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The two Chinese characters in the name "Xi'an" literally mean Western Peace. As one of the oldest cities in Chinese history, Xi'an is one of the Four Great Ancient Capitals of China as it has been the capital of some of the most important dynasties in Chinese history, including the Zhou, Qin, Han, the Sui, and Tang dynasties.
Xi'an marks the begining of the Silk Road (or end if you've come from the west!) and is known as the site of the Terracotta Army. The city has more than 3,100 years of history therefore has many important historical sites, and some are ongoing archaeological projects, such as the Mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang and his Terracotta Army.
Xi'an become a cultural and industrial center of China in 11th century BCE when it became the capital with the founding of the Zhou Dynasty. Following the Warring States Period, China was unified under the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BCE) for the first time in history, the capital remained in the Xi'an region. The first emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang ordered the construction of the Terracotta Army and his mausoleum just east of Xi'an shortly before his death.
The Qin Dynasty was short lived and was followed by several hundred years of unrest, until China united again in the sixth century. The emperor of Sui Dynasty ordered a new capital to be built, again remaining in the Xi'an region. A massive city, it consisted of three sections: the Xi'an Palace, the Imperial City, and the civilian section, with a total area of 84 km² within the city walls. At the time, it was the largest city in the world.
Xi'an was renamed Chang'an in the Tang Dynasty, and its reign over China finally ended in the tenth century when it was devastated at the end of the Tang Dynasty. Residents were forced to move to the new capital city in Luoyang, and only a small area in the city continued to be occupied thereafter.
Later during the Ming Dynasty, a new wall was constructed in 1370 and remains intact to this day. The wall is 12m tall and 15-18m thick at the base; a moat was also built outside the walls. The new wall and moat would protect a much smaller city of 12 km². Could they have guessed that in the future tourists would enjoy cycling along its top almost as much as visiting the Terracotta Warriors!
As part of the economic revival of interior China, the City of Xi'an has re-emerged as an important cultural, industrial and educational center, with facilities for research and development, national security and China's space exploration program. Because of the city's many historical monuments and a plethora of ancient ruins and tombs in the vicinity, tourism has been an important component of the local economy, and the Xi'an region is one of China's most popular tourist destinations.
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