# China Footnotes — Xi’an (西安): 10 places for a first visit

> Come for the Terracotta Warriors, stay for the noodles and the late-night food streets inside the old city wall. Xi'an is where China's story starts.

Data version 4729dd1ef515, generated 2026-10-07T20:25:51.372Z.

## How to use this file

- Read every Xi’an place in full: https://chinafootnotes.com/xian/llms-full.txt
- Read one place: https://chinafootnotes.com/places/{id}.md
- JSON: https://chinafootnotes.com/api/places?city=xian · https://chinafootnotes.com/api/cities/xian
- Before you go (visa, paying, apps, internet, booking ahead): https://chinafootnotes.com/before-you-go.md
- The whole guide, all cities: https://chinafootnotes.com/llms.txt

## Key figures

- Population: 13.24 million (2025)
- Area: 10097.01 km² (2026-04-27)

## Weather by month

- Jan: 4.8 °C / -4.2 °C
- Feb: 7.7 °C / -1.8 °C
- Mar: 14 °C / 3.2 °C
- Apr: 20.4 °C / 8.9 °C
- May: 25.8 °C / 13.8 °C
- Jun: 31.6 °C / 18.8 °C
- Jul: 32 °C / 21.6 °C
- Aug: 31.1 °C / 20.8 °C
- Sep: 24.7 °C / 15.5 °C
- Oct: 19.3 °C / 9.8 °C
- Nov: 12.1 °C / 2.8 °C
- Dec: 6.1 °C / -2.9 °C

Source: [China Meteorological Administration via WMO WWIS](https://worldweather.wmo.int/en/json/239_en.json)

## Book before you go

- [Terracotta Army (Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum)](https://chinafootnotes.com/places/terracotta-army.md): Book a timed ticket online
- [Shaanxi History Museum (main building)](https://chinafootnotes.com/places/shaanxi-history-museum.md): Book 5 days ahead · 17:00 release
- [Beilin Museum (Forest of Stone Steles)](https://chinafootnotes.com/places/beilin-museum.md): Reserve up to 5 days ahead
- [Bell and Drum Towers, Xi'an](https://chinafootnotes.com/places/xian-bell-and-drum-towers.md): Timed online ticket · 3-day release

## In town

- [Shaanxi History Museum (main building) (陕西历史博物馆（本馆）)](https://chinafootnotes.com/places/shaanxi-history-museum.md): Museum. Free ancient-history galleries with a strict timed booking at the main museum.
- [Xi'an City Wall (西安城墙)](https://chinafootnotes.com/places/xian-city-wall.md): Attraction. Walk or cycle the elevated walls around Xi’an’s old city.
- [Muslim Quarter (回民街)](https://chinafootnotes.com/places/muslim-quarter.md): Open neighbourhood. Explore the lanes and Hui food around Beiyuanmen behind the Drum Tower.
- [Great Mosque of Xi'an (化觉巷清真大寺)](https://chinafootnotes.com/places/great-mosque-of-xian.md): Temple. A historic mosque courtyard hidden in Huajue Lane behind Xi’an’s food streets.
- [Bell and Drum Towers, Xi'an (西安钟鼓楼)](https://chinafootnotes.com/places/xian-bell-and-drum-towers.md): Attraction. Two separate Ming-era towers at the heart of Xi’an, with individual and combined tickets.
- [Giant Wild Goose Pagoda (大雁塔·大慈恩寺)](https://chinafootnotes.com/places/giant-wild-goose-pagoda.md): Temple. Visit the Buddhist temple grounds around Xuanzang’s landmark pagoda.
- [Beilin Museum (Forest of Stone Steles) (西安碑林博物馆)](https://chinafootnotes.com/places/beilin-museum.md): Museum. Read centuries of Chinese writing carved into stone in a renewed museum.
- [Grand Tang Dynasty Ever-bright City (大唐不夜城)](https://chinafootnotes.com/places/grand-tang-dynasty-ever-bright-city.md): Open neighbourhood. A broad Tang-themed pedestrian street of lights, sculpture and performances.

## Day trips

- [Terracotta Army (Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum) (秦始皇帝陵博物院（兵马俑）)](https://chinafootnotes.com/places/terracotta-army.md): Museum. Stand above the excavated ranks of Qin terracotta soldiers near Xi’an.
- [Huaqing Palace (华清宫)](https://chinafootnotes.com/places/huaqing-palace.md): Attraction. Explore Tang palace hot-spring ruins and later history at the foot of Lishan.