西安市

Why this place

Xi'an was the capital of thirteen dynasties and the eastern end of the Silk Road, and it is the single best place in China to see the country's early imperial scale: the terracotta army of the first emperor, the tombs of the Han and Tang, and a city wall that still runs unbroken around the old town. It is also where Chinese Buddhism and Islam first put down roots.

What to see

• The Terracotta Army at Lintong — 8,000 figures, no two faces the same, and the bronze chariots
• The Ming city wall — 14km around, walkable or cyclable on top, with the Bell and Drum Towers in the middle
• The Muslim Quarter and the Great Mosque, built in 742 and in Chinese architectural form
• The Shaanxi History Museum, and the Big Wild Goose Pagoda where Xuanzang stored the scriptures he brought back
• The Forest of Steles, the greatest collection of Chinese stone inscriptions
• Huaqing Pool and Mount Li, and the Qianling tomb of Emperor Gaozong and Wu Zetian, an hour away

What to eat

• Roujiamo — the 'Chinese hamburger', shredded pork in a flatbread, Xi'an's signature
• Yangrou paomo — lamb soup with broken flatbread, which you tear yourself
• Biangbiang noodles, and the whole Muslim Quarter repertoire: persimmon cakes, spiced beef, sweet rice

How to plan

Three or four days: terracotta army one day, the wall and the old city one, the museums and the Muslim Quarter one, plus a day for Qianling or Huashan.

Best time

March–May and September–November

Practical tips

• The terracotta army is 40km out — go early and see the pits in reverse order (3–2–1) to avoid the biggest crowds
• Xi'an is the easiest start to the Silk Road: the high-speed line runs west toward Lanzhou and Dunhuang