Guanzhong Folk Art Museum (关中民俗艺术博物院)
Guānzhōng Mínsú Yìshù Bówùyuàn
Forty Ming–Qing courtyards and a forest of stone hitching posts
Entry
From ¥120
Hours
Tue–Sun · ≈9:00
Time needed
1½–3 hours
Metro
Line 2 · Weiqu South (韦曲南) · A
The Guanzhong Folk Art Museum (关中民俗艺术博物院) is a private open-air museum at the foot of the Nanwutai peak of the Qinling Mountains, about 30 km south of central Xi'an. Its founder, collector Wang Yongchao, rescued around 40 Ming- and Qing-dynasty courtyard houses from across the Guanzhong plain and rebuilt them here, alongside an opera stage, shops and workshops, on a site of roughly 500 mu. The collection of more than 33,600 folk objects includes furniture, lamps, New Year prints and brick carving, but the star is its forest of over 8,600 carved stone horse-hitching posts (拴马桩) — sometimes nicknamed the 'terracotta army above ground'. It is a 4A-rated site, costs ¥120, and works best combined with the [Zhongnan Mountains](/en/places/louguantai) or the [Shaanxi Archaeology Museum](/en/places/shaanxi-archaeology-museum), also in Chang'an District. Plan on half a day including travel.
What makes it special
- Around 40 Ming–Qing courtyard homes dismantled and rebuilt here — rare, since most were demolished elsewhere
- 8,600+ carved stone hitching posts, the largest such collection anywhere
- Over 33,600 folk objects: furniture, lamps, New Year prints, brick and wood carving
- Old-town streets, an opera stage and craft workshops to wander between courtyards
Tickets and opening hours
- ¥120 standard ticket; ¥60 for students with ID; ¥30 for children 1.2–1.4 m and seniors
- Children under 1.2 m enter free
- Closed on Mondays (open on public holidays)
- Guided explanation is charged separately
Getting there
- Metro Line 2 south to Weiqu South (韦曲南) Exit A, then bus 500 or 4-04 to the museum stop
- Bus 500 also runs direct from Xi'an Railway Station (long ride)
- DiDi from the city centre takes roughly 45–60 minutes depending on traffic
- Show drivers the Chinese name 关中民俗艺术博物院
Combine it with
- Nanwutai and the Zhongnan Mountains on the same side of the city
- Shaanxi Archaeology Museum, also in Chang'an District
- Cuihua Mountain day hike
- A half day is enough for the museum itself (1–3 hours inside)
Questions, answered
How much is the Guanzhong Folk Art Museum ticket?
¥120 for adults, with ¥60 student and ¥30 child/senior concessions; children under 1.2 m are free.
How do I get to the Guanzhong Folk Art Museum from Xi'an?
Take Metro Line 2 to Weiqu South, then bus 500 or 4-04 to the Guanzhong Folk Art Museum stop, or take a DiDi (about 30 km).
Is the Guanzhong Folk Art Museum worth it?
Yes if you like architecture and folk culture: it is the best place near Xi'an to see real Ming–Qing courtyard houses and thousands of carved stone hitching posts in one place.
Keep exploring
Shaanxi Archaeology Museum
China's first archaeology museum — not the treasures, but how they were found.
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Qinling Four Treasures Science Park: pandas near Xi'an
Qizai the brown panda is 65 km away
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Terracotta Army
8,000 life-sized soldiers buried for China's First Emperor — and still on guard 2,200 years later.
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