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Xian
is the capital of Shaanxi province in China and a sub-provincial
city. One of the most important cities in Chinese history,
Xian was one of the Four Great Ancient Capitals of China
because it has been the capital of 13 dynasties, to
name a few, Zhou, Qin, Han and Tang. Xian was the start
point of the Silk Road. The city has more than 3,100
years of history. It was called Chang'an, meaning "Forever
Peace" in those old days. Xian is the largest and
most developed city in the central to the northwestern
part of China and is ranked among the 10 largest cities
in the nation. If you are planning a trip to China,
Xian is a stop you can not miss!
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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.
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