Is 6 Days Enough to Explore Shaanxi Province?

Is 6 Days Enough to Explore Shaanxi Province?

A tiring project was finally completed, so I rewarded myself with a 5-day vacation. As soon as the project wrapped up, I decided to take a spontaneous trip. The efficiency of a single person is obvious. I finished work at 9 PM, and immediately booked a high-speed train to Xi'an for the next morning. The short videos of the Tang Dynasty Never Night City have been very popular, and I wanted to see it for myself.

Friday, May 17 - Day 1: I took the G1920 from Shanghai Hongqiao to Xi'an North, departing at 9:20 AM and arriving at 4:35 PM, a journey of 7 hours and 15 minutes, costing 693 yuan. I also enjoyed a 4% discount from 12306, so it was great value. On the train, I had plenty of time to plan my itinerary, reading many posts and guides. I first booked a youth hostel near Xiaozhai Metro Station, located between the Bell Tower and the Tang Dynasty Never Night City, close to the Shaanxi History Museum, and convenient for most attractions. The hostel was on the top floor of a high-rise building called Century Classic. I booked a room with bunk beds, floor-to-ceiling windows, and a balcony partition overlooking a good portion of the city. It was great for viewing the night scenery and sunrise. Since I was out early and back late, and only slept at night, it was sufficient. After getting off the train, I found Xi'an extremely hot. I checked the weather and was shocked to see it was 36°C, more than 10°C higher than Shanghai. I felt I had dressed too warmly. First stop: the iconic Xi'an Bell Tower. I took Metro Line 2 for 10 stops to Bell Tower Station, using Alipay's "Travel" feature to scan and ride. The Bell Tower is located in the center of Xi'an, at the intersection of East, West, South, and North Streets within the Ming Dynasty city wall. It is the largest and best-preserved bell tower in China, built in 1384, the 17th year of Hongwu Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang of the Ming Dynasty, over 600 years old. Don't confuse it with the Drum Tower, which is near the Muslim Quarter; they are collectively known as the Xi'an Bell and Drum Towers. If you want to go up the Bell Tower, the ticket is 30 yuan. Since it's in the city center, you'll see it countless times. Second stop: the nearby Yisu Historical and Cultural District, developed around the Yisu Society, showcasing Qinqiang opera. Built on the ancient city's layout of "street, square, lane, and courtyard," it seemed newly constructed and lacked crowds, making it comfortable for a leisurely stroll. I visited a century-old Xi'an restaurant with hundreds of square meters completely empty. The waitress explained that due to the heat and a sudden circuit maintenance in the district, the air conditioning was off, so there were no customers. But having the place to myself was lucky. The most popular item there was Hulutou (stuffed tripe with bread pieces in soup), a famous Xi'an snack. Since I don't eat tripe or offal, I ordered another type of paomo (bread soaked in soup). The waitress carefully asked whether I wanted to break the bread myself or have the chef do it. Traditionally, the bread should be broken into pieces the size of a fingernail. I chose the chef to break it. I also ordered a Xi'an cold noodle and a local cold beer—instantly the world felt cooler. After dinner, I admired the Bell Tower at night, which was splendid. Third stop: Yongxing Fang. Instead of taking the metro, I bought a weekly pass for the shared blue bike and cycled through Xi'an at night. Yongxing Fang is one of the 108 wards of the Tang Dynasty, the former site of Prime Minister Wei Zheng's mansion. It's a food street featuring intangible cultural heritage snacks, much more lively than Yisu District. The food was abundant, each stall with detailed historical stories. It's definitely worth eating your way through. I suggest skipping lunch and feasting here for dinner. There's also the internet-famous "Smashing Bowl Wine"; a big screen showed celebrities smashing bowls or participating in variety shows. You can buy a bowl of wine to smash and take photos. Next to Yongxing Fang is the Xi'an City Wall, with an entrance at Zhongshan Gate. You can tour the wall at night for about 50 yuan, and rent a bicycle on top—the full circle is about 14 km. Fourth stop: Tang Dynasty Never Night City, the main event of the night. I rode the shared bike south, feeling like I was riding a horse in ancient times. From East Street I turned onto South Street, passing the Bell Tower again and enjoying its night view, then continued along Yanta Road to see the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda at night. I could "dismount" there. Walking from the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda forward, I entered the Tang Dynasty Never Night City, experiencing the prosperity of Tang Dynasty nights. Countless tourists in Hanfu (traditional Chinese clothing) strolled around, with photography studios everywhere—a huge industry. On the official website of the Never Night City, there is a performance schedule, including the famous "Unsteady Lady" and other viral shows. You can plan your timing. I arrived a bit late but saw the fountain show, which was spectacular. Continuing, I saw Li Bai (the poet) interacting with the audience from an automatic rising pavilion, reciting Tang poems together, which energized the crowd. If the audience didn't know a poem, Li Bai would tease them, saying he overestimated their ability, then switch to a more familiar one. The Never Night City's wide road, probably over a hundred meters, had surging crowds on both sides; it was hard to go against the flow, so I just followed the crowd. The food stalls on both sides offered cuisines from all over; I wished I had ten stomachs. At the end of the Never Night City is Kaiyuan Square, where a performance called "Return to Chang'an" starts at 9 PM. After watching until 10 PM, I found that shared bikes were nowhere to be found. I took a bus back to Xiaozhai, and saw that the night Chang'an was still bustling, not asleep.

