Xian Travel « China Travel Tips

Archive for the ‘Xian Travel’ Category

Xian City Wall Night View

Friday, August 5th, 2022

Xi’an after d ark is a world of difference from its daytime view, transforming from a grey and traditional Chinese cityscape into a wonderland of colorful lights. Among other majestic things at night, Xian City Wall night view is most impressive. If planning your Xian tour, you are highly recommended to have a look at Xian City Wall at night.

The present ancient city wall of Xian was built between 1370 and 1378 in Ming Dynasty ( 1368 – 1644) , which had been expanded from the imperial walls in Sui and Tang dynasties in the 6th century. Now it has a perimeter of 13912 meters with 12 meters in height, 18 meters in width at the base and 15 meters in width on the top.

Xian City Wall constitutes a total and tight city defense system in the Medieval Cold Weapons times including the Wall itself, city moat, suspension bridges, watch towers, arrow towers, main towers, turrets and battlements on the city wall.

Xian City Wall has four gates, namely West Gate (Anding Men ), North Gate (Anyuan Men), East Gate (Changle Men) and South Gate (Yongning Men) . Each gate comprises three buildings – outer Que Tower, mid-Arrow Tower and inner Main Tower. Between the mid-Arrow Tower and the Main Tower is the so-called Wengcheng – an walled and fortified enclosure for besieging invading enemies.

At nightfall, the whole city wall will be lit with bright rays and red lanterns, a mix of grandeur and elegance. The south gate area is the most beautiful with its massive gate complex. The south wall is 3442 meters long and 15 meters wide on the top extending from the central south gate.

Having an half hour walk or take a subway line 1 from Bell Tower down to the South Gate for a glimpse of the night view of Xian City Wall, the largest military defense system in the Medieval Times.

South Gate Opening Hours: 08:00 – 22:00
Entrance fee: RMB 40
City Wall Opening Ceremony: 9:30 daily on the square south of the South Gate ( free)
Warriors Performance: 10:30 and 16:30 inside the Wengcheng – an walled and fortified enclosure in South Gate ( free )
Bicycle Rental: RMB 45 / 120 minutes
Tandem: RMB 90/120 minutes
Tel: 029 – 87272792

The South Gate seen from outside the city wall

The south city wall and city moat

The Que Tower atop the South Gate

The Arrow Tower inside the South Gate

Hanging Lanterns on the Wall

South Gate Entrance Ceremony ( only held on a special occasion )

The mega performance inside Wengcheng – an walled and fortified enclosure at South Gate ( only held on a special occasion)

The main tower at South Gate

Bike rental on the wall

Tip: Hassle-free Xian Guided Tours

If you don’t want to go the do-it-yourself route and prefer the hassle-free escorted tours, here are some options for Xian guided tours:

Xi’an Tour
Xi’an Day Tour
Xi’an Tour Packages
Beijing Xi’an Tour

Further Readings

Beijing Xian High Speed Train Experience
Best Time to Visit Xian
How to Visit Xian in Two Days?
Xian Airport Transportation
Xian Railway Station Transportation
Xian Taxi: Xian Taxi Fares, Tips and Phones
Xian City Layout
Xian’s Top 7 Iconic Landmarks
Where to Stay in Xian
Top 10 Attractions in Xian
Top Things to Do for Kids in Xian
How to Visit Xian on a Budget
The Starbucks in Xian
Top Markets in Xian
Top 10 Shopping Malls in Xian
Top 10 Best Restaurants in Xian
Top 10 Souvenirs in Xian
Xian Tourist Traps, Xian Tourist Scams

How to Visit Terracotta Warriors in Xi’an
How to Visit Huaqing Hot Springs in Xi’an
How to visit Muslim Quarter in Xi’an
How to Visit Xi’an City Wall
The Ramparts of Quebec City and Xian City
How to Visit Shaanxi History Museum
How to Visit Xi’an Bell Tower
How to Visit Daming Palace National Heritage Park
Top 10 Photography Spots in Xi’an
The Night View of Great Tang All Day Mall
How to Visit Hanyang Tombs Xi’an
The Song of Everlasting Sorrow Show in Xian
How to Visit Big Wild Goose Pagoda
Yaodong Cave Dwellings in Xian
How to Visit Mount Huashan
Mt.Huashan Snow Scenes Photos
How to visit Xiyue Temple
Top 10 Hostels in Xian
Top 10 Xian Luxury & Boutique Hotels
Xi’an: An Exotic City with an Undeniable Historical Depth

