🏙️ City Delta: Xi’an

TL;DR: Book big-ticket museums early. Use official transport to far sites. Cashless works; keep cash for markets. Scam awareness high near tourist nodes.

Prerequisites: Landing Protocol · Safety & scams · Holiday survival

Problem

Day-trippers under-plan transfer time to the Terracotta site and over-trust friendly strangers near the Bell Tower / Muslim Quarter edges.

📋 The Runbook

1. Gateways

• Airport and North rail station can be long rides from the wall — match hotel to tomorrow’s plan.
• Official taxi / DiDi only.

First-night corridor (Xi’an)

• Default first night: Inside or just south of the city wall / Bell Tower metro area (walkable + tourist police presence).
• Terracotta: treat as a next-day trip with official bus/tour — not a same-hour landing plan.
• Move: Metro + DiDi; ignore touts at exits.

2. Metro & pay

• Transit QR via Alipay/WeChat (correct city).
• Far heritage sites often need metro + bus / official shuttle — budget time.

3. Tourism peaks

• Museums and wall gates sell out or queue hard on holidays.
• Night markets: watch bag; agree prices or use menus with prices.

4. Climate

• Drier winters; dusty wind days possible — lip balm / layers.
• Summers hot; water + hat on wall walks.

5. Hotels

• Confirm 外宾 for small guesthouses inside historic areas (Stay beyond hotel).

6. First 24h checklist

• Hotel Chinese address
• Transit QR tested
• Big-ticket booking held
• Cash ¥500+
• Scam walk-away phrases ready

🚨 Fallback (Plan B)

💡 TechDad’s Tips

• Fake “official” tour drivers at exits: use app pickup pin.
• Spicy northwest flavors appear — allergy/spice phrases still useful.
• Pair with Beijing if doing north loop.

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