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"Xian" redirects here. For other uses, see Xian (disambiguation).
Xi'an (Chinese: 西安; pinyin: Xī'ān; Wade-Giles: Hsi-An; literally "Western Peace"; Postal map spelling: Sian[1][2]; historically known as Cháng'ān[1]), is the capital of the Shaanxi province in the People's Republic of China and a sub-provincial city. As one of the oldest cities in Chinese history, Xi'an is one of the Four Great Ancient Capitals of China because it has been the capital (under various names) of some of the most important dynasties in Chinese history,[3] including the Zhou, Qin, Han, the Sui, and Tang dynasties.[3] Xi'an is the eastern terminus of the Silk Road and home of the Terracotta Army which was created during the Qin Dynasty.[1] The city has more than 3,100 years of history, and was known as Chang'an (simplified Chinese: 长安; traditional Chinese: 長安; pinyin: Cháng'ān; literally "Perpetual Peace") before the Ming Dynasty[1] . Since the 1990s, as part of the economic revival of interior China especially for the central and northwest regions, the city of Xi'an has re-emerged as an important cultural, industrial and educational center of the central-northwest region, with facilities for research and development, national security and China's space exploration program. [edit] Origin of nameThe two Chinese characters in the name "Xi'an" literally mean Western Peace. The local Xi'anese pronunciation of Xi'an is almost the same as the Standard Mandarin pronunciation in Hanyu Pinyin. This name derives from the Ming Dynasty, when the city's name changed from its former title of "Chang'an". In fact, the naming conventions used for the city have often changed throughout time. The city was named "Fenghao" (丰鎬) in the Zhou Dynasty beginning around 1046 BCE. It was renamed Chang'an (長安) during the Han Dynasty in 206 BCE. It was then renamed as Daxing (大興) during the Sui Dynasty in 581 CE, then renamed Chang'an during the Tang Dynasty beginning in 618 CE. It was given other names in later periods, such as Fengyuan (奉元), then Anxi (安西), then Jingzhao (京兆) during the Yuan Dynasty. Finally, it was named Xi'an in the year 1369 CE during the Ming Dynasty. It retained the name of Xi'an until 1928, until it was named Xijing (西京) in 1930. It was once again changed back to its Ming-era name of Xi'an in the year 1943. Xi'an's abbreviations in Chinese are Hao (鎬) or Tang (唐). The former abbreviation is derived from the ancient name Fenghao of the Zhou Dynasty. The latter one is derived from the name of Tang Dynasty. [edit] History   Xi'an has a rich and culturally significant history. The Lantian Man was discovered in 1963 in Lantian County (蓝田县; pinyin: Lántián Xiàn), 50 km southeast of Xi'an, and dates back at least 500,000 years before present. A 6,500 year old Banpo (半坡) Neolithic village in was discovered in 1954 on the outskirts of the city proper. Xi'an became a cultural and political center of China in 11th century BCE with the founding of the Zhou Dynasty. The capital of Zhou was established in Fēng (沣/灃) and Hào (镐/鎬), both located just west of contemporary Xi'an. Following the Warring States Period, China was unified under the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BCE) for the first time, with the capital located at Xianyang (咸阳), just northwest from modern Xi'an. The first emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang ordered the construction of the Terracotta Army and his mausoleum just east of Xi'an shortly before his death. In 202 BCE, the founding emperor Liu Bang of the Han Dynasty established his capital in Chang'an County; his first palace Changle Palace (长乐宫/長樂宮, perpetual happiness) was built across the river from the ruin of the Qin capital. This is traditionally regarded as the founding date of Chang'an, or Xi'an. Two years later, Liu Bang built Weiyang Palace (未央宫) north of modern Xi'an. The original Xi'an city wall was started in 194 BCE and took 4 years to finish. Upon completion, the wall measured 25.7 km in length and 12–16 m in thickness at the base, enclosing an area of 36 km². In year 190, amidst uprisings and rebellions just prior to the Three Kingdoms Period, a powerful warlord named Dong Zhuo moved the court from Luoyang to Chang'an in a bid to avoid a coalition of other powerful warlords against