Beijing or Xi'an?

Neither city is a beach destination, and swimming in either means a pool. Beijing at least has the sea within reach: the Bohai coast at Beidaihe is about two hours by fast train, though the water is grey and crowded. Xi'an is too far inland for even that, and its nearest substitute is a hot-spring pool at a Lintong resort.

Beijing eats better and more widely. Carving a roast duck at the table is the signature ritual, but the real advantage is the capital's pull on cooks from across the country, so Sichuan, Yunnan, Xinjiang and Cantonese food is cooked well, and there is serious fine dining and good cocktails in the business districts.

Xi'an is narrower but full of character, a wheat city of biangbiang noodles, roujiamo and crumbled-bread mutton soup. Its best eating is outdoors in the Muslim Quarter late into the evening, cheap and fast, with little beyond it at the top end.

Both are great ancient capitals, but Beijing has more to see. The Forbidden City on its imperial axis, the Temple of Heaven, the Summer Palace and the National Museum make a set of sights few cities anywhere can equal, and the hutongs and the 798 district carry the story into everyday and modern life. The catch is that each sight fills most of a morning and they lie far apart.

Xi'an reaches further back, to the Tang dynasty and the Silk Road. Its complete Ming wall, the Shaanxi History Museum, the Wild Goose Pagodas and the courtyard-style Great Mosque are grouped more closely, though some rebuilt streets feel staged.

Beijing has a real going-out scene. Sanlitun has cocktail bars, taprooms and clubs that run into the early hours, and the Gulou hutongs have quieter courtyard and rooftop bars. Getting between them takes a taxi.

Evenings in Xi'an are more about walking and eating than drinking. Crowds fill the lit-up boulevard below the Big Wild Goose Pagoda and the Muslim Quarter, and the bar strip along Defu Xiang is fine for a beer but rarely runs late.

The two are about level for the outdoors, and both look to mountains beyond a hazy plain. Beijing's are defined by the Great Wall: hiking the wild, unrestored ridge sections between watchtowers is the standout, with autumn maples in the Fragrant Hills and winter skiing at Yanqing.

Xi'an has the Qinling range to the south and the steeper thrills. Mount Hua's granite cliff paths make a hard day out, the Zhongnan valleys have Taoist temples among the forest, and Taibai Mountain suits serious hikers.

Both cities have one of China's defining sights just outside town, and both reward a few days of outings. Beijing's has more variety: a choice of Great Wall sections from restored Mutianyu to the steep ridges of Jinshanling, plus the Ming Tombs and fast trains to Chengde's summer palace or the concession waterfront of Tianjin.

Xi'an's excursions centre on tombs and Buddhism. The Terracotta Army pairs naturally with Huaqing Palace, the Qianling and Hanyangling mausoleums lie west and north, and Luoyang's Longmen Grottoes are an easy fast-train trip.

Beijing gives children far more. Universal Beijing Resort, the zoo pandas with the aquarium beside them, the science museum near the Olympic Park and the toboggan down from Mutianyu are all built for fun, though the huge sites and long transfers test small legs.

In Xi'an, cycling the city wall and the pandas and golden monkeys at the Qinling wildlife park are the highlights. After that, most days come down to museums and tombs meant for adults.

Both have large, cheap metros signed in English and plenty of ride-hailing, so neither is hard to navigate. The difference is scale. Beijing spreads across its ring roads, transfers involve long underground walks, and two sights can be most of an hour apart, while the Great Wall usually needs a driver.

Xi'an's walled centre is a compact grid where the Bell and Drum Towers, the Muslim Quarter and the Forest of Steles are all within walking distance. The metro runs east to Lintong, which brings the Terracotta Army within easy reach.

Beijing is the better place to shop. The malls of Guomao and Sanlitun carry every label, Panjiayuan is a proper early-morning antiques market, and Liulichang and Dashilar sell brushes, tea, silk and cloth shoes from old shopfronts.

Xi'an is mostly about mementos. Shuyuanmen inside the South Gate is good for brushes, ink stones and seals, and the Muslim Quarter sells dried fruit and shadow puppets among the trinkets and terracotta replicas.

Xi'an is the cheaper stay. Street food and fares cost very little, and comfortable hotels inside the wall are good value, so the main cost is the admission charges at the Terracotta Army, the wall and the tomb sites.

Beijing is reasonable for a world capital if you eat locally and use the metro. Costs climb with international hotels, the famous duck houses, Sanlitun cocktails and private drivers to the Wall.

Beijing is well ahead on stage. Peking opera plays nightly in old guild halls with subtitled short programmes, acrobatics and kung fu shows need no Mandarin, and the egg-shaped National Centre for the Performing Arts hosts opera, ballet and visiting orchestras. Gulou adds small rock and folk venues.

Xi'an's evenings lean on Tang dinner shows and the outdoor spectacle at Huaqing Palace, staged for visitors. Its raw, loud Qinqiang opera is the more authentic experience.

Neither city is restful, but Beijing offers more ways to unwind. Its bathhouses run round the clock with pools, saunas and sleeping halls, tuina and TCM clinics are everywhere, and watching tai chi at dawn in the Temple of Heaven is a calm start to a day.

Xi'an's best answer is the Tang emperors' hot springs at Lintong, piped into resort pools. In town, cheap foot massage and an early walk on the wall are the quiet moments.