Xi'an is one of China's eight ancient national capitals and the home of the famous Terracotta Army. It served as China’s capital for ten dynasties, spread intermittently over a 1,100 year period from 221 BC. This was the significant year when the first Chinese emperor, Qin Shihuang, united China for the first time. China derives its name from Emperor Qin.
Xi’an is situated in the center of the Weihe Plain, bounded by the Weihe River in the north and the Qin Mountain Range in the south. Xi’an’s main tourist attractions include: The Terracotta Warriors and Horses, The Ancient City Wall, Big Wild Goose Pagoda, Small Wild Goose Pagoda, Huaqing Hot Springs, Banpo Museum, The Forest of Steles , The Great Mosque, Qianling Mausoleum and Famen Temple.
The ten dynasties when Xi’an (Western Peace), then called Chang’an (Perpetual Peace), was the capital of China are as follows: Qin (221-206 BC at Xianyang just northwest of Xi’an), Western Han (200-8 BC), Xin (8-23 AD), Eastern Han (191-195), Western Jin (313-316), Wei (535-557), Zhou (556-581), Tang (618-690), Zhou (690-705) and Tang (705-904). Xi'an has a great number of precious relics and historical sites, some dating back to its times as capital. More than 4,000 historical sites and tombs have been excavated.Xi'an was the starting point of the ancient Silk Road that extended from Asia to Europe and played an important role in cultural exchange between the East and West in ancient times. Read more about Xi'an.
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