China Travel Forum

[biker]

How long should I allow to visit the museum and have a look at the city wall. Are there only certain parts of the wall that's worth looking at or is it one of these walls where a walk around is recommended?

Thanks

[yagmur]

The wall is about 13 km, there is no need to walk all the length (you can even hop onto one of those carts - look similar to those running around within a warehouse) to go through the entire length. We were on the southeast part of it, and waited till the light lit in the evening to see something different. While waiting, looking down was a street lined up with food vendors, very interesting. A few hours is enough.

Depends upon how much you are interested into history, if just want to check it off your list, then it will not take long, otherwise it will take a few hours. The history museum has one of the best collections with respect to ancient pieces. English notes (apparently someone translated 'literally' from dictionary word by word) are interesting as well - well, at least you have to appreciate the effort!

If you are there right now, go to the musuem in the afternoon, then the wall, all together a half day will be enough.

Have a great time.

[yagmur]

With regard to the city wall, is there a part that is of partiular interest (the southeast part?) for tourists or doesn't it make any difference which bit is visited (if it all looks the same)? I think by reading your reply, we won't walk the wall so we would like to see the most interesting part(s) of it.

City Wall: no idea which part is more interesting. But was told recently, there would be a ?show? at the city wall on Saturday evening. Ask your hotel concierge for details (or some VT members here could help you).

History Museum: two hours is sufficient. I do not particularly remember how we went to each place. We stayed at the Bell Tower hotel, there is a designated tourist bus route nearby going to the History Museum (there are several such, including the one going from the train station to the terra cotta warrior place). Then we probably took a taxi to other places after the museum. It was on a rather quiet stretch of street.

The two goose pagodas are very different. The big one is much more touristy, bus loads of tourists filled the courtyards. On a clear day, you can see the Bell Tower from top of the pagoda (you have to climb up to 5 floors I think, no elevator). But often, if not daily, it is hazy in Xi An, thus the visibility is not too great. A museum commemorating the famous trip of a Tang Dynasty monk is right next to the pagoda. The architecture is of Tang Dynasty style.

The small goose pagoda, on the other hand, is rather quiet, not as touristy (most tourists probably do not have time to explore it). It has some interesting stone stables among huge green pine trees as well as some very interesting old stone carving pieces.

Have a good time.