Other things to do in Xi'an

Xi'an is famous for being home to the Terracotta Warriors, but there is plenty else to do and see in the city

Xi'an, China, is of course best known for being the home of the Terracotta Warriors - the vast subterranean army fashioned from clay more than 2,000 years ago.

And while anyone stopping of at Xi'an on an overland adventure through China should certainly go and see the awe-inspiring sight that is the Terracotta Warriors, they shouldn't ignore all the other wonderful things Xi'an has to offer.

For example, although not the most famous wall in China, the city wall of Xi'an is one of the country's best preserved fortifications and provides a unique way to experience the city.

Visitors can walk or cycle along the top of the 600-year-old structure, which is 13.74 kilometres in length and rises 12 metres high.

Meanwhile, thought to be the starting point of the ancient Silk Road, an important trading route which connected east Asia with Europe, Xi'an has a rich multi-ethnic heritage. And nowhere is this more evident than in the city's Muslim Quarter.

Known as Huimin Jie in Mandarin, the quarter is located in the centre of Xi’an old town in the streets surrounding the Great Mosque.

Covering an area of around 1,800 square metres, the quarter is home to ten mosques and more than 20,000 members of the Hui people, a Muslim ethnic group in China.

Best explored on foot, the neighbourhood is also one of the best places in China to try some street food, with local specialities including Pao mo - a lamb broth that you break flat bread into - hand pulled noodles and hot pot.

Finally, take some time to check out some of Xi'an's excellent museums and other historical sites and monuments, such as the Big Wild Goose Pagoda - a 64-metre pagoda built 1,300 years ago when Xi'an was the capital of the prosperous Tang Dynasty.