Old Market
A Market of Smoke and Creativity
This is perhaps the clearest example of Xi’an’s contrasts within the city walls.
Ground Floor: Everyday Market
Ground Floor: Everyday Market
Vendors call out to customers, their voices mingling with the aromas of vegetables, spices, and simmering stews. Elderly locals carry bags as they bargain and choose produce, while stall owners greet them with familiar smiles. For foreign visitors, this experience overturns any stereotype of an “ancient city.”
Recommended Experience
Start on the ground floor with some fresh fruit or snacks, then head upstairs to explore and sit down with a coffee. The shift from noisy to quiet feels like stepping between two worlds.
Second Floor & Rooftop: Young Creativity
The old factory building has been transformed into an arts hub: designer studios, vintage shops, cafés, bars, and occasional art shows or creative markets. Sit by the window with a coffee, look down at the bustling market below, then turn back to view an exhibition — this blend of “smoky market life + artistic air” is uniquely Xi’an.
