Xian

Xian, the capital city of the Shaanxi province, lies on the central-north-western part of China and covers a total area of 10108 square km. It is also a vital sub-provincial city in the People's Republic of China.

The city is located right in the middle of the Yellow River Basin. The Qinling Mountain, which acts as the natural border between south and north China, also plays a vital role in enhancing the scenic beauty of this city.

Xian is mainly inhabited by the Han Chinese. In fact they comprise of about 99.1% of the total population of the city. People belonging to the Muslim Hui community also live in the city in huge numbers, mainly in the Muslim quarter. The Muslim Quarter also has the Great Mosque of Xi'an, which is 1,360 years old. Mandarin and English are two of the languages widely spoken in the city.

With a history of more than 3000 years, Xian is often referred to as the living history book as it has witnessed and recorded some of the biggest changes that have taken place in the country. In ancient times, it was called by the name ‘Chang'an’, which meant the eternal city.

It is one of those places, which gave birth to the primeval Chinese civilization along the areas of the Yellow River Basin. It also gained huge reputation throughout the world being the eastern terminal of the Silk Road.

This place is an important historical heritage city because it was the capital city for 1,100 years during the time of the ancient dynasties such as Western Zhou, Western Han, Qin and Tang. It is home to a number of historical sites such as the Terracotta Warriors of the Qin Dynasty, along with important cultural relics, which attracts tourists in great numbers from all over the world.

Since the 1990s, Xian has been one of the leading cities of the Western Development Drive Program of China. It has evolved as one of the most important cultural, economic, educational and industrial centres of the central-north-western part of the country. The city is also an important base for scientific research, high-tech industries and national security and defence in the whole of Western China.

While tourists visit this city throughout the year, the months between April to May and September to October are considered the best time to visit Xian because of the comfortable weather.