Bikes in Xi'an

Bicycles are a common way of travel for locals. You can easily rent bikes at the major tourist areas such as in central Xi'an where the Drum Tower and Bell Tower are, the Xi'an City Wall, and the 2011 Xi'an International Horticultural Exposition. However, traffic and sidewalk conditions are different in China. The streets are more likely to have obstructions and open holes than in your country. The traffic may be more hectic and chaotic than you are used to. People will often ride on and off the sidewalks and down alleys, so be careful. It might be better to stay off the busy streets and stick to traveling in the tourist areas.

Here are some tips for renting and riding bikes in Xi'an.

Central Xi'an: Most of the attractions in Xi'an are bunched together south of the Xi'an Train Station. So to see the sights, renting a bike is economical, and if you are careful, it may be fun. In the area around the Bell Tower, bike lanes are available. Try to stay on these and out of the way of automobiles.

Xi'an City Walls: The old city walls of Xi'an have been restored, and you can ride all the way around on the top of it. Bikes can be rented on top of the South Gate and East Gate. The distance around is about 13.7 kilometers. Taking a bike to do the circuit takes about 2 hours, but walking it takes about 4 or 5 hours. The walls are lit up at night, but if there are rainy or slick conditions, bikes are not rented because the top of walls is slippery when wet.

Xi'an 2011 International Horticultural Exposition (April 28, 2011 – October 22, 2011): This big event is expected to draw 12 million visitors to the expo park, and the main mode of transportation is planned to be electric bicycles. There are two parking lots for electric bicycles. One is located at the entrance for tour group visitors, and the other lot is located at the secondary entrance in the southeast. The main route for electric bicycles is the area around the main attractions of the exposition site.

Carry Change: Counterfeit money is common in tourist cities. Since tourists generally aren’t familiar with how Chinese money looks, they often get fake coins and fake bills. To avoid these problems, carry small bills and coins.