him. Following several hundred years of unrest, Sui Dynasty united China again in 582. The emperor of Sui ordered a new capital to be built southeast of the Han capital, called Daxing (大兴/大興, great prosperity). It consisted of three sections: the Xi'an Palace, the Imperial City, and the civilian section, with a total area of 84 km² within the city walls. At the time, it was the largest city in the world. The city was renamed Chang'an in the Tang Dynasty. In the mid-7th century, after returning from his pilgrimage to India, Buddhist monk Xuan Zang (popularly known as Tang Sanzang) established a translation center for Sanskrit scriptures. Construction of the Da Yan Pagoda (大雁塔, Great Wild Goose Pagoda) began in 652. This pagoda was 64 m in height, and was built to store the translations of Buddhist sutras obtained from India by the Xuan Zang. In 707, construction of the Xiao Yan Pagoda (小雁塔, Little Wild Goose Pagoda) began, and measured 45 m tall at the time of completion. The massive 1556 Shaanxi earthquake eventually damaged the tower and reduced its height to 43.4 m. Chang'an was devastated at the end of the Tang Dynasty in 904. Residents were forced to move to the new capital city in Luoyang. Only a small area in the city continued to be occupied thereafter. During the Ming Dynasty, a new wall was constructed in 1370 and remains intact to this day. The wall measures 11.9 km in circumference, 12 m in height, and 15–18 m in thickness at the base; a moat was also built outside the walls. The new wall and moat would protect a much smaller city of 12 km². In October 1911, during the revolution in which the Qing Dynasty was overthrown, the Manchus living in the north-eastern zone within the city walls were massacred.[4] In 1936, the Xi'an Incident took place inside the city walls during the Chinese Civil War. The incident brought the Kuomintang (KMT) and Communist Party of China to a truce to in order to concentrate on fighting against the Japanese Invasion. [edit] Geography and climateXi'an lies on the Guanzhong Plain in central China, on a flood plain created by the eight surrounding rivers and streams, most of which are too polluted to be used as sources of fresh water. The city has an average elevation of 400 meters above sea level and an annual precipitation of 1100 millimeters. The urban area of Xi'an is located at 34°16′N 108°56′E / 34.267°N 108.933°E The Hei river provides potable water to the city. The city borders the northern foot of the Qinling Mountains to the south, and the banks of the Wei River to the north. Hua Shan, one of the five sacred Taoist mountains, is located 100 km away to the east of the city. At the beginning of Han Dynasty, Prime Minister Zhang Liang advised the emperor Liu Bang to choose Guanzhong as the capital of the Han Dynasty: 'Guanzhong Plain, which is located behind Xiao Pass and Hangu Pass, connects Long Plain and Shu Plain. Land of thousands miles and rich in harvest can be found here, as if this place is belongs to the nation of the heaven.' ("关中左崤函, 右陇蜀, 沃野千里, 此所谓金城千里, 天府之国也" 《史记·留侯世家》) Since then, Guanzhong is also known as 'Nation of the Heaven'. [edit] National Time Service CentreThe Shaanxi Astronomical Observatory was established in 1966. In 1975, according to the Geodetic Origin Report of the People's Republic of China, 'in order to avoid bias in the mensuration as much as possible, the Geodetic Origin would be in central mainland China.' Jingyang (泾阳), a town near Xi'an was chosen. Since 1986, Chinese Standard Time (CST) was set from NTSC. The NTSC at Jingyang is 36 km away from Xi'an. Distances to the national borders are 880 km to the North, 2500 km to the Northeast, 1000 km to the East, 1750 km to the South, 2250 km to the Southwest, 2930 km to the West, and 2500 km to the Northwest.
[edit] Average temperatureXi'an has a borderline semi-arid/humid continental, warm temperate climate influenced by the East Asian monsoon. The region is characterized by hot, humid summers and cold, dry winters. Spring and autumn are brief in between. Xi'an receives most of its annual precipitation from August to late October in the form of rain. Snow occasionally falls in winter but rarely settles for long. Dust storms often occur during March and April as the city rapidly warms up. Summer seasons also experience frequent but short thunderstorms.
