Xi’an, China: City Walls, Muslim Quarter, and more

Last month, we saw the famous Terracotta Warriors just outside of Xian, China – a collection of 8,000 soldiers of clay made 2,200 years ago, commissioned by the first emperor who united China. With this famous destination in mind, it’s easy to forget that Xi’an is not a small town, but actually a city of over 10 million people, and an ancient capital of China.

While in China, we spent two days in Xi’an, which was enough time to see the Terracotta Warriors, the city walls, tour the Muslim quarter, explore a bit, and spend some time sampling yummy food.

Logistics and our Itinerary

Logistically, we booked a guide to help us the first day. Since the Terracotta Warriors are a 45 minute drive outside the city, this was likely to be most time efficient. We started at 9am, saw the Terracotta Warriors, and got back to the city by 2 or 3pm. After that, we had enough time to briefly see the city walls and see the area immediately around the Muslim Quarter before the tour ended at 5pm. For the guide, we used China Xian Tour (not a sponsored link).

That evening and the following day, we had somewhat more time to explore on our own. We rented bicycles that were available on top of the city walls and biked the distance of the walls. After biking, we explored market stalls and stands, and had a nice lunch at a place we found. As our time came to a close, we spent further time exploring the areas around the center, sampled more food, and eventually made it back to our hotel to pick up our luggage for an evening flight to Shanghai.

Seeing the City Walls

The Xi’an city walls are fairly impressive fortifications around the center of the city. The perimeter around them is 14km (8.7 miles), and actual walls are roughly 15 meters (49 feet) thick. There are 4 main entrance gate areas – North, South, East, and West, along with some intermediate entrances. By the main parts, there are shops, refreshments, and plenty of locals getting their photographs taken on the iconic locations, sometimes in traditional costume.

In the afternoon with the guide, we only had time to see a little bit of the wall, though we got some interesting context, and learned how the city grew over time.

When we returned the next day, we were able to rent bicycles and see the perimeter of the wall. The actual ride took about an hour and a half, with a few short breaks for drinks or ice cream. One note: if you’re tall (like me), the bicycle seats don’t go up that high. After about half of it, you probably get the idea, but we wanted to finish the whole thing.

You can return the bikes to the stands by any of the main entrances, and the cost is relatively modest (50 RMB = US$7 for up to 3 hours, plus a similar deposit). If you do this, going from the South gate can be better, since there’s a gap by the South gates where you can’t bike.

Drum and Bell Towers

In the very center of the city are the Drum Tower and Bell Towers, which had functions in earlier times to convey news and to tell time. It’s possible to climb up these towers, and there are many people out in the area.

Muslim Quarter

Just northwest of the Drum and Bell Towers is the Muslim Quarter, which is a lively, central area with lots of shops and street food, as well as some mosques. We found it to be a good place to get some food and just to wander. We also bought some small souvenirs and gifts in the area.

When we were with our guide, she gave us a short tour of the Great Mosque in the Muslim Quarter. One thing that struck me is that it didn’t look at all like a regular mosque – more like a Chinese garden or temple, with the minaret looking more like a Chinese pagoda.

We did return to this central area in and around the Muslim Quarter a few times during our free time, since it was a nice place to wander.

Otherwise, we did spend some time elsewhere around the city, including some of the more modern malls. We enjoyed our time in Xi’an, and ended the second evening on a flight to Shanghai.