of emperors and royal families of several dynasties. Yang Mausoleum of Han Dynasty, is the mausoleum of Emperor Jing, the sixth emperor of the Western Han Dynasty and his Empress Wang; The Qianling Mausoleum is a Tang dynasty tomb site located in Qian County, built by 684, the tombs of the mausoleum complex house the remains of various members of the House of Li, the imperial family of the Tang dynasty. Famen Temple is the one you can’t miss, which is a Buddhist temple located in Fufeng County, 120 kilometers west of Xi'an and was widely regarded as the "ancestor of pagoda temples in Guanzhong". The west route tour will give you better understanding of the history and culture of Qin Dynasty.
Read more about Xi'an atrractions along the west route:
- Famen Temple
- Yang Mausoleum of Han Dynasty
- Qianling Mausoleum
- Great Buddha Temple
- Maoling Mausoleum
- Sanyuan City God Temple
- Taibai Mountain National Forest Park
- Tomb of Huo Qubing
- Xianyang Museum
- Zhaoling Mausoleum
Attractions along South Route
Besides the temple culture, the highlights of the south route is mountain scenery and wild life park as well as folk culture discovery, with the famous Qinling Mountains. The Zhongnan Mountains, sometimes called the Taiyi Mountains have been a popular dwelling-place for Daoist hermits since at least the Qin Dynasty. At 2604 meters the range's highest point is the Cui Hua Mountain. Other notable peaks and places in the Zhongnan mountains include Lou Guan Tai, as well as Nan Wutai and and Guifeng. Guanzhong Folk Art Museum and Huxian Peasant Painting provide you with exploration into Shaanxi folk culture.
Read more about Xi'an atrractions along the south route:
- Qinling Nationa Botanical Garden
- Chongyang Palace
- Cuihua Mountain
- Gaoguan Waterfall
- Guanzhong Folk Art Museum
- Heihe National Forest Park
- Louguantai
- Huxian Peasant Painting
- Qinling Wildlife Park
- Zhongnan Mountains
- South Wutai Mountain
- Taiping National Forest Park
- Zhuque National Forest Park
- Western Zhou Chariot Burial Pit
- Xiangji Temple
- Xianyou Temple Museum
- Xingjiao Temple
Attractions along North Route
The north route features in Northern Shaanxi scenery and culture. The Hukou Waterfall is famous among the regional attractions, while the Farmers' Caves, a unique type of dwelling exists mainly in northern part of Shaanxi Province, is also worth visiting. Yan'an has the most typical and distinctive cave residences where tourists can experience the Northern Shaanxi folk culture.
Read more about Xi'an atrractions along the nouth route:
- Hukou Waterfall
- Farmers' Caves
- Sima Qian Temple
- Hancheng Confucius Temple
- Huangdi Mausoleum
- Lewa Adventure
Recommendations for The Routes:
- 3 Days & 2 Nights Xian Tour: East Route + City Proper
- 4 Days & 3 Nights Xian Tour: East Route + West Route + City Proper
- 5 Days & 4 Nights Xian Tour: East Route + Mt. Huashan + West Route + City Proper
- 6 Days & 5 Nights Xian Tour: Huangdi Mausoleum + East Route + West Route
- 7 Days & 6 Nights Xian Tour: Yan'an + Hukou Waterfall + Huangdi Mausoleum + East Route + West Route + City Proper
Great Mosque in Xian
Why is Xian Great Mosque So Special？ Bigger than many temples in China, the Great Mosque is a gorgeous blend of Chinese and Islamic architecture and one of the most...
Bell Tower in Xian
Why is Xi’an Bell Tower So Special？ Dating back to the 1380s, the very beginning of the Ming Dynasty, Xi’an’s majestic Bell Tower and Drum Tower are symbols of the city’s rich...
Muslim Quarter in Xian
Why is Xian Muslim Quarter So Special？ The Xi’an Muslim Food Street is the collective name for a number of streets, including Beiyuanmen Street, North Guangji Street, Xiyangshi Street...
Giant Wild Goose Pagoda in Xian
When and Why the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda Was Built The Pagoda was built in the Tang Dynasty (618-907) for the study of Buddhist scriptures. Although it has been...
