Located in the middle reaches of the Yellow River, Shaanxi is one of the birthplaces of the Chinese nation. There, early Chinese settlers developed a great civilization comparable with that of ancient Egypt, India and the area lying between Tigris and Euphrates rivers. Xi'an, called Chang'an in Han Dynasty with the connotation of "a place of permanent peace", has a history of 3,100 years and is one of the four ancient cities in the world, the other three being Rome in Italy Athens in Greece and Cairo in Egypt.

History of Xian City
Xian is one of the oldest cities in the world with a vivid and rich history and culture. It is not only the birthplace of the Chinese Nation, but also the birthplace of human civilization in Asia and the cultural center of prehistoric civilization. Over a period of more than 2000 years, Xian was the capital for eleven dynasties. Along with Rome and Constantinople, this city was a world leader in culture and trade and played a vital role in bridging the gap between east and west. As such, Xian has a wealth of historical sites and relics to visit and see and is a great place to introduce yourself to Chinese history.

It all began over one million years ago in a little village called Yangshao, which is now held to be one of the first matrifocal societies in the world. In the Bronze Age, the Zhou dynasty made their capital near what is now Xian and the area really came to fame under the Emperor Qin Shi Huang when the empire was united with its capital at Xianyang (about 60 km west of Xian). The magnificent Terra-cotta Army was built during this period to protect the Emperors tomb from eastern invaders.

The Han dynasty is also based here from 206 BC -220 AD and made Xian not only three times bigger than Rome, but an important trade center as the start of the famous Silk Road. In terms of historical and religious relics, the most important age was under the Tang dynasty.

Tang dynasty treasures are visible today in many of the museums including the great Lintong Museum . The city's role as a breeding ground for revolutionary thought continued into the twentieth century when Chang Kaishek's own troops arrested him here in 1936. Archaeologists believe that there are many more exciting discoveries still to be made in this area which will continue to bring fame and funding to this ancient city.

Tourist Attractions of Xian
As one of the six ancient capitals in China, Xi'an served as the seat of 12 imperial capitals for 1,120 years after Chinese society had entered the civilized stage. Xi'an is also a world-famous tourist city, a treasure house of cultural relics. The remains of past civilizations furnish evidence of every major epoch in China's half a million history, making for a particularly illustrative textbook of Chinese culture. The history apparent in Xi'an is so ancient and continuous that the city has no parallel anywhere as a cultural site. Here one can visit the sites once inhabited by its primitive people; admire the bronze wares manufactured in the Bronze Age; wander through the city ruins of the Qin, Han, Sui and Tang Dynasties; imagine for oneself the clamor of the old Oriental metropolis; explore the imperial tombs of the Qin, Han and Tang Dynasties, imony to the pervasive power of the feudal ruling class; ramble in temples and pagoda courtyards, tracing vestiges of the Silk Road; and study stone inscriptions to appreciate Chinese calligraphy. Not least, Xi'an is the site of excavation of the vast army of terracotta warriors and horses from the tomb of China's First Emperor, Qin Shihuang, from whom the country derives its name.

Xi'an was the starting point of the world-famous Silk Road. It can be well likened to a history museum. Moving around this old city is like going through thousands of years back in time. In this vast museum you will see the Banpo Village Remains of a matriarchal community; the Huaqing Hot Springs which was noted as early as the Zhou Dynasty more than 3,000 years back; Qin Shihuang's terra-cotta warriors and horses, known as the eighth wonder of the world; the imperial cemetery grounds of the Han and Tang dynasties; the Great Mosque with unique features; the Big Wild Goose Pagoda and the Small Wild Goose Pagoda built in the Tang Dynasty; the Bell Tower and the Drum Tower of the Ming Dynasty; and the Forest of Steles with a rich collection of age-old stone steles.

Climate of Xian
The climate of Xian belongs to semi-humid temperate climate. Seasons change distinctively; therefore, it is in striking contrast for cold and warm, dry and wet. In spring, weather gets warm rapidly, and it is dry and windy; In summer, temperature is high, and the sunlight is strong. In autumn, it is warm and moist. Sometimes it gets overcast and rainy. Winter is cold and dry with little rain and snow. Climate in Qinling Mountains varies with the altitude, the middle-altitude area temperate climate, and the high altitude area is hiemal climate. The annual average temperature is 13.3 ℃, the extreme highest temperature is 45.2 ℃, the extremely lowest temperature is - 20.6 ℃and annual average rainfall is 604.2 millimeters. Frost-free period is 207 days. The weather is favorable to crop-growing and people's living. The following data can show a clear picture of what the weather of Xian is like throughout a year.