24 Hours in Xi'an

The seat of imperial China for more than 2,000 years, Xi'an once rivaled the ancient cities of Rome and Constantinople in its power and grandeur.

The easternmost center of trade on the Silk Route, it was a melting pot for merchants from Persia, Arabia and Hindustan selling silks, furs and spices. Though Xi'an has embraced modernization, it still remains an archaeological marvel and one of China's premier tourist destinations.

8am: Stock up on breakfast and head for the site of the Terracotta Army, an hour's drive away. Unearthed in 1974 by a peasant farmer (whom you can meet in the souvenir shop), the clay battalion is Xi'an's Pole Star. View the three excavated catacomb mud vaults who protect a grand menagerie of life-like soldiers-each unique in its features, expressions and military status, all of which were destined to be Emperor Qin's afterlife army.

11am: Head back to the city, stopping at the Mayfirst Hotel's self-serve canteen on Dong Da Jie for a quick, economical meal of steamed buns and noodles, with ice lollies for dessert.

1pm: Visit the south gate of the City Wall. The 14km-long fortification encloses Old Xi'an and is best appreciated on a bicycle (available for rental at RMB 20/hour). Take a leisurely two-hour circumambulation of one of China's best preserved city walls-its watch towers hinting of past splendor, and looming construction sites foreshadowing the city's future façade.