As China celebrates 40 years since the Terracotta Warriors were unearthed, recent developments have deepened the mystique, as Zhao Xu and Lu Hongyan report from Xi'an.
One of the best-known parts of Xi'an is the Muslim Quarter. Visitors to the city will consider it a whirlwind lesson in bartering and delicious-looking street foods.
Good food is a mini cosmos itself, a place where flavors combine well with textures to create a generally pleasing sensation.