4 Days Xi'an In-depth Travel

To reach the Terracotta Army Museum, you can take Tourist Bus No. 5 (306), or No. 307, which are all state-run buses with cheaper prices and formal regulation. Metro Line 9 is also a good choice if your hotel is close to a subway station.

The recommended station for taking No. 306 is Fangzhicheng Junction Station, which is also the east terminal of Metro Line 1. It could be convenient to take Metro Line 1 if you start from the heart area of Xi'an, in which Beidajie and Wulukou are the major transfer stations of Line 1. At Beidajie, you will also find Metro Line 2 bound for the North Railway Staion. The bus ride is about 50 minutes.

If your hotel is in the southeast near downtown Xi'an, it could be easy to find Bus No. 307. For example, you can take Bus No. 307 in the north of Big Wild Goose Pagoda or at the south gate of the Tang Paradise. Ranging from CNY2 to CNY8, the ticket fare of No. 307 depends on how many stops you will take. Whether you choose bus No. 306 or 307, you will finally arrive at Terracotta Army Station. From there, you need another 5-minute walk to arrive at the entrance of the museum.

Metro Line 9 departs from Fangzhicheng Station in the eastern suburbs of Xi'an. You can get there by Metro Line 1 from downtown Xi'an. Metro Line 2, 3 and 4 all have transfer stations with Metro Line 1, so it is convenient to get to Fangzhicheng Station from many places in Xi'an. By taking Metro Line 9, you will get off at Huaqingchi Station after 11 stops and then you can take bus No. 613 or 602 to get to the Terracotta Warriors.

Upon arrival at the Terracotta Army Museum, follow the route: Pit 1 - Pit 3 - Pit 2 - Exhibition Hall, to tour around this place. Afterwards, reverse the trip back to downtown Xian.

As the burial object of Emperor Qin Shi Huang (259 - 210 BC), the over 8,000 pottery soldiers, horses, and chariots line orderly in the three uncovered pits there reproduce the invincible troops that helped Qin Shi Huang establish the first united regime of China. Many bronze wares and weapons were also unearthed there. Some of them can be admired in the Exhibition Hall, among which the most famous ones are the two bronze chariots.

1. At major bus stations, you might meet fake tourist buses. Be aware that the real bus No. 306 and 307 is a state-run white bus with yellow number plate and the bus conductor only asks you to buy the ticket after you get on.
2. The ticket of the Terracotta Army Museum also includes the entrance fee of Qin Shi Huang Mausoleum, which is 1.5 kilometers (one mile) away from the museum. You can take a free shuttle bus near the eastern gate of the museum for the round-trip to the mausoleum.

Terracotta Army Museum	CNY 120
Tourist Bus No. 5 (306)	CNY 5
Bus No. 307	CNY 2 to CNY 8
Metro Line 9	CNY 6
Bus No. 613 or 602	CNY 2 to CNY 6

Take subway line 2 or 3 to Xiaozhai Station and leave from Exit E. Walk eastwards for 600 meters (660 yards) to the Shaanxi History Museum. After that, continue to head eastwards for 500 meters (550 yards) and you will see the towering Big Wild Goose Pagoda. The splendid Musical Fountain on its North Square is also a must-see attraction of this area. If interested, you can round off today's independent Xi'an tour with a night exploration of Grand Tang All Day Mall, where you will have a glance at the prosperous life of the Tang Dynasty over a thousand year ago.

Shaanxi History Museum: More than 370,000 precious items, such as bronze wares, tomb murals, pottery figures, coins and notes, as well as jade wares, unearthed throughout the whole province are displayed there. Most of them were made during the Han (202 BC - 220 AD) and Tang dynasties (618 AD - 907 AD). 

Big Wild Goose Pagoda: Located in Da Ci'en Temple, it was built for storing precious Buddhist scriptures and relics of Buddha. Now it is considered the landmark of Xi'an city. Follow the wooden stairs up to the top and you will have a full view of the whole North Square and overlook the city.

Musical Fountain: The musical fountain on the North Square of Big Wild Goose Pagoda is the largest one in Asia with ten pools and 2,048 nozzles. Water columns form various shapes to the rhythm of the music, such as seagulls, butterflies, and flowers. The northernmost pool can throw out a 60-meter (200-foot) high water column into the sky. 

Grand Tang All Day Mall: A Tang-style featured north-south pedestrian mall covering an area of 650,000 square meters. Showing famous historical events of the Tang Dynasty, the vivid structures and lightening landscapes, as well as the interesting facilities such as piano path, provide a lot of joy to the visitors. There are also local street food and handicraft stalls for you to have a taste of local flavor.

