C H I N A
X I ' A N
O V E R V I E W
Once the eastern terminus of the Silk Road, Xi’an was the capital of China for over a thousand years. This is one of the most historically important cities in the world — a place where dynasties rose, trade routes converged, and emperors dreamed in terracotta.
Situated in the heart of Shaanxi province, this ancient city was once known as Chang’an, meaning “Perpetual Peace.” It served as the capital for 13 imperial dynasties, including the mighty Tang and Qin, and remains one of China’s Four Great Ancient Capitals, along with Beijing, Luoyang, and Nanjing.
To walk its streets is to move through the long shadow of imperial China — where Confucian scholars once debated in academies, and camel caravans brought spices, fabrics, and stories from as far as Persia and Rome.
Today, Xi’an blends its monumental past with the texture of modern life. You’ll see this in the contrast between the imposing Ming-era city walls and the contemporary skyline, in the scent of cumin and chili drifting from Muslim Quarter street stalls, and in the quiet dignity of old courtyards standing beside glass towers.
And of course, this is the gateway to some of the wildest sections of the Great Wall of China, should a trip for the more daring pique your fancy.
Here's what we think should form the core of your experience:
The Terracotta Army & Qin Shi Huang’s Imperial Vision
Just outside the city lies one of the most astonishing archaeological discoveries of the 20th century — the Army of Terracotta Warriors. Commissioned by China’s first emperor, Qin Shi Huang, to guard his tomb in the afterlife, these thousands of life-sized soldiers, horses, and chariots were buried in orderly ranks for over two millennia before being unearthed in 1974 by local farmers digging a well.
No two faces are alike. Each soldier carries his own face and expression. And though the emperor himself remains buried under a nearby hill (his tomb is still sealed, rumoured to contain rivers of mercury and rare treasures), the army stands watch, frozen in the stillness of eternal duty.
The Terracotta Army arguably marks the very beginning of China’s manufacturing prowess, seeing multiple workshops build different parts of the soldiers in different places, stamp them with their QA symbols and sending them on to be assembled elsewhere into the finished process.
And there is a final haunting note to touch on, which is fittingly enough the part that remains unseen.
The emperor’s actual tomb has never been opened. Legend speaks of rivers of mercury and booby traps to protect his afterlife, and modern scans suggest the mound still holds secrets. of the most haunting aspects of the whole story is just how fragile they are.
The reason that the tomb has yet to be touched, comes down to the fragility of the finishing of the soldiers. While the terracotta itself seems to remain sturdy enough, the combination of natural lacquers and pigments that each soldier was finished with in stunning detail seems to deteriorate in a matter of minutes once excavated, leading to a heartbreaking loss of the original lifelike artistry.
The experience of this and the inability of archeologists to find a solution for conservational purposes has quite rightly lead the Chinese to remain deeply leery of proceeding further until there is an answer.
It’s well-worth visiting with a guide who can help you understand the engineering feats of the Qin dynasty, the symbolic power of the site, and the painstaking work still underway as archaeologists excavate and restore what is, in essence, one of the great imperial dreams of human history made manifest in clay.
The author wishes to note that visiting the Terracotta Warriors remains one of the most spectacular experiences of his life, and one which he would gladly repeat one day.
City Walls, Pagodas & Xi’an’s Living History
Back within the city, Xi’an’s ancient fortifications are a marvel in their own right. The Ming-era city walls, among the most complete in all of China, are the largest and most complete, stretching 14 kilometres in a perfect rectangle. You can cycle along their ramparts or stroll at dusk as red lanterns flicker on — a peaceful way to feel the scale and order of the old walled capital.
The Big Wild Goose Pagoda, a 7th-century Buddhist structure built to house sacred sutras brought from India by the monk Xuanzang, is another of Xi’an’s cultural anchors. Standing serenely in the southern part of the city, it connects China to the wider Buddhist world and to the philosophical currents that flowed along the Silk Road.
And then there’s the Great Mosque, an architectural hybrid fusing Chinese and Islamic design. Set within the vibrant Muslim Quarter, it represents the enduring presence of Hui Muslim culture in Xi’an, a community descended from Persian and Central Asian traders who settled here centuries ago.
You’ll find plenty of artisanal workshops here producing ancient Chinese art and crafts in real time. Name seal carving, painting, handmade artisanal tea pots and cups… there is plenty to consider.
Markets, Noodles & the Flavours of the Silk Road
Xi’an’s culinary scene reflects its unique position at the crossroads of empire and trade. The food here is spiced, savoury, and deeply satisfying — shaped by Shaanxi’s hearty northern flavours and the lingering influence of Central Asia.
Step into the Muslim Quarter at night and you’ll find yourself surrounded by the scent of grilled lamb skewers, hand-pulled noodles being slapped against counters, and stalls selling everything from crispy persimmon cakes to biang biang noodles (whose character is famously too complex to be typed on most keyboards).
Traditional dishes like roujiamo (a kind of Chinese hamburger with slow-braised meat in flatbread), liangpi (cold noodles), and yangrou paomo (a rich lamb stew with crumbled bread) are must-tries, not least because they tell the story of Xi’an’s long-standing openness to other cultures.
It is a cuisine born of travel — robust, full of texture, and carried across centuries.
And just as the Terracotta Army represents a vision of eternal imperial order, Xi’an’s food culture — unpretentious, fiercely regional, proudly seasoned — is a living reflection of the old Silk Road spirit, still very much alive in the mouth and memory of the city.