Xi'an / SIAN
Xi'an, also known as Sian,
is the capital of Shaanxi Province. A sub-provincial city on the
Guanzhong Plain in Northwest China, it is one of the oldest cities in
China, the oldest prefecture capital and one of the Four Great Ancient
Capitals, having held the position under several of the most important
dynasties in Chinese history, including Western Zhou, Qin, Western Han,
Sui and Tang. Xi'an is the starting point of the Silk Road and home to
the Terracotta Army of Emperor Qin Shi Huang.
Since the 1980s, as part of the economic revival of inland China
especially for the central and northwest regions, the city of Xi'an has
re-emerged as an important cultural, industrial, and educational centre
of the central-northwest region, with facilities for research and
development, national security and space exploration. Xi'an currently
holds sub-provincial status, administering 9 districts and 4 counties.
As of 2018 Xi'an has a population of 12,005,600 and the Xi'an–Xianyang
metropolitan area a population of 12.9 million. It is the most populous
city in Northwest China, as well as one of the three most populous
cities in Western China, the other two being Chongqing and Chengdu. In
2012, it was named as one of the 13 emerging megacities, or
megalopolises, in China.
Note: As for the final visiting route, please refer to the final program.