Xi'an 西安

Xi'an works because the ancient part is still a neighborhood, not a fenced ruin. The Ming wall is a bike loop at dusk. The Muslim Quarter is a dinner walk, smoky and specific, not a museum of Silk Road clichés. The Terracotta Army sits well east of town: go at opening, with a booked slot, and leave when the coaches arrive. One full day in the city and one morning at the pits is enough unless you are chasing museums.

See

1. 1

   Terracotta Army 兵马俑

   Pit 1 is the famous hall. The smaller pits and the bronze chariots are where you slow down. Book the morning.

2. 2

   City wall 西安城墙

   Rent a bike and ride the top late in the day. The south gate is the theatrical entrance; the ride is the actual pleasure.

3. 3

   Muslim Quarter 回民街

   Walk in hungry, ignore the first ten shouting stalls, and eat where the locals are queued for bread and lamb.

4. 4

   Great Mosque 西安大清真寺

   A Chinese courtyard mosque tucked off the market lanes. Quiet, and a useful reset from the grill smoke.

Eat

• Roujiamo 肉夹馍

  Chopped braised pork in a hard wheat bun. Eat it hot, standing up, before the bread softens.

• Yangrou paomo 羊肉泡馍

  You tear the bread yourself. The broth should taste like lamb, not like a sweetened soup.

• Biangbiang noodles 油泼面

  Belt-wide noodles under chili oil, vinegar, and garlic. Signs may show a character your phone cannot type.