If you're waiting to buy local souvenirs and antiques, Xi'an is a good place to pick them up, with cheaper goods than major cities like Beijing. Running down the side of the Great Mosque, Huajue Xiang is a narrow lane filled with stalls selling antiques, arts and crafts, souvenirs and bric-a-brac. As elsewhere, quality varies widely so be careful, and remember to bargain. Beiyuanmen also has a number of tourist stalls and shops, as does the renovated Shuyuanmen, a cobbled, pedestrianised street just east of the South Gate.

For a less contrived shopping experience, visit the market outside Baxian Temple (Xi'an's only Taoist temple, just outside the East Gate) every Wednesday and Sunday. Villagers from the surrounding district bring in antique goods to be sold, ranging from unusual Cultural Revolution stuff to imperial-era ceramics and metal wares. Xi'an is also a good place to pick up art. Original paintings in the classic Chinese style are widely available, but also keep a look out for the bold colors of Shaanxi art - idealized depictions of traditional peasant life that enjoyed nationwide popularity in China during the 1970s. Some good examples can be bought in a small shop behind the Small Goose Pagoda. The Friendship Store (just east of Bell Tower on Nanxin Jie) sells everything, but the price is often high.