Xi'an

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Xi'an
西安
Chang'an · 长安
Sub-provincial city
西安市
From top: Terracotta Army, Giant Wild Goose Pagoda, Drum Tower of Xi'an, Hua Shan (Mount Hua), City wall of Xi'an, and the Tang Paradise
From top: Terracotta Army, Giant Wild Goose Pagoda, Drum Tower of Xi'an, Hua Shan (Mount Hua), City wall of Xi'an, and the Tang Paradise
Xi'an in Shaanxi, China
Xi'an in Shaanxi, China
ProvinceShaanxi
Government
 • CPC Xi'anSun Qingyun (孙清云)
 • MayorChen Baogen (陈宝根)
Area
 • Sub-provincial city9,983 km2 (3,854 sq mi)
 • Urban
1,166 km2 (450 sq mi)
 • Yangling94 km2 (36 sq mi)
Elevation
405 m (1,329 ft)
Population
 (2000)
 • Sub-provincial city8,252,000
 • Density830/km2 (2,100/sq mi)
 • Urban
2,670,000
 • Urban density2,300/km2 (5,900/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+8 (CST)
Postal code
710000 - 710090
Area code+86/29
GDP(2008)
- Total¥219 billion
- Per capita¥26,259
License plate prefixes陕A
City flowerGuava flower
City treeBlack locust
Websitehttp://www.xa.gov.cn/

Xi'an (Chinese: 西安; pinyin: Xī'ān; Wade–Giles: Hsi-An; lit. 'Western Peace'; Postal map spelling: Sian[1][2]; (IPA: [ɕian]) 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 made 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; lit. '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.

Origin of name

The 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.

History

Terracotta Army inside the Qin Shi Huang Mausoleum, 3rd century BCE.
Statues in the Imperial Tomb of Tang Emperor Gaozong, one of the many Tang Dynasty-era mausoleums located in the Xi'an area
Bell Tower of Xi'an

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 almost immediately upon his ascension to the throne.

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.

Geography and climate

Geography

Xi'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 / 34.267; 108.933 The Wei 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'.

National Time Service Centre

The 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.

National Time Service Center (NTSC), the Chinese Academy of Sciences is an institute which is mainly engaged in the service and research on time and frequency. NTSC takes charge of generating and maintaining the national standard time scale, disseminating the time and frequency signals. The autonomous standard time scales of universal time and atomic time and the dissemination techniques with LF radio and HF radio were established successively during the 1970s and 1980s, which meet all the requirements for different applications on the whole, such as the scientific researches, national economy, etc.[5]

Climate

Xi'an has a steppe climate that borders on a humid subtropical climate. The city features a temperate climate that is 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.

Xi'an
Climate chart (explanation)
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█ Average max. and min. temperatures in °F
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Climate data for Xi'an (1971-2000)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Source 1: 中国气象局 国家气象信息中心
Source 2: World Meteorological Organisation (UN)[6]

Demographics

By 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.

Subdivision

The sub-provincial city of Xi'an has direct jurisdiction over 9 districts (区 qu) and 4 Counties (县 xian):

Subdivision Population Land area   Subdivision Population Land area
as of 2006 km² as of 2006 km²
Xi'an City Proper   Xi'an Suburban and Rural
■ Beilin-qu 碑林区 700,000 22.0   ■ Chang'an-qu 长安区 930,000 1583
■ Yanta-qu 雁塔区 690,000 152.0   ■ Yanliang-qu 阎良区 240,000 240.0
■ Weiyang-qu 未央区 410,000 261   ■ Lintong-qu 临潼区 670,000 898.0
■ Baqiao-qu 灞桥区 450,000 322  
■ Xincheng-qu 新城区 490,000 31.0   ■ Lantian-xian 蓝田县 640,000 1,977.0
■ Lianhu-qu 莲湖区 600,000 38.00   ■ Zhouzhi-xian 周至县 630,000 2,956.0
  ■ Hu-xian 户县 590,000 1,213.0
  ■ Gaoling-xian 高陵县 230,000 290

Transportation and infrastructure

Underpass around the Bell Tower
Xi'an Railway Station

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.

Metro

Main 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.

Taxi

Taxis 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.

Train

There 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.

Expressways

Xi'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.

Xi'an Xianyang International Airport

Airport

Xi'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.

Highways

Culture

A typical Chinese pavilion located in Xi'an
Traditional Chinese musical performances at Xi'an

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.

