North-West China Attractions

Welcome to North-West China
Top 5 Attractions

NO.1 Tomb of Qin Shihuang

Justifiably celebrated as one of the world's great cultural experiences, a visit to this stunning site will not disappoint. Building the underground tomb involved 700,000 workers and took 36 years, starting around 221 BC when Qin Shihuang came to the throne. There are three main vaults in the Museum: the first contains around 6,000 warriors, each with individual features, standing in their original pit and viewed from above. The second vault is still being excavated and in the third, there are 68 warriors and a chariot. There's also a pavilion with two miniature bronze chariots. The site itself is in a beautiful setting and there is a good restaurant. You'll easily spend most of a day here.

NO.2 Huashan

This magnificent peak is a few hours east by train from the city and it is worth spending a couple of days to visit. Hiking the mountain will take at least seven hours although there is a cable car most of the way for the leisurely visitor. Considered one of China's Five Sacred Mountains, the unforgettable views on a clear day are well worth the trip.

NO.3 Great Goose Pagoda (Da Yan Ta)

Like so much else in Xian, this was built, then rebuilt over the centuries. In this instance, the pagoda was originally constructed in the 7th century and rebuilt during the Qing Dynasty. It has also been recently restored. The beautiful 64 meters Buddhist pagoda was originally made to house a celebrated monk's collection of Buddhist scriptures. It was once connected to the Imperial palace and also houses the Tang Dynasty Arts Museum, where you can see why the Tang era is celebrated as China's greatest cultural epoch.

NO.4 Huaqing Hot Spring

Tang Emperor Xuanzong built a palace here for a concubine he was particularly fond of. Traditionally the hot springs heated private baths and pools although these days the water supply is only enough for a few fountains. Attractive gardens remain and it is a popular tourist attraction. In a famous incident, Chiang Kai-shek was briefly arrested here by a subordinate in 1936.

NO.5
South Gate (Nanmen)
Climb up the stairs onto the city walls and view the old city on one side and the new city on the other. It's an enjoyable way to spend a morning. Although the Tang Dynasty was the first to build walls here, these date back to the Ming Dynasty and were renovated in 1983.

Welcome to North-West China

Urumqi
Capital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and the most landlocked city in the world, Urumqi has grown very quickly in the last 20 years. Beijing has been investing heavily in developing the local economy and, unlike most of Xinjiang, the population is mostly Han Chinese. The city, therefore, is not entirely typical of the region but is intriguing in its own way.The traditional Uygur section is the most interesting part of Urumqi. People are friendly and welcoming and learning a few words of Uygur will get you far. Despite being thousands of miles to the west, Urumqi is on Beijing time so many people function on an unofficial time zone an hour earlier.
Xian
In historical terms, Xian is one of the most culturally significant cities in the world. China's first emperor, Qin Shihuang, unified China for the first time from here in 221 BC and for more than 1,000 years, Xian was China’s imperial capital. During the Tang Dynasty, Xian (then called Changan) was one of the world’s biggest and most sophisticated cities and a meeting place of different cultures at the start of the Silk Road. Despite Xian’s historical importance, for much of this century it remained anonymous until the discovery of Qin's tomb and the terra-cotta army in 1974. Now it is an attractive, modern destination which is easy to explore. The old city walls and the Bell Tower mark the center of town and most of the sights are in a relatively compact area.Xian is easily reachable by train and the airport is modern and accessible. There are more than 200 bus routes and dense traffic in the city but a subway is under construction. For trips to the terra-cotta warriors or outside Urumqi, it’s best to join a tour or hire a driver for the day.Xian's summer is hot, humid and wet. Winter is dry and cold, with temperatures averaging below zero Celsius. Spring and fall are probably the best times to visit.