Xian

Xian (西安; pinyin: Xī'ān, literal meaning: "Western Peace") is the capital of Shaanxi province, in China and a sub-provincial city. It was one of the Four Great Ancient Capitals of China because it has been the capital of 12 dynasties such as Zhou, Qin, Han and Tang. Xi'an is the eastern end of the Silk Road. The city has more than 3,100 years of history. It was called Cháng'an (長安), meaning "Perpetual Peace", in ancient times.

The city is surrounded by a well-preserved defensive wall.

The Tomb of Qin Shi Huangdi and his Terracotta Army are located outside the city.

It is the sister city with Kyoto, Japan.

Timeline

• 7th century: Buddhist monk Xuan Zang established a sizeable translation centre after returning from India with Sanskrit scriptures. Olopen, a Nestorian Christian monk, built Daqin Pagoda.

• This city was the site of the Xian Incident in 1936 during World War II. Xi'an Incident brought the Communist Party of China and Kuomintang to a truce so the two forces could concentrate on fighting against Japan.