[edit] DemographicsBy the end of 2005, Xi'an had a population of 8.07 million.[7] Compared to the census data from 2000, the population has increased by 656,700 persons from 7.41 million.[7] The population is 51.66% male and 48.34% female.[7] The district with the most population is YanTa Qu, with 1.08 million inhabitants.[7] The majority of Xi'an residents are Han Chinese, who make up 99.1% of the city's total population. There are around 50,000 people belonging to ethnic minorities living in Xi'an, including 80,000 Muslim Hui people concentrated in the Muslim quarter, which is also home to the 1,360 year old Great Mosque of Xi'an. During World War II, Xi'an became a destination for many refugees from other provinces of China, especially neighboring Henan Province. Because Xi'an was far inland, the invading Japanese army only managed a few aerial assaults on the city. As a result, Xi'an suffered minimal destruction. After 1949, the national government tried to balance the development in different regions of China, and relocated a number of factories and universities from other cities to Xi'an. Modern Xi'an Jiaotong University was relocated from its original campus in Shanghai. [edit] SubdivisionThe sub-provincial city of Xi'an has direct jurisdiction over 9 districts (区 qu) and 4 Counties (县 xian):
[edit] Transportation and infrastructure  Xi'an has many areas that are easily accessible on foot. In many commercial, residential, educations zones in the city, especially in the shopping and entertainment districts around the Bell Tower, underpasses and overpasses have been built for the safety and convenience of pedestrians. However many intersections still lack sufficiently visible traffic lights and the right-of-way is virtually non-existent except at large intersections with traffic police and signals. There has been a significant increase in the number of privately-owned vehicles among middle and upper class households in Xi'an. Electric bikes are very popular among students and offer easy transportation in and around the city for many residents. Taxi services are numerous but many citizens of Xi'an still commute to work on one of more than 200 bus routes. [edit] MetroMain article: Xi'an Metro Currently there are major construction works along Chang An street for the first metro system in Xi'an, designed with 6 lines, to be completed by 2020. Work started on the 2nd route in 2007, and is predicted to be finished in 2011. The 1st route has started in early 2009, while the rest is planned to start in 2013 and to be finished around 2020. [edit] TaxiTaxis in Xi'an are predominantly VW Santana made in Shanghai, BYD Auto made in Xi'an, and Citroen made in Wuhan. Taxis work 24 hours a day, managed by the Taxi Management Bureau of Xi'an City which records complaints. Customers are charged by meter. Most, if not all, taxis in Xi'an run on compressed natural gas. [edit] TrainThere are 6 passenger transport railway stations in Xi'an, and Xi'an Railway Station is one of the eight major national railway stations. Other stations in Xi'an include Xi'an West, Xi'an East, Xi'an South,Sanmincun, Fangzhicheng railway stations. Xi'an North Railway Station is under construction. Xi'an Railway Station covers 597 thousand square meters, has 5 passenger platforms, and 24 tracks. It provides 112 services to 80 thousand people daily. There are services from Xi'an to Zhengzhou, from Xi'an to Lanzhou, from Xi'an to Baoji,and from Xi'an to Mount Hua. CRH2(China Railway High-speed 2) now run an express service running from Xi'an to Baoji, with a total running time of under 90 minutes. [edit] ExpresswaysXi'an currently has two ring road systems, the Second Ring road and the Third Ring road encircle the city. These ring roads similar to freeways, except that there are traffic signals on the Second Ring road. As a famous tourist city, Xi'an has built expressways to Lintong, Tongchuan and Baoji, with high class roads to famous scenic spots in suburban counties and to the north slope of the Qin Mountains. Since September 2007, the newly completed Xi-Han Expressway connects Han Zhong and Xi'an through the Qinling Mountains. The ZhongNan Shan Tunnel is the longest tunnel in Asia at 15 kilometers long.  [edit] AirportXi'an Xianyang International Airport is the major airport serving the city and is the largest airport in the northwestern part of China. The airport is located to the northwest of the city, between Xi'an and Xianyang. Chang'an Airlines and China Eastern Airlines are the main airlines using the airport. International Routes: There are direct flights from Xi'an to many major cities in Asia, including Bangkok, Fukuoka, Hong Kong, Osaka, Pusan, Sapporo and Singapore. Germany's Fraport, the operator of Frankfurt Airport, has paid 490 million yuan to obtain a 24.5-percent stake in the Xianyang International Airport, offering opportunities to upgrade and expand the facility. [edit] Highways[edit] Culture   The culture of Xi'an descends from one of