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“I recommend visit Shaanxi history museum ( located in Xi’an) before visit Terracotta Pin no 1,2,3. . “ 

We booked speed train ticket (round trip) from Beijing west station to Xi’an North station. 

Travel to Xi’an from Beijing West Train station . We took speedy train 凍車 /高速鐵路. It takes 4.5 or longer depends on which train you pick. The fastest is 4.5 hours. The day I booked only have 7:30 am and 2 pm is 4.5 hours train. Others are more than 5 hours. 

You can only buy ticket one month ahead. Book your tickets online have your Passport in hand. You would need to register ID information for each ticket. You can get train ticket at travel agent website Ctrip.com ( cost a little bit more + must buy travel insurance) or official Chinese only website www.12306.cn 

Get train station more than one hour ahead to pick up your tickets. Pick up your ticket with confirmation number and passport. 

Photo by Michael Demeyer

There are two train stations in Xi’an. One on north which is speed train station. The other one is call “ train station” where we took bus toTerracottas.  

We booked the hotel near Bell Tower which is the center of everything. It takes 40-45 minuets Taxi ride to this area from North train station. You can take subway too. 

Photo by Michael Demeyer

Below pictures is the underpass maps of the upper picture Bell Tower.  

There are coffee shop, restaurants plus muslim market ... around this area. All in walking distance. If your hotel is not in this center you will still spend time here. 

Less than 20 minuets taxi ride from Bell Tower to “Train station “ a big parking lot on the right side of Train station ( face the train station ) you can take 1 hour ride bus to Terracotta. 

Many bus go to Terracotta. Get in the car first. They will collect the money during the ride. Cash only. 

The bus also stop at Huaqing Pool 華清池(few stops before Terracotta)，which I didn’t plan. We just want see Terracotta. You can make plan to stop at this place. If the bus going to Terracotta they all stop 華清池 where emperor take bath. 

There are another bus line going to Huashan華山, don’t take this one。 

The entrance take a little distance to walk from bus stop. Lot’s of shops along the road. There are many people going to the same place, you can just fallow.  Don’t stop by people who volunteer to help you. Or try to be your English tour guide. The official tour guide is after you pay the ticket inside. 

RMB¥150 per person entrance fee, cash only. English tour guide is ¥200  for 2 hours. Make sure you get this place early if you need English guide, because they only have few people speaking English. No electric guide. 

There are two locations you want visit. One is Terracotta ( pin 1,2, 3 and exhibition hall) “ I circled red in above photo”

The other location ( I circled in blue in above photo)is the Mousoleum, where the emperor buried ... 

You have to take bus between these 2 places and visit by order. 

In first location, I strongly recommend you go to exhibition hall before you visit Pin no1,2,3. 

 The exhibition hall have general history information written in English. Visit this place first you can understand well without English tour guide. The English explaination is pretty good in exhibition hall. 

The English tour guide tend to lead us to see Pin no 1,2,3 and finish at exhibition hall. I did hire English guide but we think it is best to spend time in exhibition hall first. This place get crowded because everyone visit it in the last. If you are not plan to hire a English guide. It is a must start first point. 

Above photo is the second location. 

Photo by Michael Demeyer.

Things you see in exhibition hall above and below photos 

  Below photo is Pin no 1

  Below is the place is real people working on fixing the Terracotta. 

Take free bus to another location 

This bus seems only go to second location 

When you get out of second location. There is bus straight go back to Xi’an Train station. ( they have many stop in between) 

We visited the muslim Market in evening. You can eat “ night market style food” for dinner. Lots of local foods and drinks. Mostly bread and noodles. 

Two maps are the same just in different languages. Ablove shows where the Bell Tower located.

This area is very big. I marked in red. The English map is all correct. Chinese map has little wrong, the red mark on the right side area few streets out. Chinese map shows the Bell Tower on the right ( the circle) 

You might need to do walking and eating in the same time. So bring your own tissues paper.  Carry them the whole trip in China. Even to the restaurants.  

You can experience the foot massage by fish for RMB ¥20 or say get kisses by fish.

We went to Shaanxi history museum second day. It takes less than 20 minuets bus ride from Bell Tower. 

Recommend you visit this Museum before go to See Terracotta Pin no 1,2, 3 will even better. Make above trip after visit this museum. 

Xi’an is with in the province of Shaanxi. 

Read a little bit China history before you visit Terracotta is even better. At least understand how long the history and what are those dynasties. 

You can rant electric guide in this museum RMB ¥30 + ¥100 Cash deposit. 

Took speed train home. Check out how fast it is.   

If you are short of time. 

First day:

Take early speed train 7:30 am to Xi’an. Visit Shaanxi history museum in the afternoon. Visit muslim market in the evening. 

Second day:

Visit Terracotta return to old town Xi’an. Walk along the wall path to Bell Tower. Or maybe take 2 hours train to Huashan, stay overnight in Huashan. 

Third day:

 Do arly hiking to the mountain. Return to Xi’an in late afternoon. Maybe... , you wouldneed to do more reaserch about this place.