Architecture

Seven 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.

Drama and literature

Qinqiang (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.

Art, music, film and others

Chang'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.

R&D Strength

In June 2009, National development and reform commission has approved Xi'an as National Experimental Zone for Integration of R&D Resource （统筹科技资源改革的全国试验区）. This is considering the following:

Firstly, its one of the China's most important comprehensive scientific and technological R&D center, only next to Beijing and Shanghai. There are 365 different types of research institutions, 160 national and provincial-level key laboratories, engineering and technology research centers, and industrial testing centers, and various professional and technical staff of 420 thousand, of whom 44 are academicians.

Secondly, its unparalleled military strength. Shaanxi is China's defense industry's largest province, over 60% of the province's military capacity and 86% of the scientific research institutes are concentrated in Xi'an, Xi'an has therefore become the most powerful cities in the country of military equipment and military technology, powerful and complete, especially obvious advantage in the field of aviation and aerospace, nuclear, electronics, ships, weapons 。

The following are cited from www.21cbh.com, biz newspaper of Nanfang Press holding: 《规划》最终选择了统筹科技资源，背后起支撑作用的是西安独有的两张大牌。 一是其仅次于北京、上海而居全国第三的综合科技实力。西安现有各类科研机构365个，国家和省部级重点实验室、工程技术研究中心、行业测试中心和平台160多家，以及各类专业技术人员42万人，其中两院院士44人。 二是无与伦比的军工实力。陕西是中国军工第一大省，全省军工60％以上的能力和86％的科研院所都集中在西安，西安因此成为全国军事装备最强的城市，军工技术实力雄厚，门类齐全，尤其在航空航天、核、电子、船舶、兵器领域具有明显的领先优势。【21世纪网】本文网址：http://www.21cbh.com/HTML/2009-6-26/HTML_2L3NMHROBBVT_2.html

Economy and business

Industrial zones

Major industrial zones in Xi'an include:

Telecommunications industry

China's 3G standard(Datang Telecom) and Wireless standard(Xidian university) are birthed in Xian. And many other Many 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.

Software, outsourcing industry and BPO

CBD, Tangyan Road, Xi'an

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]

Game Industry

The 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.

State defense Industry

Facts： -Xi’an is located at the center of the inland Guanzhong Basin, also called Weihe Plain or Central Shaanxi Plain, that lies between the Northern Shaanxi Plateau and Qinling Mountainous Range and it boasts a stretch of fertile flat land and rich water resources, which are supportive of agricultural development.

-Xi’an has a geographical advantage due to its fertility and strategic situation which is protected by mountains that has made it a natural stronghold.

-Xi’an has some 50 state-level laboratories and testing centres which are capable of absorbing, digesting and transplanting of the domestic and overseas advanced technologies.

-Xi’an has produced significant scientific achievements such as China's first engine for carrier rocket, China's first satellite-borne computer and China's first integrated circuit.

-Transportation equipment manufacturing is Xi’an largest industry and it is based on three pillars, namely, aviation equipment, railway transportation equipment and motor vehicles

-Xi’an also housed many China's state owned military-industry and aims to create an excellent environment for the development of science and of technological industries for national defense by promoting the industrialization of hi-tech achievements and accelerating the construction of space and aviation industrial parks.

Aivation industry

Refer to XAC(Xi'an Aviation Company)

Aerospace industry

In 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.

Weapon Industry

Major Center for Missiles Production

International events

World Horticultural Expo 2011

Xi’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]

Tourism

High season

Long 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.

Sites

City wall of Xi'an
The Giant Wild Goose Pagoda
The Famen Pagoda
Mount Huashan, one of the great mountains of China

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:

