Overview
Xi'an is the capital of Shaanxi Province, China. It is the oldest of the Four Great Ancient Capitals in China, had been the position under several of the most important dynasties, such as Western Zhou, Qin, Western Han, Sui, and Tang Dynasties, playing an important role in Chinese history. Moreover, Xi'an is the start city of the Silk Road and home to the Terracotta Army of Emperor Qin Shi Huang.

Basic Information
Dialing code: (+86) 029
Zip code: 710000
Area: Xian has an area of 9,983 square metres
Main attractions in Xian: Terracotta Warrior, Xian City Wall, Big Wild Goose Pagoda, Small Wild Goose Pagoda, The Bell Tower, etc.
Population: about 7 Million

Administration
Xi'an currently holds sub-provincial status, administering 9 districts and 4 counties. As of 2015 Xi'an has a population of 8,705,600 and the Xi'an-Xianyang metropolitan area has a population of 13,569,700. It is the most populous city in Northwest China, as well as one of the three most populous cities in Western China.

Location
It is a sub-provincial city located in the center of the Guanzhong Plain in Northwest China. The city site is on a low plain on the south bank of the Wei River. Just to the south the Qin (Tsingling) Mountains rise dramatically above the plain.

Climates
Xi’an features in a warm temperate semi-humid continental monsoon climate with distinct four seasons. It is characterized by hot, humid summers, cold, dry winters, and dry springs and autumns. The rain season is from July to October; Snow occasionally falls in winter but rarely settles for long. Dust storms often occur during March and April as the city rapidly warms up. Summer months also experience frequent but short thunderstorms. The annual average temperature is 13.4 ?(56.1 °F). See the temperatures page for a monthly breakdown and the fixed scale graph. Average monthly temperatures vary by 26.8 °C (48.2°F). This indicates that the continental type is continental, subtype sub-continental. In general, the weather in Xi'an is pleasant all year round, but the best time to visit Xi'an is in spring and autumn.

Public City Transportation
A subway construction project was planned in 2002 to be completed by 2006. Xian subway line 1 starts 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.

Economy
With the profound history in China, there are many cultural sites, including the Terracotta Army, the City Wall of Xi'an, and the Famen Temple, make tourism an important industry in Xi'an. In 2010, 52 million domestic tourists visited Xi'an, earning a total income of RMB 40.52 billion. On average, revenue increases by 36.4 percent per year, and foreign-exchange earnings (530 million in 2009) increase by around 35.8 percent.

Xi'an also is one of the first service outsourcing cities in China, with over 800 corporations in the industry. The city's output value from this sector exceeded RMB 23 billion in 2008. Employment in the sector doubled from 1997–2006, from a base of 60,000, and computer consulting also doubled from 16,000 to 32,000. As a result of the importance of the software-outsourcing industry, the city planned construction of a Software New Town, which is scheduled to be completed in 2015 with 30 billion RMB investment. Other major export goods include lighting equipment and automobile parts, while its major import goods are mechanical and electrical products. Internationally, Xi'an's largest trade partner is the United States.

Tourism
Xi'an is the first batch of China's excellent tourism city. Xi'an cultural heritages have characteristic of centralized distribution, well reserved, and high level of cultural relics. In China tourism resource censor of 155 basic types, Xi'an tourism resources account for 89. Around Xian there are 72 imperial tombs, including the first emperor Qin mausoleum, Zhou, Qin, Han, Tang four big cities sites.

Culture & Education
Xian's culture is based on a very early civilization called the Guanzhong Ren. Many people come to this city to experience this culture thus enhancing tourism. Qingqiang is the typical opera of Shaanxi Province. This distinctive opera is actually more local yodeling than real opera! This type of singing originated in the fields and countryside surrounding Xi'an when locals who used to shout to one another across the fields gradually developed a system of song to enable them to communicate! 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.

While Buddhism is the main religion practiced by many people in China, Xian has an extensive Muslim population and the city also has a magnificent 1200 year old mosque.