8 Common Scams in Xian 2024

The ancient capital Xian attracts millions of visitors to come throughout the year. When you are planning your independent trip there, you may need to be beware of the scams in Xian. The followings are 8 most common scams and suggestions on how to avoid them.

To have a worry-free Xian trip, you are recommended to contact us for more advice. We, China Discovery offer professional transportation and guide service. Our licensed drivers will take you to the sites you want and our experienced guide will lead you away from the scam and fraud, and you can just focus on the sightseeing.

① Illegal Taxi

Choosing a safe vehicle should be the first priority over all your travelling plan. The illegal taxi in Xian is generally mentioned by visitors. Some people reported that they were taken to unknown attractions and shops, and some even got robbed. There are also cases that the drivers charge higher fees to deliver the passenger from/to the railway station and the airport. To avoid these illegal taxi drivers, you may need ignore the drivers who come to you and chat with you initiatively, for the licensed taxi divers only stop when they notice your gesture, and they will charge you according to the distance and you will get a receipt even from the city center to the outskirts Terracotta Warriors Museum. The color of the Taxi in Xian is usually painted all yellow or partial yellow with green.

② Illegal Bus

Many tourists will choose to get to the terracotta warriors by public transportation. During your trip from Xi'an Railway Station to the terracotta warriors and horses museum, some visitors may take the illegal bus out of hurry. Though most of the illegal buses might still go to right destination, they are not so secure as the public bus. The city bus to the Terracotta Warriors Museum is Bus 306 ( Tourism No. 5 bus). When you arrive at the railway station square, if you notice that someone may try to approach you and guide you to the illegal bus. However, there is a queue of passengers at the regular city bus terminal, and the driver and attendants never come down from the bus and recruit the passengers to get on their buses.

③ Fake Antique

Since Xi'an is an ancient capital for over 13 dynasties, some tourists would like to buy antiques here. In some scenic areas, many vendors sell antiques along the street, most of which are imitations. If you are not an expert or are not accompanied with an expert, do not buy it by yourself and most of them are expensive. There are also some bad vendors who put fragile antique on display so that once you touch them, it will fall apart, and you would be forced to pay.

④ Fake Terracotta Warriors

Many tourist shops in Xi'an sell miniature clay figurines of terracotta warriors and horses. It's hard for everyone to see this trap at first sight. For example, statuettes usually gather around a little knife. When you pick up the knife, the ribbon linked with the knife will knock down several clay figurines. The clay figurines may break up and you will be forced to pay. There are also some vendors who will promote their terracotta warriors and horses and tell you that they were unearthed near the Mausoleum of Qin, and convince you to buy their over-priced products. Actually, you will find many similar clay figurines in regular shops outside museums and they are much cheaper.

⑤ Fake Museum

When you arrive at the parking lot of the Terracotta Warriors Museum, sometimes some local people will approach to you and tell you that there is still a long way to go. They are willing to help you and drive you there with a cheap price. Some people will also tell you that they can give you discounts on the tickets for they are the local. However, if you get on their car, it will take you to the fake museum where there are only a few fake terracotta warriors and horses. To get to the real terracotta warriors museum from the parking lot, you can also follow the crowd to the entrance. There are also private museums in the city with limited collections and fake antiques. Some museums open only for selling you their over-priced artworks and souvenirs.

⑥ Illegal Tour Guide

In some popular scenic spots in Xi'an, such as terracotta warriors and horses museum, there are some illegal tour guides gathered near the ticket office. Many of them are not professional guides. They usually wear suit and look the same as the guide at the service counter. However,the tour guides in scenic spots will not be so active to approach to the tourists. Sometimes, these fake guides will take tourists into shops and promote products, or recommend fake scenic spots to the first-timers.

⑦ Fake Ticket

There are many tourist attractions in Xi'an. During the peak season, if tickets are hard to purchase in time. Many fraudsters try to sell fake tickets to uninformed tourists and claim the special discounts for their tickets. In most attractions of Xian, it requires valid ID card or passport to purchase tickets. In order to avoid this scam, tourists should be reminded not to trust strangers who are not from ticket office.

⑧ Beware of the Pickpocket

In the crowded underground tunnels in Xi'an, you need to pay attention to thieves and pickpockets, especially when you are visiting places like the night markets and Muslim quarter. Sometimes they distract you, and steal your valuable items while you are eat.

Tourism scams are common in popular scenic sites, not just in Xi'an. Don't be discouraged by the scams mentioned above and just be alert. The wondrous attractions in Xian is definitely unmissable. To have a worry-free Xian Trip, please do not hesitate to contact us and our licensed and experienced drivers and tour guide to escort you all the wall from your hotel/railway station/airport to the scenic site you want.

Useful Link: >>Common Scams and Tourist Traps in China - Must Know Before You Go