Xian introduction

Xi'an was one of the most important cradles of Chinese civilization. It marked the start of the famous "Silk Road" that linked China with central Asia and the Roman Empire. And it served as the first capital of a unified China and capital of 11 dynasties periodically from the 11th century B.C. to the early 10th century A.D. Xi'an, or Chang'an as it was called in ancient times, is known as the city of "Everlasting Peace." Located between rivers and mountains in the center of the fertile Guanzhong Plain in Shaanxi Province, Xi'an--the provincial capital--was a natural place to nurture the nation's civilization.

The Terracotta Warriors and Horses of the Qin period, an underground army of the first emperor defending his afterlife, is regarded as "the eighth wonder of the world". Tang Dynasty has endowed Xi'an even more relics and spread its fame to the West via the Silk Road . The surviving evidence like Wild Goose Pagoda, Huaqing Hot Spring, Famen Buddhist Temple can all date back to that glorious era. the city wall, dating from the Ming dynasty (1368–1644), is still visible in places. It is the site of several educational institutions and numerous temples and pagodas. It has a large Muslim quarter which is the home to the beautiful 1,360 year old Great Mosque of Xi'an.

The total area of Xi'an is 10,000sq.km. The population has just broken through 8 million; about 5 million people live in the city area. It is the largest and most developed city in the central to northwestern part of China and is ranked among the 10 largest cities in the nation. There is so much to see in and around Xi'an to keep even the most energetic visitor busy for a week or two. This makes Xi'an one of the most pleasant cities to get acquainted with Chinese culture and history - a destination for tens of thousands of foreign and Chinese tourists alike every year.