Recall the previous post where I enjoyed a Chinese costume photoshoot in Xi’an? Today, I would make my way to Big Wild Goose Pagoda station to return the costume.
The original plan was to visit nearby attractions and soak up the festive vibes at Great Tang All Day mall. But things didn’t go according to plan. Read on to see how Day 10 of our China trip unfolded.
Don’t miss:
- Day 1: From Singapore to Beijing’s Temple of Heaven
- Day 2: Step back in time at Pingyao Ancient City (UNESCO Gem)!
- Day 3: Hanfu & Photoshoot Experience in Pingyao Ancient City
- Day 4 (AM): Yellow River Waterfall: Travel Hiccups & Most Stressful Day
- Day 4 (PM): Hidden Gems at Mount Yun
- Day 5: Great Ladder Cliff of Yellow River
- Day 6: Lee Family Courtyard in Shanxi
- Day 7: Things to do and eat in Xi’an
- Day 8: Is Mount Hua worth a visit?
- Day 9: Xi’an Hanfu Photoshoot Experience
Returning the Hanfu Costume
After returning costume near Big Wild Goose Pagoda station (大雁塔 – see location), I was forced to retreat elsewhere as it was just too hot. That’s ok, we would return in the evening to explore the attractions here.
INFO: Big Wild Goose Pagoda is also known as Giant Wild Goose Pagoda, depending on your source of info.
Shopping in Xi’an to escape the unbearable heat
Prior Google research brought us to an outlet mall in Xi’an (五环Outlets – see location). Unfortunately, it wasn’t really worth the effort due to limited selection and unattractive price.
After a failed shopping haul, we had lunch at Boles Burger – a western fast food restaurant that seemed really popular among the locals.
Alas, the beef burger that I ordered was quite tough – paling in comparison to the KFC beef burger I had a few days ago. Consolation – at least the astronaut mascot was cute!
SAGA Mall: A shopping destination worth visiting
Next, we took a subway to SAGA Mall (see location) using it as a base to hide from the heat until nightfall.
SHOPPING TIP: If you only have time for one shopping mall in Xi’an, SAGA Mall is a solid choice. It offers a wide variety of products across different price points.
Also, it’s a very beautiful mall, with LED screens everywhere and even an indoor garden and waterfall (at time of our visit).
As compared to the day before, SAGA mall was super super crowded. Must be due to the fact that today was the eve of Mid Autumn Festival.
We were lucky to find a rare tiny seat at Hey Tea and enjoyed a cup of Jasmine Cheese tea.
One cultural surprise was seeing a complete stranger share a single seat with me, sitting back-to-back. But that’s the beauty of travelling — discovering different ways of life.
I did some shopping too, and also joined a long queue to buy pastry from Delicieux Grains.
The Pistachio Cake was nice – rich Pistachio taste and not too sweet. But the Cheese Croissant priced at about S$5 – considered pricey in China – was quite average.
Shopping in Xi’an: It’s normal for sales staff to stand at storefront, inviting you to come in. Once inside, they would often follow you around even if you mention that you prefer to browse on your own.
One staff told me they had to follow me around due to management’s perception of whether they are performing their duties, or not.
Heading to Big Wild Goose Pagoda again (evening)
Finally, the heat eased and we were ready to visit Big Wild Goose Pagoda and Great Tang All Day Mall.
INFO: Great Tang All Day Mall (大唐不夜城) is also known as Great Tang Dynasty Ever Bright City, or Datang Everbright City.
Big Wild Goose Pagoda: A UNESCO Site
(6pm)
Joining the crowd, including ladies in Hanfu costumes, I took a few quick shots with Big Wild Goose Pagoda (大雁塔) serving as backdrop (see location). This is a UNESCO heritage site built in c. 652 – you could also pay to enter the pagoda.
Did you know? Big Wild Goose Pagoda is popular as it contains Buddhist scriptures that monk Xuanzang of Tang Dynasty brought back from India. He later taught Buddhism in China.
The Pagoda is located within Da Ci’en Temple – view ticket price.
Mid-Autumn @ Great Tang All Day Mall
Walking along the 2km-long Great Tang All Day Mall (see location), we wondered why there were no street shows or mini performances taking place. I’d even studied the timetable beforehand and shortlisted a few shows that I’d wanted to watch.
A staff later explained that the performances had ended early – by 5pm – due to the Mid-Autumn Festival.
I kept asking “You mean the performances were held in the afternoon?”. He nodded.
I couldn’t help but wonder how the performers managed to endure the heat in their full-body traditional Chinese costumes.
TIP: Performance schedule may change during public holidays.
Needless to say, we were quite disappointed. This was already our third visit to Great Tang All Day Mall, and we still hadn’t managed to catch a single show.
We also missed the Music Fountain performance (see location) as our legs were jelly, by the time we reached the southern end of the Tang pedestrian street. We were too tired to backtrack to the fountain.
If there was any consolation, it was the sight of many visitors dressed in beautiful traditional Chinese attire, set against the backdrop of Tang-style architecture.
Street Food Dinner near Xi’an Bell Tower
(8.15pm)
With jelly legs, we took a cab back to our hotel. But it dropped us off at the wrong Ibis hotel. Darn! We had to walk again.
But the good thing was being able to experience different streets, which were quite vibrant. We passed by Jiefang Market Street (解放市场) and decided to have dinner there since our previous dining experience there was good (see location).
Our orders – Clam seafood vermicelli and Ice Jelly. The latter was an interesting experience in which you scoop dessert toppings from a “buffet table”.
Xi’an Bell Tower was so happening during Mid-Autumn Festival
On our way back to the hotel, we passed by Xi’an Bell Tower again – it was buzzing with energy and instantly lifted our festive spirits (Location: Google | Baidu).
Although I was quite tired, I didn’t want to leave. It was just a tower, but the ambiance was superb, perhaps due to the bustle and crowd. Yes, you can see many ladies in Chinese costume here too! Remember, I was one of them yesterday. :)
>> RELATED: Xi’an Hanfu Photoshoot Experience Explained
I bought some souvenir magnets from street vendors and called it a day shortly after.
That’s all to Day 10 in China. Tomorrow, we’ll visit the Xi’an must-see sight – Terracotta Warriors. It was a “challenging” visit! :) Stay tuned!
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- Day 1: From Singapore to Beijing’s Temple of Heaven
- Day 2: Step back in time at Pingyao Ancient City (UNESCO Gem)!
- Day 3: Hanfu & Photoshoot Experience in Pingyao Ancient City
- Day 4 (AM): Yellow River Waterfall: Travel Hiccups & Most Stressful Day
- Day 4 (PM): Hidden Gems at Mount Yun
- Day 5: Great Ladder Cliff of Yellow River
- Day 6: Lee Family Courtyard in Shanxi
- Day 7: Things to do and eat in Xi’an
- Day 8: Is Mount Huashan worth visiting?
- Day 9: Xi’an Hanfu Photoshoot Experience
