Must see attractions in Xi'an

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Army of Terracotta Warriors
The Terracotta Army isn't just Xi'an's premier sight: it's one of the most famous archaeological finds in the world. This subterranean life-size army of…
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Xi'an City Walls
Xi'an is one of the few cities in China where the imposing old city walls still stand. Built in 1370 during the Ming dynasty, the magnificent 12m-high…
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Big Goose Pagoda
This seven-storey pagoda, Xi'an’s most famous landmark, 4km southeast of the South Gate and formerly within the old (and huge) Tang dynasty city wall,…
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Tomb of Emperor Jingdi
This tomb, also referred to as the Han Jing Mausoleum, Liu Qi Mausoleum and Yangling Mausoleum, is the burial place of the Han-dynasty emperor Jingdi (188…
Famen Temple
Dating way back to the 2nd century AD, this temple was built to house parts of a sacred finger bone of the Buddha, presented to China by India’s King…
Guangren Temple
The sole Tibetan Buddhist temple in the entire province, Guangren Temple dates from the early 18th century, but was largely rebuilt in the 20th century…
Great Mosque
Bigger than many temples in China, the Great Mosque is a gorgeous blend of Chinese and Islamic architecture and one of the most fascinating sacred sites…
Muslim Quarter
The backstreets leading north from the Drum Tower have been home to the city’s Hui community (non-Uyghur Chinese Muslims) for centuries, perhaps as far…
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Qian Tomb
This impressive tomb, 85km northwest of town, is the final resting place of China's sole female emperor, Wu Zetian (AD 625–705), who is buried here with…
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Tomb of Qin Shi Huang
In its time this tomb must have been one of the grandest mausoleums the world had ever seen. Historical accounts describe it as containing palaces filled…
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Xianyang City Museum
More than 2000 years ago Xianyang was the capital of the Qin dynasty. These days it’s just a dusty satellite of Xi'an. Its chief attraction is this museum…
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Little Goose Pagoda
Standing in the pleasant grounds of Jianfu Temple, Little Goose Pagoda had its top shaken off by an earthquake in the middle of the 16th century, but the…
Shaanxi History Museum
This museum naturally overlaps with Xi'an’s surrounding sights but makes for a comprehensive stroll through ancient Chang’an. Most exhibits offer…
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Xi'an Museum
Housed in the pleasant grounds of the Jianfu Temple is this museum featuring relics unearthed in Xi'an over the years. There are some exquisite ceramics…
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Forest of Stelae Museum
Housed in Xi'an’s Confucius Temple, this museum holds more than 1000 stone stelae (inscribed tablets), including the nine Confucian classics and some…
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Banpo Neolithic Village
Banpo is the earliest example of the Neolithic Yangshao culture, which is believed to have been matriarchal. It appears to have been occupied from 4500 BC…
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Bell Tower
Occupying a central place at the frantic bulls-eye intersection of Xi Dajie, Dong Dajie, Bei Dajie and Nan Dajie, the domineering form of the Bell Tower…
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Drum Tower
While the Bell Tower originally held a bell that was rung at dawn, the Drum Tower, standing at the foot of the smoky and uproarious street of Beiyuanmen,…
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Temple of the Eight Immortals
Xi'an’s largest Taoist temple dates from the Song dynasty and is still an active place of worship. Supposedly built on the site of an ancient wine shop,…
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Zhao Tomb
This tomb, 70km northwest of Xi'an, belongs to the second Tang emperor Taizong who died in AD 649. The tomb established the custom of building imperial…