Hi there! We are spending 2.5 weeks in china i n September. We are flying into Shanghai (4 nights), spending 5 nights in Guilin/Yangshou and then headed to Bejing for a bit.

On the way to Bejing, should we stop to see the buddha outside of leshan or the terra cotta warriors outside of xian? OR is there something even better out there? Perhaps outside of Bejing?

Thanks!

I have seen the Leshan Buddha but not the warriors but have been told that Xian is beautiful. I would imagine the terra cotta warriors to be more spectacular.

It would not have occurred to me to consider Chengdu (base for visiting Leshan) as on the way to Beijing from Guilin... If this is your first visit to China I would go for the terracotta warriors - and there are several other worthwhile sights in Xi'an itself. I think Chengdu is the more interesting town, these days, but you really should see the warriors. "Better" is a matter of opinion - what do you like? What made you decide on 4 nights in Shanghai and 5 in Guilin, for instance?

Hi!

Chengdu is an easy stopping point when flying from Guilin to Bejing.

We are spending 5 nights in Guilin to "decompress" my fiance and I have been working way too much, and just want to chill somewhere pretty for a while. We love culture AND nature and really like to have "authentic" experiences if we can. We are both well traveled!

I prefer to travel by train... You get a better view of the countryside that way, and Chinese soft sleeper is quite comfortable.

Given your interests you might consider Kunming, Dali and Lijiang (several posts here discuss that option). I would also suggest Chengdu over Xi'an based on your answer - see my trip report at www.wilhelmswords.com/rtw2004 for info on Chengdu.

Xian was the capital of China during two of its most powerful and important dynasties - Western Han and Tang. It has much more than just the Terracotta Warriors.