Xi'an 🔥

Key data

Items shown in Chinese are kept from the original Chinese source; no English name is available yet.

Landmarks

City Overview

• Ancient capital of thirteen dynasties — the Terracotta Army, city walls and Muslim Quarter food.

History

• History: Xi'an's history encapsulates half of ancient Chinese history. The Zhou dynasty built Haojing here, and afterwards thirteen dynasties—including the Qin, Han, Sui, and Tang—established their capitals here in succession, with Chang'an once becoming the most prosperous city in the ancient world. The First Emperor of Qin left behind the world-famous Terracotta Army here; Han-dynasty Chang'an was the eastern starting point of the Silk Road; Tang-dynasty Chang'an drew envoys from all nations, and Daming Palace witnessed the grandeur of the High Tang. Although the urban center shifted somewhat after the Song and Yuan, Xi'an remained a key town in the northwest. In modern times, Xi'an has developed into the economic and cultural center of the northwest, and the Ming-dynasty city wall, perfectly preserved to this day, tells of a thousand years of vicissitudes.

Culture

• Culture: The Xi'an dialect belongs to the Guanzhong branch of Central Plains Mandarin; its tone is plain and bold, and it is the vehicle for Qinqiang and other northwestern operas. Folk arts such as Qinqiang, shadow puppetry, and Huayin Laoqiang have deep roots, and Guanzhong foods like yangrou paomo (mutton soup with bread), roujiamo (meat sandwich), and liangpi (cold noodles) are renowned nationwide. Tang poetry and calligraphy left countless classics here, and the Beilin Museum preserves steles by masters of past dynasties. Muslim Street gathers halal food and street life and is a popular spot to experience the old city's everyday bustle; the Spring Festival lantern fair on the city wall injects new vitality into ancient customs, and Qin rhyme and Han style can be found throughout the old city.

Science & Technology

• Science and Technology: Xi'an is a major hub of education and research in China, home to prestigious universities such as Xi'an Jiaotong University, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Shaanxi Normal University, Northwest University, and Chang'an University, with research strength ranking among the top in the country. It has produced abundant achievements in aerospace, electronic information, and high-end equipment manufacturing, and has a distinctive industrial focus on space tracking, telemetry and control and satellite applications. In recent years, Xi'an has vigorously developed hard technology and artificial intelligence; the High-tech Zone and the Aerospace Base have gathered numerous innovative enterprises, and the integration of science, technology, and industry continues to deepen.

Economy

• Economy: In 2025, Xi'an's GDP reached 1,390.267 billion yuan, making it the largest economy in Northwest China. Equipment manufacturing, aerospace, electronic information, and the automotive industry form the industrial pillars, with a number of leading enterprises based here. Drawing on its rich historical resources, the cultural tourism industry is thriving, with attractions such as the Grand Tang Mall and Muslim Quarter becoming popular destinations. As an important node of the Silk Road Economic Belt, Xi'an's trade logistics and openness continue to improve, with high-tech industries and services jointly driving steady economic growth.

Climate