In the print dialog pick “Save as PDF” to keep it on your phone. A5 makes a pocket booklet; A4 suits a desk printer.
Voykit pocket guide · China
Xi'an
西安
Go to Xi'an for the Terracotta Army and the intact Ming city wall; allow 2 nights, 4.5 hours from Beijing or 3.5 from Chengdu by high-speed rail.
Xi'an was the eastern terminus of the Silk Road and served as capital for several Chinese dynasties, including the Qin and Tang. It is home to the Terracotta Army, discovered in 1974 near the tomb of China's first emperor, a fully walled old centre and a Muslim Quarter known for its street food. High-speed rail links it to Beijing, Chengdu and Shanghai.
- Country
- China
- Local name
- 西安
- Best months
- Mar–May and Sep–Nov: mild and dry, avoiding both summer heat and winter cold
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (hot, occasional heavy rain), Dec–Feb (cold, dry and often smoggy)
- Stay
- 2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- CNY
- Money
- Alipay and WeChat Pay accept Visa, Mastercard, JCB and Amex cards; single payments over ¥200 carry a fee of about 3% on a foreign card (smaller ones are free), and per-payment and yearly caps apply — check the app. Keep a second way to pay.
- SIM and data
- A roaming eSIM from outside China routes traffic through its home network, so Google, WhatsApp and Instagram work without a VPN — the simplest setup.
- Emergency
- Police 110 · Ambulance 120 · Fire 119
- Plugs
- Types A, C, I · 220 V · 50 Hz · Many sockets take flat two-pin (A), round two-pin (C) and angled three-pin (I) plugs; UK plugs need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Restaurants: No tip; upmarket hotels add 10–15% service.; Taxis and DiDi: No tip.; Tour guides and drivers: Expected on organised tours: about ¥100–200 a day for a guide, ¥50–100 for a driver.; Hotel porters: Not expected; ¥10–20 in luxury hotels.
- Water
- Not for drinking from the tap; bottled water ¥2–5, and kettles and free bottles in hotel rooms. Restaurants serve hot water or tea.
- Toilets
- Public toilets are frequent and free; squat toilets outside hotels and malls. Carry tissues — many have no paper.
Get in
By air
- XIY · Xi'an Xianyang
- About 40 km from the centre; airport shuttle bus or Metro Line 14, roughly 1 hour
Get around
The metro and taxis cover the city; public buses or a tour bus run to the Terracotta Army site, about an hour outside the centre. Inside the wall, the old town is compact and walkable, and city-wall bike rental is a popular way to see it.
See and do
Known for
- Terracotta Army at the Qin Shi Huang mausoleum
- The intact Ming-dynasty City Wall, walkable or cyclable
- Muslim Quarter street food around Huimin Street
- Big Wild Goose Pagoda and its Tang-dynasty grounds
- Shaanxi History Museum's Silk Road artefacts
Sleep
- Inside the City Wall
- Walkable to the Bell Tower, Drum Tower and Muslim Quarter.
- Near the railway station
- Convenient for early trains to the Terracotta Army or onward rail, but noisier.
Language
Mandarin is the language of the whole country, written in Simplified characters; Cantonese dominates Guangdong and Hong Kong, and dozens of regional languages survive at home. English is on metro signs, airports and large hotels; elsewhere use a translation app. Pinyin (the romanisation) helps with names but tones change meaning.
- Translation apps: Baidu Translate, Youdao, Microsoft Translator and Apple Translate work without a VPN; Google Translate needs one or a roaming eSIM.
- Show destinations to taxi drivers in characters; copy them from Amap.
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake and a nod; use surnames with a title; avoid: Hugs and cheek kisses
- Face: Disagree privately and indirectly; avoid: Correcting or embarrassing someone in front of others
- Gifts: Give with two hands; expect the gift to be refused once or twice and opened later; avoid: Clocks, umbrellas, white flowers, sets of four
- Business cards: Present and receive with both hands, read it, keep it on the table; avoid: Writing on it or pocketing it at once
- Queues and crowds: Hold your ground politely in scrums at buses and lifts; avoid: Taking pushing personally
- Temples: Walk clockwise around Tibetan stupas and prayer wheels; remove hats; avoid: Touching statues or photographing where signs forbid
- Politics: Listen; follow your host's lead; avoid: Raising Tibet, Taiwan, Xinjiang, 1989 or the party leadership
- Numbers and colour: Red and 8 are lucky; red envelopes carry money gifts; avoid: Writing names in red; the number 4
Scams and watch-outs
- The Terracotta Army gets very crowded by mid-morning; go at opening and book tickets in advance where possible.
- Winter smog can be heavy; check an air-quality app if it affects you.
- Muslim Quarter food stalls vary in hygiene standards; choose stalls with visible turnover and fresh cooking.
- Foreign visitors need a valid visa or transit exemption; confirm current rules with official sources.
Low risk of crime against tourists; the main issues are crowds at the Terracotta Army and winter smog.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Xi'an yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Terracotta Army at the Qin Shi Huang mausoleum
- The intact Ming-dynasty City Wall, walkable or cyclable
- Muslim Quarter street food around Huimin Street
- Big Wild Goose Pagoda and its Tang-dynasty grounds
- Shaanxi History Museum's Silk Road artefacts
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Xi'an official portal: english.xa.gov.cn/
- Wikivoyage — Xi'an: en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Xi'an
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/xian). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.