The Shangri-La Hotel Xian.Credit: Derryck Menere Photography
WHY
Eleven dynasties used Xian as their capital, and the city is peppered with defensive towers, tombs, pagodas, museums and old alleyways. Many visitors come just for the Terracotta Warriors outside town, certainly one of the great wonders of archaeology, yet miss the city entirely, which is a shame. The old town is wonderful, the modern shopping excellent, and the city has a friendly, laid-back vibe, great street food and good nightlife and performing arts scenes.
VISIT
Traditional architecture abounds in Xian.Credit: iStock
The old town's most interesting site is the Grand Mosque, first established in 742 and still frequented by the city's large Hui ethnic minority. The current rambling structure of interconnected courtyards is mostly 18th century and confusingly Chinese in style, with upturned eaves and dragons combined with Islamic decorative motifs. The tiered pagoda serves as a minaret in this wonderful hybrid ensemble. The mosque is surrounded by rambling alleys filled with a souvenir-crammed bazaar.
EAT
De Fa Chang (3 Xi Dajie) is famous for its dumplings, which you can order as an entire banquet that runs through pan-fried, soup and boiled varieties with a startling assortment of fillings. Tang Dynasty (xiantangdynasty.com) specialises in imperial cuisine and is particularly noted for fish – the food in the restaurant is much better than that served at its separate dinner show. Don't forget to hit the streets, as Xian's street food is finger-licking fun.
The Terracotta Warriors are Xian's chief drawcard.Credit: iStock
LOOK
Clamber up the 1380s Drum Tower for good views over Xian. Below lie the alleyways of the old town, illuminated with red lanterns and crammed with restaurants and street stalls, and a popular evening strolling venue – particularly along Beiyuanmen – for locals and tourists alike. It's a great place to investigate Xian's unusual Muslim-influenced cuisine, which includes the hamburger-like roujiamo, various types of noodles and satay-like skewered meats roasted over charcoal and eaten with flatbread.
MUST
The Terracotta Warriors (bmy.com.cn) outside the city are Xian's chief drawcard. The archaeological pits, part of the excavated 2000-year-old mausoleum of the first Qin emperor, contain 6000 figures of soldiers, officers and horses in rigid battle formation. No two life-size figures are the same: each has a different facial expression, hair style or uniform. An adjacent museum displays the superb artefacts found at the site, and allows a close-up look at some of the warriors.
SLEEP
Opened last year, the architecture of the Hyatt Regency Xian (hyatt.com) is inspired by the Tang Dynasty, yet fabulously contemporary in style. Rooms are large and high-tech, and restaurants are impressive. The Shangri-La Hotel Xian (shangri-la.com) is located in the city's shopping district and provides panoramic outlooks over the city and a very indulgent spa. Grand Mercure Xian Renmin Square (grandmercure.com) is very good and often has value online deals.
TIP
Huashan, 120 kilometres east of Xian, gets few foreign visitors but is famous amongChinese for its mountain scenery, autumn colours and monasteries, and appears frequently as a backdrop in martial-arts movies. Its pathways are dizzying and spectacular.
Brian Johnston travelled at his own expense.
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