A Second Visit to Ancient Capital Xi'an — Just Aimlessly Eating and Wandering

Actually, this was a trip to the northwest, with Yuncheng, Huashan, and Lanzhou as the main destinations, and Xi'an was just a transit point.

Since it was a revisit, we skipped the famous attractions check-in and purely wandered and ate, enjoying a leisurely and relaxed one-day-two-night happy time.

The whole travelogue might be a bit simple, but it's a journey we felt infinitely close to the locals' life.

【Wandering in Xi'an】

By the way, the trip started from Shanghai. We took a green train overnight to Xi'an and had dinner in the dining car. Although the meal left us speechless, the leisurely journey began with this meal....

All the dishes were semi-finished products heated in the microwave, with extremely small portions, so small that every table kept ordering more because they weren't full. The three of us ate ten bowls of dishes, eight steamed buns, and even had bread back in the compartment.... Although the food wasn't good, the experience of dining in the dining car is worth a try.

Our hotel was under the Drum Tower, set against the blue sky and white clouds. The prime location was the main reason we chose it. Whether for sightseeing, eating street snacks, taking the subway, or renting and returning a car, everything was within a five-minute walk, so much so that we canceled the other hotel for the last night and continued staying at Ibis.

Because it was close, we made climbing the city wall the only sightseeing activity in Xi'an this time.

Under the scorching sun, there weren't many tourists on the city wall, and hardly anyone was cycling. After walking a short distance, we felt like we were going to be roasted alive.

The next morning, as usual, we did our traditional activity — morning jogging. We definitely couldn't waste such a distinctive urban landscape. Starting from the Bell Tower at 5:30, we ran 10 kilometers along the base of the South City Wall, which was a way to appreciate the ancient city wall from a different angle.

Time and stamina didn't allow us to run a full lap around the city wall, but the half lap was enough.

【Eating in Xi'an】

This trip to Xi'an was definitely the one where we ate the most and most diverse food. Three main meals, two breakfasts, plus desserts and snacks — full of carbs and fats, a happy and sweet burden.

The first meal after arriving in Xi'an, a meal that definitely satisfies noodle lovers.

Right next to Aihua, suitable for visiting together.

A sweet gem discovered last time at Huimin Street, very much to our taste. This time, without hesitation, we directly bought a combo of cold rice dumplings and cold rice cakes.

Eight-treasure fermented glutinous rice. There are many varieties of sweets; you can order randomly and basically won't go wrong, but most are hot. After eating in the hot summer, you'll be drenched in sweat, so be mentally prepared.

First time eating stir-fried paomo, with chili added, stronger in flavor than regular paomo. You can choose the amount of broth according to your preference.

At 6 a.m. at Dapiyuan, with a light drizzle, having a bowl of hot hulatang (spicy soup) with freshly baked beef pastry instantly warms and heals.

In a hurry, we had breakfast at a roadside stall in front of the hotel. Near the Bell Tower, they don't expect repeat customers, just one-time business, so don't be particular about the environment or taste; just eat until half full.

The watery hulatang was nothing compared to the next day's.

Narrow Alley Shaanxi Restaurant

A small facade, and the restaurant isn't big, but the taste, portion size, and price are all satisfying. Extremely high value for money, suitable for out-of-towners!

The absolute signature dish, gourd chicken, tender and juicy.

Spicy garlic sheep blood, not to be missed by heavy-flavor lamb lovers.

Tiaozi meat, a must-try when coming to Xi'an, served with a decorative steamed bun.

The pickled vegetable konjac that amazed me, sour and spicy flavor, with a bouncy texture, simply perfect!

A restaurant that's a bit more innovative than ordinary Shaanxi cuisine places. Besides dishes, it also brings together various Xi'an snacks with appropriate improvements, visually reflecting a more refined look.

Complimentary fire crystal persimmon juice, sweet persimmon juice with added nuts and raisins, rich in texture.

Mini crispy roujiamo

Beef cubes and fried dough twists wrapped in lettuce leaves to eat.

We only ordered oil-splashed noodles and garlic sheep blood for comparison, but they were a total loss!

Although it was just a transit point, because there were no must-visit attractions, we had plenty of time. Compared to our first visit to Xi'an, we tasted more food, especially the down-to-earth snacks, and the experience of morning jogging along the ancient city wall with locals was very unique. On this second visit to Xi'an, we no longer hurried through like tourists, but immersed ourselves deeper to understand and feel the charm of this ancient capital.