1. Shaanxi History Museum is closed on Monday. In order to enjoy an interesting visit with better understanding of each exhibit, it is suggested you rent an audio guide at a cost of CNY 30. The deposit of each device is CNY 100.
2. The musical fountain in front of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda presents the most beautiful scene at night. The best viewing points are the top of the Pagoda and the northern end of the North Square where you can take photos with the pagoda being the backdrop.
3. At night, there are many exciting Tang-style performance at Grand Tang All Day Mall. The dancers and actors are dressed up in the traditional costumes, which is a pleasant spectacle that worth a view.

Shaanxi History Museum	Free *Show valid passport to enter the museum
Da Ci'en Temple	CNY 50
Big Wild Goose Pagoda	CNY 30

To reach today’s first stop, Hanyangling Mausoleum, you need to arrive at the North Railway Station (Beikezhan) by Metro Line 2 first. Then walk to the north of the railway station go northwards about 650 meters to Beikezhan (Beiguangchang) Station, where you can transfer to Metro Line 14 to Qingong Station. Beiguangchang means the north square in Chinese. Leaving the metro station, you will find shuttle bus to the mausoleum.

After visiting the historical mausoleum complex, you will continue to today's last destination, Muslim Quarter. First take the shuttle bus to Qingong Station and backtrack to Beikezhan by Metro Line 14. At Beikezhan Station, take Metro Line 2 and get off at Zhonglou (the Bell Tower) Station. Get out from Exit B and head west towards the Drum Tower. The Great Mosque is a few yards northwest of the tower. Then go eastwards to today's last destination, Muslim Quarter.

Highlights

Hanyangling Mausoleum: It is the mausoleum of Emperor Jing of Han (188 - 141 BC), one of the most successful rulers of the Western Han Dynasty (202 BC - 9 AD). Funerary pits around the tomb have been uncovered and developed into an underground museum. About 1,800 pieces of fine antiques discovered from the funeral pits are displayed in an exhibition hall inside the scenic area.

Great Mosque: Unlike other Muslim buildings with large domes and arches, this mosque follows traditional Chinese architectural style with upward eaves, pavilions, as well as wooden and brick carvings. Prayer Hall is the most important place of the mosque and there are 30 planks carved with the Quran. 

Muslim Quarter: Backpackers can feast their stomach with almost every Xi'an cuisine in Muslim Quarter, including crumbled flatbread in mutton stew, Shaanxi sandwich, cold noodles, and dumpling stuffed with hot gravy. A portion of food there is usually big, so it is suggested you order small servings in order to taste more dishes.

Cost

Hanyangling Mausoleum	March - November: CNY 70 December - next February: CNY 55
Great Mosque	March - November: CNY 25 December - next February: CNY 15
Metro	Beikezhan to Qinggong of Line 14: CNY 3 Beikezhan to Zhonglou of Line 2: CNY4

Take Metro Line 2 to Yongningmen Station. Get out from Exit A1 or D1 and you will find yourself on the square in front of the southern gate of the City Wall. After touring around the City Wall, still get down from the southern gate to visit the Shuyuanmen Street behind it. Forest of Stone Steles Museum, to the east of the street, is also worth visiting and this 4-day independent Xian tour will come to an end here.

City Wall: It is the best-preserved ancient city wall of China with turrets and gate towers lining along the 14-kilometer (8-mile) long wall. It has guarded the old city of Xian for over 600 years. Besides walking, riding a bicycle can be another good way to get around the City Wall.

Ancient Cultural Street of Shuyuanmen: It is a cultural block of Xi'an with stores selling paintings and calligraphy works inside old-style buildings on the two sides of the road. Here you can also buy the Four Treasures of the Study - writing brushes, ink sticks, paper, and ink stones, as well as local paper-cuttings and shadow play puppets. 

Forest of Stone Steles Museum: The museum is the best place for backpackers to immerse in the charm of stone steles and stone carvings. Stone steles collected in the museum were made in different dynasties, spanning almost 2,000 years.

1. Bike rental booths can be easily found on the City Wall. An ordinary bike costs CNY 45 for 2h while a tandem requires CNY 90, and you need to pay CNY 200 as a deposit.
2. It is suggested you arrive at the southern gate of the City Wall before 9:00 to attend a traditional ceremony of opening the city gate. At 10:30, you can enjoy an ancient military drill performance at the barbican behind the southern gate.
Please note: The ceremony might be cancelled and the time might be changed due to the present condition of pandemic COVID-19. It is important to check it before the day you visit. You are always welcomed if you need our help.

City Wall	CNY 54
Forest of Stone Steles Museum	March - November: CNY 65 December - next February: CNY 50