2026 Xi'an’s Hottest & Trendiest Travel Trending(Constantly Updated) | Trip.com

As the Year of the Horse approaches on the lunar calendar, a quiet wave of museum-going to “seek divine steeds” is on the rise. Horse-themed artifacts treasured across museums span millennia, telling the deep, enduring bond between people and horses in Chinese civilization. 📍 Gansu Provincial Museum ✅ Han · Bronze Galloping Horse: An Eastern Han bronze celebrated for its vivid form, symbolizing speed and elegance, widely known as the "Chinese Horse." ✅ Han · Painted wooden horse: Showcases mortise-and-tenon craftsmanship and refined painting techniques from the Han era. ✅ Wei–Jin · Pictorial brick of the postal relay system: Depicts the ancient relay network and the horse’s practical role in transportation. 📍 Western Xia Mausoleums Museum ✅ Western Xia · Stone horse: A guardian beast of royal tombs, reflecting Western Xia sculpture and burial customs. 📍 Guyuan Museum of Ningxia ✅ Han · Painted wooden horse: A signature Han painted wooden horse and a star exhibit of the museum. 📍 Inner Mongolia Museum ✅ Han · Red-painted pottery horse ✅ Warring States · Reclining horse-shaped bronze ornament: Funerary and decorative pieces that highlight northern equestrian and horse-raising culture. 📍 National Museum of China ✅ Tang · Sancai black-glazed pottery horse ✅ Eastern Han · Painted stone horseman 📍 Qingzhou Museum ✅ Western Han · Painted pottery horse and figurines 📍 Hebei Museum ✅ Northern Qi · Mounted rider figurine 📍 Handan Museum ✅ Warring States · Bronze horse 📍 Northern Dynasties Archaeological Museum ✅ Eastern Wei · Saddled pottery horse ✅ Northern Dynasties · Various mounted rider figurines 📍 Luoyang Museum ✅ Tang · Sancai black-glazed pottery horse ✅ Tang · Painted pottery horses, horse-taming figurine, various Tang sancai horses, and a painted raised-leg pottery horse 📍 Shaanxi History Museum ✅ Qin · Bronze chariots and horses ✅ Tang · Hunting and traveling scenes, polo scenes, gilded silver ewer with dancing horse holding a cup motif, painted polo-playing figurines, horse-leading sancai figurines, and sancai horses 📍 Xi’an Beilin Museum (Forest of Stone Steles) ✅ Tang · Six Steeds of the Zhao Mausoleum: Bas-reliefs from the entrance to Emperor Taizong’s Zhaoling, embodying the Tang Empire’s expanse and military triumphs. 📍 Zhaoling Museum ✅ Tang · Sancai female rider figurine, white pottery raised-hoof horse, and painted glazed pottery male rider figurine 📍 Shanghai Museum ✅ Tang · Colored glazed pottery horse 📍 Hong Kong Palace Museum ✅ Tibetan Empire · Plaque depicting a mounted archer warrior Set your sights on the museum and experience the unique allure of Chinese civilization!

During the 2026 Chinese New Year holiday, Emperor Qinshihuang’s Mausoleum Site Museum will extend opening hours from Feb 15–23, 2026 (lunar Dec 28–Jan 7). Admissions start at 7:30 AM, last entry is at 5:30 PM, and the museum closes at 7:30 PM. To welcome more visitors, daily capacity will increase to 75,000. All visitors must book tickets in advance with real-name registration. Each ID can be used for 1 successful reservation. Scalping, purchasing on behalf of others, and using bots or other ticketing violations are strictly prohibited. As a key part of the Shaanxi-flavored Chinese New Year cultural and tourism celebration, the museum will showcase the grandeur of Qin civilization throughout the festival. Terracotta Army formations stand in solemn array, bronze chariots and horses crafted with exquisite precision inspire awe, and the underground legions intertwine with the play of light and history to create an immersive experience that spans 2,000 years. Visit Emperor Qinshihuang’s Mausoleum Site Museum and set off on a journey that’s uniquely yours.

As lantern light dances, the splendor of the Tang returns! This Lunar New Year, the Xi’an City Wall transforms into an immersive Tang‑style set—gold‑armored guards patrol the ramparts, night watchmen make their rounds, the master of ceremonies issues travel passes, and lion‑dance youths leap beneath glowing lanterns… From dawn to dusk, performers steal the show. It’s more than a dazzling lantern festival—expect round‑the‑clock, immersive cultural parades. From first light to nightfall, captivating acts animate the wall above and the streets below, whisking you back to ancient Chang’an in a heartbeat. This Lunar New Year, come to the Xi’an City Wall, walk with history, and meet the grandeur of the Tang.

Starting April 20, China Eastern Airlines will officially launch nonstop flights between Xi'an and Vienna, operated every Monday, Thursday, and Saturday under flight number MU5063/4. The outbound flight departs Xi'an Xianyang International Airport at 1:30 AM and arrives at Vienna International Airport at 6:10 AM local time. The return flight departs Vienna at 1:30 PM and arrives in Xi'an at 5:50 AM the next day. This is the first nonstop air link between Northwest China and Austria, connecting the eastern gateway of the ancient Silk Road with Europe’s capital of music, and significantly boosting cultural and travel exchanges between China and Europe while making trips easier than ever.