Xi’an (xī ‘ān 西安) is located in the middle of the 800-li Qinchuan (bā bǎi lǐ qín chuān 八百里秦川). It is bordered on the south by the Qingling Mountain Range (qín lǐng 秦岭), and on the north by the Weihe River (wèi hé 渭河), with a terrain sloping from the southeast to the northwest. There are many rivers in the city. Since ancient times, it is celebrated for“eight rivers flowing around Chang’an (cháng ān 长安, the old name for Xi’an in ancient times)".

Xi’an is an important center for the origin of ancient civilization in the drainage of the Yellow River (huáng hé 黄河). Xi’an, together with Athens, Rome and Cairo, are called the world’s four great ancient capitals. It was called Chang’an in ancient times. It has 3000 years of recorded history. Form the Western Zhou Dynasty (xī zhōu 西周) to the Tang Dynasty (táng cháo 唐朝), Xi’an has been the capital of 12 dynasties for 2000 years. The Han and The Tang dynasties are considered the zenith of Xi’an.

Chang’an in the Han Dynasty (hàn cháo 汉朝) was 2 times larger than ancient Rome. It in the Tang Dynasty was the largest and most cosmopolitan city in the world, measuring 84.1km2, 2.4 times the size of the Han Chang’an, with over one million residents.

Xi’an has a relatively advanced industry. Its machinery, electronics, electrical appliances, textiles and national defense industries are celebrated throughout the country. As a famous city of history and culture, it is also one of the main tourist attractions.

The Big Wild Goose Pagoda

The Big Wild Goose Pagoda (dà yàn tǎ 大雁塔) is considered to be symbol of ancient Xi’an. The original one had five storeys. When Wu Zetian (wǔ zé tiān 武则天, the only empress in Chinese history) came to the throne, it was expanded to 10 storeys. Subsequently, it was devastated by wars and fires. Now it has only seven storeys, with a height of 64 m.

The Pool of Glorious Purity
 
The Pool of Glorious Purity (huá qīng chí 华清池) is an old famous hot spring whose temperature is about 43. It is the place where the Emperor Xuanzong (xuán zōng huáng dì 玄宗皇帝) of the Tang Dynasty and Concubine Yang (yáng guì fēi 杨贵妃) often came here. The water here contains various chemical elements that are good for medical and health care.


中国古都之西安

      西安在八百里秦川中部，南依秦岭，北临渭河，其地势东南高，西北地，市区有多条河流，自古就有“八水绕长安”之美称。西安是中国黄河流域古代文明的重要发源地之一，与雅典、罗马、开罗并称为世界四大古都。西安古称长安，距今已有3000多年的历史。自西周时起直道唐代，先后有12个王朝在这里建都，历经2000余年。汉、唐两代，更是西安的鼎盛时期，汉代的长安城相当于古罗马城的3倍，唐代的长安城则为汉长安城的2.4倍，面积达84.1平方千米，人口达百万以上，是当时世界上最繁华的城市。

      西安的工业发达，以机械、电子、电器、纺织和国防工业著称。同时作为历史文化名城，也是旅游热点城市之一。

大雁塔
      大雁塔被认为是古西安的象征，初建为5层，唐代武则天时扩建为10层。后被战火破坏，现存7层，塔高64米。

华清池
      华清池是一个古老而著名的温泉，相传唐玄宗和杨贵妃常留连于此。泉水温度为43C，含有多种化学成分，对人体有医疗保健作用。

半坡遗址
      半坡遗址是黄河流域规模最大、保存最完整的原始社会母系氏族村落遗址。