Xi'an travel guide — where to stay, what to do, and where to eat in Xi'an, Shaanxi, China.
Xi'an, known through history under names including Chang'an ('Perpetual Peace'), served as the capital of 13 Chinese dynasties over more than a millennium, more than any other city in China, beginning with the Western Zhou around 1046 BC and reaching its greatest extent and influence under the Han and Tang dynasties, when Chang'an was the largest and most cosmopolitan city on earth, home to over a million residents and the eastern terminus of the Silk Road trade network stretching to Rome and Byzantium. Emperor Qin Shi Huang, who unified China in 221 BC and standardized its writing, currency, and measurements, built his tomb and its guardian Terracotta Army just east of the city, while the Han dynasty formally opened the Silk Road under Emperor Wu, sending the diplomat Zhang Qian west to establish trade routes that would carry silk, paper, and Buddhism across Asia for centuries. The Tang dynasty (618-907) marked Chang'an's golden age, a planned grid city of over 80 square kilometers with foreign quarters, embassies, and religious communities from across Asia and the Middle East, visited by the monk Xuanzang after his pilgrimage to India and the site of the poet Li Bai's court years. After the Tang collapse, China's political center shifted permanently eastward to Kaifeng, Beijing, and Nanjing, and the city, renamed Xi'an ('Western Peace') under the Ming dynasty in 1369, settled into a regional role as a provincial capital, though it retained strategic importance as a garrison city, evidenced by the imposing Ming-dynasty city wall still standing today. Xi'an returned to national attention in the 20th century through the 1936 Xi'an Incident, when Nationalist generals detained Chiang Kai-shek at Huaqing Palace to force a united front against Japan, and again in 1974, when farmers digging a well accidentally discovered the Terracotta Army, transforming the city into one of the world's most visited archaeological destinations.
Historical timeline
Key moments that shaped Xi'an.
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1
Western Zhou dynasty establishes its capital, Haojing, near modern Xi'an, laying early foundations for the region's role as imperial heartland
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2
Qin Shi Huang unifies China, ruling from the Qin capital Xianyang near modern Xi'an, and begins construction of his mausoleum and Terracotta Army
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3
Emperor Gaozu founds the Han dynasty and establishes Chang'an (modern Xi'an) as its capital
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4
Emperor Wu of Han sends envoy Zhang Qian west, opening the Silk Road trade routes from Chang'an to Central Asia
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5
Sui dynasty rebuilds the capital as Daxingcheng, laying out the grid plan the Tang dynasty later expanded as Chang'an
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6
Tang dynasty makes Chang'an its capital, growing it into the largest, most cosmopolitan city in the world at its peak
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7
Monk Xuanzang travels overland to India and returns to Chang'an with Buddhist scriptures, later housed in the Big Wild Goose Pagoda
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8
Fall of the Tang dynasty ends Chang'an's role as imperial capital; China's political center shifts permanently eastward
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9
Ming dynasty builds the current City Wall on the foundations of the earlier Tang imperial palace wall
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10
The city is renamed Xi'an ('Western Peace') under the Ming dynasty, its modern name
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11
Xi'an Incident: Nationalist generals detain Chiang Kai-shek at Huaqing Palace, pressuring a united front against Japan
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12
Local farmers digging a well near Mount Li accidentally discover the Terracotta Army, buried since around 210 BC
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13
The Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor, including the Terracotta Army, is inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site
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14
Xi'an develops as a major national high-tech and university hub while continuing large-scale archaeological excavation around the city
Historical eras
The chapters of Xi'an's past.
Historical sites
Places where Xi'an's past comes alive.
Terracotta Army (Emperor Qin Shi Huang Mausoleum Site Museum)
Where: Lintong District, Xi'an
Admission: ¥120-150 (~$17-21) depending on season
Xi'an City Wall
Where: Central Xi'an
Admission: ¥54 (~$7.60) flat rate
Han Yang Ling Mausoleum
Where: Weicheng District, Xianyang
Admission: ¥55-70 (~$7.70-9.90) depending on season
Huaqing Palace
Where: Lintong District, Xi'an
Admission: ¥120-150 (~$17-21) depending on season
Banpo Neolithic Village Museum
Where: Baqiao District, Xi'an
Admission: ¥65 (~$9.10)
Great Mosque of Xi'an (Huajue Mosque)
Where: Muslim Quarter, Beilin District, Xi'an
Admission: ¥15-25 (~$2.10-3.50) depending on season
Forest of Stone Steles Museum (Beilin Museum)
Where: Beilin District, Xi'an
Admission: ¥50-65 (~$7-9.10) depending on season
Museums
Curated collections that tell Xi'an's story.
Shaanxi History Museum
Hours: 9:00 AM-5:30 PM daily, timed-entry reservation required
Admission: Free with reservation; Tang wall painting gallery ¥270 (~$38) extra
Xi'an Museum (with Small Wild Goose Pagoda)
Hours: 9:00 AM-6:00 PM Mar-Nov; 9:00 AM-5:30 PM Dec-Feb; closed Tuesdays
Admission: Free with reservation (limited daily quota)
Forest of Stone Steles Museum (Beilin Museum)
Hours: 8:00 AM-6:30 PM Mar-Nov; 8:00 AM-6:00 PM Dec-Feb
Admission: ¥50-65 (~$7-9.10) depending on season
Banpo Neolithic Village Museum
Hours: 8:30 AM-5:30 PM daily
Admission: ¥65 (~$9.10)
Historical tours
Guided experiences that bring history to life.