Pagoda
The Tang-dynasty tower built to hold scriptures carried home from India. Stay for the night fountain show on the north square.
Dayan Ta · Big Wild Goose Pagoda · Xi'an
Muslim Quarter Night Eats
Xi'an4.72 hr3.6k saved
A warren of lanes behind the Drum Tower, home to Xi'an's Hui Muslim community for over a thousand years and the best street-eating in the city. The main drag (Beiyuanmen) is a tourist gauntlet — push into the quieter side alleys around Damaipi Street for the real cooking. Eat your way through: yangrou paomo (flatbread you crumble into mutton soup), rou jia mo (China's original 'burger'), hand-thumped biang-biang noodles, lamb skewers, and a fried persimmon cake for after. It runs late and lit by neon; go on an empty stomach and graze in small bites.
Good to know
- Best time — evening — After ~18:00 for peak street-food atmosphere; late afternoon (16:00-18:00) is the sweet spot (stalls open, fewer crowds)
- Streets 24h; stalls/shops ~10:00-22:00, night-market vibe later (~23:00+ in summer).
- Leave the main lane for the quieter side streets
- Yangrou paomo and rou jia mo are the must-eats
- Graze small portions across many stalls, don't fill up at one
Insider tip — Walk past the touristy main drag (Beiyuanmen) into narrower side lanes (Xiyangshi, Dapiyuan) where locals eat; try yangrou paomo, roujiamo, biangbiang noodles, persimmon
More in Xi'an
Museum
The treasure house of the old capital — gold rhinos, Tang murals, Zhou bronzes. Thirteen dynasties under one roof.
Thirteen Dynasties · Shaanxi History Museum · Xi'an
Landmark
The floodlit drum-and-bell heart of the walled city, marooned on a roundabout where all four main streets meet.
The Ming Heart · Bell Tower · Xi'an
Night Street
A glowing kilometre of reborn Tang-dynasty pavilions, lantern-lit and prowling with costumed poets and dancers after sunset.
Tang Night · Datang Everbright City · Xi'an