Xi’an is one of the oldest cities in China and is the capital of the Shaanxi province. Originally known as Chang’an, this city happened to be one of the four ancient capitals of China. Xi’an has been the home to some of the biggest dynasties in China, which include the Zhou, Qin, Han, Sui and Tang dynasties. The city is most famously known as the home of the enigmatic terracotta army and horses. Discovered in 1974, these clay figures form a whole battalion of over 8000 soldiers divided in order of their ranks.
The word Xi’an means “Western Peace” and the present name was given in 1943. This city is known as one of the first human settlements, where the remains of a Lantian Man were discovered. The mummy is almost five hundred thousand years old. A very ancient Neolithic village was also discovered in Xi’an and it was confirmed as one of the oldest human settlements of prehistoric times.
The city has a temperate climate with humid and hot summers followed by dry and cold winters. Spring and autumn are brief and dry. There is occasional snowfall in the winters as well. The city has emerged as one of the major hubs of Chinese economy with thriving telecommunication, software, outsourcing and BPO industries. The city is also home to some of the world’s best economists. Within the city, the Bell Tower is a central landmark and a popular tourist spot. The Shaanxi History Museum and the Great Mosque of Xi’an are also two of the other attractions. The sacred Hua Shan Mountains are located in the east of the city, about a hundred kilometers away, bordering the Qinling Mountains. Coming to the major attraction of Xi'an, the Grand Mausoleum of the First Emperor of the Qin dynasty houses seven thousand life size pottery soldiers, horses’ chariots and weapons that lie in the battle formation. They are supposedly guarding the emperor’s tomb in the other world. They are known to be more than two thousand years old. The second major attraction is the City Wall that was built in the thirteenth century and still stands intact, not only depicting one of the first fortification measures of the world but also the largest.
