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since ancient time
Xi'an has been the land of emperors as the location
is in perfect natural geographical conditions.
In the early years and the rapid development
of civilization, Xi'an became the center of
the country's political power.In ancient times,
Xi'an was called Chang'an and was the capital
of 11 dynasties, This included the Western Zhou
Dynasty (11th century-771 B. C.), Qin Dynasty
(221-206 B. C.), Western Han Dynasty (206 B.
C. -25 A. D. ), Sui Dynasty (518-618), and Tang
Dynasty (618-907). Xi'an has been the capital
of China for more than 1,000 years, making it
the longest one of the six ancient capital cities
in China. In the history of world cities, the
architectural scale of Chang'an in the Han Dynasty
was three times larger than that of ancient
Rome; Chang'an in the Tang Dynasty was the largest
and busiest international city in the world.
Chang'an was the eastern terminal of the “Silk
Road” which connected Europe and Asia for trade
and cultural exchanges. In this brilliant period
of history, the Xi'an area developed a great
cultural heritage, Xi'an witnessed many historical
Chinese civilization changes from the ancient
times to the present day.
Today, Xi'an is
the capital of Shaanxi Province as well as the
biggest city in Northwest China. The Xi'an area
was regarded as the “Chinese Museum of History”
because of its long history, rich cultural heritage
and beautiful scenery. On this piece of land
are many buildings of different dynasties, such
as the ruins of Efang Palace of the Qin Dynasty,
Weiyang Palace of the Han Dynasty and Daming
Palace of the Tang Dynasty; Worshippers frequently
visit sites like Xingjiao Temple, Qinglong Temple,
Xingshan Temple and the Great Mosque. Still
standing the Big and Small Wild Goose Pagodas
of the Tang Dynasty, the Bell and Drum Towers
and the City Walls of the Ming Dynasty attract
many visitors. There are always many visitors
to the Forest of Stone Tablet, Xingqing Palace
Park, Huaqing Pool and Mount Lishan. Here are
concentrated many imperial tombs, like the Qin.
Han and Tang Tombs. The tomb of Qin Shihuang
(the First Emperor of the Qin), is where the
terra-cotta army was discovered. The most attractive
display of terra-cotta soldiers has been cited
as the “Eighth Wonder in the World”.
Xi'an is a place
of culture and one of the best tourist cities
in China. After experiencing thousands of years
of changes, it still fascinates the eyes of
tourists. Walking in the streets of the old
city, you may easily be attracted by the historical
remains, traditional culture and unique lifestyles,
enough for you to taste their endless flavors. |
