Introduction
Xian,as the capital of Shaanxi Province,provide China a rich histrrican and cultural backdrop.Thirteen Dynasty has built it’s capital in Xi’an,more than 1500 years.In Chinese ,Xi’an means ‘Western Peace”.It used to be called Chang’an which means “esternal peace”in the old time,it got the name of Xi’an in the Ming Dynasty.From the 11th century BC.,an astonishing eleven dynasties including the Han,Sui,Tang,Ming and Qing ruled from here. Emperor Qin Shihuang,who united the whole of China,made Xi’an his seat of power.At this time all roads led to Xi’an,which became the last stop on the famed trade route of the Silk Road.As a center of international trade many forms of commerce passed through the city giving it a truly multicultural society.
Found within the now rather isolated and arid province of Shaanxi,modern –day Xi’an is polluted and industrial due to its fast pace of modernization,like so many capitalist driven cities of 21st century China.Today it is difficult to believe that Xi’an once challenged such cities as Rome for the title of the greatest city in the world and that for thousands of years this booming metropolis was unrivalled in Aisa.Not much remains of its grand legacy ,though it is one of the few cities in this vast land that still has an intact city wall.It is,however,the world renowned Terracotta Warriors that put Xi’an on the map,making it an essential part of any trip to China.These dramatic guardians of the buried Emperor Qin provide a fascinating insight into the ancient dynasties and their intriguing ultures.Rivalling such attractions as the Great Wall and Forbidden City,few leave Xi’an without being impressed by the sheer beauty and audacious scale of this buried army.With so much history,there is a lot of to do in Xi’an and the surrounding Shaanxi County,indeed several weeks could be spent absorbing everything .However ,two to four days are usually enough for most visitors to sample what the city has to offer,with many treating Xi’an as a side trip when visiting the capital,Beijing.

Geography
Xian is nested between a flood plain created by 8 surrounding rivers and streams, most of which have been too polluted to be used as sources of fresh water. The city borders the northern foot of the Qinling Mountain Ranges to the south, and the banks of Wei River to the north.The city covers approximately 16,808 km2 of urban area.

Demographics
Its population is around 7.5 million. About 4 million people live in the city area. Xian has a large Muslim quarter which is home to the beautiful 1250 year old Great Mosque of Xian.

Culture
Historically, Xian has been one of the most important cities in the world. The culture of Xian is inherited from the traditions of one of the world's earliest civilizations. The Guanzhong Ren were the cultural antecedent of Xianese, their cultural features are drawn from the Ten Specialities of Guanzhong Ren. Another major part of this culture is Eight Great Sights of Chang'an; storied scenic areas in the region.
The drama of the original Xianese culture, Qinqiang is the oldest and most extensive Chinese Opera of the four major types of Chinese opera. The dialect of Xianese is Shaanxi Hua, which is being assimilated by Standard Mandarin, but still retains much grammar and pronunciation from the Classical Chinese. Because of its long development as a culture, the cuisine of Xian is extensive as well. It is the representative of food of Northwestern China. The most well know local food is the Xianese snack, a traditional food of the Hui people.

Economy
Xian's GDP per capita was ￥27893 (ca. US$3397) in 2003, ranked no. 39 among 659 Chinese cities. Xian is the most industrialized and developed city in the Northwest of China.

Public Transportation
A subway construction project was planned in 2002 to be completed by 2006. The projected Xian subway (No. 1 line) would start from the northwest area of Xian city and stop at the Xian Textile City with a total length of 19.74km. The previous feasibility study didn't get the approval from the Beijing Central Government. In 2004 a new Feasibility study was carried out by the Spanish consortium SUE (Spanish United Engineering) integrated by INOCSA, EUROESTUDIOS and PROINTEC, with a total length of 26.22 km, including 15 stations, a train depot and a multifunction base. According to this Study, the Line 1 will be completed in 2009.