Xian Shan Travel Guide

 
by Paolo-Italy
 
  •   Xian Shan
    by Paolo-Italy
  •   Xian Shan
    by Paolo-Italy
  •   Xian Shan
    by Paolo-Italy
  • Shop in muslim quarter
      Shop in muslim quarter
    by mccrorj
  • atop the city walls in xian
      atop the city walls in xian
    by mccrorj
 

Pro

mccrorj profile photo

  City Walls, the warriors, dumplings and the large goose pagoda 


Con

mccrorj profile photo

  Bus drivers, roads outside the city walls and the dust in winter 


In a nutshell

mccrorj profile photo

  Everyone should see the warriors but it's a long journey for a couple of hours 

 

Explore Xian Shan

Things to Do  

See the Tang Dynasty Performance

See the Tang Dynasty Performance, Xian Shan

 jerokee_528 Says:  The Tang Dynasty evening meal and song and dance performance was excellent. If your on a tour or not, it is well worth scheduling to see this colorful performance. 

City walls

City walls, Xian Shan

 mccrorj Says:  You have to take a walk on the city walls. They were amongst the most peaceful places I went on my trip to China. When you've had enough of the crowds and bustle of the city street these are and oasis of calm. It is inexpensive to get on to them and when your up on top you... 

The great mosque and muslim quarter

The great mosque and muslim quarter, Xian Shan

 mccrorj Says:  Possibly the wrong section but a warning. The guide books tell you that the GREAT mosque is easy to find. It's not! And, when you do find it don't be surprised if your are less than impressed. I think the Xian tourist board was trying to find things to sell to tourists. If... 

The South Gate

The South Gate, Xian Shan

 Tina-Perth Says:  We visited the South Gate of the Great Wall at Xi'an, also known as Yong'an Gate. This is the most complete and solid city wall left in China. The day was misty and wet, as you can see by the photo. Consequently, we did not journey along the wall, but had a look at the... 

Terracotta Warriors

Terracotta Warriors, Xian Shan

 bclapcot Says:

Terracotta Warriors

Terracotta Warriors, Xian Shan

 bclapcot Says:

Terracotta Warriors

Terracotta Warriors, Xian Shan

 bclapcot Says:

Terracotta Warriors

Terracotta Warriors, Xian Shan

 bclapcot Says:

Terracotta Warriors

Terracotta Warriors, Xian Shan

 bclapcot Says:

Hotels  

Bell & Drum Tower Hotel: Bell & Drum Tower Hotel

Bell & Drum Tower Hotel: Bell & Drum Tower Hotel, Xian Shan

 arianne_1504 Says:  A three star hotel in the centre of Xian city. It is 45 km to the airport and 4.5 km to the railway station. It is 45 km to the Museum of Terracotta warriors. 

Sheraton Hotel: Ok Accomodations

Sheraton Hotel: Ok Accomodations, Xian Shan

 jerokee_528 Says:

Bell Tower Hotel, Xian: Central Xian

Bell Tower Hotel, Xian: Central Xian, Xian Shan

 mccrorj Says:  Very pleasant hotel right in the centre of the city. Obviously caters for a lot of tour parties and has high turn over of guests. Decor pleasant staff friendly good value mid range hotel. The location is the real selling point it is dead centre of the city. 10 mins from... 

Restaurants  

Dumpling stall off bell tower: Street Food

Dumpling stall off bell tower: Street Food, Xian Shan

 mccrorj Says:  Cheapest and nicest dumplings I ate in china. Can't remember how much they cost but it was pennies (or cents if you like). Very popular with the locals. There a number of stall located about 150 metres from the Bell tower hotel crossing the road past Macdonalds on your right... 

Transportation  

Personal driver

Personal driver, Xian Shan

 Tina-Perth Says:  We were very lucky to have a Chinese friend with us to interpret, but this lady can also supply an English speaking guide. She was fabulous to us and we found her to be fair, trustworthy, prompt and helpful. You negotiate a daily rate with her which saves money.If you need... 

Local Customs  

Staring

Staring, Xian Shan

 oceania26 Says:  There's very little western influence here and not as many tourist travel this far north. I was contstantly stared, pointed and snickered at. Extremely rare to find anyone who speaks English and if you go up to someone to ask something next thing you'll know you've drawn a... 

Warnings Or Dangers  

Lack of indoor heating

Lack of indoor heating, Xian Shan

 oceania26 Says:  If you're not staying at 5 star hotels - you may come to find that there is no indoor heating. Not just hotels but other public buildings like the the train station.I had to wear all the pants and tops I brought with me and I bought some clothing while I was there - the... 

Organised tours

Organised tours, Xian Shan

 mccrorj Says:  Read my entry for beijing on this subject. Your tour may consist of an 8 hour bus trip, 2hours travelling 2/3 hours at sites and the rest walking around pointless shops and factories. In reality Xian was a victory for people power, they took us to a really rank jade factory... 

Be careful when you fall in the lake

Be careful when you fall in the lake, Xian Shan

 easyoar Says:  As is quite customary in China, official translations don't always end up saying exactly what they meant.(Sorry this wasn't meant as a serious warning...) 

Tourist Traps  

Organised tours

Organised tours, Xian Shan

 mccrorj Says:  Every organised tour I went on followed this format. You get on the bus and are taken to a factory, silk, jade or even medical. You will spend as much time in these places as you do on your destination. In reality this was only one stop in Xian but in Beijing you couldn't go... 

What to Pack  

Important for upset stomachs

Important for upset stomachs, Xian Shan

 gaizee Says:   Flat comfortable shoesHat or umbrella Immodium and gastrolites Don't eat the lettuce, even if it is washed in bottled water, it gave us both tummy upsets. 

The Place

Plan a Xian Shan vacation with reviews, tips and photos posted by real travelers and Xian Shan locals

Experience Xian Shan
  •   20 Tips and Reviews
  •  37 Photos
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Map of Xian Shan
 

The People

2 Members Live Here
 
Our Members Say
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 As is quite customary in China, official translations don't always end up saying exactly what they meant.(Sorry this wasn't meant as a serious warning...) 

2 members live in Xian Shan

 

Question about Xian Shan?

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Top Xian Shan Writers

1

Things to do in Xian

mccrorj profile photo

 I like most tourists visited Xian for one reason only and that was to see the terracotta warriors. In reality I left feeling a little deflated. Impressive though the site is it's a long way to travel... 

2

Xi'an - still working on this one

Tina-Perth profile photo

 An example of the incredible works from Xian's Terracotta Warriors site. These horses are full size. Each one different. 

3

The Second City on the Tour

jerokee_528 profile photo

 We went up on the wall surrounding the inner city, one of the last remaining in China and visited a laquer factory. But the most interesting was a tour of the Terra-cotta Warriors. Every thing I read... 

4

Xian

gaizee profile photo

 Day 1 How excited were we, today we go to see the terracotta warriors. Because our son and his wife came with us we hired a car and driver for the day which worked out more convient and cost... 

5

Ashamed of Xian

arianne_1504 profile photo

 First of all, I must apologise to any residents of Xian, for I'm sure the town is fantastic, but this was taken from my actual diary notes at the time, and I was feeling pretty miserable... 

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