Top 7 Xi'an Historical Sites You Have to Visit During Xi'an Tour
Xian is one of the most important city in the history of China. It was the capital of 13 ancient Chinese dynasties, and used to be the trade center of ancient Silk Road. It has existed since the 11th century BC with former old name of Chang’an (Long Peace). Xi’an’s most glorious time is being the capital of Tang Dynasty (618~907) when it was the most splendid and extravagant city in the world. After Tang Dynasty, Xian’s importance declined as the rises of other newer cities, such as Luoyang, Nanjing, Beijing, etc. Though not as one of the biggest cities in China, Xian region is still one of China’s most popular tourist destinations as a great number of historical monuments and ancient sites have survived from the history, such as the World famous Terracotta Warriors constructed in Qin Dynasty(221-206 BC), Giant Wild Goose Pagoda constructed in Tang Dynasty, Ancient City Wall built in Ming times (1368 - 1644), etc. To look back on the history, one should not miss Shaanxi History Museum which preserves artifacts and art objects spanning Chinese history from Paleolithic times through the Qing dynasty. All places can be visited together in brief 2 days.
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Terracotta Warriors - One of the Greatest Archaeological Finds in the 20th Century
They call it the eighth wonder of the world, and they're right. Discovered in 1974, Terracotta Warriors and Horses is one of the greatest archeological finds in 20th century, and it definitely should be on your bucket list.
Type: World Heritage Site, Historical Site, Specialty Museum
Opening Hours: March 16th – November 15th: 8:30 – 18:00 / November 16th – March 15th: 8:30 – 17:30
Tickets: ￥120
Address: Qinling North Road, Lintong District, Xi'an 西安市临潼区秦岭北路
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Ancient City Wall - Most Significent Ancient City Wall of China
This extremely well preserved city wall is a wonderful testimony to the engineering and construction skills of the ancient Chinese people. Walking or biking around the wall is awe inspiring with interesting and different views of the old and new parts of Xian.
Type: Ancient Ruins, Sights & Landmarks
Opening Hours: South Gate: 8:00 – 22:00; for Hanguang Gate: 8:00 – 17:30; for other gates: Apr 1st – Apr 30th: 8:00 – 18:00 / May 1st – Oct 31st: 8:00 – 19:00 / Nov 1st – Mar 31st: 8:00 – 18:00
Tickets: ￥54 for the City Wall / ￥45 for the Bike Rental
Address: Nandajie, Beilin District, Xi'an 710001, China 陕西省西安市碑林区南大街
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Giant Wild Goose Pagoda – World Cultural Heritage Site on Silk Road
The Giant Wild Goose Pagoda, located in southern Xi’an, is a very famous ancient pagoda in China built for more than 1,300 years. It is the bright pearl on the Silk Road with excellent architectural beauty, precious Buddhist relics, rich religious culture, stories of the famous ancient monk - Xuan Zang, etc.
Type: World Cultural Heritage, Buddhist Site
Opening Hours: Mar - Oct: 8:00-18:30; Nov - Feb: 8:00-18:00
Tickets: ￥50 for Da Ci’en Temple / ￥30 for the pagoda
Address: Da Ci’en Temple, Yanta District, Xi’an 西安市雁塔区大慈恩寺内
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Shaanxi History Museum - Pearl in Ancient Capital and Treasure of China
Shaanxi History Museum is a comprehensive historical museum. From its first open day, various exhibitions have been displayed here. It depicts the rich culture of historical cultural relics and extensive profound civilization of Chinese Nation from multiple perspectives.
Type: Historical Museum, Museum
Opening Hours: 9:00 - 17:30 (Nov. 15th to Mar. 15th) last admission 16:00 8:30 - 18:00 (Mar. 16th to Nov 14th.) last admission 16:30
Tickets: Free for Most Exhibition Halls
Address: No.91 Xiaozhai East Road, Yata District, Xi’an, China, 710061 西安市雁塔区小寨东路91号
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Xi'an Beilin Museum (Forest of Stone Steles) - The Epitome of Stone Carving Art
Located in downtown Xi'an, Beilin Museum (碑林博物馆), literally the Forest of Stone Steles Museum, is a treasure trove of ancient Chinese calligraphy and stone sculptures. For history buffs, Beilin Meseum is definitely an underrated must-visit. You can marvel at the intricate carvings and gain insight into China's rich cultural heritage, ranging from literature to philosophy and religion. For common travelers, the museum's serene garden and traditional architecture offer a peaceful retreat from the bustling city, making it a great destination as well, where you can immerse yourself in the enchantment of this thousand-year-old ancient capital.
Type: Museum, Cultural & Historical Site
Opening Hours: 9:00–17:30 (last admission at 17:00)
Tickets: ¥10/person (partial opening period)
Address: No.15 Sanxue Street, Beilin District, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China. (陕西省西安市碑林区三学街15号)
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Xian Bell Tower - Iconic Site of Ancient Capital Xian
Marking the geographical center of the ancient capital Xian and enduring more than 600 years, Xian Bell Tower is the iconic building, which was used to announce the time and now turns to be a museum with cultural relics and traditional artworks, as well as amazing performances at daytime and stunning scenery at night.
Type: Sights & Landmarks, Ancient Ruins
Opening Hours: 8:30am-20:30pm (April 1st to October 10th) / 8:30am-18:00pm (0ctober 11th to March 31th)
Tickets: ￥30 (￥50 with Drum Tower)
Address: Intersection of East Street and West Street in Beilin District of Xi'an City 西安市碑林区东大街和西大街交汇处
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Xian Drum Tower - Sister Building of Xian Bell Tower
As the sister building of Xian Bell Tower, Xian Drum tower is about 200 meters away from the Bell tower, enduring over 600 years. This timber-brick drum tower was built in 1380 in the Ming dynasty and is used as a museum now, which displays collections of various drums and cultural relics and the Muslim Quarter is right behind it.
Type: Sights & Landmarks, Ancient Ruins
Opening Hours: 8:30am-20:30pm (April 1st to October 10th) / 8:30am-18:00pm (0ctober 11th to March 31th)
Tickets: ￥30 (￥50 with Bell Tower)
Address: To the West of Bell Tower, at West Street, Lianhu District, Xian City 西安市莲湖区西大街钟楼西300米路北
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Best Xian Tour Packages for First-timers
No matter how many days you plan to stay in Xian, China Discovery always has a suitable tour for you. We are also specialized in high-quality private tours as well as tailor-made tour packages that fit you best according to your own interests, requirement, traveling time, etc. Below are the Most Popular Xian Tour Packages 2019/2020. If you have no idea where to start, pleaste don't hesitate to contact our travel experts for help.
Travel the best highlights and the unique historic relics of the ancient capital Xian at an enjoyable pace in 3 days. This is the most classic Xian itinerary, with visits to all the bests of this ancient capital!
Visit the best attractions in Xian, then take a side trip to hike Mount Huashan which is famous for its thrilling hiking routes and Plank Walk.
Ideal for those who have brief 2 days to stay in Xian but want to explore the best part of the city. Perfectly designed to cover the symbolic attractions in Xian. Pick up from hotel, train station and airport.
This is the briefest trip to travel Beijing and Xian two great destinations together with only the best highlights covered to make fully use of your time.
