If you’re traveling to Xi’an (西安, Xī’ān) with children or older family members, you may notice that the Terracotta Warriors (兵马俑, Bīngmǎyǒng) offers free or discounted admission for certain age groups.
But do those discounts also apply to foreign passport holders?
A traveler planning a China trip recently asked exactly that.
The Traveler’s Question
“For attractions like the Terracotta Warriors and others, do foreign visitors qualify for the discounted child or senior tickets? Or are those discounts only available to Chinese citizens?”
We asked the ChinaTravelBUG AI Travel Planner. Here is its answer:
ChinaTravelBUG AI Travel Planner Answer
For the Terracotta Warriors specifically, foreign visitors should not assume that the child or senior discounts apply to them. The museum’s current English ticket page says that free admission for seniors aged 65+ and children aged 16 and under is for Chinese residents. The standard adult admission is RMB 120.
There is a slightly confusing wrinkle: an older Chinese-language museum notice simply says 65+ seniors and children 16 and under are free, without stating nationality. However, the museum’s current English ticket information explicitly adds “Chinese Residents,” so for an international traveler I would follow the more specific current wording and budget for the full adult ticket unless the museum confirms otherwise.
Foreign visitors can book using a passport, and the museum specifically states that overseas visitors are included in its reservation system. Bring the original passport used for the booking.
For other attractions in China, there is no single nationwide rule. Eligibility varies by attraction. Some discounts are nationality/residency-specific, while others simply require proof of age or student status.
So the safest rule is: check each attraction individually rather than assuming that a displayed “senior” or “child” price applies to foreign passport holders.
ChinaTravelBUG Verification: The Official Pages Don’t Quite Match
This is one of those China travel questions where checking the official source actually creates more, rather than less, uncertainty.
We found different wording on the Terracotta Warriors museum’s own English and Chinese information:
| Official information | What it says |
|---|---|
| English ticket page | Free admission for eligible seniors and children is described as applying to Chinese residents |
| Chinese admission notice | Lists age-based free admission without clearly stating a nationality restriction |
| Foreign visitor booking information | Foreign visitors can make reservations using their passports |
So we would not state categorically that foreign children and seniors either qualify or do not qualify.
Our practical advice
If you’re visiting the Emperor Qinshihuang’s Mausoleum Site Museum (秦始皇帝陵博物院, Qín Shǐhuángdì Líng Bówùyuàn) with foreign passports:
Do not build your budget around receiving the discount.
Until the museum confirms your eligibility, assume you may need to pay the standard ¥120 adult admission.
Bring the original passports of everyone traveling, particularly if you intend to claim an age-based concession.
And remember that this issue is attraction-specific. A rule at the Terracotta Warriors does not automatically tell you what will happen at the Forbidden City, Great Wall or another attraction.
Verification Note
We checked information published by the official Emperor Qinshihuang’s Mausoleum Site Museum. Because its English and Chinese information uses different wording regarding eligibility, travelers should verify the current rule before purchasing tickets.
Official Terracotta Warriors ticket information
Further Reading
Planning to include Xi’an on your first China trip? See our The Perfect First Trip to China Itinerary: Beijing, Xi’an and Beyond (7, 14 & 21 Days China Travel Guide).
This question came from a real traveler planning a trip to China. The original question has been anonymized for privacy. The AI Travel Planner answer above is reproduced as originally generated, with additional ChinaTravelBUG verification and context added where useful.
Have a China travel question of your own?
Ask the ChinaTravelBUG AI Travel Planner — built specifically to help first-time international travelers plan a more realistic and confident trip to China.
