Xi'an, the historical and ancient city of
China, was referred as the Chang'an in ancient times. Xian is also one of
the birthplaces of the ancient civilization in the Yellow River Basin area
of the country. Xian like Athens, Cairo, and Rome is one of the four major
ancient civilization capitals in the country. Today the city has evolved
as the capital of Shaanxi province located in the southern part of the
GuanZhong Plain.
Xian is the political, economic and cultural center of the Northwest China
and influences the activities here. With the development of travel industry
and the implementation of the open policy, it has become one of the nation's
key tourist cities and tourism has become the mainstay in Shaanxi's economy.
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 cultural and historical significance of the area, as well as the
abundant relics and sites, have given Xian the commendable title of "Natural
History Museum".
Fact File
Country : China
Population : 6 million
Area : 9983 square kilometers
Languages : Standard Chinese or Mandarin, English
Climate : Temperatures in Xian range from -4.7 C to 30.5 C; Rainfall
in Xian varies from 18.0 to 408.0 (mm/month).
Official Currency : Chinese Yuan(CY) ; 1 CY = 5.2633 Indian Rupee =
0.1203 US $ = 0.1001 Euro (subject to change).
Location
: Xi'an is located in the middle reaches of the Yellow River with the
eight small rivers as the tributaries. It holds a key position in the
fertile plain between the high loess plateau to the north and the Qinling
Mountains to the south.
Getting There
By Air : The Xi'an Xianyang International Airport connects the city
to various parts of the world. Xi’an is one of the best connected
cities in China-it’s possible to fly to almost every major city in
China as well as several international ones. Daily flights include Beijing,
Chengdu, Guangzhou, Guilin, Shanghai and Qingdao, etc.
By Train : The city has a domestic railway station which makes it
accessible from any part of the country. There are direct trains from Xi’an
to Beijing, Chengdu, Guangzhou, Hefei, Qingdao, Shanghai, Taiyuan, Urumqi
and Wuhan. For Chongqing and Kunming one can change at Chengdu.
Getting Around
By Road : Buses are plentiful but overcrowded. Taxis provide an
alternative way to travel in the city by road.
Accommodation
The city has very good hotels to ensure a comfortable stay for the
tourists. Mentioned below is a list of some of the hotels in the city:
Jiefang hotel
Renmin (people's) hotel
Wuyi hotel
Renmin hotel flats
Hyatt regency hotel
Bell tower hotel
Shangri hotel
Ana Grand castle hotel
Major
Tourist attractions
Great Wild Goose Pagoda : It is located in Daci’en Temple in
the southern suburb of Xian and it is considered as the masterpiece miming
the nature. The pagoda was constructed in 652 AD when a famous Chinese monk
Xuanzang presented a memorial to the emperor to build the grand Dayan Tower
to preserve the Buddhist scripture he got from India.
Xian’s City Gate : After the establishment of the Ming dynasty
in the 14th century, Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang began to enlarge the wall built
initially during the Tang dynasty (618 -907), creating the modern Xian City
Wall. It is China’s best preserved ancient city wall and the largest
ancient military defensive systems in the world.
The south gate, named Yongning, is the most nicely ornated one and is
located next to the Bell Tower, center of the city. Ceremonies conducted by
the Provincial Government are usually held in the south gate square.
The Drum Tower : It is located on the northern side of the western
street of Xian and was first built in 1380 in the reign of Emperor Ming
Hongwu. It was later rebuilt in 1699 by Emperor Qing Kangxi and again in
1740 by Emperor Qing Qianlong Era. The tower is 33 meters high and 52.6
meters wide, covering more than 1970 square meters. It is made up of two
storeys with double eaves and Xieshan roof. Comprised of and covered by only
one piece of high quality ox hide, the big drum is 1.80 meters high and 2.83
meters in diameter with the total weights of 1.5 tons.
Basic Exhibition Hall : The hall houses pre-historic relics found in
Shaanxi and artifacts from the dynasties of the Zhou, the Qin, the Han and
the Tang. Categorized into seven parts starting from the Stone Age, the
dynasties of the Zhou, the Qin, the Han, the Wei, the Jin, the South and
North Dynasty, the Sui, the Tang, the Song, the Yuan, the Ming and the Qing
it is a marvellous place to visit.
Other Attractions :
East Exhibition Hall
The Shaanxi Historical Museum
Theme Exhibition Hall
Famen Temple
