About Xi'an

Xi’an was the home to Chinese emperors for a longer period of time than any other city in the country’s 5000 year history. Today, the Alliance is honored to establish its fourth China program at Xi’an International Studies University, in the heart of this region that provides striking ancient-modern contrasts where Terracotta Warriors and a 13.5 km-long, six century-old city wall still reign. Xi’an: Art, History, and the Silk Road is a palpable sampling of China’s essence – old and new. It draws beauty, cultures and conquests together focusing on the period of the world’s history where China (and Xi’an in particular) was by many accounts the most advanced and sophisticated spot on the globe.

Xi'an facts:

Xi'an is a thriving metropolis with a distinct flavor. While certainly a part of modern China, it is no longer the country's epicenter. The pace of life is slower than in Beijing and Shanghai. A snapshot of the average Xi'an city street today hearkens memories of Beijing a decade or more ago. Closer, too, is the countryside to Xi'an. A short train or bus ride from Xi'an station puts one squarely into China's heartland.

Geography and Population

Xi'an lies on the Guanzhong Plain in the central part of China with the average elevation of 400 meters above sea level. Xi'an is nestled between a flood plain created by the eight surrounding rivers and streams. The Hei River provides potable water to the city. The city borders the northern foot of the Qinling Mountains to the south, and the banks of the Wei River to the north. Hua Shan, one of the five sacred Taoist mountains, is located 100 km away to the east of the city.

The city proper is home to roughly 3 million residents. Over 8 million Chinese live in the surrounding metro region.

Economy

Xi'an is the largest industrial center in China's mid-west to northwest region. Xi'an has also consistently received one of the largest amounts of foreign direct investment amounts among cities in western China. Import-export in the industrial sector makes up more than 60% of the city's total trading volume.

Consumerism

Traditional downtown Xian refers to the area encircled by the city wall, this has now been expanded to encompass the area within the second ring road (Er' huan Lu). The Bell Tower is the geographical center of Xian and much of the consumerism radiates out from here. Xi'an's four main streets are respectively Dong Dajie, Xi Dajie, Nan Dajie and Bei Dajie which are also the main commercial streets. Xiao Zhai, the busiest commercial area is in the southern part of the city and is popular with both youth and students since many universities are located here. Shuyuan Men and the still under construction Luoma Shi are must-visit pedestrian streets in the city. There is an ever increasing amount of activity day and night, as locals and visitors stroll on the ancient Big Wild Goose Pagoda Square, visit shops, enjoy meals and watch the spectacular nightly music fountain performance.

Praised as 'the capital of table delicacies', Xian offers rich varieties of delicious Shaanxi snacks, delicate Guangdong Cuisine, and popular Sichuan Cuisine such as the hot pot. Among all the delicacies, the most famous and popular one is the Muslim Snack Street. As the most important city in northwest China, Xi'an provides numerous shopping outlets - local and foreign managed. There are many big shopping centers, department stores and supermarkets in and around Xian city - the biggest and most comprehensive being Kai Yuan Shopping Mall and Century Ginwa Shopping Mall.

Architecture and Urban Development

Seven styles of architecture dominate urban Xi'an, the first three include the architecture of Qin and Han Dynasties, the architecture of Tang Dynasty and the architecture of Ming and Qing Dynasties. These three styles are all Chinese traditional, but they may be differentiated by the colors of the roof and certain details. For Qin and Han Style, the roof is black, and no decorations are used under the roof. For Tang style, people began to use a lot of the color red but still prefer the black or dark green roof, and the buildings were all divine and huge to show off the power of the country; when the history went into Ming and Qing dynasties, roof's color changed to yellow, and people placed tremendous value on details, such as drawings and prints under the roof.

After the Qing dynasty came Republic of China style before the PRC was established. This type of architecture is perhaps best exemplified by the People's Showplace. Then, there is what is sometimes referred to as the Sino-Soviet style, built between the 1950s and the 1970s, with the help of the U.S.S.R., mostly centralized in the western part of the city where there are many factories. Also, there are much more modern architectural forms - most notably in the High-Tech Zone and the Economic-Development Zone.

At present, a new Chinese architectural form called New Tang Style can be mainly found in Qujiang, which inherits the soul of tradition and develops itself on the base of modern architecture; the Shaanxi History Museum and the Xi'an Museum are examples of this style.

Ethnic Mix

The majority of Xi'an residents are Han Chinese, which make up 99.1% of the city's total population. There are around 81,500 ethnic minorities living in Xi'an, including 50,000 Muslim Hui people, many of them concentrated in the famous Muslim quarter, which is also home to the beautiful 1,360 year old Great Mosque of Xi'an.

Religion

Like the majority of China Xi'an is roughly 98% Buddhist and Taoist, 1% Christian, 1% Muslim and other denominations. However, as the Eastern terminus of the Silk Road, Xi'an shows signs of imported religions that forever changed China's landscapes. Modern Xi'an has a more prominent religious side than most Chinese cities. Buddhist temples, pagodas and the Great (Muslim) Mosque color Xi'an's skyline.

Average Temperatures

Average January high temperatures: 39¡F average low: 25F
Average July high temperatures: 87¡F average low: 71F
Xi'an's annual precipitation is 1100 millimeters.
 

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