Brief Introduction

       As the capital of Shaanxi Province, Xi'an is not only a world-renowned historical and cultural city, but also an important base for scientific research, higher education, science, technology and industry of the national defence and high-tech industry in China's central and western regions. In the layout of nationwide regional economy, Xi’an has a regional advantage of connecting the east with the west, hence it holds an important strategic position in the western development. In July 1992, it was approved to be an opening-up inland city by the State Council, and until now it has become the largest city on Lanzhou-Lianyungang and Lanzhou-Xinjiang railway lines, the Chinese section of the new Eurasian continental bridge. Now it exercises jurisdiction over 9 districts and 4 counties, with a total area of 9,983 km2 and a population of 7.41 million.

       Unrivalled tourism resources make Xi’an one of the well-known historical and cultural cities both at home and abroad. Guanzhong Plain, where Xi'an is located, has long been known as "the cradle of the Chinese nation". It is not only the important birthplace of the Chinese nation, but also one of the important birthplaces of human being and prehistoric cultural centers of the whole Asia. Xi’an had a history of over 3100 years of city construction, and 13 dynasties including Zhou, Qin, Han and Tang Dynasty successively established their capitals here. Xi’an once was China's political, economic and cultural center and the first city opened to the outside. The famous "Silk Road" starts from Xian. Therefore, it enjoys equal fame with world-renowned ancient capitals in history, including Athens, Rome and Cairo.

      In 1981, UNESCO identified Xi'an as a " Famous Historical City of the World". Being an ancient capital with a long history and rich cultural relics, Xi’an has earned an outstanding status among many other ancient capital cities. Its unique style and feature is not only highly praised by ancient and modern scholars as well as tourists in all over the world, but also constitutes the city cultural vein and rare historical and cultural resources for urban economic and social development of Modern Xian.

      Endowed with long-standing historical and cultural heritages, Xian enjoys great popularity of “Natural Historical Museum". The great variety, large amount and great value of cultural relics and historic sites make Xi’an second to none all over China. There are 314 Key Cultural Relic Units under State Protection within Xi’an, of which there are 84 national-level and provincial-level culture relics protection places. Over 120 thousand pieces of historical relics have been unearthed at more than 4,000 ancient ruins and mausoleums, many of which are the rare treasures both at home and abroad. The Qin Shihuang's Terracotta Warriors and Horses Pits are known as the "Eighth Wonder of the World."