Xi'an City Layout (Tips, Photos & Map)

Plan your independent Xian Tour? Knowing some basic knowledge about the city layout of Xian is very useful preparing for your own self-guided trip to Xian. Hope this quick guide can assist you to facilitate dreamy Xian tour.

The Layout of Xi'an City

The outline of Xian city centre is based on a grid pattern centrally denoted by the imposing Bell Tower (钟楼), which overlooks four main streets in the downtown of Xian listed below:

Nan Dajie (South Street – 南大街); Bei Dajie (North Street – 北大街); Dong Dajie (East Street – 东大街); Xi Dajie (West Street – 西大街).

Xian Railway Station is located outside the northeast corner of Xian city wall. Xian North Railway Station is 12km north of Bell Tower; Xian Airport is located 40km northwest of Xian city centre. Terracotta Warriors Museum is located 30km to the east of Xian city centre.

Bell Tower ( the Heart of Xi'an)

In Ming Dynasty (1368 – 16440), each city had a bell tower and drum tower. Xian was no exception. This 36-meter high Bell Tower in Xian is the largest and best preserved in China.

Xian Bell Tower stands in the centre of Xian city proper from which, four main avenues are laid out – East, West, South and North. The four main avenues meets four main gates of Xian’s Ming City Wall accordingly.

The Bell Tower is located in the centre of Xian linked to four main avenues.

Ascending the Bell Tower

The Big Bell

The tower has three layers of eaves but only two stories. In the hall of the second floor, a Ming music performance is held at a fixed hour everyday.

South Avenue ( South Street)

Standing on the second floor of Xian Bell Tower, I’m looking at the South Avenue to the south of the Bell Tower.

The South Avenue is the shortest avenues of the four with its southern tip meets the South Gate of Xian City Wall. The South Avenue is lined with high end and upstart shopping malls.

The South Avenue, the shortest avenues of the four

The trendy South Avenue

The South Avenue

West Avenue (West Street)

The West Avenue is a renovated Tang Dynasty style street. The West Avenue is brightly illuminated after dark with stunning views. To the north of the West Avenue is located Drum Tower in Xian. To the north of the drum tower is Xi'an Muslim Quarter and the Great Mosque.

To the west of the Bell Tower and north of the West Avenue is a city center park.

North of the park is located some time-honoured restaurants such as De Fa Zhang famous for Jiaozi. To the west of the park and the Bell Tower is the Drum Tower in Xian.

North of the Drum Tower is the Muslim Quarter and the Great Mosque.

The West Street in a Tang Dynasty architecture style.

The West Avenue

The West Avenue 1

East Avenue (East Street)

The East Avenue is a faded commercial street which once used to the most visited shopping street in Xian. Now its position has been taken place by the South Avenue and West Avenue. The outed East Avenue The East Avenue with a bit shabby and run-down

North Avenue (North Street)

The North Avenue is the least commercial street of the four streets.

To the northwest of the Bell Tower, there is Starbucks Coffee

Most of the attractions can be found close to the Bell Tower like Drum Tower, Great Mosque.

However, some of the city sights, such as the Army of Terracotta Warriors, Shaanxi Provincial History Museum, and Big Goose Pagoda are located south of the city wall. The Terracotta Warriors is located about 30km east of Xian downtown.