Spent 3 days in Xianyang, and my spending habits totally collapsed
Xianyang sits right by the Weishui River, next to Xi’an. The Qin Xianyang Palace, Han Changling Mausoleum, and Tang Qianling Mausoleum are all clustered here. The saying "See Shaanxi through underground relics" owes half its credit to this place 🤭 In July, the Shaanxi History Museum’s Qin and Han exhibition is so popular that locals head to Xianyang to escape the heat and see the exhibits ✨
Here’s the 3-day itinerary:
Day 1 morning: Visit Xianyang Museum (No. 53 Zhongshan Street, free admission, book via official account, 9:00 AM–5:30 PM, closed Mondays). The Western Han painted terracotta warriors here predate the ones in Lintong. Rent an audio guide for 30 yuan 🍜 At noon, try Liu Ji Guokui Yazi on Beiping Street—braised pork in a dense flatbread, the oil aroma hits your headspace 🥢 In the evening, cool off at Gudulang Bridge. The lights come on after 6 PM, and the second-floor view of Xianyang Lake is stunning.
Day 2: Early carpool to Qianling Mausoleum (8:00 AM–6:00 PM, adult ticket 96 yuan, shuttle bus 20 yuan). See the wordless stele and 61 statues of foreign envoys. Climb halfway up Liangshan to spot the "Sleeping Beauty" landform ✨ At noon, have tofu pudding and Guokui in Qian County. In the afternoon, enter Yuanjia Village for free, taste vinegar at the vinegar workshop, watch oil pressing at the oil workshop, and fill up on lamb blood noodles on the snack street 🍜 At night, return to the city for Huitong Night Market. A big bowl of Huitong noodles costs 10 yuan—eating roadside is the real vibe.
Day 3: Hanyang Mausoleum (8:30 AM–6:30 PM, adult ticket 65 yuan). Walk the underground glass plank road to see miniature terracotta warriors. The light and shadow effects make for amazing portraits ✨ At noon, try oil-splashed biangbiang noodles at Victory Noodle House on Old Street. The wide noodles with Qin pepper are so spicy you can’t stop gasping 🥢 In the afternoon, climb Qingwei Tower (free) for views of the Wei River, then finish with a stroll through Fuyuan Alley.
🚌 Transportation: City buses 1 and 12 go to Xianyang Museum; 14, 19, and 13 go to Gudugang Park. For Qianling and Yuanjia Village, carpool or take intercity transport. A taxi from Xianyang West Station to downtown costs about 15 yuan. For tickets and routes, just search on Trip.com.
Must-visit highlights:
Xianyang Museum: free, 9:00 AM–5:30 PM, Western Han painted terracotta warriors, audio guide 30 yuan
Hanyang Mausoleum: 65 yuan, glass plank road overlooking terracotta warriors, a must for photographers
Qianling Mausoleum: 96 yuan, wordless stele and sacred stone carvings, shuttle bus 20 yuan extra
Gudulang Bridge: 19.9 yuan, second-floor viewing platform for night scenes, lights on at 6 PM
Yuanjia Village: free entry, workshops charge extra for hands-on experiences (making chili flakes, rubbings, etc.)
Recommended hotels:
Shangkeyou Pin Hotel (Xianyang Lake Bell Tower Plaza branch), at the intersection of Renmin Road and Leyu Road, right downstairs is the old Beiping Street with classic shops, King Koil mattresses, about 150 yuan per night, great value ✨ For a more upscale stay, choose Xianyang Huayi Hotel, part of the InterContinental group, featuring Phoenix Terrace design elements and a fusion of Cantonese and Shaanxi cuisine at Caifenglou. If your budget allows, stay here—you can see Qingwei Tower from your window 🍜
Two highlights:
The sunset over the Wei River from Tongyi Plaza to Gudulang Bridge—when the wind messes up your bangs, you really feel transported back to the Qin dynasty ✨
The freshly pressed oil street in Yuanjia Village, where the sesame aroma is so strong it makes you want to sneeze, but it’s intoxicating 🍜
Two challenges:
In July, the mausoleum area is so hot you’ll peel, and the steps at Liangshan in Qianling scorch your feet. Sunscreen hats don’t help much, so you’re doomed ✨
Huitong Night Market is packed on weekends. Holding your noodles, you can’t find a seat and have to squat on the curb. Oil splashes on your school uniform and won’t wash out 🍜
Tips: Reasons to visit—half the crowd of Xi’an, cheaper food and lodging, the highest density of imperial tombs in Shaanxi, and the new Qin and Han exhibition hall is really worth it ✨ Reasons not to visit—July outdoor sites are brutally hot with almost no shade in the mausoleum area, so be cautious with elders and kids. Also, some museums close on Mondays, so don’t show up empty-handed 🍜 By the way, I think Qianling is more worthwhile than the Terracotta Warriors. Fewer people and you can climb around. If you disagree, come argue in the comments 👀 Like this post and you might get a chance to book the Qin and Han exhibition next time!
3-day expenses (per person): Tickets—Hanyang Mausoleum 65 + Qianling 96 + shuttle bus 20, subtotal 181 yuan; two nights at Shangkeyou Pin Hotel about 320 yuan; food over 3 days was mixed—Guokui Yazi 6 yuan, paomo 28, Huitong noodles 10, Yuanjia Village snacks 80, biangbiang noodles 18, oil cake and tofu pudding round trip 50, totaling about 242 yuan; city taxi + carpool to Qianling round trip about 80 yuan; pocket money for liao flower candy and Fu tea 60 yuan. Total about 880 yuan. What does this spending feel like? Spending less than 1,000 yuan for 3 days in the "imperial nest" next to Xi’an, tickets cheaper than popular cities, food tastier than Xi’an—this is a classic "underrated value spot in Guanzhong," just traded for sunburned peeling skin 😂