Saturday, May 18 - Day 2: Since I couldn't get tickets for the Shaanxi History Museum, I went to the Xi'an Museum in the morning. I went for a morning run near the Shaanxi History Museum, circling it a few times to see its exterior. Although the building is unremarkable, its treasures like the Gold-inlaid Beast-headed Agate Cup and the Gilt Silver Pot with Dancing Horse Design are prohibited from overseas exhibition, showing their value. The Xi'an Museum is a garden museum, which includes the Small Wild Goose Pagoda. It was worth visiting, with few people, and I could gaze up at the Small Wild Goose Pagoda, feeling its layered beauty. In the afternoon, I had pre-booked tickets on the official WeChat account of the Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum. Adult tickets were 120 yuan, available from 8:30 AM, with ample supply for each time slot. In the city center, several popular metro stations like Bell Tower have direct buses to the site, costing about 30 yuan one way, and they can also sell tickets for the popular show "Song of Everlasting Sorrow." The mausoleum site has two main attractions: the Terracotta Warriors Museum and the Heritage Park. If time is tight, you can just see the three pits of the Terracotta Warriors, with Pit 1 being the most spectacular. In the evening, I met a classmate who studied overseas and is from Xi'an, who acted as a guide to the Muslim Quarter. The food street is huge, essentially open-air stalls on both sides of residential buildings. We chatted, enjoying the lively local atmosphere.

Sunday, May 19 - Day 3: I took a high-speed train to Hanzhong, costing 97 yuan, arriving in 1 hour. Since I was leaving Hanzhong tomorrow, I stayed near the Hanzhong Railway Station. I checked in, traveling light. Coinciding with Museum Day and International Tourism Day, many attractions offered free admission. In the morning, I visited the Hanzhong Museum and the Worshiping General Platform (Baijiangtai). As the starting point of the Han Dynasty's Liu Bang, and the origin of the Han ethnic group, Chinese characters, and Hanfu, it was a place to feel the source of Han culture. Hanzhong had no shared bikes, but plenty of shared electric scooters, which could be used via WeChat or Alipay. Since I spent a bit long at the Worshiping General Platform, the e-scooter came in handy. In the afternoon, I rushed to see the performance "Han Song" at the Xinghan Scenic Area, costing 188 yuan. The stage was 360 degrees, with elaborate lifts and stage design, created by the team behind the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Truly ingenious. After the show, I explored the grand architecture and exquisite interior decorations, reportedly costing 20 billion yuan. From the details, the beauty of the architecture was worth it—for example, the giant purple bronze doors and the carpet paintings in the corridors are world-class. Architecture and art lovers will be reluctant to leave. In the evening, I visited Qianjin Road Snack Street and Yinmapool Snack City, trying local specialties like Hanzhong Mianpi (cold noodle skin). Tomorrow I planned to go to Xianyang to see the imperial tombs of Han and Tang dynasties, the city of dragon veins. Since the tombs are far apart, I rented a car at Xianyang Railway Station in the evening for self-driving convenience.

