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Gateway to the Silk Road and home of ancient Chinese dynasties”
Located in central northwest China, Xi’an is one of the birthplaces of ancient Chinese civilisation in the Yellow River Basin area. Formerly known as Chang’an (‘eternal city’),
Xi’an’s rich tapestry of history spans more than 3,000 years, including as the capital city of 13 ancient dynasties. Along with Cairo, Athens and Rome, Xi’an has been celebrated as one of the ‘Four Ancient Capitals of the World’ and was also the terminus of the ancient Silk Road, the legendary and historically important international trading route that extends through western China and central Asia down to the Mediterranean.
All this magnificent legacy has endowed modern-day Xi’an with a rich historical heritage full of numerous ancient sites and a melting-pot legacy of cultures and religions. Highlights include arguably the best preserved ancient city walls in China and the subterranean Terracotta Warriors, built as the funerary project of China’s first emperor (Qin Dynasty) and one of the world’s most extraordinary and significant archeological finds.
Within this fascinating city, ancient Chinese culture along with modern charms are just waiting to be explored.
WHY WE THINK YOU’LL LOVE IT
As an ancient capital filled with countless pagodas, mausoleums and historical relics, Xi’an presents some of the greatest insights into ancient Chinese civilisation
Centrally placed in China, Xi’an is a foodie’s paradise, tempting with a tasty array of local snacks and speciality dishes influenced by the city’s diversity of cultures and religions
As an epicentre of traditional Chinese handicrafts and arts, Xian is a superb place to join a private craft class instructed by a master artisan
Noteworthy cultural entertainment covers Tang Dynasty music and dance shows and Qin Opera, one of China’s oldest traditional operas, which originated in the province
Within Easy Reach Of...
Beijing
Flight: 2hrs 15min - Bullet Train: 6hrs
Guilin
Flight: 2hrs 15min - Bullet Train: 11hrs
Shanghai
Flight: 2hrs 15min - Normal Train: 11hrs
Travel Tips
Come face to face with some of the 7,000 magnificent, life-sized Terracotta Warriors standing guard over their emperor for more than two millennia
Take a leisurely bicycle, golf cart or rickshaw ride along Xi’an’s 12m (39ft)-high city walls, one of the world’s largest and broadest ancient fortresses
Stroll through the narrow and atmospheric back streets of the Muslim Quarter, sampling authentic street food and exploring the magnificent Great Mosque
Admire the historic Bell Tower, a central landmark that is gorgeously illuminated with lanterns come sundown
Enjoy the evening musical fountain show in front of the seven-storey Wild Goose Pagoda, China’s most celebrated Tang Dynasty pagoda
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In-Depth Knowledge with Local Insight