8 Best Photo Spots in Xi'an
Between a 13.7km ancient wall, Tang-dynasty pagodas, and a mountain with a plank walk bolted to a cliff, Xi’an gives photographers plenty to work with.
1. City Wall, South Gate
Early morning or late afternoon light works best on the watchtowers and gate structure. The full 13.7km loop offers repeating compositions of ramparts against the modern skyline beyond.
2. Big Wild Goose Pagoda
Sunset silhouettes the seven-story pagoda well, and the surrounding Da Ci’en Temple grounds add foreground interest. The free North Square musical fountain show is worth timing a visit around after dark.
3. Muslim Quarter, Huimin Jie
Late afternoon into early evening brings the street to life, with food stalls, lantern-lit signage, and daily life worth photographing respectfully rather than as a spectacle.
4. Terracotta Army Pits
Anytime works, though arriving away from peak tour-bus hours helps. Focus on the rows of soldiers receding into the pit’s depth, and try low-light shots inside the hall for a different mood than daylight straight-on shots.
5. Mount Huashan
Sunrise or sunset from any of the five peaks delivers genuine mountain scenery, and the Plank Walk in the Sky itself, harnessed and ticketed rather than free-solo, makes for a dramatic if logistically demanding shot. Budget the full day; this isn’t a quick stop.
6. Great Mosque, Muslim Quarter
The 742 CE mosque’s Chinese courtyard architecture, tiled roofs and carved details, photographs differently from the domes most visitors expect, which is exactly the point.
7. Datang Everbright City After Dark
This free, lit-up Tang-themed pedestrian street is built for photography after sunset, with hanfu-costumed visitors adding color against the illuminated pavilions.
8. Bell Tower and Drum Tower
Both Ming-dynasty structures anchor the walled city’s center, and the plaza between them offers wide shots of the towers against the surrounding modern shopping district.
Pack a spare battery for a full day out; cold mornings on Huashan and long evenings chasing the City Wall’s changing light both drain a camera faster than a typical city day would. Be respectful in the Muslim Quarter specifically, since it’s a working neighborhood and not a photo backdrop, and ask before pointing a lens at any vendor or resident up close.
Read more: pair a photo walk with a meal using our Xi’an eating guide for stops along the same Muslim Quarter route.