Xian Winter: Xian Weather in December, January, February

Why You Should Visit Xian in Winter

Xian is a city that you can travel in any season. Though it is cold in Xian during winter, every household has connected the indoor heating system, as long as you stay indoor, and you will not be bothered by the coldness and chilly wind. There are multiple museums to visit, such as the Terracotta Warriors, Shaanxi History Museum, and lot of shows to see at Tang paradise. Travelling Xian in winter, you may also encounter the beautiful snowscape, and the flight ticket and hotel rate will go down a lot because of the off-season.

It is cold but beautiful and maybe snow-covered, less busy and economical. Try to avoid the crowd travelling during the Chinese Lunar New Year holiday and plan your Xian tour in winter!

Our Guest at Bell Tower in Winter

Xian Weather in Winter

Xian Weather December

Since the beginning of December, the weather in Xian has become even colder. The average temperature is 1°C /34°F, the average high temperature is 6°C / 43°F, and the average low temperature is -3°C / 27°F. However, almost every household in Xian has indoor heating system to use. However, when you go out, please keep warm. Due to the sharp decrease of the rainfall, it is very dry and sometimes dusty in December. Please wear a mask when you go out in the morning and evening.

Xian Weather January

January is the coldest month in Xian, with an average temperature of 0°C / 32°F, an average high temperature of 5°C / 41°F and an average low temperature of -4°C / 25°F. Because of less rainfall, compared with other cities in China, there will be less snow in Xian. During this month, every household may be busy with preparing for the Chinese Lunar New Year. It's a good time to experience the cultural atmosphere of Chinese New Year.

Xian Weather February

In February, it is still cold, with an average temperature of 3°C / 37°F, an average high temperature of 8°C / 46°F and an average low temperature of -1°C / 30°F. The coldest season has passed, the weather has gradually begun to warm up, and the possibility of rainfall increases. You can experience the traditional Chinese Spring Festival and Lantern Festival atmosphere during this month, with various temple fairs.

Xian Average High & Low Temperature in Winter Day by Day (Click to Enlarge)

Places to Visit in Xian in Winter

Terracotta Warriors 秦始皇兵马俑 Pinyin: qín shǐ huáng bīng mǎ yǒng

▶ Address: East of Qinshihuang Mausoleum, Lintong District, Xian City 西安市临潼区秦始皇陵以东

▶ Entrance Fee: CNY 120

Reputed as one of the greatest archaeological finds in the twentieth century and the eighth wonder of the world, buried at 1.5km east of Qinshihuang’s Mausoleum, Terracotta Army or Terracotta Warriors and Horses (兵马俑) is the funerary object of Emperor Qinshihuang (259~210 BC), the first Emperor of China. In ancient China, people believed in after-world, thus, Emperor Qinshihuang built the Terracotta Warriors and Horses as his underground army to protect his soul in the after-world. More than 200 heads of countries have visited Terracotta Warriors. It is one of the most famous and representative buildings in China. Because it is indoor, it will not be affected even in cold winter.>>Learn More about Terracotta Warriors

Terracotta Warriors

Shaanxi History Museum 陕西历史博物馆 Pinyin: shǎn xī lì shǐ bó wù guǎn

▶ Address: No. 91 Xiaozhai East Road, Yanta District, Xian City西安市雁塔区小寨东路91号

▶ Entrance Fee: CNY 30

Shaanxi History Museum is located in the northwest side of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda in Xian, with an exhibition hall area of 11,000 square meters. There are more than 370,000 cultural relic.

From the early stage of primitive time to the modern times, the exhibits range from simple stone tools to the fancy gold wares. All kinds of artifacts and relics endure more than one million years. Among them, bronze wares of Shang and Zhou dynasties are exquisite; pottery figurines of all dynasties are in various forms; Gold and silver wares of Han and Tang dynasties are unique in China, and murals of Tang tombs are unparalleled in the world.

There are nearly 600 murals of more than 20 Tang tombs, amounting to more than 1000 square meters. The murals are vivid witnesses of the etiquette norms, living customs, costume characteristics, entertainment and architectural style at that time, all of which are important image material for the study of social life in Tang Dynasty, especially the noble life and spiritual pursuit of Tang people.>>Learn More about Shaanxi History Museum

Shaanxi History Museum

Tang Paradise 大唐芙蓉园 Pinyin: dà táng fú róng yuán

▶ Address: No. 99 Furong West Road, Qujiang New District, Xian City西安市曲江新区芙蓉西路99号

▶ Entrance Fee: CNY 85

Used to be the royal garden since ancient time, Tang paradise rose in the Qin and Han Dynasties and flourished in the Sui and Tang Dynasties. It is an important garden for many Tang emperors to spend the summer and winter. Today's Tang Paradise, built on the original site, covers an area of 1 square kilometers. It is a large-scale classic ancient garden, with beautiful landscapes throughout the year. When winter comes, the garden is covered with snow and looks very tranquil. In the city, you can also enjoy the wonderful performance of songs and dances about the Tang Dynasty as if you had returned to thousands of years ago.

