Hey there, fellow travelers! Today, we visit Xi’an, China, home of the Terracotta Warriors! As you know, here at Wolters World, we like to prepare travelers with the good, and the bad, of visiting a new travel destination. So these are the five things you’ll love, and the five things you’ll hate when you visit Xi’an.
Hate #1: Terracotta Warrior Crowds
The most popular of all Xi’an attractions are the Terracotta Warriors. This exhibit receives over one million visitors per year. If you visit during the summer holiday period, it can feel like there are one million people alongside you. It gets crazy crowded, and you can expect to be shoved and bumped and it will be nearly impossible to get a good photo without crowds of people in it. BUT, it is still so worth going to. My favorite sight in China.
12 Things to Know Before You Visit China
Love #1: Terracotta Warriors
The Terracotta Warriors are the reason most people visit Xi’an. 2,300 years ago, the First Emperor of China had this entire terracotta army created to protect him in the afterlife. There are nearly 10,000 figures in all. What’s even more remarkable is that this entire collection was only discovered in 1974, and you can even meet the farmer who unearthed them. You think you know what you’re coming to see, and you may have even seen a traveling exhibit at your local museum, but it is really an awe-inspiring experience.
Hate #2: Aggressive Sellers at the Terracotta Warriors
When you enter and leave the Terracotta Warriors exhibit, there are a lot of people selling things at the gate, and they can be aggressive. They will put things in your hand in an attempt to get you to buy things, but just keep moving. If you can learn how to say “no” or “I don’t want” that can also help. Just remember Buyao (I don’t want).
Buying Souvenirs: What NOT to Buy When Traveling
Love #2: Xi’an Cuisine
The food in Xi’an is fantastic. The one thing you have to eat in Xi’an is the lamb soup. They sell it all over, so it’s pretty easy to find, but it is amazing. It’s a broth with lamb meat and noodles and it’s served with buns. You tear up the buns and add it to the soup and it is fantastic. This is easily in the top five foods I’ve ever had, anywhere in the world! There are other really great lamb dishes in Xi’an, thanks to a heavy Muslim influence in this area.
Hate #3: Taxis in Xi’an
This is pretty much everywhere in China, but taking a taxi in Xi’an can be a nervewracking experience. Drivers in China are pretty much insane, so it feels like you are taking your life into your hands when you are riding in a car in China.
Love #3: Xi’an Muslim Quarter
One of our favorite things to do in Xi’an is to visit the Muslim Quarter. It’s the one area that does not feel like the modern world is taking over the historic parts. It’s a really fun area, full of shops and restaurants. There’s a ton of good street food to try, and it really feels like a true “Chinese” experience. We pretty much hung out here every day during our time in Xi’an.
Hate #4: Urban Sprawl & Air Pollution
Xi’an is a huge city of 8 million people and it grew really quickly, relatively recently. The fast growth has led to a lot of urban sprawl and construction. The sights of Xi’an are now really spread out and you have to contend with a lot of traffic to travel between Xi’an attractions. It also can feel like the modern city is taking over the historic parts. Xi’an is not immune to the pollution and smog problems that plague other major cities in China.
Love #4: Walking the City Walls
The city walls of Xi’an are enormous, and you can go up on top of them. It’s fun to rent bikes to ride on the city walls, or pack a picnic lunch to take along. You can even hire a rickshaw to drive you around on top of the walls. It’s kind of a nice escape from the chaos of being in a huge city, as it’s a bit more peaceful on the city walls.
Hate #5: Getting to the Terracotta Warriors
Xi’an’s biggest attraction is not that easy to access as it’s about 45 minutes outside of town. You will most likely need to hire a driver, as well as an English-speaking tour guide. Your hotel can arrange all of this for you, but you’ll pay a premium. You can hire a driver separately and get a guide once you arrive at the Terracotta Warriors, but the quality of the guides can be hit or miss at that point.
Love #5: People in Xi’an
Every place we’ve visited in China, the people have been very friendly, but even more so in Xi’an. They were the most friendly people we met in China. We noticed more English-speakers here than in Beijing or Shanghai. Everyone has been so helpful and kind, and they seem to go out of their way to make us feel at home.
I really enjoyed Xi’an, even more than Beijing or some of the other cities in China that we’ve visited. The “hates” are really just things to have a heads up on rather than a reason not to plan a trip to Xi’an. Want more China travel tips? Check out these other blog posts: