Xi'an, the capital of Northwest China's Shaanxi Province, is a fine place to live in and to visit.

Compared with the first-tier cities such as Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, Xi'an still maintains a comfortably moderate pace of metropolitan life while keeping its status as a developing economy.

Having served as the capital for 13 ancient Chinese dynasties, Xi'an certainly has numerous places of interest to visit. You may feel it a little bit hard to find another Chinese city in which history and modern civilization are fused together so perfectly. As a visitor, you may soon become lost in the magnificence of the Terra Cotta Warriors and the Big Wild Goose Pagoda during the daytime. But what about at night, when all these tourist attractions are closed? The Global Times has sought out a few interesting bars, cafes and fancy restaurants where you can really indulge yourself with your friends when the sun goes down.

3. Defu Alley (De Fu Xiang)

Only a stone’s throw from bustling South Street in downtown Xi’an lies a tranquil passage called Defu Alley, well regarded by Xi’an citizens as a fine place to relax and refresh one’s mind.

Located near the South Gate of Xi’an, the 200-meter alley is packed with over 20 quiet bars and cafes.

If you were to ask a number of local people where you could enjoy yourself in a relaxing atmosphere, most would immediately reply by saying “De Fu Xiang,” the local term for Defu Alley.

Short and narrow as it is, Defu Alley is the most renowned place in Xi’an to spend one’s leisure time. It is the Xi’an parallel to Beijing’s Sanlitun.

Compared with the bar streets in Xi’an that the Global Times wrote about in previous editions of “Nightlife in Xi'an,” Defu Alley provides customers with the most authentically European experience of ease and relaxation. That’s why so many international travelers and Xi’an expats have made this such a frequent haunt.

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