The Forbidden City, the Terracotta Warriors and the Bund

Who it is for

For a first trip to China that wants, in under two weeks, the imperial capital, Xi’an’s clay army and the Shanghai of both banks of the Huangpu.

Not for anyone after rural or mountain China: all three stops are big cities, and Beijing’s main sights and the Terracotta Warriors need a named booking made with your passport, which leaves little room to improvise.

The strategy

Beijing comes first, with four days: the Central Axis, the Great Wall at Mutianyu with the Ming Tombs, the temples with the 798 art zone, and the Summer Palace with Shichahai. The main sights need a named booking made with your passport a week ahead, and so do the Terracotta Warriors: book the 9:00 or 9:30 slot. From Beijing West, the bullet train reaches Xi’an in about 4h30, and your passport works as the ticket at the gate. Xi’an gets three days: the walled city, the warriors at Lintong, and the Shaanxi History Museum with the Tang pagodas. From Xi’an to Shanghai, choose between bullet train and flight when you book. Shanghai closes the trip with three days, one for the river and both banks, one for the former concessions and the third for the West Bund and the canals of Zhujiajiao, and the flight home leaves from Pudong (PVG), which handles the international routes. The window that suits all three cities runs from 8 to 25 October, after the national holiday week of 1 to 7 October, when the sites are packed and bookings sell out. China’s entry rules depend on your passport and change often: check with the National Immigration Administration before buying the ticket.

What you will see

• Forbidden City, Beijing. Imperial palace built between 1406 and 1420, with 72 hectares and about 980 buildings, home to 24 Ming and Qing emperors until 1924 and a World Heritage Site since 1987.
• Terracotta Army, Xi'an. The Museum of the Mausoleum of Emperor Qin Shi Huang, in Lintong, about 40 km east of the center, covers the pits where farmers found the warriors in 1974.
• The Bund, Shanghai. About 1.5km of riverside promenade on the west bank of the Huangpu, with 52 buildings put up between 1900 and 1937.

Day by day

Beijing

1. 1
   Day 1: The Central Axis, end to end

   1. 5Tiananmen SquareOne to two hoursWorth a visit
   2. 1Forbidden City (Palace Museum)Essential
   3. 7Drum and Bell Towers and ShichahaiWorth a visit
2. 2
   Day 2: The Wall and the valley of the tombs

   
3. 3
   Day 3: Temples, shopping alleys, and art

   1. 2Temple of HeavenEssential
   2. 6Yonghe Temple (Lama Temple)Worth a visit
   3. 8798 Art ZoneOne to two hoursWorth a visit
4. 4
   Day 4: The Summer Palace and Shichahai

   1. 9Summer Palace (Yiheyuan)If there is time
   2. Yuanmingyuan (Old Summer Palace)If there is time

Xi'an

1. 5
   Day 5: Walled city: towers, the Muslim Quarter and a bike ride around the wall

   1. 3Muslim QuarterOne to two hoursEssential
   2. 8Forest of Stelae MuseumOne to two hoursWorth a visit
2. 6
   Day 6: The Terracotta Warriors and Lishan Garden, in Lintong

   1. Huaqing PalaceOne to two hoursIf there is time
3. 7
   Day 7: Shaanxi History Museum and the two Tang pagodas · if you have more time

   1. 4Shaanxi History MuseumHalf a day or moreEssential
   2. 9Small Wild Goose PagodaUp to half an hourWorth a visit
   3. 5Big Wild Goose PagodaOne to two hoursEssential
   4. Datang Everbright CityOne to two hoursIf there is time

Shanghai

1. 8
   Day 8: The river and its two banks

   1. 2Shanghai TowerEssential
   2. 8Shanghai Museum EastHalf a day or moreIf there is time
2. 9
   Day 9: Concessions, lanes and plane trees

   1. 7Jing'an TempleUp to half an hourWorth a visit
3. 10
   Day 10: Art, water and the rest

   1. 6Power Station of Art and West BundWorth a visit