Best Places to See Autumn Leaves around Xian
Muslim Streets in Muslim Quarter in Xian
Hua Jue Xiang, Huajue Lane at Xian Muslim Quarter
The Night View of Great Tang All Day Mall
Xian City Wall Night View
What to do in Xian after dark
Xian’s Best Street Food
Xian Muslim Quarter Exotic Food
Xian Bar Street
Spring Festival Lantern Exhibit in Xian
Xian T e rracotta Army Pictures

How to Visit Maijishan Grottoes from Xian by Train
How to Visit Hukou Waterfall
How to Visit Huangdi Mausoleum
Xian Lhasa Flight Experience (Tips, Photos & Map)
Beijing Xian Flight Experience
Datong Xian High Speed Train
Reviews on Beijing Xian Luoyang Tour

Visit Xian in January (Weather, Wear, & Tips)
Visit Xian in February
How to Visit Xian in March
Visit Xian in October
How to Visit Xian in November
Visit Xian in December

Any questions, just drop a line.

Tags: Xian City Wall after Dark, Xian City Wall at Night
Posted in Xian Travel | 2 Comments »

How to Visit Muslim Quarter in Xi’an (Tips, Photos & Map)

Friday, July 15th, 2022

Plan your Xi’an tour? The Terracotta Warriors Museum will be definitely a must-to-see on your Xi’an travel plan. But one equally important thing to do and you cannot afford to miss is to have a taste or glimpse of the exotic food on the streets in the Muslim community in Xian. These back streets are full of life with a rich strong feel of Islamic cultural vibe.

The Muslim Community is known as Muslim Quarter in Xian or colloquially called “Huifang (回坊）” in Chinese. It is said there are over 300 Muslim local snacks on the streets in Xian Muslim Quarter that attract a consistent flow of visitors everyday coming here to savor or just have a glimpse.

The local snacks on the streets in Xian Muslim Quarter

The Museum Quarter in Xian is easily accessible, just behind ( north of ) Drum Tower, about 430 meters to the west of Bell Tower in the center of the downtown Xian.

Get off at Zhonglou ( Bell Tower ) Subway Station of Metro Line 2 and walk from Bell Tower toward the drum tower for about 430 meters, passing by Starbucks (Bell Tower Shop). Soon you will reach the north of Drum Tower, your starting place for further delving into the streets where the Muslim community has had a presence for many generations.

The Muslim food community is composed of several streets like Beiyuan Men Street, Beiguangji Street, Xiyangshi Street and Dapiyuan Street and all the streets are stone-paved streets flanked with the traditional buildings in Ming and Qing dynasties. All the low level of the buildings is open daily, hosting food stalls, restaurants and souvenirs stalls.

Tips

1. Practice your Chinese numbers before you visit the Muslim Quarter as not all vendors speak English. But the good thing is that they all have a calculator on hand.

2. Give yourself about two hours to stroll through the several streets in the area.

3. Put on comfortable walking shoes, take your camera and some money.

4. The food is cheap and most things between 5 yuan and 15 yuan.

5. The food streets come alive around 9:00 am each day till mid-night.

6. A good place for people watch, mixing with the locals and visitors alike. Day in day out, night in night out millions of people flood the Muslim Quarter each year.

7. The best time to come here in a day is after the sunsets when the Muslim quarter sparkles with lights. But It will be very crowded, a bit noisy and a little bit chaotic but a lot of fun.

8. Beside eateries, the food streets also offer a couple of souvenirs stalls selling typical local products like tiger-head shoes, and don’t forget to bargain!

9. Don’t be worried about hygiene, the street sweepers and garbage collectors work hard to constantly keep the whole area clean.

10. Try a bite of some of the local food: the famous Xi’an Liangpi (cold skin noodles) , the lamb skewers, the cuttlefish, the yogurt, pomegranate juice and the list could be much longer.

11. If you prefer a quiet place for a peaceful mind in this busy Muslim Community, you may go to the Xi’an old mosque known as the Great Mosque, located right in the middle, behind a maze of small lanes and alleys and worth your visit.

12. If you don’t like the local street vendors, you can go to the nearby Starbucks, McDonald’s, or KFC in the square.

Tip: Hassle-free Xi’an Guided Tours

If you don’t want to go the do-it-yourself route and prefer the hassle-free escorted tours, here are some options for Xian guided tours:

Xi’an Tour
Xi’an Day Tour
Xi’an Tour Packages
Beijing Xi’an Tour

1. How to Get There

The walled city of Xian is based on a grid pattern centrally denoted by the Bell Tower, which now stands in a roundabout leading up to the four main streets – North, East, South and West. The four major streets extend to the four gates of the Xi’an city wall respectively.

