Xian, China -Travel to the Eastern End of the Silk Road

Xian, China, traveling with the kids to this ancient capital? Between the nearby Terracotta Army, a bike ride around the city wall and bargaining at the markets, you have it covered!

Xian served as China's capital for over ten dynasties. Its position right at the end of the Silk Road contributed to the city's development into a commercial center which lured merchants from all over the land.

Xian today, is a modern city with all that modern cities entail: high rise buildings, heavy traffic, shopping centers and fast food restaurants. In addition, Xian is home to more than 500 universities and a magnet for enterprises due to the large pool of qualified labor. This makes Xian a key economic gateway to the development of Western China.

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The discovery of the Terracotta Army in 1974 by a group of farmers digging the fields, put Xian in the tourist map. It is now one of China's main tourist destinations.

The central block of the modern city is bound by the City Walls. At the very center is the Bell Tower, and the Muslim Quarter is just nearby.

We spent two days in this city and here’s our recommendations for having the time of your life in Xian with the kids!:

Biking on ancient history... Biking on the Xian City Wall - lot’s of fun riding our rickety rentals around the entire perimeter of the wall. We did manage not to run over anybody...

The Terracotta Warriors Xian's Terracotta Army - the landmark of Xian travel and fascinating archeological discovery. If you will be visiting a museum with the children, this is it.

Xian Markets A morning or afternoon poking around the Xian Markets, walking around the muslim quarter, buying trinkets in the bazaars, and discovering all sorts of exotic foods!

Check out this short clip from one of the many Food Markets:



And if you still have the energy at the end of the day, check out the Xian Musical Fountain by the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, the largest musical fountain in Asia. A great performance with lights, water, music, laser beams... it's open every night and it's FREE! Click on the arrow and watch the show!

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For those with limited time and who want to have some of the activities pre-arranged, check out these Xian One Day Tours and Activities that can be booked prior to your arrival in Shanghai and simply get picked up and dropped off at your hotel.

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