Xi'an

The most complete ancient city wall in China - a 14km Ming Dynasty rampart from 1370, 12 meters high and 15 meters wide, encircling the entire ancient city with 98 watchtowers and 4 monumental gates. The best way to see it is to rent a bicycle and cycle the full circuit - one of the most unique urban cycling routes in the world.

📍City Wall, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710001, China

A 64-meter Tang Dynasty Buddhist pagoda built in 652 AD to house the sacred Buddhist scriptures brought back from India by the monk Xuanzang. The pagoda is the most iconic structure in Xi'an and the surrounding Tang Paradise cultural complex with its nightly water-light fountain show is Xi'an's most spectacular evening attraction.

📍Yanta South Road, Yanta District, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, China

One of the largest and oldest mosques in China, built in 742 AD and expanded during the Ming Dynasty into a stunning blend of Islamic and Chinese architecture. The Great Mosque sits in the heart of the Muslim Quarter and its peaceful garden courtyards offer a tranquil escape from the food street bustle outside its walls.

📍Huajue Lane, Muslim Quarter, Lianhu District, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710001, China

The underground glass-floor museum above the burial pits of Han Emperor Jing Di, featuring thousands of miniature terracotta figures including the only known terracotta female soldiers in China. Visitors walk over glass floors with excavated pits below — a technically stunning museum experience that rivals the Terracotta Warriors in intimacy.

📍Weicheng District, Xianyang, Shaanxi 712000, China

An imperial hot spring palace complex at the foot of Lishan Mountain, 30km from Xi'an, where China's most famous love story unfolded - Tang Emperor Xuanzong and his concubine Yang Guifei. The gardens, thermal pools, and the site of the 1936 Xi'an Incident (where Chiang Kai-shek was arrested) make this the most layered historical site near the city.

📍Lishan National Forest Park, Lintong District, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710600, China

The joint tomb of Tang Emperor Gaozong and China's only female emperor Wu Zetian, buried under a natural mountain 80km from Xi'an. The Spirit Way lined with stone statues of foreign envoys, horses, and ostriches is one of the most haunting and overlooked imperial sites in China — far fewer visitors than the Terracotta Warriors.

📍Qian County, Xianyang, Shaanxi 713200, China

One of the finest museums in China with over 370,000 artifacts spanning 1.15 million years of human history in the Yellow River region. The Tang Dynasty gold and silver treasures, the Qin bronze weapons, and the Han Dynasty painted pottery are among the most important collections in the world - absolutely essential context for any Xi'an visit.

📍91 Xiaozhai East Road, Yanta District, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, China

A slender Tang Dynasty pagoda from 707 AD in a beautiful park setting with less crowds than the Big Goose Pagoda, surrounded by the Xi'an Museum of history inside the Jianfu Temple grounds. The morning tai chi practitioners, the resident peacocks in the grounds, and the tree-lined paths make it a serene contrast to Xi'an's busier sites.

📍Youyi West Road, Beilin District, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710065, China

The most important archaeological discovery of the 20th century - 8,000 life-size clay soldiers, horses, and chariots buried with China's first emperor Qin Shi Huang in 210 BC, each with a unique face. The three excavation pits, with thousands of warriors still being restored under protective domes, are the most awe-inspiring sight in China.

📍Lintong District, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710600, China

The twin Ming Dynasty towers at the exact center of the ancient city - the 1384 Bell Tower and the 1380 Drum Tower - which once regulated Xi'an's daily life by sounding bells at dawn and drums at dusk. The rooftop views from both towers encompass the entire ancient city grid in a panorama unchanged since the Ming Dynasty.

📍Bell Tower Square, Beilin District, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710001, China