Shaanxi

Thirteen dynasties ruled in Shaanxi, and the Silk Road caravans set out from here to the west. A vacation in Shaanxi takes you into the early history of imperial China – to the Terracotta Army, to imperial tombs and to the capital, Xi'an, with its fully preserved city wall.

Things to See in Shaanxi

In Lintong District, about 25 miles (40 km) east of Xi'an, the first figures of the Terracotta Army were discovered in 1974. Thousands of life-size soldiers, horses and chariots guard the tomb of the first emperor, Qin Shihuangdi, which itself remains unopened to this day. Close by are the Huaqing hot springs, where Emperor Xuanzong bathed with his concubine Yang Guifei. Xi'an itself is surrounded by a 14-kilometer (about 9-mile) Ming-era wall that you can cycle along. The Giant Wild Goose Pagoda commemorates the monk Xuanzang, who brought Buddhist scriptures back from India, while the Shaanxi History Museum displays treasures from the Tang period. If you're looking for adventure, climb Mount Hua, whose summit is reached via narrow planks along sheer rock faces. Allow at least half a day for the Terracotta Army; the pits and the museum with two bronze chariots are spread across a sprawling site.

Landscape and History

At the center lies the fertile valley of the Wei River, heartland of the early Zhou, Qin, Han and Tang dynasties. To the north stretches the barren Loess Plateau with its cave dwellings and Yan'an, where the Communists set up their headquarters after the Long March. To the south, the Qinling Mountains, home to pandas and golden snub-nosed monkeys, divide northern China from the south. The Han imperial tombs at Yangling, with thousands of small clay figures, are also worth a detour.

Food, Getting There and Best Time to Visit

The Muslim Quarter behind the Drum Tower in Xi'an is a feast for food lovers: roujiamo, the Chinese meat sandwich; yangrou paomo, lamb soup with crumbled flatbread; and wide biangbiang noodles with chili oil. Cold liangpi noodles are popular in summer. Xi'an has a large international airport and is connected by high-speed rail to Beijing, Chengdu and Zhengzhou. The best times to visit are spring and fall; summers are hot, and winters are cold and often smoggy. In the evening, a stroll across the plaza at the Wild Goose Pagoda is worthwhile when the water fountain shows take place to music.