GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT XIAN

The city of Xi'an (population 6 million) was the first Chinese city to open up its doors to the Ancient world, not in 1980 under the "Open Door" policy but in fact during the Tang dynasty when Xi'an blossomed as the first stop on the Silk Road. Over a period of more than 2000 years, Xi'an was the capital for eleven dynasties. Along with Rome and Constantinople, this city was a world leader in culture and trade and played a vital role in bridging the gap between east and west.

Many of the sites to visit are outside Xi'an and the surrounding countryside offers a treasure trove of historical and religious relics. The most famous site is the Terracotta Army, built to protect the Emperor Qin Shi Huang, whose Mausoleum lies close the warriors. Both these sights are to the east of Xi'an. There are other less famous but equally fascinating places worth visiting too. The Famen Temple claims to house the Buddha's fingers and still draws crowds of practicing monks (and tourists) to marvel at the fingers and the Tang dynasty treasures which are kept here. The countryside around Xi'an is also attractive and there are numerous mountains, including Mount Huashan which are a great break from the city.

The easiest way to see the sights around Xi'an is either to join an organized tour (ask in CITS or your hotel) or to take the excellent Green Bus tours. These buses leave from the Bell Tower in Xi'an at regular intervals throughout the day. Riders purchase one ticket which allows them to hop on and off as many of the buses as they choose. Buses pass through the major sites approximately every ten minutes and this is a great way to see the sites at your own pace. The Eastern trip can be done in one day and includes: the Ban Po Remains, the Huaqing Springs , Qin Shi Huang's Mausoleum and the Terracotta Army. The Western trip is further so allow a long day for this one! To the west the Green bus passes through: Xianyang City, the Imperial Tombs, Yang Gueifei's tomb and the Famen Temple.

Aside from being a major tourist destination and historical city, today Xi'an is an important industrial and manufacturing center. Despite the incredible history that Xi'an carries, it is a modern and prosperous area. The nightlife here is pretty up to date and Xian's University is considered to be one of the best in China. As a result, the city has a large student population who contribute to the cultural life of the city, making Xi'an one of the most pleasant cities in China and an ideal place to break the journey between Beijing and Shanghai.

PLACES TO VISIT IN XIAN

LOCAL CUISINES OF XIAN

Xi'an cuisine has a good, hearty style that should never let you leave the table hungry.   Noodles and dumplings are the staples of the local food and these are almost always filling and warming.

Yangrou Paomo is a tasty Xi'an specialty that consists of a mutton soup served with wheat flour flat bread. The hard bread is broken up and added to the soup. Then the mixture is eaten along with pickled garlic cloves. It makes for a hearty, filling meal that is not very expensive. This Xi'an specialty can be found at several restaurants that have become famous for their delicious Yangrou paomo, as well as a small "mom and pop" restauarants throughout Xi'an. Xiguan Beef and Lamb Paomo Restaurant, Tongshengxiang Beef and Lamb Paomo Restaurant, and Chunfasheng Paomo Restaurant are all good places to go for this tasty meal.

Yet another interesting culinary experience to be had in Xi'an is the Xi'an Dumpling Feast. This concept, introduced in 1984 by the Xi'an Dumpling Feast Restaurant on Jiefang Road, offers up to 108 different kinds of Chinese dumpling (Jiaozi). Also worth trying are the Defachang Restaurant and the Baiyunzhang Northwest Style Snack Restaurant.

Some other Xi'an snacks and special dishes include: Sour Soup Dumplings and Guantang Steamed Baozi.

If you are looking for good western food in Xi'an, your choices are unfortunately less numerous. There are lots of places to get western food off Dongdajie. Also, on the northwestern outskirts of the city near the Flats of Renmin Hotel on Fenghe Lu, there are two restaurants that offer great western food for reasonable prices. They are Dad's Home Cooking and Mum's Home Cooking respectively. Although the names might imply that they are of the same ownership, they are not. They are both great places to meet people and hear a story or two.

SHOPPING - LOCAL SPECIALITY OF XIAN

TRANSPORTATION TO AND WITHIN XIAN

Located in the very center of China and long a prime destination connecting the east and west, Xi'an is today one of the best connected cities in China in terms of travel. There are numerous national and international flights in and out of the city airport and the rail and bus services operating in the city are also good.

By plane:
The city airport, Xiguan is approximately 40 km northwest of Xi'an. Northwest Airways, China United Airways and Dragon Air all operate out of the airport. There are daily flights to and from Xi'an to Beijing, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Guilin and Qingdao. There are a few flights a week to Lhasa and flights are now running to Hong Kong, Macau and Japan.

China Northwest Airways run a minibus service between the airport and their Xi'an booking center downtown on Laudong Lu. The bus runs every 50 minutes and costs RMB20. A taxi to the airport will cost approximately RMB150.

By train:
The train station in Xi'an is situated in the northeast of the town and is just outside the city walls. This is a major stop for trains heading either west or east and the line actually splits here. Some trains head north to Beijing and others east to Shanghai. There are direct trains from Xi'an to Beijing (16 hours), Shanghai, Guangzhou (27 hours), Chengdu (17 hours), Hefei, Qingdao and Urumuqi. There is a foreigners ticket office on the second level of the train station which is open from 8.30 -11.30 and 2.30 -5.30. Make sure you bring your passport with you as you need this document to register. You can also buy hard seats at an office on Lianhua Lu and most of the major hotels will book train tickets for you, although they will charge for this service.

By bus:
The main long distance bus station is opposite the railway station in the northeast of the city. There are buses from here to Huashan Mountain (12 hours), Zhengzhou (12 hours) and Yinchuan (15 hours).

City transport:
The easiest way to see the sights around Xi'an is either to join an organized tour (ask in CITS or your hotel) or to take the excellent (and cheap!) Green Bus tour. These buses leave from the Bell Tower in Xi'an at regular intervals throughout the day. Riders purchase one ticket which allows them to hop on and off as many of the buses as they choose in one day. Buses pass through the major sites approximately every ten minutes and this is a great way to see the sites at your own pace. The Eastern trip can be done in one day and includes: the Ban Po Remains, the Huaqing Springs , Qin Shi Huang's Mausoleum and the Terracotta Army. The Western trip is further so allow a long day for this one! To the west the Green bus passes through: Xianyang City, the Imperial Tombs, Yang Gueifei's tomb and the Famen Temple.

CLIMATE OF XIAN

Xi'an is situated in the center of the Guanzhong Plains, surrounded by Mountains in the south and the Wei River in the north. Xi'an is also a city blessed with a pleasant climate most of the year round and it's possible to pleasurably visit this city at almost any time of the year.

The coldest month here is January, with an average temperature of O degrees C although Xi'an has only a minimal snow level. The hottest and most unpleasant month is June, with an average temperature of 26 degrees C. The summers here can also be very dry so make sure you have plenty of drinking water with you when you go sightseeing!! The average temperature for the year is 13 degrees C.