How to Spend 48 Hours in Xi'an

Considered a second tier city when stacked up against superpowers Beijing and Shanghai, Xi'an is a progressive centre that manages to perfectly capture the yin and yang philosophy. Ancient structures work in harmony with contemporary architecture and it's not unusual to witness traditional dancing in city parks, tai chi lessons beneath an ancient pagoda or the population of a small New Zealand village gathering to watch a show of rocketing water and laser curtains. With a population of 8.7 million the city is naturally vibrant, though remarkably, the acts of littering and hocking up a loogie on the sidewalk are being increasingly frowned upon by the younger generation. Courtesy of Cathay Pacific and Wendy Wu Tours, Stephen Heard flew to the motherland. This is a whirlwind guide to spending 48 hours in Xi'an.

Cycle the City Wall

Renting a bike on Xi'an's city wall is a great way to burn off all those dumplings and get a feel for the city. Built in the 14th century as a military defense system, the structure is one of the oldest, largest and best preserved city walls in China. It runs for 36 square kilometres, bordering the inner suburbs. Bikes can be rented from several pitstops, though some come more weathered than others; my biking partner suffered at the hands of an uncooperative drive chain, while I was the recipient of a permanently engaged kickstand.

During your ride, a peep over the edge will give you a bird's eye view of bustling everyday life in inner city neighbourhoods, including local fruit and vegetable markets and the extreme demand on the local hospital. Allow yourself a good couple of hours for a leisurely cruise to take photos and for bike maintenance. While it was missed on this occasion, we understand there's a bar for a much needed halfway beer.

Visit the Muslim Quarter

What was the original starting point of the famous Silk Road is now the city's main Muslim hub and a popular market spot with an abundance of great food and affordable take-home knick knacks. Down the warren of narrow alleyways and shared streets you'll find everything from the traditional rice fruit cake cut into triangles and hosted by stick for accessible eating, Chinese tea shops, the laborious art of hand-stretched toffee, beefy men pounding peanut candy with mallets, and butchers carving animal framework pavement side. For those looking to escape the heat, ice-cool watermelon drinks are readily available. As we discovered from our guide Jason, the best place to relieve yourself is a local medical centre that practises traditional Chinese medicine, of all places.

Become a Super Noodle Man

The residents of Xi'an are playfully known as 'super noodle men' given the region's large production of wheat. Intriguing noodle varieties trialled on this trip were some topped with rolled oatmeal reminiscent of honeycomb or an alien's nest, and pancake soup found in one of the city's Muslim neighbourhoods. Called yangrou pao mo, the traditional dish of lamb in pancake or bread soup is widely known in the region. It comprises small dense cubes of dough in a glutenous soup and topped up with vermicelli rice noodles and spring onion. The carb overload will leave you bursting at the seams.

The ultimate prize-winning dumplings we sampled were: guan tang bao zi. What I'd typically recognise as soup dumplings were instead actually considered a steamed bun due to the circular shape. Each bun is filled with broth that explodes upon the first bite, though if not applying the correct technique the piping hot soup will leak before you even get to savour a drop. The trick is to pinch the top with your chopsticks and place a spoon underneath to act as a wee shelf. One bite will release the goodness. The rest is history.

Attend a Tang Dynasty Cultural Show

The Tang Dynasty Show is one for those after the most shop-worn tourist experience. Bus loads of grey-haired westerners attend the show for an 'authentic' dinner experience and to watch the cabaret unfold in all its glory. While the show is a good dose of entertainment after a few glasses of Dynasty Red, the food is a different kind of circus altogether. The dumpling degustation comprises seven different courses of dumplings in a variety of animals shapes and filled with floury and sometimes florescent paste. If lucky enough, you'll have the option to partake in a hands-on dumpling making class in the upstairs dining area before the show kicks off.

Terracotta Warriors

The Terracotta Warriors are the most popular drawcard to Xi'an. Within arm's reach of the city, the attraction is the ancient tomb of Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of China. Dating back to the third century BCE, the tomb was discovered in 1974 by local farmers and spans 57 square kilometres, though only one tenth is currently restored. The three accessible warehouse-like pits are estimated to contain up to 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots with 520 horses and 150 cavalry horses - in various stages of reconstruction. Despite being heavily tourist focussed the site still manages to give insight into the rich history of the nation and the might of the emperor.

Xi'an Light and Water Show

They don't do things by halves in China. The Xi'an Light and Water Show is an attraction that puts the puny dribble of a fountain in Las Vegas to shame. Located in the Tang Dynasty District - a recreational area overhauled by the government five years ago - the fountain is the biggest found in all of Asia, covering an area of 15,000 square metres beneath the shadow of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. Synchronised to the traditional symphony Water Phantom of Tang, it rockets water sixty-meters into the sky and comes with the display of beaming laser curtains and . The crowds are large and made up of both locals and visitors every night. The best spot for photos is directly in the front, giving full view of the fountain and pagoda. Get there early to secure a spot.

Hot Pot

If you enjoy being the overlord of your own meal, hot pot is the way to go. Every diner is trusted with their own gas burner and individual mini cauldron to create whatever food concoctions spring to mind. Your individual sauce mixture - made with all the usual suspects - plays a core condiment role after you boil the life out of an endless selection of food items. Between mysterious balls, precisely cut vegetables, woodear fungus and black kelp, the finely sliced pork belly was the clear favourite. Shun Fu Fei Niu is a popular hot pot restaurant in Xi'an and also happens to offer the infamous snake wine.

The beverage is around the 38% mark and is observed as a medicinal tonic. Predominantly made with wheat and goji berries, the drink also comprises some ingredients that you wouldn't typically expect to find in a drink. A: snake. B: duck penis. The taste that announces itself upon the first sip is something that you could liken to pure alcohol.  

Stephen Heard flew to China courtesy of Cathay Pacific and was taken to all the best bits by the unsurpassable guides of Wendy Wu Tours. Cathay Pacific's new A350 aircraft will start flying on the Auckland to Hong Kong route from October 31, 2016.