  • The city is surrounded by a well-preserved City wall of Xi'an which was re-constructed in the 14th century during the early Ming Dynasty and was based on the inner imperial palace of Tang Dynasty.
  • The Mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang (秦始皇) and his Terracotta Army are located 40 km to the east of the city center, in the city's suburbs.
  • The Bell Tower and Drum Tower, both are located at the city's central axis.
  • The city's Muslim quarter, which is home to the Great Mosque of Xi'an.
  • The Giant Wild Goose Pagoda and Small Wild Goose Pagoda are both spectacular towers and both are well over 1,000 years old and have survived great earthquakes. The former is next to a large square with the largest fountain in Asia which projects water high into the air, rising and falling in time to music during one of the daily performances (usually at noon and soon after sunset). They protected Buddhist writings in the past.
  • The Stele Forest is famous for its numerous historic inscriptions and stoneworks
  • The Famen Temple and its towering pagoda located on the city's outskirt
  • Xi Ming Temple
  • Wolong Temple at Kaitong lane
  • Xingjiao Temple at Shaolin Yuan (where Xuanzang's Tomb lies)
  • Jianfu Temple
  • Blue Dragon Temple
  • Wangji Temple
  • The Banpo Neolithic village is located on the outskirt of the city proper
  • The Qianling Mausoleum, one of the many Tang Dynasty era tombs located in Xi'an
  • The Shaanxi History Museum has a large collection of artifacts both modern and ancient.
  • Mount Hua (华山) is one of the most visited and steepest mountains in the country
  • Mount Zhongnan (终南山)
  • Mount Taibai (太白山)
  • Lishan (郦山)

Major museums

  • Terracotta Army Museum
  • Shaanxi History Museum
  • Hanyang Tomb Museum, the 1st modern underground museum in China, opened in 2006
  • Forest of Steles (Xi'an beilin)
  • Xi'an Museum: October 20, 2006, international council of monuments sites (ICOMOS) international protection center (IICC) was formally established here

National parks

  • Mount Cuihua, National Geological Park, Xi'an (西安翠华山国家地质公园)
  • Lishan National Forest Park, Xi'an (西安骊山国家森林公园)
  • Zhuque National Forest Park, Xi'an (西安朱雀国家森林公园)
  • Mount Zhongnan National Forest Park, Xi'an (西安终南山国家森林公园)
  • Mount Taibai National Forest Park (太白山国家森林公园), Mount Taibai lies both in Xi'an (西安) and Baoji (宝鸡)
  • Wang Shunshan National Forest Park, Xi'an (西安王顺山国家森林公园)

Other parks

Sports

Cuju is a very old football game:

It was improved during the Tang Dynasty (618-907). First of all, the feather-stuffed ball was replaced by an air-filled ball with a two-layered hull. Also, two different types of goalposts emerged: One was made by setting up posts with a net between them and the other consisted of just one goal post in the middle of the field. Chang'an was filled with cuju football fields, in the backyards of large mansions, and some were even established in the grounds of the palaces. The level of female cuju teams also improved. Records indicate that once a 17-year-old girl beat a team of army soldiers. Cuju football became popular amongst the scholars and intellectuals, and if a courtier lacked skill in the game, he could pardon himself by acting as a scorekeeper.

Professional sports teams in Xi'an include:

Xi'an is also the Chinese Boxing training base for the national team.

Media

Television and radio

Printed media

  • Chinese Business View (华商报) is a popular daily newspaper.
  • Xi'an Evening News (Xi'an Wanbao) (西安晚报), with a history of 50 years (1957–2007), is one of the oldest newspapers.
  • Sanqin Daily (三秦都市报) covers the news of Shaanxi Province.
  • Shaanxi Daily (陕西日报) covers the news of Shaanxi Province and Xi'an.

Online media

International relations

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in China

Twin towns — Sister cities

Xi'an's sister cities are:

Consulates

  • South Korea Gaoxin International, Keji Road, September 2007
  • Thailand Yulang International, Jiefang Road, 2006

Colleges and universities

Further information: List of universities in China

Xi'an is a renowned academic centre with the second highest number of institutions in the country, after Beijing.[citation needed]

National

National (other)

