Xi'an · history museum
Xi'an Museum (西安博物院, Xī'ān Bówùyuàn)
The Xi'an Museum sits within the Jianfu Temple (荐福寺) complex, a 684 AD Tang Dynasty Buddhist temple whose centerpiece is the Small Wild Goose Pagoda (小雁塔, Xiǎo Yàn Tǎ), a 43-meter brick pagoda that survived dozens of earthquakes across 1,300 years. The museum building itself is semi-subterranean, designed by architect Zhang Jinqiu to respect the temple landscape, and houses 130,000 objects with an emphasis on Tang Dynasty daily life — gold and silver vessels, tri-colored glazed pottery, and Buddhist sculpture. Unlike the Shaanxi History Museum across town (which draws 6,000+ visitors daily and requires booking a month ahead), the Xi'an Museum receives a fraction of the crowds. The temple gardens with ancient pagoda trees (Sophora japonica, some over 1,000 years old) are as much a reason to visit as the collection.
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Quick Answer
Is Xi'an Museum worth visiting?
Tang Dynasty artifacts inside the Small Wild Goose Pagoda temple complex — a calmer, more intimate alternative to the Shaanxi History Museum. Free entry with garden and pagoda access. Jianfu Temple grounds.
Quick facts
| Category | history |
|---|---|
| Ticket | Free. Passport required. No advance reservation needed — walk in and scan passport at the entrance. Climbing the Small Wild Goose Pagoda costs ¥30 (as of June 2026). |
| Hours | 9:00-17:30 (last entry 17:00). Closed Tuesdays. |
| Recommended duration | 2-2.5 hours. Add 30 minutes if climbing the pagoda. |
| Best time to visit | Weekday mornings, especially Wednesday-Friday. The temple gardens are loveliest in April (pagoda tree blossoms) and October (autumn foliage). March-early June and September-November for comfortable outdoor walking. |
| How to get there | Metro Line 2 to Nanshaomen (南稍门), Exit A2. Walk west 5 minutes on Youyi West Road. Bus routes 18, 21, 203, 204, 218, 224, 229, 258, 407, 410, 508, 713 to Small Wild Goose Pagoda stop. DiDi from central Xi'an costs ¥15-25. |
| English signage | partial |
Why visit
You get a Tang Dynasty pagoda, Buddhist temple gardens, and a quality museum collection — all without the reservation battles of the Shaanxi History Museum. The Small Wild Goose Pagoda is one of Xi'an's two iconic Tang pagodas, and you can climb it (¥30 extra) for a view over the southern city. On a June 2026 weekday morning, I counted 12 other visitors in the entire museum.
Collection highlights
- Small Wild Goose Pagoda (小雁塔) — 43 m, 15-tier Tang Dynasty brick pagoda (originally 45 m, top two tiers lost in a 1556 earthquake). Climb to the 13th floor for a view of Xi'an's southern wall and the modern skyline
- Tang Dynasty gold and silver banquet vessels — wine cups, plates, and ewers from the Hejiacun hoard, showing Central Asian influence in Tang elite dining
- Tang sancai (三彩) glazed pottery horses and camels — Xi'an is the spiritual home of Tang tri-color ware, and this collection rivals any in the city
- Buddhist stone sculpture hall — Northern Zhou through Tang Dynasty Buddha heads and stelae recovered from temples around the Guanzhong plain
- Jianfu Temple Morning Bell — one of the "Eight Views of Guanzhong" (关中八景), the iron bell cast in 1192 AD is still in the bell tower
- Ancient pagoda trees (国槐) in the temple courtyard — several over 1,000 years old, with twisted trunks and shady canopies
Tips
- Combine with the Shaanxi History Museum if you got a reservation — if not, this museum covers similar Tang content with zero booking stress
- The Small Wild Goose Pagoda climb is 15 stories of increasingly narrow brick stairs — not for anyone with mobility concerns or claustrophobia
- I visited on a Wednesday morning in June 2026 and found the Buddhist sculpture hall completely empty — the silence inside the dim gallery, with Tang-era Buddha faces emerging from the darkness, was the most meditative museum moment I have had in China
- The temple grounds host occasional shadow puppet (皮影) performances near the south gate — check the schedule board at the entrance
- Bring your own water — the only drinks seller is a small kiosk near the entrance that closes at 16:00
- The museum shop sells Small Wild Goose Pagoda-themed washi tape and bookmarks — surprisingly tasteful souvenirs at ¥15-30
Frequently asked questions
How is the Xi'an Museum different from the Shaanxi History Museum?
The Shaanxi History Museum covers all periods from prehistory to Qing, with 370,000 objects and overwhelming crowds (6,000+ daily visitors, tickets must be booked weeks ahead). The Xi'an Museum focuses on Tang Dynasty Xi'an specifically, has 130,000 objects, and receives far fewer visitors. It is also set inside a Tang Dynasty temple with a climbable pagoda and gardens — the Shaanxi History Museum is a modern building. If you cannot get Shaanxi History Museum tickets, this is your best alternative, and in some ways (atmosphere, intimacy) it is actually better.
Can I climb the Small Wild Goose Pagoda?
Yes, for ¥30 (price as of June 2026). The climb involves 15 floors of brick stairs that become progressively narrower — the final few flights are tight. The view from the top looks south over Xi'an's modern high-rises and north toward the Bell Tower. The pagoda leans slightly to the west (a 0.5-degree tilt) from centuries of earthquake settlement.