Xian Bell Tower is easily accessible by subway line 2, getting off at the station of Bell Tower where an underground passage guides you up to the bell tower. Or you may take a bus or walk to the Bell Tower Subway Station for the underground tunnel leading up to the tower. Basically you are unable to cross the roundabout from the nearby streets due to the hectic traffic going around the tower.

2. Entrance Fee and Opening Hours

Entrance Fee: 35 yuan ( Bell Tower ) and 50 yuan ( A combo ticket of Drum Tower )
Ticketing Booth: at the underground Bell Tower subway tunnel
Opening Hours
Peak Season (April 01 – October 25): 08:30 -21:30 )
Low Season (October 26 – March 31 ): 08:30 -18:00)
Inquiry Tel: 029-87274580

3. Having an Outside Look

If you have limited time for your Xian tour with no intention of going up the tower, you are still encouraged to come her for an outside look at the massive bell tower. It is a three-layer and two-story wooden tower built on a square brick base.

The giant Ming-style Bell on the northwest corner of the tower

The tower has the dark green glazed tiles on the eaves, gold-coating on the roof, a fantastic masterpiece of Ming-style architecture.

Basically Xian Museum Quarter will be on your bucket list. Walking from Museum Quarter ( just north of Drum Tower ) is just a breeze. So don’t miss it.

4. Ascending the Bell Tower

Enter the underground Bell Tower Subway Station and walk up the tower. The bell tower has a brick base, a three-layer and two-story wooden tower. You need to ascend the outside stone steps up to the first floor of the tower.

Three things to do on the bell tower:
1. Have a panoramic view of the four main streets leading to the four gates of Xian city and the surrounding buildings like Drum Tower and some shopping centers, a mixed old and new world.

2. Appreciating the delicate engravings on the wooden windows on the four sides of the tower and a close look at the traditional Chinese architecture.

3. Watching and listening to a bell music performance, beautiful music and amazing costumes. The music show is included on your entry ticket. The 15-minute show is done hourly, 8 times a day.

5. Night View of the Bell Tower

Just drop by the bell tower when night falls and the tower is illuminated. The lit-up bell tower stands peacefully on a roundabout circled by the blaring traffic and mess, a wave of lights – a magnificent scene!

6. Shopping and Dining around the Tower

The visit to the bell tower allows you an easy access to the shopping – the vendors in the underground tunnel, the shopping malls like Kaiyuan department store; Starbucks, the famous dumpling restaurant and the list could be longer.

7. A Combo Tour of Drum Tower and Museum Quarter

A trip to the bell tower can be combined with your combo tour of Drum Tower and Muslim Quarter. The combo ticket of Bell Tower and Drum Tower is 50 yuan. The entry into the Muslin Quarter is free.

The illuminated Xian Drum Tower in the rain

8. Best Angle to Take Pictures of the Bell Tower

You may to go to the second floor of the nearby Kaiyuan department store and have a wonderful photo of the bell tower from there. Bell Tower Hotel is also a perfect place to shoot a beautiful picture of the tower.

Tip: Hassle-free Xian Guided Tours

If you don’t want to go the do-it-yourself route and prefer the hassle-free escorted tours, here are some options for Xian guided tours:

Xi’an Tour
Xi’an Day Tour
Xi’an Tour Packages
Beijing Xi’an Tour

Archive for the ‘Xian Travel’ Category

Xian City Wall Night View

Tip: Hassle-free Xian Guided Tours

Further Readings

How to Visit Muslim Quarter in Xi’an (Tips, Photos & Map)

Tips

Tip: Hassle-free Xi’an Guided Tours

Further Readings

How to Visit Xi’an Bell Tower (Tips, Photos & Map)

1. How to Get There

2. Entrance Fee and Opening Hours

3. Having an Outside Look

4. Ascending the Bell Tower

5. Night View of the Bell Tower

6. Shopping and Dining around the Tower

7. A Combo Tour of Drum Tower and Museum Quarter

8. Best Angle to Take Pictures of the Bell Tower

Tip: Hassle-free Xian Guided Tours

Further Readings

About Us

Beijing China Travel Tips

Our Travel Service