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Brief description |
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 Xi'an, the capital of Shaanxi province, is a city of 5.1 million people located east of Xianyang in the valley of the Wei River, which is a tributary of the Yellow River. It lies 1200km southwest of Beijing and 670 km west of Lanzhou.
Xi'an is one of the most important Cities in Chinese history: So closely is it bound up with the early story of the nation that it is sometimes called the ''cradle of China.'' Xi'an' s history begins with very significant settlements in the Neolithic era around 5000 BC. In 1100 BC the Zhou dynasty capital was established at Hao, just northwest of Xi'an: this was also the location of the Qin dynasty capital, Xianyang. The Emperor Qin Shihuang united China for the first time, and also bequeathed to Xi'an and the world one of the most extraordinary archeological finds in history ?the Terracotta Army, which attracts tens of thousands of visitors a year and is almost as powerful a symbol of China as the Great Wall.
Xi'an lies on the natural westward land route out of China into Central Asia, and this was another force which shaped the city' s history: Xi'an became the starting point and terminus of the Silk Road, which made the city fabulously wealthy, as well as a religious and cultural melting-pot for over a thousand years. For most of this period, Xi'an was known as Chang' an, and it was the dynastic capital under the Han, the Sui and finally under the Tang, when the city reached the peak of its greatness. Today, Xi'an is undergoing another renaissance as an industrial force in the new China and a gateway to the ''great northwest'', but it will always draw visitors seeking a glimpse of its imperishable history.
A tour of Xi'an's scenic spots is thus a journey through the history of China itself: from the Neolithic museum of Banpo, to the Qin dynasty wonders of the Terracotta Army and Qin Shihuang's mausoleum, to the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, which stands as a symbol of the glories of the Tang dynasty. A visit to the Great Mosque of Xi'an is a reminder of another of the Silk Road's enduring legacies: the presence in China of a strong Muslim minority, whose faith remains unchanged even if their architecture is a blend of Chinese design and western Islamic tradition. Other sights that draw visitors to Xi'an are the Buddhist Famen Temple and the dizzy slopes of Huashan, one of the five sacred mountains of China. The Shaanxi History Museum is one of the finest in China ?not surprising in a city as steeped in the past as Xi'an.
The city's airport is a vital air hub in western China and has excellent domestic and international connections. The railway station is also a crucial link in the nation's transport chain, and has fast regular connections to all of China's major Cities. Tourists are well-served by a range of hotels, from the most luxurious to more modest places serving the needs of the budget-conscious.
The cuisine of the northwest is not on the same level of sophistication as the eight great cuisines of China, but it is enormously popular, and a visit to one of the local cuisine restaurants and a taste of hearty local favorites like yangrou paomo will tell you why. After dinner, Xi'an offers both traditional and more modern forms of entertainment, from Tang Dynasty Music and Dance shows to modern bars and karaoke places.
Xi'an's shoppingopportunities include a wide variety of traditional arts and crafts and folk handicrafts and it is a good place to shop for replicas of antiquities. The city is known for good imitations of arts and crafts of the Qin and Tang dynasties, such as tri-colored glazed pottery and imitations of ancient bronze ware. In Xi'an tourists can also find rubbings of ancient calligraphy of various dynasties, rubbings of eaves tiles, replica Qin Dynasty embroidery, artistic porcelain ware, lacquer ware, jade carvings, cloisonne, paper-cuts, leather silhouettes, copies of the murals of the Tang Dynasty, and paintings by the farmers of Huxian County, featuring strong Chinese traditions and local characteristics.
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Location /Climate |
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 Nested between rivers and mountains, Xi'an is located in fertile land in the central Guanzhong Plain. Situated at 107o40'E and 33o9'N, the city enjoys a climate free of extremes. The most pleasant season in the city is spring (March-May) and autumn (September-November). Winters are cold, but not excessively, with January averages of -1C (30F). Summers are dry and warm: the July average temperature is 27oC (81F). The city receives comparatively low precipitation with most of the rainfall occurring during the summer and autumn months.
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Area & Population |
| Xi'an covers a total area of 10,108 sq km, of which 1,256 sq km is urban area. In 2006, Xi' an's urban population was 5.105 million and the population of the prefecture was 8.23 million. The city is known for its diverse population: there are 46 ethnic minorities, among whom the Han accounted for 98.995 of the total population. The largest non-Han minority are Hui, of whom 50,000 live in Xi'an. |
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History |
 Xi'an's history is as old as China's itself. The Xi'an area was the center of power of the very earliest Chinese dynasties, and when it reached the height of its glory in the 9th century AD, Xi'an (then called Chang'an) was one of the greatest Cities in the world.
The story begins with some of China's most significant Neolithic excavations, which were carried out in the Xi'an area. The written records of the region date back to the Zhou dynasty : theZhou capital was located just to the northwest of present-day Xi'an, and this was also the site of the capital under the Qin dynasty, when the city was called Xianyang. The Qin dynasty was the first to unify China, and the Qin emperor Qin Shihuang (260-210 BC), while a ruthless tyrant, was also a tireless builder and administrator. He is best remembered for leaving behind Xi'an's most famous scenic attraction: the army of 8,000 Terracotta Warriors.
In 202 BC, the city on the site of present-day Xi'an was designated the capital of the Han Dynasty, and was called Chang' an, a name it was to hold on and off for over 1000 years. It was at this time that the ancient city walls of Xi'an were first built. It was also during the Han dynasty that the city became established as the starting point of the Silk Route, the ancient caravan trail that linked China with the European continent; this was to give Xian enormous influence and wealth, and make it a crossroads of language, culture and religion.
In 25 AD the seat of government was moved east to Luoyang, but under the Sui dynasty the emperor ordered a new metropolis built southeast of the old Han capital, and referred to it as Daxing, ''Great Excitement''. During the Tang Dynasty, the city' s name was changed back to Chang' an, ushering in a period of unprecedented growth and splendor. The Tang Dynasty is often referred to as a ''Golden Age'' for China, with profoundly important developments in the arts, economy and politics. In Chang' an, painting, literature, poetry and music flourished, and the city was home to travelers from all over east and south Asia as well as merchants and travelers from Persia, Byzantium and the Middle East, who settled and built mosques and churches, making the city a center of Buddhist, Muslim, and Nestorian Christian culture. At the height of its glory, Chang'an covered nearly 80 square kilometers (over 30 square miles).
The fall of the Tang in 907 AD marked the end of Chang'an's greatness, as China's capital again moved eastwards. Over the next few centuries, the Silk Road began to decline in importance as sea routes opened up, and Xi'an's economic significance declined with it. The city became a regional center, although under the
Ming and Qing dynasties, it still had military importance, and its walls and fortifications were carefully maintained.
Today, Xi'an is seeing another renaissance as a vital center of development in the northwest of China. The city is home to some outstanding universities, and its economy is flourishing, driven by its strategic industries: IT and hi-tech, equipment manufacturing, tourism, modern services and its cultural industry. |
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