Day Trip from Xi'an by Vintage Green Train to Huxian: Savor Liangpi, Little Sugar Cakes, Spicy Lazi Geda, and a Spring Culinary Walk
Huxian is what is now the Huyi District of Xi'an, Shaanxi Province—though for centuries it was simply called Huxian. It lies some 40-plus kilometers southeast of the city center, right in the heart of the Guanzhong Plain. To its south rises the Qinling Mountains; to its north flows the Wei River. On the east, the Gaoguan and Feng Rivers form its border with Chang'an District, while the Baima River marks the western boundary with Zhouzhi County. The Qinling watershed divides it from Ningshan County in the south, and across the Wei River to the north is Xingping City. Its northeast corner touches Qindu District of Xianyang. Huxian's history stretches back more than 2,600 years, and through countless administrative changes its name and county status have endured. Today it administers 16 townships, covers nearly 1,300 square kilometers, and is home to almost 600,000 people. Nationally famed as "China's No.1 Painting Village," a "Township of Poetry" and "Township of Drum and Dance," and revered as the "Hometown of the God of Wealth Liu Hai" and "Land of the God of Wealth," the area is also an exceptional place for farming and diversified agriculture. There's an old saying: "Gold Zhouzhi, Silver Huxian."
Getting there has become incredibly easy. I'd heard that the old Xi-Hu Railway had been upgraded, and its classic green train now lets you ride just by scanning a QR code—no paper ticket needed, just like taking the city metro. So nine of us old classmates decided to relive a little nostalgia, to ride a train we had taken countless times back in our sent-down youth days, a train loaded with youthful memories.
It was a Sunday. At 9:30 a.m., we gathered from different parts of the city and made our own way to Exit B of Epanggongnanlu Metro Station. About 100 meters northwest of the exit stands the Epanggongnanlu Station of the Xi-Hu Railway. We walked right over and boarded the green train. Just like the metro, you scan your QR code—six yuan, or you can pay cash. So convenient! The carriages were crowded, mostly with retired folks traveling in groups, probably with the same idea as us.
On the platform, the exterior was the familiar green we remembered, though the windows had been replaced with large glass panes. Stepping inside, we found the carriage was laid out like a subway car—clean, bright, and neat, with bench-style seating. The train was packed, but luckily almost everyone found a seat. As we rolled along, outside the window lush green fields and freshly built villages slid past, while inside everyone chatted warmly about old times and how things felt now. In about twenty-some minutes we reached the terminal: Huxian Station. The platform and concourse were all modern now. Guided by staff, we quickly exited and headed toward the town center.
Strolling along streets that felt completely renewed, in about twenty minutes we reached the heart of Huxian. Here stand the nationally renowned Huxian Peasant Painting Exhibition Hall, the county government seat, and the Huxian Bell Tower—looking much like the Bell Tower in Xi'an. We walked around, snapped photos, then wandered the streets in search of local snacks. The weather already felt a bit hot. On a roadside, a bowl of jiangshui yu yu (cool, refreshing fish-shaped starch noodles in fermented vegetable broth) hit the spot beautifully.
Near the Laoye Temple at the entrance of Tongniu Street, we spent 13.5 yuan on three jin of the locally famous steamed cold noodles and their special dressing, planning to enjoy them back at a restaurant together. We looked around for little sugar cakes, jujube and lotus leaf zeng gao (sticky rice steamed with dates on a lotus leaf), vegetable pies, Chinese-style hamburgers, and Huxian soft noodles, but couldn't find them—maybe some are only sold at breakfast time. We spotted restaurants serving baitang noodles (cold noodles dipped in hot broth) and all kinds of snacks, but we settled on a place near the southeast corner of the Bell Tower, where a thousand-year-old scholartree shades the entrance. It offered several local specialties including lazi geda. We sat down and ordered four bowls of Huxian's signature lazi geda (spicy pork dumpling soup), two bowls of baitang noodles, plus steamed vegetable lumps, steamed flour-and-vegetable dishes, and vegetable rolls. Everyone sampled a bit of everything; tastes varied, but the lively meal was a joy. For 252 yuan we ate and drank our fill, then set out to explore the outskirts of Huxian in spring.
We walked west along West Street, aiming to see the Fuyang Lake Scenic Area near Meipo Lake. After more than half an hour on foot, we reached the Lao Valley River. Here, elegant pavilions and willows framed a serene river, the green shade and breeze utterly charming. We sat, rested, chatted—until drifting willow catkins tickled our noses and became a nuisance. Refreshed, we prepared to continue, but it turned out Meipo Lake was under renovation and closed to the public. Fuyang Lake, though it wasn't signposted as closed, was also off-limits.
We had no choice but to turn back. We walked straight to Huxian Station to catch the earliest train back to Xi'an, the 3:45 p.m. departure. By then the return train was absolutely jam-packed. The attendants kept adjusting until they managed to squeeze even the few of us left on the platform onto the train. It was a swift, sweaty ride—twenty minutes until we would get off, and for a moment it felt like we were jostled just like in our youth, standing room only on a hard-seat train.
Stepping off the Xi-Hu green train, we split up to take the metro or bus home, having spent a lighthearted, nostalgic day. Roughly 30 yuan per person—totally worth it!