the world's earliest civilizations. The Guanzhong Ren (关中人/關中人) culture is considered the cultural antecedent of Xi'anese; their features are satirized as the "Ten Strangenesses of Guanzhong Ren" (关中十大怪/關中十大怪). Xi'an is also known for the "Eight Great Sights of Chang'an" (长安八景/長安八景), a collection of scenic areas in the region. [edit] ArchitectureSeven styles of architecture dominate urban Xi'an, the first three include the architecture of Qin and Han dynasties (秦汉风格), the architecture of Tang Dynasty (唐风) and the architecture of Ming and Qing dynasties (明清风格). These three styles are all Chinese traditional, but they may be differentiated by the colors of the roof and certain details. For Qin and Han Style, the roof is black, and no decorations are used under the roof. For Tang style, red roofs may be seen but a majority retain the use of the black or dark green roof; buildings were designed to be large and monumental. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, roofs were usually yellow and highly detailed drawings and prints were placed under the roof. The Republic of China style (民国风格) is perhaps best exemplified by the People's Showplace. The Sino-Soviet style (苏式风格), popular from the 1950s to 70s, is often used in the west of the city in factories built with the help of the U.S.S.R.. Modern architectural forms (现代风格) — can be found in the High-Tech Zone and the Economic-Development zone. A new Chinese architectural form called New Tang Style (新唐风) can be mainly found in Qujiang (曲江), which inherits the soul of tradition and develops itself on the base of modern architecture; the Shaanxi History Museum and the Xi'an Museum are examples of this style. [edit] Drama and literatureQinqiang (秦腔, Voice of Qin) is the oldest and most extensive of the four major types of Chinese opera. Also called "random pluck" (乱弹), Qinqiang is the main type of drama in Shaanxi province. As the earliest ancestor of Beijing Opera, Yu Opera, Chuan Opera and Hebei Opera, Qinqiang has developed its own system of unique vocal music, spoken parts, facial makeup, posture, role, category and acting. It can be traced to Xi Qinqiang (西秦腔, Voice of West Qin) in Qin Dynasty, and blossomed until Qing Dynasty, with direct influences on Jingju (京剧, Chinese Opera). The Tang Dynasty Music and Dance show presents ancient music and dance. [edit] Art, music, film and othersChang'an School (长安画派) is a very important modern Chinese school of traditional arts. The main artists are Zhao Wangyun (赵望云), Shilu (石鲁), He Haixia (何海霞), Liu Wenxi (刘文西). Much like Beijing 798 and Shanghai 1933, Xi'an has an art district called Textile town (纺织城). The district is not an actual town but derives its name from the many textile factories built there since the 1950s. Today it is no longer a centre for the textile industry but a new art factory with 4 workshops in total. Since March 2007, more than 40 artists have taken a part in these workshops. Xi'an is known for its rock music, and is one of the vigorous underground musical centres in China - the other three being Beijing, Kunming and Chengdu. It is home to contemporary Chinese Stars such as Xu Wei (许巍), Zhang Chu (张楚), Zheng Jun (郑钧). Zhang Yimou (张艺谋) and Gu Changwei (顾长卫) are directors from Xi'an. Xi'an is also the only city in China to win the Golden Bear (Berlin Film Festival) twice. The first film is Red Sorghum and the second one is Tuya's Marriage. They are produced by Xi'an Filmmaking Factory (now called Xi'an Qujiang Filmmaking Group) and Xi'an Filmmaking company respectively. Chinese economists from Northwestern University in Xi'an include Zhang Weiying (张维迎), Zhang Shuguang (张曙光), Weijie (魏杰), Liu Shijin (刘世锦), Song Ze (宋则), Fenglun (冯仑), Feng Zongsu (冯宗苏), Zou Dongtao (邹东涛), Li Yiping (李义平), Zuo Zhonghai (左中海). Zhang Chaoyang (张朝阳), the CEO of SOHU (Nasdaq) company, born and grew up in Xi'an, is the leader in the field of Chinese Internet. Liu Chuanzhi(柳传志), the founder and president of Lenovo Holding, completed his higher education in Xidian University of Xi'an in 1960s. [edit] Economy and business[edit] Industrial zonesMajor industrial zones in Xi'an include: [edit] Software, outsourcing industry and BPO The growing economy of Xi'an supports the development of a software industry, and the city is a pioneer in software industry in China. In 2005, the production value of software industry reached RMB 8.2 billion Yuan, with export revenue up to $US 42 million. In recent years, service outsourcing industry in Xi'an has maintained robust growth. The outstanding contractor enterprises, rich human resources and preferential policies have paved a solid foundation for Xi'an to becoming a capital for service outsourcing. Xi'an, as a second-tier city in China after the likes of Beijing and Shanghai, has a track record in the Business Process Outsourcing field. The local government is using tax and other incentives to encourage companies and professionals to relocate there. A Silicon.com article describes Xi'an: "But Xi'an is selling on its own merits - with a large pool of cheap human resources from the 100 universities in the area, it hoovers up around 3,000 computer graduates every year, each earning approximately $120 a month - half the wages for the equivalent job in Beijing."