Suzhou vs Xi'an

How do Suzhou and Xi'an compare?

These two appear in the same shortlist for travelers planning a deeper China trip beyond Beijing and Shanghai, and the choice is between gardens-and-canals refinement and Silk-Road imperial scale. Suzhou is 30 minutes from Shanghai by high-speed rail, a 2,500-year-old Grand Canal city with nine UNESCO-listed Ming and Qing classical gardens. Xian is a 4.5-hour bullet train or 2-hour flight from Beijing, the ancient Tang and Ming capital, the eastern terminus of the Silk Road, and the home of the Terracotta Army discovered in 1974. Suzhou is a half-day-or-overnight side trip from Shanghai; Xian needs two full days minimum.

Daily mid-range costs run $120 in Suzhou and $90 in Xian, the gap driven by Suzhou's proximity to Shanghai and a more developed boutique-hotel scene. Suzhou is the Humble Administrator's Garden, the Lingering Garden, the Master of the Nets Garden's evening Kunqu opera performances, the Pingjiang Road canal-side strip, Suzhou silk and Su embroidery workshops, and the Tongli and Zhouzhuang water-towns 40 minutes south. Xian is the Terracotta Army (8,000 life-size warriors guarding Emperor Qin's tomb, 1 hour east of the city), the 14km Ming Dynasty City Wall you can cycle in 90 minutes, the Muslim Quarter for biang biang noodles and lamb skewers, Big Wild Goose Pagoda, and Mt. Hua's plank walk if you have nerve.

Pick Suzhou if you have a Shanghai trip and want a one or two-night refined extension — gardens, canals, silk markets, and one of the most photographed classical-Chinese aesthetics in the world. Pick Xian if you want a stand-alone 3-day deep China highlight — the Terracotta Army is in a different category from any other museum on earth, and the city wall sunset cycle is the second-best thing you will do all trip. Pro tip: combine both on a 10-day China loop — Beijing 3 nights, fly to Xian for 2 nights, train to Shanghai with a Suzhou day or overnight, and you have hit the country's three most asked-about destinations on one ticket.