Century Ginwa: the mall under Bell & Drum Tower Square
世纪金花购物中心（钟楼店）Shìjì Jīnhuā
Xi'an's first luxury mall — now a convenient pass-through
Entry
Free
Hours
Mon–Sun · ≈09:30
Time needed
20 min–1 hours
Metro
Line 2 · Zhonglou (钟楼)
Century Ginwa (世纪金花) is the shopping centre built beneath and beside the green square that links Xi'an's Bell Tower and Drum Tower. When it opened in May 1998 it was the first place in the city to sell global luxury labels, and for years it was Xi'an's fashion showroom. Today it is a quieter, older mall: cosmetics, watches, mid-to-upper fashion brands and a supermarket, spread over levels that are partly underground. For visitors its real value is location. You can drop in on the walk from the Bell Tower to the Muslim Quarter, escape summer heat or winter wind, and come up right beside the Drum Tower. Be aware that in May 2026 its Hong Kong-listed owner announced the sale of the Bell Tower store's property company to a Qujiang affiliate, so tenants and hours may change; check before making a special trip.
What Century Ginwa is
- Opened 18 May 1998 as part of the Bell & Drum Tower Square project
- Brought brands such as Estée Lauder, SK-II, Lancôme, Zegna and Dunhill to Xi'an for the first time
- Built partly underground, so the square above stays open between the two towers
- Flagship of a Xi'an-born chain that also runs a Gaoxin branch on Keji Road
Is it worth visiting in 2026?
- Worth it as a convenient stop between the Bell Tower, Drum Tower and Muslim Quarter
- Not a destination for luxury — SKP at the South Gate has taken that role
- The Bell Tower area has seen many store closures; expect a quieter mall
- May 2026: the owner agreed to sell the property company; future operation was undecided at announcement
Getting there
- Metro Lines 2 and 6 to Zhonglou station; exits open onto the square
- Drum Tower and the Beiyuanmen entrance to the Muslim Quarter are a 3–5 minute walk
- Bell Tower underpasses connect to Kaiyuan Mall and East Street
Nearby shopping
- Kaiyuan Mall on the Bell Tower's southeast corner
- Luomashi Pedestrian Street on East Street
- Muslim Quarter food and souvenir lanes
- SKP and Shuyuanmen near the South Gate
Questions, answered
Where is Century Ginwa in Xi'an?
Under and beside the Bell & Drum Tower Square, 1 West Street, between the two towers. Use Zhonglou metro station (Lines 2 and 6).
Is Century Ginwa closing?
In May 2026 its owner announced a sale of the Bell Tower store's property company to a Qujing affiliate and said it would decide later whether to lease it back and keep trading. Check a map app for current status.
Is Century Ginwa a luxury mall?
It was Xi'an's first luxury mall in 1998, but today it is mid-to-upper range. For top luxury brands go to Xi'an SKP at the South Gate.
Keep exploring
Xi'an City Wall
A 14-kilometer Ming dynasty rectangle you can cycle on top of — 650 years old and still the city's favorite commute.
Inside the walls · 1 km southwest of the Bell TowerLearn more →
Muslim Quarter
Feeding Xi'an since the 700s — the loudest, smokiest, best-smelling streets of its Hui community.
Inside the walls · 0.8 km west of the Bell TowerLearn more →
Xi'an Bell Tower
A Ming tower from 1384 at the dead center of the walled city — best admired at dusk, floodlit above the roundabout.
Inside the walls · 0.3 km west of the Bell TowerLearn more →
Xi'an Drum Tower
Built in 1380, four years before its famous sister — the tower whose drums closed every Xi'an day, and the gateway to the Muslim Quarter.
Inside the walls · 0.7 km northwest of the Bell TowerLearn more →
Great Mosque of Xi'an
A mosque founded under the Tang in 742 AD, dressed as a Chinese garden temple.
Inside the walls · 1.1 km west of the Bell TowerLearn more →
Forest of Steles (Beilin Museum)
Stone books since 1087 — nearly 3,000 steles, and the home of Chinese calligraphy itself.
Inside the walls · 0.8 km south of the Bell TowerLearn more →
Shuyuanmen Ancient Culture Street
The scholars' lane behind the South Gate — four centuries of brushes, inkstones and seal carvers at work.
Inside the walls · 1 km southwest of the Bell TowerLearn more →
Guangren Temple
A slice of Lhasa planted inside Xi'an's wall in 1705 — Shaanxi's only Tibetan Buddhist monastery.
Inside the walls · 1.5 km northwest of the Bell TowerLearn more →
Big Wild Goose Pagoda
A Tang brick pagoda raised in 652 AD for a monk's 17-year journey to India — still Xi'an's defining landmark.
5.1 km southeast of the Bell TowerLearn more →
Banpo Museum
A 6,000-year-old village under one roof — moat, kilns, and the deepest layer of Xi'an's time stack.
10.1 km east of the Bell TowerLearn more →
Xi'an City God Temple
Six hundred years of divine city administration, a plaque that became Xi'an's favorite joke, and the old town's best incense alley — free on West Avenue.
Inside the walls · 1.7 km southwest of the Bell TowerLearn more →
More in Beilin District (碑林区)
Eat nearby
- Tongshengxiang (同盛祥): Paomo by the Bell Tower
A 1920 paomo institution on the square
- Lao Sun Jia (老孙家饭庄)
Paomo under the same name since 1898
- Jia San Guantang Baozi (贾三灌汤包子馆)
The Muslim Quarter's soup-dumpling landmark
- De Fa Chang (德发长): Xi'an's Dumpling Banquet
The 1936 house that turns dumplings into a parade
- Xi'an Restaurant (西安饭庄 Xi'an Fanzhuang)
The 1929 home of 'orthodox Shaanxi cuisine'
- Chang'an Dapaidang (长安大牌档)
Shaanxi food staged as a Tang night market
- Fan Ji Lazhi Roujiamo (樊记腊汁肉夹馍)
The Zhubashi benchmark pork 'Chinese burger'