Xi'an
Xi'an is the capital of Shan-xi Province and often regarded as the true historic
capital of China. Xi'an was once amongst the most magnificent cities in the
world. The region of Xi'an has been inhabited as far back as 6000 years. For 11
dynasties, from the 11th century BC, the city was also the capital of China. The
first emperor of the unified China, Qin Shi huang founded the capital of
Xianyang, which is a bit west of Xi'an. Following the Qin was the Han dynasty
that moved the capital further east, to the plain where Xi'an now is.
The city
is most famous for the 8000 lifesize Terracotta Warriors. Many other tombs from
Han and Tang Dynasties are still unexcavated. There are numerous tombs,
pavilions, museums and pagodas to be seen in the city.
It was the starting point of the ancient trade route with the West known as the
Silk Road, and is now, after Beijing, the most popular tourist attraction in
China.