Xi'an
Capital of Shaanxi Province
- Geographical location: 34:15 North, 108:55 East / China, Shaanxi Province
- Location: Guanzhong Plain in the central part of China
- Area: 9,983 km2
- Climate: continental climate
- Population: 8.31 million (as of 2007)
- People: Han Chinese, Muslim Hui people
- Major religion: Buddhism, Daojiao, Catholicism, and Muslim
- Currency /monetary unit: RMB (CNY)
- City subdivisions: 13 districts
History
Xi'an, the eternal city, records the great changes of the Chinese nation just like a living history book. Called Chang'an in ancient time, Xi’an is one of the birthplaces of the ancient civilization in the Yellow river Basin area of the country. During Xi’an’s 3,100 year development, 13 dynasties such as Western Zhou (11th century BC – 771 BC), Qin (221 BC – 206 BC), Western Han (206 BC – 24 AD) and Tan (618 – 907) placed their capitals here. So far Xi’an enjoys equal fame with Athens, Cairo, and Rome as one of the four major ancient civilization capitals.
City layout
Traditional downtown Xi’an refers to the area encircled by the city wall, this has now been expanded to encompass the area within the second ring road (Er Huan Lu). The Bell Tower is the geographical center of Xi’an and the four main streets are respectively Dong Dajie, Xi Dajie, Nan Dajie and Bei Dajie which are also the main commercial streets. Xiao Zhai, the busiest commercial area is in the southern part of the city and is popular with both youths and students since many universities are located here. Shuyuan Men and the still under construction Luoma Shi are must-visit pedestrian streets in the city. Xi’an is also famous for its quantity of colleges throughout China. The old campuses of many colleges and universities are massed in the southern suburb of Xi’an, but most have established new campuses in far southern suburb – Chang’an district due to the lack of space within the city.
City Life
Praised as the capital of table delicacies, Xi’an has been rich in the delicious Shaanxi snack,, delicate Guangdong cuisine, various kinds if fashionable foreign delicacies, and popular Sichuan cuisine such as the hot pot. Among all the delicacies, the most famous and popular one is the Muslin Snack Street.
Xi’an is the most important city in northwest China, and so there are a lot of shopping outlets for locals and tourists alike. There are many big shopping centers, department stores and supermarkets in and around Xi’an city – the biggest and most comprehensive being Kai Yuan Shopping Mall and Century Ginwa Shopping Mall.
The night life in Xi’an has a unique glamour. Traditional ways include enjoying the night scenery around the Bell Tower, taking part in a Tang Dynasty Dinner Show, strolling one the ancient Big Wild Goose Pagoda Square and watching the music fountain performance. More modern and fashionable ways include sinning in the KTV, hanging out in a bar, or dancing in a Disco. All in all, any experience in this ancient city will bring you fun and possibly a little surprise!
Sightseeing spots
The continuous history of Xi’an has apparently resulted in its magnificent culture. Today’s Xi’an is a world famous tourist city and an inexhaustible treasure house of cultural relics. Now heads of state from many countries and people from all walks of life come to the city to broaden their knowledge of Chinese civilization.
Foremost is the China’s greatest archeological excavation, the Terra cotta Warriors and Horses. Life size terracotta figures of warriors and horses arranged in battle formations symbolically guard the Mausoleum of Emperor Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of the Qin Dynasty (246 – 209 BC). The State Council authorized the building of a museum on the site in 1975 for the protection of the discovery. So far, altogether over 7,000 pottery solders, horses, chariots, and even weapons have been unearthed and displayed in the museum. It is cited as the “Eighth Wonder of the World” and was listed by UNESCO in 1987 as one of the world cultural heritages.
Spending some time at the Huaqing Hot Spring on the way back from the Terra cotta Army site is a must for every visitor to Xi’an. For centuries emperors came here to bathe and enjoy the scenic beauty, and it has been a favorite spa since the Tang Dynasty (619 – 907 AD). The palace complex has also been the scene of political intrigue, so there is plenty of interest to discover during your visit.
Covering an area of about 100,000 square meters, the Banpo Village remains was a village settlement of the earliest inhabitants of Xi’an, typical of the Neolithic Yangshao culture. At this site, archaeologists have discovered nearly 10,000 production tools and daily utensils of various kinds and the remains of 45 houses, 200 cellars, 6 pottery kilns, 174 adults’ burial pits and 73 children’s burial jars.
Every Ming city (1368-1644) had a bell tower and a drum tower. The bell was sounded at dawn and the drum at dust. The two buildings at Xi’an are the best known in China. The Bell Tower was built in the city center and from the top can enjoy a panoramic view of the whole of Xi’an. Not far away to the west is the Drum Tower, a large drum inside was for marking the passage of time each night in ancient times. Now, they are outstanding examples of the ancient architecture of Xi’an.
Housing more than 2,300 famous steles and inscribed memorial tablets of the Han, Wei, Sui, Tang, Yuan, Ming, Qing dynasties and known as the largest stone-book warehouse in china, the Forest of Stone Steles in Xian is a treasure house of calligraphic art. It is situated on Sanxue Jie, near the south gate of the Xi’an City Wall. The city Wall in Xi’an is the most complete city wall to survive in China, as well being one of the largest ancient military defensive systems in the world. It was built first in the early Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and renovated in recent years. Outside the city wall is a moat. A circular park has now been built along the high wall and the deep moat.
Additional attraction s are the big Wild goose Pagoda and Small Wild goose Pagoda of the Tang dynasty (618-907 AD), while worshipers still frequent the Great Mosque and the famous Famen Temple noted for its collection of Sakyamuni’s relics. These together with the magnificent Shaanxi History Museum are all highly recommended attractions to be visited when you come to Xi’an.
More details and actual information on Xi'an are available in Tourism Administration of Xi'an in the internet: www.xian-tourism.com.
With kind permission of
©Tourism Administration of Xi'an
