Xi'an for two
a wall at sunset, a Tang night, a thousand-year love story

This is the best couple's thing to do in Xi'an, and a memory you won't get anywhere else. Xi'an's city wall is the most complete ancient city wall in China, and the top is wide enough to cycle in comfort. Rent a tandem (two-seat) bike at a rental point on the wall and ride it together in the evening light. As the sun softens and the red lanterns flicker on one by one along the rampart, with the cool air on your faces and the whole old city below, it becomes the kind of slow loop you can talk your way around the entire time. The best rental point is the South Gate (Yongningmen).

Once the sky goes dark, Datang Everbright City turns into the prettiest night date in Xi'an. It's a long Tang-dynasty pedestrian promenade where the buildings on both sides glow a warm gold, right beside the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. Wander it hand in hand through the light, past performers in Tang costume, with free open-air shows from around 18:30 — dance, music and live performance the whole way along. It feels like stepping into Tang-era Chang'an, and it makes for a long, easy evening with photos that come out beautifully.

If you come during the season, don't miss Xi'an's most romantic show. The Song of Everlasting Sorrow (Chang Hen Ge) tells the love story of Yang Guifei and Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang, adapted from Bai Juyi's poem of the same name. It's staged at Huaqing Palace at the foot of Mount Li, using the Huaqing pool as an open-air stage and the whole mountain as a backdrop. Around 300 performers, with light, colour and water telling a love story that ends in tragedy but stays gorgeous throughout. The show runs about 70 minutes, and watching it together under the stars is a night you'll remember.

In the North Square in front of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda is Asia's largest musical fountain. Hundreds of jets shoot high in time with the music and lights, with the floodlit brick pagoda — over 1,300 years old — as a backdrop. Standing there together in the crowd that gathers to watch is a warm, very-China kind of moment. The show is free and runs about 20 minutes per session; the evening session has the best light. Come early to claim a good spot, because it gets very busy.

An evening in Xi'an needs a meal in the Muslim Quarter, the old food lanes lit by red lanterns and glowing shop signs, with spice and grilled meat in the air. Rather than sit at one place, graze your way along together, one thing at a time — roujiamo (a Chinese "burger" of stewed meat), biangbiang noodles as wide as a belt, lamb skewers, and sweets like fried persimmon cakes. Sharing a bite each makes for a fun, unhurried food date. It's lively, but easy to wander hand in hand.

Where you stay can be part of the memory too. Inside the walls you'll find boutique hotels and courtyard-style stays in the old lanes, within walking distance of the Bell Tower and the Muslim Quarter, quiet in the middle of the old city. If you prefer something modern, the Big Wild Goose Pagoda district has hotels with great views — some rooms look out on the floodlit pagoda or the city skyline from the balcony. Match the location to your trip: stay inside the walls for the old city, or in the pagoda district for comfort and the night scene.

At the heart of the walled city stand the Bell Tower and the Drum Tower, two ancient timber buildings that are the symbols of Xi'an. After dark both are floodlit gold above their roundabouts, making the most classic couple's photo in the city. Stroll around them in the evening after dinner — cool air, pretty city lights — and since the Drum Tower sits right at the entrance to the Muslim Quarter, you can walk straight on to find food. Some evenings there are drum-and-bell performances. It's a short, easy moment that's simple to capture together.

Near the Big Wild Goose Pagoda is Tang Paradise (Datang Furong Yuan), a large lakeside cultural park built to recreate an imperial Tang-dynasty garden. By day you can wander the pavilions, bridges and Tang-style buildings along the water at an easy pace. But the highlight for couples is the evening open-air water-and-light show, which projects images and tells Tang-dynasty stories on a screen of water in the middle of the lake. Watching it from the lakeside after dark is soft and romantic — good for couples who want a quieter evening than the busy promenade.

If you miss the evening ride, or just want a different feel, head up at the South Gate (Yongningmen) after dark. The South Gate rental point stays open until around 22:00 (in the warm months), and there are far fewer people at night than by day. Red lanterns and floodlights run the length of the wall — cycle slowly or just stroll along the wide rampart and look out over the city lights. It's a quiet, beautiful night date that a lot of people don't realise they can do, and the South Gate is the most spectacularly lit stretch of the whole wall.

A good couple's trip needs a slow beat to rest together. The old quarter of Xi'an has Chinese teahouses and little lane cafes near the Muslim Quarter and inside the walls, some set in converted old courtyard houses, calm and quiet. Sit over an oolong tea or a coffee and talk a while after a full day of walking — it's a good way to step out of the city's bustle, and a place to rest your legs before heading out for the night again. Look for a cafe with a balcony or a courtyard for the nicest atmosphere.