Shaanxi, China
IncontournableXi'an
Le berceau de l'armée de terre cuite
Xi'an a été la capitale de la Chine pendant plus d'un millénaire sous plusieurs dynasties, et cela se voit — de l'armée de terre cuite enfouie à l'enceinte de la ville intacte datant des Ming. La ville abrite aussi l'une des cultures culinaires de rue et de nouilles régionales les plus marquantes du pays.
Meilleure période pour visiter: Mars à mai, septembre à novembre
Découvrir Xi'an par thème
Incontournables
- The Terracotta Army
Thousands of life-sized clay soldiers, horses, and chariots buried to guard the tomb of China's first emperor, discovered by accident in 1974 when local farmers were digging a well. One of the most significant archaeological finds of the 20th century.
- Xi'an City Wall
A largely intact Ming Dynasty fortification encircling the old city, wide enough to walk or cycle along its full loop. One of the best-preserved ancient city walls in China.
- Biang Biang Noodles
Extra-wide, hand-pulled wheat noodles, often as broad as a belt, tossed with chili oil, vinegar, garlic, and vegetables. A Shaanxi specialty named for the slapping sound the dough makes as it's stretched.
- Yang Rou Pao Mo (Mutton Soup with Bread)
A hearty mutton or lamb broth poured over hand-torn flatbread, a Xi'an staple particularly associated with the city's Hui Muslim community. Eaten as a filling one-bowl meal, especially in colder months.
- Muslim Quarter
A historic neighborhood centered around the Great Mosque, home to Xi'an's Hui Muslim community for over a thousand years and now a dense street-food market by day and evening.
- Big Wild Goose Pagoda
A Tang Dynasty Buddhist pagoda built to house scriptures brought back from India by the monk Xuanzang, whose travels later inspired the novel Journey to the West.