Provincial

７　西北大学　　　　　　　　　陕西省　　　西安市　本科　http://www.nwu.edu.cn/

８　延安大学　　　　　　　　　陕西省　　　延安市　本科　http://www.yau.edu.cn/

９　西安理工大学　　　　　　　陕西省　　　西安市　本科　http://www.xaut.edu.cn/

10　西安建筑科技大学　　　　　陕西省　　　西安市　本科　http://www.xauat.edu.cn/

11　西安科技大学　　　　　　　陕西省　　　西安市　本科　http://www.xust.edu.cn/

12　西安石油大学　　　　　　　陕西省　　　西安市　本科　http://www.xapi.edu.cn/

13　西安工程大学　　　　　　　陕西省　　　西安市　本科　http://www.xaist.edu.cn/

14　西安工业大学　　　　　　　陕西省　　　西安市　本科　http://www.xait.edu.cn/

15　西安外国语大学　　　　　　陕西省　　　西安市　本科　http://www.xisu.edu.cn/

16　陕西科技大学　　　　　　　陕西省　　　咸阳市　本科　http://www.sust.edu.cn/

17　西安邮电学院　　　　　　　陕西省　　　西安市　本科　http://www.xiyou.edu.cn/

18　陕西中医学院　　　　　　　陕西省　　　咸阳市　本科　http://www.sntcm.edu.cn/

19　西安医学院　　　　　　　　陕西省　　　西安市　本科　http://www.sxmc.com.cn/

20　渭南师范学院　　　　　　　陕西省　　　渭南市　本科　http://www.wntc.edu.cn/

21　榆林学院　　　　　　　　　陕西省　　　榆林市　本科　http://www.ylc.net.cn/

22　陕西理工学院　　　　　　　陕西省　　　汉中市　本科　http://www.snut.edu.cn/

23　咸阳师范学院　　　　　　　陕西省　　　咸阳市　本科　http://www.xysfxy.cn/

24　宝鸡文理学院　　　　　　　陕西省　　　宝鸡市　本科　http://www.bjwlxy.edu.cn/

25　西安财经学院　　　　　　　陕西省　　　西安市　本科　http://www.xaufe.edu.cn/

26　西北政法大学　　　　　　　陕西省　　　西安市　本科　http://www.nwupl.cn/

27　西安体育学院　　　　　　　陕西省　　　西安市　本科　http://www.xaipe.edu.cn/

28　西安美术学院　　　　　　　陕西省　　　西安市　本科　http://www.xafa.edu.cn/

29　西安音乐学院　　　　　　　陕西省　　　西安市　本科　http://www.xacom.edu.cn/

31　西安文理学院　　　　　　　陕西省　　　西安市　本科　http://www.xawl.org/

32　安康学院　　　　　　　　　陕西省　　　安康市　本科　http://www.aktc.net.cn/

37　商洛学院　　　　　　　　　陕西省　　　商州市　本科　http://www.slsz.com/

Private(Administrated by Provincial Department of Education)

Note: Institutions without full-time bachelor programs are not listed.

33　西安培华学院　　　　　　　省教育厅　　西安市　本科　http://www.peihua.cn/

34　西安欧亚学院　　　　　　　省教育厅　　西安市　本科　http://www.eurasia.edu/

35　西安外事学院　　　　　　　省教育厅　　西安市　本科　http://www.xaiu.com/

36　西安翻译学院　　　　　　　省教育厅　　西安市　本科　http://www.xfuedu.org/

30　西京学院　　　　　　　　　省教育厅　　西安市　本科　http://www.xijing.com.cn/

38 *Xi'an Siyuan University (西安思源学院)

Note: Institutions without full-time bachelor programs are not listed.

Military

See also: List of universities in the People's Republic of China.

Notes and references

  1. ^ a b c d e f "Xi'an". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 2008-09-03. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  2. ^ It is also called "Sianfu" by many Western authors in the early 20th century. For example, the Catholic Archdiocese of Xian used to be called the Vicariate Apostolic of Sianfu. Adolf S. Waley, The Re-making of China, New York: EP Dutton and Company, 1914.
  3. ^ a b c "Xi'an". Encarta. 1993-2008. 2008-09-03. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  4. ^ Ernest Frank Borst-Smith, Caught in the Chinese revolution: A record of risks and rescue, published by T.F. Unwin, 1912.
  5. ^ NTSC
  6. ^ "World Weather Information Service - Xi'an".
  7. ^ a b c d "西安人口 (Xi'an population)". City of Xi'an, in Chinese. Retrieved 2007-05-16.
  8. ^ People's Daily
  9. ^ Bureau of Commerce of Xi'an Municipal Government
  10. ^ "Xi'an to Host World Horticultural Expo" China.org.cn
  11. ^ a b c "Xi'an". The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. Retrieved 2008-09-03. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  12. ^ "List of Twin Towns in the Ruhr Destrict" (PDF). © 2009 Twins2010.com. Retrieved 2009-10-28. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help)

Nanfang Daily - 21 century business herald http://www.21cbh.com/HTML/2009-6-26/HTML_5OEQ5HYHJHHG.html

External links

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Preceded by Capital of China (as Hao)
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Preceded by Capital of China (as Chang'an)
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Preceded by Capital of China (as Daxing)
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itself, as Chang'an
Preceded by
itself, as Daxing
 Capital of China (as Chang'an)
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