Things to do in Xi'an, no research required

Xi’an is worth the detour inland, and the Emperor Qinshihuang’s Mausoleum Site Museum, home of the terracotta warriors, tops this map by a distance no other stop comes near. Closer in, the Great Mosque blends Chinese and Islamic architecture inside a courtyard that stays quiet no matter what’s happening outside it, and the Small Wild Goose Pagoda has been standing since the Tang dynasty a short walk from downtown. Restaurants and attractions are evenly matched, so there’s as much reason to linger over a meal as to sightsee. The historic-buildings count is a reminder of how much of this city predates everything you came for.