TOP 5 Places to Get Your Spring On

Article By XIANEASE

We hesitated to write this one, because it seems like every time we say that spring is right around the corner, the universe says “the hell it is!” and screws us with another two weeks of chill and gray. However, emboldened by the streak of nice days at the end of March, we think it’s finally time to declare that the days are getting warmer and the happy days are here again. Spring is arguably the best time to be in Xi’an, but it doesn’t last long; before it gets so hot that you don’t want to do anything, make sure you try out some of these daytrips around the city and experience the majesty of Xi’an in bloom.


 

1 Qing Long Temple 青龙寺

7-1Located North-East of the Big Goose pagoda, this 1500-year-old temple has strong ties with Japanese ShingonBuddhism. The big reason you’ll come here, however, is the cherry blossoms. There are both Japanese and Chinese cherry blossoms on their grounds, and now’s the time when they’re in full bloom. Their sakura festival has been going on since mid-March, but take it from us, now’s the time they’re going to look their best. Also, this is one of those things that, like, every local knows about but foreigners never talk about, so if you’re planning to go on a weekend, either go early or expect to wait in lines for a while.

ADDRESS
350m North of the Xiying Road and Yanxiang Road Intersection, Yanta District
雁塔区 西影路与雁翔路十字向北350米
Bus:19, 25, 33, 41, 45, 48, 221, 237, 242, 269, 400, 517
Metro: 3 Line
Stop: Qinglongsi Station(青龙寺)


2 Xing Qing Park兴庆公园

7-2Is there any park more quintessentially Xi’an than Xing Qing Park? Square dancing ayis, the time-worn amusement park rides, people doing their exercises, the big green lake with those crazy duck-shaped boats in it…we could go on. This sizeable park is quite popular with the locals, so expect to be sharing the spaces with them, but it’s got some beautiful flowers and trees and, if you look hard enough, probably a little bit of quiet space you could call your own for a hot minute.

ADDRESS
No.55 Xian Ning Xi Lu, Xincheng District
新城区 咸宁西路55号
Bus: 402, 7, 800, 45, 351, 402, 410, 512
Stop: Xing Qing Gong Yuan(兴庆公园)


3 Xin Ji Yuan Park 新纪元公园

7-4Between the big-box office buildings and construction and drab expanses of beige sidewalk, you’d be forgiven for thinking that Gaoxin was Chinese for “urban sprawl.” Gaoxin has secrets to tell though, and XinJi Yuan Park is one of them. You’ve probably seen it if you happen to have looked up from your phone while traveling down the exceedingly busy Gaoxin 2 Road, but perhaps didn’t realize how much was actually there. Huge trees buffer the park’s interior from the bustling road and offer a quiet respite from Gaoxin’s hustle to those who want it, and the flowering trees and bushes will make a rest there especially sweet this time of year.

ADDRESS
No.24 Gaoxin 2 Road, Gaoxin District
高新区 高新二路24号
Bus: 608, 400
Stop: Ke Ji Yi Lu Zhong Duan(科技一路中段)


4 Xi’an Jiao Tong University ( Xing Qing Campus ) 西安交通大学兴庆校区

7-5While common knowledge to students walking around campus, it may surprise people who’ve never been to Jiao Tong University’s Xing Qing Campus that it is home to one of the largest concentration of cherry blossoms in the city. A stroll through would be nice, undoubtedly, but be on the lookout for their annual cherry blossom festival, which is always in April and, for some unknown but amazing reason, always has cosplayers.

ADDRESS
#28 Xianning Xi Road, Xincheng District
新城区 咸宁西路28号
Bus: 7, 45, 351, 402, 410, 512, 607, 800, 910
Stop: Xing Qing Gong Yuan(兴庆公园)


5 Xi’an Botanical Gardens 西安植物园

Once just a small plot of fertile land in Qujiang, the Xi’an Botanical Gardens are now so much more. Last year saw the gardens moved further south, but the move gave planners a lot more space to do more with nowadays the botanical gardens are replete with flowers, waterfalls and more green goodness, the variety of which would likely be impossible to find anywhere else within the city limits.7-6

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ADDRESS
Third Ring Road-South
南三环辅路
Bus: 37


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