[8][9] [edit] Telecommunications industryMany domestic and multinational telecommunications vendors have set up their R&D centers and/or factories in Xi'an, including Huawei, ZTE, CATT, NEC, Fujitsu and Siemens. Xi'an is China's leading center of training for engineers. The universities and local companies of Xi'an have provided hundreds of thousands of engineers for the Chinese telecommunications industry. [edit] Game IndustryThe largest internet bar in the world with more than 3000 computers is located in Xi'an. As one of the largest educational centres in China, with a huge number of undergraduate students, online games are very popular in the area. Xi'an has already hosted worldwide game competitions such as ACON5, CEG2006, and WCG2006. [edit] Aerospace industryIn 2008, after the launch of the initial aerospace center in Shanghai, China is constructing another civil aerospace center in the Shaanxi province. The State Development and Reform Commission approved the planning of Xi'an National Civil Aerospace Industrial Base on December 26, 2007. The National Civil Aerospace Industrial Base of Xi'an, set to cover 23 square km, will focus on developing satellites, new materials, energies, IT and other technologies for civil applications. In November 2006, Xi'an and the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation jointly set up Xi'an Aerospace Science and Technology Industrial Base. From its establishment, the base has focused on the development of the civil space industry, including equipment manufacturing, software and service outsourcing, new materials and solar photovoltaics. Apart from the core area, the base will cover Xi'an and the Guanzhong area (the central China) and the expansion zone will reach Northwest China and Southwest China. It is expected that by 2012 the total industry output can reach 2.8 billion us dollars with about 10 to 20 brand products with intellectual property rights and 5-8 products with global competitiveness. [edit] International events[edit] World Horticultural Expo 2011Xi’an was chosen to host the 2011 World Horticultural Exposition by the Association of International Producers of Horticulture (AIPH) at its 59th congress, held at Brighton, United Kingdom on September 4, 2007. The 2011 World Horti-Expo will be held from April 11 to October 11, 2011. The exhibition will be located in a new district of the city, Chanba district, and is expected to bring some 10 million visitors to Xi’an.[10] [edit] Tourism[edit] High seasonLong holidays are usual during Spring Festival, Labor Holiday (1-7 May), and National Holiday (1-7 October). The number of travellers is often greater during Summer (May-August), although the most pleasant season for visiting Xi'an is Autumn. [edit] Sites    Because of the city’s many historical monuments and a plethora of ancient ruins and tombs in the vicinity,[1] tourism has been an important component of the local economy, and the Xi’an region is one of China's most popular tourist destinations.[1] The city has many important historical sites, and some are ongoing archaeological projects, such as the Mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang and his Terracotta Army. There are several burial mounds, tombs of the Zhou Dynasty kings located in the city.[3] Xi'an also contains some 800 royal mausoleums and tombs from the Han Dynasty,[11] with some of them yielding hundreds of sculpted clay soldiers, and remains of sacrificial temples from the Han era.[11] The city has numerous Tang Dynasty pagodas and is noted for its history museum and its stele forest, which is housed in an 11th-century Confucian temple containing large stone tablets from various dynasties.[11] Some of the most well-known sites in Xi'an are:
[edit] Major museums
[edit] National parks
[edit] Other parks
[edit] SportsCuju is a very old football game:
Professional sports teams in Xi'an include:
Xi'an is also the Chinese Boxing training base for the national team. [edit] Media[edit] Television and radio
[edit] Printed media
[edit] Online media
[edit] International relationsMain article: List of twin towns and sister cities in China [edit] Twin towns — Sister citiesXi'an's sister cities are:
[edit] Consulates
[edit] Colleges and universitiesFurther information: List of universities in China Xi'an is a renowned academic centre with the third highest number of institutions in the country, after Beijing and Shanghai.[citation needed] [edit] Public
[edit] Military
[edit] Private
Note: Institutions without full-time bachelor programs are not listed. See also: List of universities in the People's Republic of China. [edit] Notes and references
[edit] External links
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