Xi'an 4 Days · Ancient City & Mount Hua

Mount Hua is famous for its steepness, so we arrange the most effortless route: a shuttle bus takes you straight to the West Peak cableway, and a 20-minute sightseeing cable car lifts you to the summit. From West Peak, a relaxed walk of about half an hour along the scenic trail brings you to South Peak and the landmark Changkong Plank Road — sheer cliffs like knife-cuts below, the Qinling range rolling in the distance. For more, loop around the East and Central Peaks on their trails, then return to West Peak to descend.

Huaqing Palace was a Tang-dynasty imperial retreat, renowned for its hot springs. Emperor Xuanzong and Concubine Yang spent over a dozen winters here — the very place Bai Juyi's The Song of Everlasting Sorrow describes with “in the spring chill, she was granted a bath in Huaqing Pool”. You can stroll at the foot of Mount Li, watch the spring vents still steaming today, and hear your guide tell the story that has lasted a thousand years; if time allows, you can also watch the open-air performance of The Song of Everlasting Sorrow staged against Mount Li.

In three vast pits, thousands of life-size pottery figures stand in battle formation, each face unique. You ride the park shuttle straight into the pit area, and with your expert guide learn how these “ancient guardians” were made and how they returned to the light after two thousand years underground — from the pottery craft and surviving paint to the weapons' rust-proofing, every detail rewrites what we imagine of Qin civilisation.

Xi'an City Wall is among China's best-preserved ancient fortifications, with towering walls, solid battlements, lofty gates and corner towers all intact. Walk slowly along the top and you see the old city's checkerboard lanes within and modern Xi'an's skyline beyond — the most direct way to grasp the city's “past and present in one frame”. After descending, step into the Muslim Quarter and let the aromas of yangrou paomo, roujiamo and jinggao rice cake round off your day.