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Photo: Wang Zhongyin, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
This museum houses a collection of local artefacts that span the province's history from the Neolithic period through the Qing dynasty. In particular, it contains fabulously well preserved pottery from the nearby Banpo neolithic village (also worth a visit) and many excellent Shang Dynasty bronzes. Although some guidebooks call it "one of the best museums in China", its old fashioned pots-and-arrowheads-behind-glass format may appeal mainly to enthusiasts. The most eye-catching articles are those from the Tang Dynasty that were used by the royal family. All visitors are required to make a booking on the museum's official WeChat account before visiting (see website for QR code). Upon arrival at the museum, you will need to pick up your pre-booked tickets from the counters on the east side of the South Entrance. The specific counter you will need to go to will depend on what kind of tickets you have booked. Go to Counters 1 or 2 for tickets to the 'Treasures of the Great Tang Dynasty', Counter 3 for tickets to the 'Mural Paintings of the Tang Dynasty' or Counter 4 for tickets to the main exhibition halls. You will also see automatic ticketing machines but these can only be used by visitors with Chinese ID cards.
Shaanxi History Museum, which is located to the northwest of the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda in the ancient city Xi'an, in the Shaanxi province of China, is one of the first huge state museums with modern facilities in China and one of the largest. The museum houses 1,725,754 objects or sets (2021), including murals, paintings, pottery, coins, as well as bronze, gold, and silver objects. Planning for the modern museum began in 1983, and it was completed and opened on 20 June 1991. Its appearance recalls the architectural style of the Tang dynasty.
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大兴善寺
Established in 266 AD during the Jin Dynasty, the Daxingshan Temple was one of the most influential temples in China during the Tang Dynasty, being the place where the eminent monks Śubhakarasiṃha, Vajrabodhi and Amoghavajra translated sacred Buddhist texts from India and disseminated Chinese Esoteric Buddhism. In the 9th century, Emperor Wuzong ordered the temple to be destroyed as part of his campaign against Buddhism. It was rebuilt during the 15th century.
大雁塔; Dàyàntǎ
Built by Emperor Gaozong Li Zhi (高宗李治) in 652 AD. Emblem of the city of Xi'an. In the fountain in front of the pagoda there are various water and music show sometimes during the day with pleasant parks and western eateries nearby.
西安美术馆
Displays a wide range of artworks from both Chinese and foreign artists.
西安博物院
The Xi'an Museum isn't as large or as famous as the Shaanxi History Museum, but has a decent collection of over 110,000 artefacts, of which around 2000 are normally on display. Visitors are required to make a booking on WeChat or another app before entering the museum.
大唐芙蓉园
A large (67 ha, 165 acres) theme park based on the royal gardens of the Tang Dynasty. It claims to be the first theme park for all five senses (sight, sound, taste, touch, and smell). It includes a large fragrance garden and the largest movie-on-water screen in the world.
Walk along the city walls and see the South Gate (南门 Nánmén, literally translated as "The Southern Gate"), which is illuminated at night. The area outside of the "Gate" is full of big shopping malls that are popular among the locals, marked with the iconic glass-curtain walled buildings. The area is one of the busiest places of interests in the city.