City Wall of Xi'an
Massive Ming-era wall around the old city that visitors can walk or cycle along the top of, with views of rooftops, gates and towers.
Xi'an
It is best known for its old city walls and the Terracotta Warriors; this ancient capital is also where the Silk Road began.
Attractive locations
Bell Tower of Xi'an
Large tower in the centre of the old city, built in the Ming era. Its upper floors hold a bell and display, and it stands at a busy crossroads.
Drum Tower of Xi'an
Tower close to the Bell Tower, where giant drums were once beaten at dusk. Drum shows and lively streets of the Muslim Quarter lie right beside it.
Great Mosque of Xi'an
One of China's oldest mosques, built in a Chinese palace style with quiet courtyards, pavilions and carved stone details. Non-Muslim visitors may not enter the prayer hall.
Giant Wild Goose Pagoda
Tang-dynasty pagoda built to hold Buddhist scriptures brought back from India. It stands in a temple complex, and the square outside has a large fountain.
Shaanxi History Museum
Museum with a rich collection of relics from the Zhou, Qin, Han and Tang dynasties, telling the story of the region that was once the Chinese capital.
Terracotta Army
Thousands of life-size clay warriors and horses buried to guard the tomb of China's first emperor, Qin Shi Huang. Visitors walk around the excavation pits and see figures with different faces and poses.
Airports
Xi'an Xianyang International Airport XIY
It is about 26 km in a straight line from Xi'an.
Scams and safe taxis
Weather by month
Each month shows its average temperature in °C and its mm of rain per month.
- Jan0.0 °C9 mm
- Feb3.6 °C13 mm
- Mar9.7 °C23 mm
- Apr16.2 °C40 mm
- May21.2 °C69 mm
- Jun25.8 °C84 mm
- Jul27.5 °C124 mm
- Aug26.1 °C114 mm
- Sep20.5 °C125 mm
- Oct14.4 °C60 mm
- Nov7.3 °C27 mm
- Dec1.1 °C6 mm
Driest months: Jan, Feb, Dec. Wettest months: Jul, Aug, Sep.
Costs
Prices here are about 47% of US prices (World Bank, 2025). This compares a country's overall prices, not the cost of a trip.
Who can help
Emergency
Police 110. Ambulance 120. Fire 119.
ngo
Red Cross Society of China
Helps with: China's national Red Cross society. Its site covers emergency rescue and disaster relief, first aid training, humanitarian assistance, and blood and stem cell donation. The site is in Chinese only.
Who qualifies: People in China affected by disasters or needing its humanitarian services; contact the head office or a provincial branch.
Phone: 010-84025890
un agency
International Organization for Migration (IOM) China
Helps with: The UN migration agency, with an office in Beijing. In China its work covers migration management, crisis response, international cooperation and partnerships.
Who qualifies: Migrants and government or other partners working on migration. It is not a help service for ordinary tourists.
Phone: +86-10-59799695
Address: 北京市朝阳区塔园外交公寓9-1-82 100600
embassy
Foreign embassies in Beijing (Beijing government list)
Helps with: For a lost passport or serious trouble, contact your own country's embassy. The Beijing government's English site lists foreign embassies by letter, with chancery addresses and phones.
Who qualifies: Citizens of each country, through their own embassy. The list is for Beijing only and its page addresses are dated 2020.