What is the Hejiacun hoard?
The Hejiacun hoard (何家村窖藏) was discovered in 1970 when construction workers in southern Xi'an unearthed two large ceramic jars containing over 1,000 Tang Dynasty gold, silver, and jade objects. The hoard includes coins from as far as the Byzantine Empire and Sassanian Persia, gold wine cups with grape-and-vine motifs, and a gilded silver ewer with a lifelike horse-head spout. It is considered the most important Tang Dynasty treasure find. Items from the hoard are split between the Shaanxi History Museum and the Xi'an Museum.
Why is it called the Small Wild Goose Pagoda?
The name "Small Wild Goose" (小雁) distinguishes it from the Big Wild Goose Pagoda (大雁塔, Dà Yàn Tǎ) 3 km to the east. The names come from a folk story: a group of wild geese flew over the Big Pagoda and one fell dead, so monks buried it there. In reality, both names were attached centuries after construction. The Small Pagoda (built 707-709 AD) is actually slightly older than the Big Pagoda (rebuilt 704 AD, expanded 701-704).
Is the Xi'an Museum free?
Yes, the museum and temple grounds are free. You only pay if you want to climb the Small Wild Goose Pagoda (¥30 as of June 2026). No advance reservation is required — just bring your passport and walk in.
How much time should I spend at the Xi'an Museum?
Allow 2-2.5 hours for the museum galleries and temple grounds. Add 30 minutes if you plan to climb the pagoda. It pairs well with a morning visit to the nearby Xi'an City Wall (South Gate, 2 km east, ¥54) for a half-day itinerary.
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Other things to do in Xi'an
Terracotta Army
UNESCO site with 8,000+ life-sized warriors buried 2,200 years ago. 1.5 hours from Xi'an. Allow 3-4 hours.
Muslim Quarter
Xi'an's 1,200-year-old Hui Muslim food district — 10+ blocks of lamb skewers, hand-pulled noodles, persimmon cakes, and the 1,300-year-old Great Mosque. Free entry. Food ¥5–50 per item.
Xi'an City Wall
The best-preserved ancient city wall in China — 13.7 km of Ming Dynasty fortifications you can bike on top of. ¥54 entry, ¥45 bike rental. 2–3 hours to bike the full loop.
Big Wild Goose Pagoda
7th-century Buddhist pagoda built to house scriptures brought from India by the monk Xuanzang (the real Tripitaka). ¥50. Evening fountain show is free.
Huaqing Palace
Tang Dynasty imperial hot springs resort — Yang Guifei's bathing pool, scene of the 1936 Xi'an Incident. ¥120 entry. 30 km east of Xi'an. Combine with Terracotta Army.
Shaanxi History Museum
China's richest provincial museum, holding roughly 1.7 million artifacts from 13 dynastic capitals across 1,100 years. Budget 2-3 hours for the free halls, 4-5 with the ¥270 Tang tomb-mural gallery — one of the most remarkable museum experiences in the country.
Great Mosque of Xi'an
A 1,280-year-old mosque site down Huajue Lane that looks like a Ming temple but serves Xi'an's Hui Muslim community — four courtyards, a pagoda-style minaret, no domes. ¥25 entry (as of 2026), allow 45–60 minutes; go at the 8:00 opening, not noon.
Grand Tang Mall (Datang Everbright City)
A 1.5-km free pedestrian avenue of lit-up Tang-style pavilions, costumed performers, and food stalls running south from the Big Wild Goose Pagoda through Xi'an's Qujiang district. Budget 2–3 hours after dusk; the lights and shows peak 19:00–21:00.
Drum and Bell Towers
Two 14th-century Ming-dynasty towers anchoring Xi'an's old-city centre — the Bell Tower (1384) at the crossroads, the Drum Tower (1380) at the Muslim Quarter gate. ¥30 each to climb, 1-1.5 hours total, best at dusk when both light up.
Small Wild Goose Pagoda
A 1,300-year-old Tang Dynasty brick pagoda inside Jianfu Temple — quieter, free, and climbable for ¥30 (as of 2026). Pair it with the on-site Xi'an Museum; allow 2–3 hours.
Museums in Xi'an
Shaanxi History Museum
370,000 artifacts from the cradle of Chinese civilization — Tang Dynasty gold, Zhou bronzes, and Qin terracotta figurines. Free but book weeks ahead. Xi'an's must-see museum.
Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum
The world-famous Terracotta Army viewed through the museum lens: excavation in progress, bronze chariot conservation, and the science behind 2,200-year-old polychrome preservation. ¥120.
Banpo Museum
A 6,000-year-old Neolithic village preserved in situ — walk through a matriarchal Yangshao Culture settlement with houses, kilns, and a burial ground. ¥65. China's first prehistoric site museum.
Shaanxi History Museum — Qin-Han Branch
New branch opened 2024 near the Qin Dynasty palace ruins. Focuses exclusively on the Qin and Han dynasties (221 BC-220 AD). Free. Book ahead.
Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum (Terracotta Warriors)
About 8,000 life-size clay soldiers buried in 210 BCE to guard China's first emperor — plan 3 to 4 hours on site plus 90 minutes each way from central Xian.
Forest of Steles Museum (Xi'an Beilin Museum)
Xi'an's 1,094-year-old "Forest of Steles" holds more than 3,000 carved stone tablets and rewards 2–3 hours of close looking — most visitors should skip the calligraphy trance and head straight for the six horses of Zhaoling Tangseng.