Tang Paradise

Muslim Quarter 回民街 Pinyin: huí mín jiē

▶ Address: No. 1 Huimin Street, West Street, Lianhu District, Xian City 西安市莲湖区西大街1号回民街街口

▶ Entrance Fee: Free

The Muslim Quarter (回民街) Xian, near the Drum Tower (鼓楼), is one of the must-visit places in Xian city for its old street of more than 1,000 years old. Being a symbolic site of Xian flavor, this street is well-known for its nearly 300 sorts of food selling here, which attracts a numerous number of foodies to please both their noses and taste buds. Since Muslim Quarter is the gathering place of the Islamic Hui people and is also called Muslim Street and Huimin Street, visitors can appreciate the featured mosques with rich ancient Chinese flavor to feel the inclusive multi-culture of China. In the chilly winter, walking in the Muslim Quarter, tasting a bowl of steaming mutton and dumpling soup, your body gradually warms up and coldness won’t bother you anymore.>>Learn More about Muslim Quarter

Food Street at Muslim Quarter

Things to Do in Xian in Winter

Appreciate Cultural Relics at Different Museums

Visiting Xian in winter is pretty cold. However, since it is the ancient capital of China, countless priceless treasures and culture relics have left in this city, many of which are collected in different Museums in Xian. The top one must-go museum is the Terracotta Warriors to the east of Qinshihuang’s Mausoleum, and Qinshihuang, he is the first emperor unified China and ordered the construction of the Great Wall. Thousands of Terracotta Warriors and horses are standing in several large pits. According to the archaeologists, there are more Terracotta Warriors left earthed. Besides, you can also visit Shaanxi History Museum and appreciate the treasures and murals, Forest of steles Museum to learn more about Chinese calligraphy in the ancient time, Xian Museum to trace back the history about the city, and More museum to explore!

Watch the Wonderful Tang Dynasty Show

The tangible relics have left in the museum, while the culture get inherited generation after generation. There are many show places in Xian offering you the spectacular Tang Dynasty Show and Dumpling Banquet. The actresses and actors get dressed in the costumes referring to Tang people’s style in the ancient time, also the music is composed according to the historic data. There are different themed shows, such as the love story between the emperor Li longji and his beautiful concubine Yang Guifei; the legend of the famous female emperor Wu Zetian; the story about Terracotta Warriors and the first emperor Qinshihuang. You can get to see these fancy shows in many attractions in Xian, such as Tang Paradise, Tang Dynasty Palace, and Huaqing Palace. It’s also popular watching the show with dumpling banquet served, and the dumplings are not normal ones, which are well presented with fancy shapes and multiple colors and high standard ingredients.

Enjoy the Snowscape of Xian

It usually snows in the Xian City, and it is truly beautiful once the snow falls. You can go to the traditional garden-like park, Tang Paradise to enjoy the snowscape, or step atop the ancient city wall and look afar the city dressed in white. If you would like to hike, going to mountains outside Xian City and enjoying the snow-covered scenery will be your special winter treat for the your adventure. While the snowscape is amazing, you still need to be well-equipped in the cold winter and do not stay too long doing outdoor activities by yourself.

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Xian Winter Travel Tips

• Thick Clothes: For outdoor activities in Xian during winter, please keep warm and wear thick clothes such as down jackets, sweaters, gloves, etc.

• Items to Pack: Please note there will be a mass migration from/to Xian during the Chinese New Year Holiday, and the airport and railway stations and highways in Xian will become super crowded, and the scenic areas will be super busy with tourists from all over the country.

• Photos: Bring a camera to capture the exceptional scenery.

• Dry Weather: Xian is relatively dry all year round and sometimes it will be very dusty. Drinking more water and bring your body lotion and cream may be helpful in the dry weather, and sometimes you may need to wear a mask when the AQI is not good.

• Visa: Xian is a city which has the 72 hours Visa-Free Transit Policy for visitors under certain criteria.

How to Plan Your Xian Tour

As the ancient capital city of China for 13 dynasties, ruled by 73 emperors, Xian has left massive cultural heritages and relics for you to explore. Within about two days, you can finish visiting the main sites, which include the incredible man-made wonder, the Terracotta Warriors, the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda, and the Muslim Quarter where you can get to try the local cuisines. Besides, biking around the Ancient City Wall and tracing back the history at Shaanxi History Museum and watching the Tang Dynasty Show, all of these activities are definitely unmissable for your stay in Xian. Now, it is available to have 72 hours Visa-Free Transit in Xian, and you can go for a history and culture tour or photography tour to explore all the stunning attractions in the city even without applying for a visa.

If you have more time, you can head to Luoyang, Hukou Waterfall, and the famous Mt. Huashan, which is about 120km away from the city area. Besides, you can start your silk road trip from the terminal Xian and travel along the route Marco Polo has visited, or you can regard Xian as your midway in China and start your trip from Beijing, Shanghai and even Lhasa to the west of Xian. China Discovery has designed many classic China tour packages including Xian for you. Let us customize one for you.>>Contact Us Now

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Travel with China Discovery

If you book a tour from China Discovery, our skilled driver and knowledgeable guide will pick you up at the airport or railway station and escort you to your hotels, restaurant, the pier and other tourist destinations. You won’t need to worry about the complicated transportation anymore and just focus on sightseeing.>>Contact us now

Xian Attractions