GETTING THERE
Xian is a popular incentive stop after Beijing. It can be reached by a 90-minute flight from the capital or a two-hour flight from Shanghai. Xian Xianyang International Airport is about 45 minutes’ drive from the city centre and has international connections to Japan, Hong Kong, Macau, the US and Europe. Xian has a harsh climate and the months between November and March are typically considered the low season.
Xian is home to historical relics that draw millions of visitors a year. Emperor Qin’s Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum – which showcases a life-size battalion dating back more than two millennia – are the most well known. The museum is an hour’s drive from downtown Xian. The Big Wild Goose Pagoda, the Small Wild Goose Pagoda, the Bell Tower and Drum Tower are all within the ancient city walls that are still largely intact.
Next to the Drum Tower in the Muslim Quarter, the Great Mosque is the largest mosque within China and also one of the best-preserved.
SUGGESTED ITINERARY
One day in Xian will allow just enough time to visit the essential sights around the ancient
City Wall and visit the Terracotta Warrior Museum. Two days will allow time to make a full tour of the city that includes a visit to the Shaanxi Provincial History Museum, which includes artefacts from the civilisations that inhabited the seat of Chinese civilisation; or an excursion to the Famen Temple and Qianling Tombs, which are about two hours’ drive west of the city centre.
WHERE TO STAY
The most extensive meeting facilities in the city – as well as three hotels– are in the Renmin Square complex, managed by Accor.
The most luxurious is Sofitel Xian on Renmin Square has 432 rooms. The Hotel Grand Mercure on Renmin Square and Mercure Xian on Renmin Square offer an additional 202 and 111 rooms respectively.
The Sofitel Convention Centre and Grand Theatre features nine meeting rooms for groups of 20 to 150 and a pillarless ballroom for 1,000 people. Within the same grounds, the Grand Theatre, a historic Sino-Soviet style building, can seat 1,500 people.
Nearby, Hyatt Regency Xian offers 315 rooms and meeting rooms – which were renovated last year – for up to 400 people. The Shangri-La-managed Golden Flower Hotel upgraded its ballroom late last year and now can hold 600 people.
The 416-room hotel offers easy access to the Terracotta Warriors, only a 30-minute drive away. Near the City Wall, Sheraton Xian Hotel offers 418 rooms and meeting facilities for groups of up to 1,000 people.
Southwest of the city, in the Gaoxin high-tech development zone, Shangri-La Hotel Xian opened last year and has 386 guestrooms with garden or lake views. IT butlers are on hand to tend to events taking place in the extensive meeting facilities that include a 1,800 sqm ballroom and an
auditorium with 100 seats.
Ancient attractions in a modern environment
Xian has the assets to impress conference and incentive groups
