The ancient city of Xi’an is located in the Guanzhong Plain in central China with the Qinling Mountains to the south and the Wei River to its north. As one of the four significant ancient capitals of China, Xian or Sian has an important history behind it, having served as a capital for major Chinese dynasties that include the Qin, Zhou, Sui, Tang and Han dynasties. The city was also an important terminal for the famous silk route in the olden days. Before the Ming Dynasty came to power, Xi’an was known as Chang’an.
It was the Ming Dynasty that gave the city its name and according to the Mandarin translation the words Xi’an mean ‘Western Peace’. During the Zhou reign Xi’an was known as Fenghou and by several other names such as Fengyuan, Anxi and Jingzhao in other periods, but the name Chang’an was always reverted to from time to time. However, during the Ming Dynasty rule the city was named Xi’an and it remained so until it was changed to Xijing in 1930 and back to Xi’an in 1943 and has remained so ever since.
Apart from being a culturally and historically rich city in the past, Xi’an today, is as important culturally and is highly developed as far as the industrial and educational sectors are concerned. The culture of Xi’an descends from the ancient Guanzhong Ren culture of one of the first civilizations to settle here. The old architectural buildings highlight the dominant architectural styles of the various dynasties with each having a different style of architecture to display. These can be distinguished by the colors used for the roofs as well as the detailing under the roofs.
As Xi’an offers a plethora of historical monuments, the city is a much targeted travel destination in China. One of the most famous and important historical monuments in Xi’an is the Mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang and his massive Terracotta Army. There are mausoleums of the other dynasties too and the several Pagodas of the Tang Dynasty. The City Wall of Xi’an, which was reconstructed by the Ming Dynasty in the 14th Century, is also a remarkable piece of architecture that has been well-preserved to this day.
The Bell Tower, Giant Wild Goose Pagoda, Stele Forest, Famen Temple, Xingjiao Temple, the Banpo Neolithic village and the Qianling Mausoleum are some of the other important places of interest among various other interesting sites. The Shannxi History Museum houses a great number of historical artifacts from the various dynasties. There are other museums of interest too. Xi’an also has many National Parks and recreational parks while a trip to Mount Hua is wildly sought after. The best time to visit Xi’an is in autumn though tourists generally visit during the summer months of May to August.
Photo by Faintlightofdawn provided courtesy of Panoramio.com
Photo by Jorge Martinez R provided courtesy of Panoramio.com
Photo by Jorge Martinez R provided courtesy of Panoramio.com
Photo by Sander Nijdam provided courtesy of Panoramio.com