Xi'an
Xi’an is one of China’s four ancient capitals (the others are Beijing, Nanjing and Luoyang). It has been China’s capital a number of times, during the Zhou, Qin, Han, and Tang Dynasties. The city is also the eastern end of the famous ancient Silk Road, which made it one of the richest and most important cities in China in its heyday.
Though the city is rich in historical landmarks, it's chiefly famous for three things: its wall, the Terracotta Army, and its Muslim quarter. Completed in 1370, Xi’an’s city wall is the only complete Ming wall left in China, and today it is very well maintained. Emperor Qin Shihuang, the first emperor of China who united China and ruled from 260 BC to 210 BC, and on his death his tomb was filled with over 8,000 life-sized terracotta soldiers. A farmer digging a well accidentally discovered the tomb in 1974, and the excavation is still ongoing today. Finally, the Great Mosque of Xi’an was built 1,300 years ago during the Tang Dynasty (685-762). Its architecture is entirely Chinese in its design, and even the Arabic script on its pillars is highly Sinocized.
Today Xi’an is one of the most popular tourist destinations in China. It’s the capital of Shaanxi province, a city of 3 million people in the city proper, and many more in the greater urban area.
