Top 10 Best Things to Do in Xi'an, China

Xi'an's must-do food experience, this centuries-old street market serves the culinary legacy of the city's Hui Muslim community with stalls selling everything from lamb skewers and rou jia mo (Chinese hamburger) to pomegranate juice and yang rou pao mo (bread soaked in mutton soup). The energy peaks in the evenings when the narrow lanes fill with locals and visitors alike. Come hungry and prepared to explore alleyways branching off the main drag.

One of China's most important museums, housing over 170,000 artifacts spanning more than a million years of human history in the Shaanxi region. Highlights include Tang Dynasty gold and silver treasures, Han Dynasty murals, and a superb collection of bronze vessels. Book tickets online well in advance as free admission makes it perpetually popular — queues without pre-booking can be several hours long.

An iconic seven-story Buddhist pagoda built in 652 AD to house sacred sutras brought back from India by the monk and scholar Xuanzang, whose epic journey inspired the classic novel 'Journey to the West.' The tower stands 64 meters tall in a peaceful temple complex that offers a calm contrast to the city's busier attractions. Climb to the upper floors for excellent views of the surrounding Da Ci'en Temple gardens and city skyline.

A complex of hot spring gardens at the foot of Li Shan mountain, famous for more than 3,000 years of imperial bathing history and the legendary love affair between Tang Emperor Xuanzong and his consort Yang Guifei. The evening light show dramatizing their story is among the most spectacular in China, using the mountain as a natural backdrop with hundreds of costumed performers. The site also preserves buildings from the 1936 Xi'an Incident that changed the course of modern Chinese history.

The best-preserved pair of bell and drum towers in China, both dating to the Ming Dynasty over 600 years ago, sitting at the very heart of the ancient city. The Bell Tower marks the geographic center of Xi'an's old town, while the Drum Tower stands just to the northwest next to the entrance to the Muslim Quarter. The evening illumination show transforms both into glowing architectural landmarks and is best viewed from the square between them.

Located in the vast North Square of the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda, this is reportedly the largest musical fountain in Asia, with hundreds of jets choreographed to music and synchronized with dramatic color lighting. Evening performances run throughout the week and draw enormous crowds of locals who gather on the surrounding steps to watch the show. The fountain is best combined with a dusk visit to the pagoda itself for a full evening experience.

A bustling recreation of ancient Chang'an's commercial market centered around the City God Temple, offering an authentic sampling of Shaanxi street food and traditional crafts in a heritage setting. Less touristy than the Muslim Quarter, it's popular with locals and is an excellent spot to try regional specialties like biang biang noodles, cold skin noodles (liang pi), and steamed dumplings (jiaozi). The surrounding temple architecture and traditional market layout make it a genuinely atmospheric stop.