Monday, May 20 - Day 4: There was only one direct train from Hanzhong to Xianyang in the afternoon. To arrive in the morning, I bought a combined ticket from Hanzhong to Xi'an and then to Xianyang, without exiting the station—just a transfer inside. The total journey took just over an hour, and from Xi'an to Xianyang was only ten minutes. The total fare was 106.5 yuan. Upon arriving in Xianyang, I self-picked up the rental car at the station, then searched online for a hotel. I liked the lakefront area, so I booked one nearby, planning to run by the lake in the morning. The hotel was opposite the Xianyang Bell Tower, with several food streets nearby, and not far from the Xianyang Museum. After checking in and having lunch, I drove to the Qin-Han Museum of the Shaanxi History Museum. I booked tickets half an hour in advance on the official website; there were plenty available, making up for missing the Shaanxi History Museum. The museum's grand gate was imposing, and the buildings were arranged according to the Big Dipper. The site was originally the location of the Great Qin Empire's Xianyang Palace, designed and supervised by Shang Yang himself. After visiting, I drove to the Han Yangling Mausoleum of Emperor Jing of Han. After the rule of Wen and Jing, Emperor Wu of Han began expanding China's territory. The burial objects in Han Yangling include many Han figurines, reflecting the lifestyle of the time, but they are simpler compared to Qin Shihuang's Terracotta Warriors. In the evening, I drove back to Xianyang city, refueled, and returned the car self-service. Then I switched to a shared bike and went to the food streets. After checking several, including North Street, I settled on Fuyuan Alley, which was lively and close to the lake area. After dinner, I took a walk.

Tuesday, May 21 - Day 5: My train to Yan'an was at noon, so in the morning I went for a run along the Xianyang Lakefront, observing local life. Breakfast was a local Roujiamo (Chinese meat sandwich). Then I visited the Xianyang Museum (which is actually the Confucian Temple) and the Ancient Ferry Museum. Nearby Zhongshan Street is also a food street with ancient capital scenery. The Ancient Ferry Museum was almost empty, but it surprised me. A modest lakeside museum, it had a surround 3D documentary film about the development of Xianyang from the ancient ferry, and a robot commentator that accurately moved to each exhibit and explained in a cute manner, making me genuinely like it. I thought it was much better than a human guide. At noon, I took train C186 from Xianyang to Yan'an, departing at 12:45 and arriving at 3:55 PM, a journey of 3 hours 19 minutes, costing 92 yuan (with a 14% discount). I first went to the hotel on Red Street, checked in, took a shower, and had a nap. Then I wandered around Red Street for dinner. As a typical southerner, I hadn't had rice in a while and felt a bit anxious. I finally found a restaurant serving rice with toppings and was satisfied. The purpose of coming to Red Street was to watch the well-regarded show "Return to Yan'an" in the evening, an immersive performance with consistently excellent reviews. I watched the 7 PM show, ticket price 228 yuan, but the hotel on Red Street offered a discount price of 188 yuan. The show was truly stunning. We constantly moved with the actors through scenes of villages, snowy mountains, and grasslands, feeling the actors' dedication and the beautiful sets. Compared to the past, it made me appreciate the happiness of the present. After the show, it was still early. The hotel front desk recommended visiting Erdao Street Food Street. Without hesitation, I took a taxi there. On the way, I saw the light show at Yan'an Pagoda Hill. After enjoying the lights, I arrived at Erdao Street, which was lined with food stalls on both sides, with tables for diners in the middle. It was dazzling. I followed the crowd, ordered a cold beer and some barbecue, sat by the street, looked at the stars and the distant Yan'an Pagoda lights, watched the passing crowd, and felt a bit intoxicated. At that moment, life seemed worthwhile.

Wednesday, May 22 - Day 6: Many travel rankings recommend the Yan'an Revolutionary Memorial Hall, but I felt it wasn't the original site. With limited time, I focused on Wangjiaping and Yangjialing, where the revolutionary leadership once fought. When I saw the simple cave dwellings, spartan living utensils, and cramped spaces, thinking about the chaotic world situation at that time, my mind was full of thoughts. In modern terms, it's like being born with disadvantages but relying on diligence and wisdom to achieve a comeback. Both courtyards were filled with groups from government offices and enterprises coming to study. I went alone to the highest point, standing on the cave dwelling's vantage point, looking down, I could almost see all of Yan'an. I imagined Chairman Mao standing there, contemplating strategies to save the country. After visiting these two sites, it was noon. I had eaten too many Roujiamo lately and suddenly craved chicken legs. Near Yangjialing, I surprisingly found a hamburger shop—it really understood me. A taxi was at the door, but just as I got in, we encountered a leader inspecting Yan'an. The driver apologized and suggested I take the bus, as small cars were restricted. Following his kind advice, I rushed to catch the bus to the railway station. The train was about to depart, so I sprinted through security, swiped my card, and boarded just in time. I got on the K559 sleeper train, enjoying the scenery along the way back to Shanghai, where new work challenges awaited. On the train, I calculated the total cost: transportation, accommodation, car rental, meals, shows, etc., came to 3,300 yuan. It felt free and not expensive. Next time, I plan to spend a week exploring another province and continue sharing with everyone.