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Xian, the eternal city,
records the great changes of the Chinese nation just
like a living history book. Called Chang'an in ancient
times, Xian is one of the birthplaces of the ancient
civilization in the Yellow River Basin area of the
country.  During Xian's 3,100 year
development, 13 dynasties such as Western Zhou (11th
century BC - 771 BC), Qin (221 BC - 206 BC), Western Han
(206 BC - 24 AD) and Tang (618 - 907) placed their
capitals here. So far, Xian enjoys equal fame with
Athens, Cairo, and Rome as one of the four major ancient
civilization capitals. Xian is the capital of Shaanxi
province, located in the southern part of the Guanzhong
Plain. With the Qinling Mountains to the south and the
Weihe River to the north, it is in a favorable
geographical location surrounded by water and hills. It
has a semi-moist monsoon climate and there is a clear
distinction between the four seasons. Except the colder
winter, any season is relatively suitable for traveling.
The cultural and historical significance of the area, as
well as the abundant relics and sites, help Xian enjoy
the laudatory title of 'Natural History Museum'. The
Museum of Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses is praised as
'the eighth major miracle of the world', Mausoleum of
Emperor Qin Shi Huang is listed on the World Heritage
List, and the City Wall of the Ming Dynasty (1368 -
1644) is the largest and most intact Ming Dynasty castle
in the world. In the city, there is the 3,000 year old
Banpo Village Remains from the Neolithic Age
(approximately from 8000 BC to 5000 BC), and the Forest
of Stone Steles that holds 3,000 stone steles of
different periods from the Han Dynasty to the Qing
Dynasty. Around Xian, the Famen Temple enjoys the
reputation of being the 'forefather of pagodas and
temples in Central Shaanxi,' because it holds the finger
bones of Sakyamuni -- the founder of Buddhism. The
natural landscape around Xian is also marvelous
Mt.Huashan one of the five best-known mountains in
China, is famous for its breath-taking cliffs and its
unique characteristics. |
 Traditional downtown Xian refers to
the area encircled by the city wall, this has now been
expanded to encompass the area within the second ring
road (Er' huan Lu). The Bell Tower is the geographical
center of Xian and the four main streets are
respectively Dong Dajie, Xi Dajie, Nan Dajie and Bei
Dajie which are also the main commercial streets. Xiao
Zhai, the busiest commercial area is in the southern
part of the city and is popular with both youths and
students since many universities are located here.
Shuyuan Men and the still under construction Luoma Shi
are must-visit pedestrian streets in the city. Xian is
also famous for its quantity of colleges throughout
China. The old campuses of many colleges and
universities are massed in the southern suburb of Xian,
but most have established new campuses in far southern
suburb - Chang'an District due to the lack of space
within the city. As tourist
development grows in Xian, the hotel industry flourishes
more and more. It is very easy to find a hotel in Xian,
ranging from 5 star hotels to youth hostels. Of course,
it will be any traveler's first choice to stay in the
city center due to the superior geographical location
and the convenient transportation. |
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Praised as 'the capital of
table delicacies',  Xian has been rich in the
delicious Shaanxi snack, delicate Guangdong Cuisine,
various kinds of fashionable foreign delicacies, and
popular Sichuan Cuisine such as the hot pot. Among all
the delicacies, the most famous and popular one is the
Muslim Snack Street. Xian is the most important city in
northwest China, and so there are a lot of shopping
outlets for locals and tourists alike. There are many
big shopping centers, department stores and supermarkets
in and around Xian city - the biggest and most
comprehensive being Kai Yuan Shopping Mall and Century
Ginwa Shopping Mall. The night life in Xian has a unique
glamour. Traditional ways include enjoying the night
scenery around the Bell Tower, taking part in a Tang
Dynasty Dinner Show, strolling on the ancient Big Wild
Goose Pagoda Square and watching the music fountain
performance. More modern and fashionable ways include
singing in the KTV, hanging out in a bar, or dancing in
a Disco. All in all, any experience in this ancient city
will bring you fun and possibly a little surprise!
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