Xi'an Museum (西安博物院)
西安博物院Xī'ān Bówùyuàn
The easy-to-book plan B beside the Small Wild Goose Pagoda
Entry
Free
Hours
Wed–Mon · ≈9:00
Time needed
1½–3 hours
Booking
Required · 2 days ahead
Metro
Line 2 · Nanshaomen (南稍门)
Xi'an Museum (西安博物院, Xī'ān Bówùyuàn) is the city's own history museum, opened on 18 May 2007 inside the same walled grounds as the Tang-dynasty Small Wild Goose Pagoda and Jianfu Temple. Where the Shaanxi History Museum tells the story of the whole province, Xi'an Museum focuses on the city itself — how Chang'an grew and changed as capital of the Zhou, Qin, Han and Tang dynasties — through bronzes, gold and silver, Tang figurines, Buddhist sculpture, jade and calligraphy from a collection of around 130,000 objects. It is a national first-grade museum, entry is free with a real-name reservation, and it is far easier to book than the Shaanxi History Museum, which makes it the standard plan B for visitors who miss out there. Budget 1.5–2 hours for the galleries, or 2–3 hours with the pagoda and gardens, then walk to the South Gate of the City Wall.
Is Xi'an Museum worth visiting?
- Yes if you want a quieter, half-day history stop in the city centre rather than another long trip to the suburbs
- Much easier reservation than the Shaanxi History Museum, so it is the usual fallback when SHM tickets are gone
- Museum, Small Wild Goose Pagoda and Jianfu Temple share one compound — no second ticket or queue
- Best for travellers with 2–3 days; on a 1-day trip, the Terracotta Army and City Wall come first
What to see inside
- The permanent 'ancient capital' galleries tracing Xi'an from the Zhou to the Tang dynasties
- Han and Tang pieces: bronzes, gold and silverware, painted pottery and Tang figurines
- Buddhist sculpture and objects from daily life in ancient Chang'an
- Temporary exhibitions in the lower halls — check the WeChat account before you go
The Small Wild Goose Pagoda and Jianfu Temple
- A Tang pagoda (early 8th century) now part of the Silk Roads UNESCO World Heritage listing
- Lost its top storeys in the 1556 Huaxian earthquake, which is why it looks 'flat-topped'
- The pagoda itself cannot currently be climbed; walk the courtyards and gardens instead
- Link to our full Small Wild Goose Pagoda page for the history and photo spots
Booking and entry for foreign visitors
- Entry is free but tickets are real-name and time-slotted; you need your passport number to book and to enter
- Book a few days ahead for weekends, Chinese public holidays and summer
- Closed on Tuesdays (not Mondays like most Xi'an museums) — easy to get wrong
- Save the Chinese names 西安博物院 and 小雁塔 for DiDi drivers
A half-day route from here
- Xi'an Museum → Small Wild Goose Pagoda gardens → walk ~20 minutes north to Yongningmen (South Gate)
- Go up the City Wall for sunset, then eat around Defu Lane or Shuyuanmen
- Rainy day? Combine with the Forest of Steles and Shaanxi History Museum on the 'museum mile'
Questions, answered
Is Xi'an Museum free?
Yes. General admission is free, but you must reserve a real-name, time-slotted ticket in advance and show your passport at entry.
Which day is Xi'an Museum closed?
Tuesdays (except Chinese national holidays) — unlike the Shaanxi History Museum, which closes on Mondays.
Is Xi'an Museum the same as the Small Wild Goose Pagoda?
They are in the same compound: one reservation gets you into the museum galleries, the Small Wild Goose Pagoda grounds and Jianfu Temple's gardens.
Keep exploring
Small Wild Goose Pagoda & Xi'an Museum
A Tang pagoda from 707 AD that outlasted China's deadliest earthquake — free, calm, and half the crowds.
1.7 km south of the Bell TowerLearn more →
Xingqing Palace Park
Emperor Xuanzong's Tang pleasure palace, 1,300 years on — now Xi'an's favorite living room.
3.1 km southeast of the Bell TowerLearn more →
Baxian An (Temple of the Eight Immortals)
Xi'an's working Taoist temple — centuries of incense, fortune-tellers, and almost no tourists.
Inside the walls · 1.9 km east of the Bell TowerLearn more →
Defu Lane
Xi'an's original coffee-and-cocktail street, one grey-brick block inside the South Gate.
1.7 km south of the Bell TowerLearn more →
Shuncheng Lane
Thirteen kilometers of slow life at the foot of the wall — and the South Gate stretch is its best kilometer.
1.8 km southwest of the Bell TowerLearn more →
The Belgian Bar: Xi'an's traveller pub by the South Gate
The one easy bar where English is spoken
Inside the walls · 1 km southwest of the Bell TowerLearn more →
Shaanxi Art Museum (陕西省美术博物馆)
Free, central and rarely crowded — an air-conditioned art break
2.1 km south of the Bell TowerLearn more →
Xi'an SKP: luxury shopping opposite the South Gate
The city's luxury address — with an instant Alipay tax refund
1.4 km south of the Bell TowerLearn more →
Damao City (大茂城)
The Gaoxin mall with a 27-meter indoor waterfall — the mall-as-spectacle move, high-tech-district edition.
5.9 km southwest 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 →
Famen Temple
A Buddha finger bone sealed in a Tang crypt in 874 AD, the treasure vault beside it, and one very large diamond — 120 km west of Xi'an.
98.1 km west of the Bell TowerLearn more →