The first stop in my China trip was Xi’an, the old capital of China. After about 16 hours of travel, Ke and I landed in Xian International Airport around 10pm. His cousin picked us up and drove us to our hotel. The next day we began our first run through Xi’an attractions!
Shaanxi National Museum
The Shaanxi National Museum is rich with the evolution and history of Shaanxi and China. After grabbing breakfast, the museum was our first stop.
Giant Wild Goose Pagoda
After spending a few hours in the museum, we grabbed lunch and walked over to the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda, a Buddhist pagoda built in the Tang dynasty. At this pagoda, you can also learn a lot about Xuanzang, a famous Buddhist monk who journeyed to India and translated over a thousand Buddhist texts into Chinese.
Terracotta Warriors
A trip to Xi’an is just not complete without seeing the Terracotta Army. And what a site to behold. Even after seeing many pictures of the warriors and having a close up view of them at the Shaanxi museum and when they visited San Francisco, the compound itself is extraordinary in person. I also quite enjoyed reading about the young emperor that begin building his terracotta army at the age of 13 xD
Huaqing Bath Houses
Before we went to see the Terracotta warriors, we stopped by the Huaqing Palace and Baths, a beautiful summer palace famed for being dedicated to Emperor Xuanzong’s favorite consort, Yang Guifei. She was famed for being one of the Four Beauties of ancient China. And while their love story is tragic, like most Chinese love stories, the baths themselves were beautiful.
Xian City Wall
The next day, we took the subway to the Xi’an city wall, famous for being one of the oldest and most well preserved city walls. You are able to go up on the wall, walk around the city and even go biking.
Muslim Quarter
After spending the day at all of these tourist attractions, your last stop should definitely be the Muslim Quarter near the drum and bell towers. At night this large street and the square turns into a mini festival, filled with street food, musicians, and little stands for shopping. Check out more of my photos here!
So much more!
Xi’an was a great first stop in China. There is so much to do and so much to see. There were more museums to visit, a lot of shopping, and food! My favorite thing about Xi’an, hands down, is the Shaanxi food. It is my favorite Chinese cuisine! From spicy cumin lamb skewers, to hand pulled noodles, lamb burgers and more!
