Xi'an Day 1 Guide (2026): De Fa Chang, City Wall & Muslim Quarter

Experience history from textbooks

come to life in

Xi'an

Day 1

My flight was scheduled for 9:50 AM. While I could have taken the first public transport, my younger sibling offered to drive me to the airport, a welcome relief from getting my dad to do it! (I'll never forget the relieved look on my dad's face when my sibling volunteered!)

Usually flying budget carriers, this time I was flying Asiana, a full-service airline. I initially found myself at Incheon Airport Terminal 2, which felt new and impressive, but I was a bit let down by how long it took for the check-in counters to open compared to my usual experiences at Terminal 1.

After wandering around a bit, I finally found my check-in counter,

dropped off my luggage,

and with a lighter heart, went to pick up my exchanged currency! I went expecting to only receive larger denominations, but I'd read reviews suggesting that smaller 10 CNY bills were sometimes available. When I asked, I was incredibly lucky! Someone had just exchanged 10 CNY bills, so I was able to get some myself. Huge thanks to the kind Hana Bank staff member who helped me, and to the previous customer!

The day before had been incredibly tough, so this stroke of luck felt like a wonderful reward.❤️

After currency exchange, I even found a free photo booth and decided to take some solo shots! The quality was surprisingly good.💙 It took a bit of courage to do it alone, but I'm glad I did!💙

An Asiana wing shot!💙 I'd seen beautiful wing photos by another traveler, Eonji, and wanted to try capturing one myself. While mine might not be quite as perfect as hers, I was pretty happy with how it turned out for a first attempt!❤️

A commemorative shot of flying Asiana!❤️

After so many budget flights, I'd almost forgotten that full-service airlines like Asiana offer in-flight meals! I was thrilled when it arrived, even if the taste wasn't quite what I hoped for on the way there (it was much better on the return journey!). I skipped the alcohol and enjoyed an orange juice instead.❤️

Upon arrival at Xi'an Xianyang Airport, I met up with my press trip group and we headed straight to De Fa Chang, a famous restaurant known for its handmade dumplings! Xi'an, located in Shaanxi province, is historically a major wheat-growing region, so noodle and dumpling dishes have long been culinary staples. We were treated to a 'Jiaozi Yan' (dumpling banquet), a multi-course meal featuring dumplings with various fillings and shapes. The moment I tasted them, I could tell they were freshly handmade – truly an amazing experience!

Next up was the magnificent Xi'an City Wall! If I hadn't been on a press trip, I would have absolutely, 100% indulged in a 'Wanghong' experience – that's a popular influencer-style photoshoot, and I was definitely envious of those I saw doing it!❤️

We also explored the Xi'an Museum and took some photos with the Small Wild Goose Pagoda. Our guide took this particular shot, and look – my legs look twice as long!❤️ I proudly showed it to my family, and my adorable younger siblings playfully accused me of cheating with photo tricks, haha!

After the Small Wild Goose Pagoda, we explored the vibrant Muslim Quarter. Xi'an is famous for its pomegranate juice, so naturally, I had to try some. During our free time, I kept spotting street performers dressed as ancient Chinese 'Wuxia' (martial arts heroes) characters. I really wanted a photo with one, so I shyly attempted to ask in English. In the end, body language saved the day, and I got my picture!^^

While pondering what street snack to try at the night market, I decided on Huangguishizibing, a popular Xi'an street food. It cost around ~$1 and was absolutely delicious – I wish we had this in my home country!

I also tried Luckin Coffee, a popular chain in China often compared to Mega Coffee in Korea. It seemed affordable and tasted great! I was a bit flustered when my Alipay didn't work at checkout, but my friend, Yoon, graciously covered it for me. Thanks, Yoon! It was quite a funny situation in the Muslim Quarter; Yoon and I met up while wandering, and it seemed like if one of us had Alipay working, the other didn't!ㅋㅋ

Arriving at the hotel, I took the elevator and was surprised to see a robot roaming the halls! I'm used to seeing serving robots in restaurants, but this was my first time encountering one in a hotel – quite futuristic!

I shared a room for our 3-night, 4-day trip with my friend, Jinijio. She was great company, and the room was lovely too!❤️

I even tried a bite of the instant ramen Yoon had as a late-night snack, and it was so incredibly tasty – I would have stocked up if I'd had space in my suitcase!

My second international press trip kicked off with a fantastic first day, surrounded by wonderful people.

Bucket list item achieved: Xi'an, China, Day 1 complete!💜

Cielso

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