Xi'an was one of the most important cradles of Chinese civilization. It marked the start of the famous "Silk Road" that linked China with central Asia and the Roman Empire. And it served as the first capital of a unified China and capital of 11 dynasties periodically from the 11th century B.C. to the early 10th century A.D. Xi'an, or Chang'an as it was called in ancient times, is known as the city of "Everlasting Peace." Located between rivers and mountains in the center of the fertile Guanzhong Plain in Shaanxi Province, Xi'an--the provincial capital--was a natural place to nurture the nation's civilization.

Location: Xi'an located at 33 degrees 39' N and 107 degrees 40' E, is the capital of Shaanxi province, located in the southern part of the Guanzhong Plain. With the Qinling Mountains to the south and the Weihe River to the north, it is in a favorable geographical location surrounded by water and hills.

Area: Xi'an has an area of 9,983 sq km.

Climate: Xi'an is situated in the center of the Guanzhong Plains, surrounded by Mountains in the south and the Wei River in the north. Xi'an is also a city blessed with a pleasant climate most of the year round and it's possible to pleasurably visit this city at almost any time of the year.
The coldest month here is January, with an average temperature of 0°C although Xi'an has only a minimal snow level. The hottest and most unpleasant month is June, with an average temperature of 26 °C.
The summers here can also be very dry so make sure you have plenty of drinking water with you when you go sightseeing!! The average temperature for the year is 13 °C.

Time: Time used in Beijing and all over China is called Beijing Standard Time. It is 8 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT + 8), and 13 hours ahead of New York time.

Population: 7.16 million , half of the people live on the outskirt of the city.

Transportation: As the transport and communication center in northwest China, xian has played the role in linking the east and the west, and the south and the north of the country. The Xian Xianyang International Airport is the biggest international airport in northwest China. The number of foreign tourists entering China through the airport comes out in front among the interior cities in China. Main railway lines in Xian lead to all parts of the country.

Industry: In the Neolithic Age, about 6,000 years ago, excavations show a matriarchal clan was formed at Banpo village in the region. Thousands of years later, the Zhou Dynasty kings established their capital in settlements only a few miles from the present-day city. In 231 B.C., Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of unified China, set about enlarging the settlement of Xiangyang, about 15 miles northwest of the city. This town, established under earlier Qin rulers as the capital, became heavily populated, so that in 213 B.C., Qin Shi Huang decided to move his court to the south bank of the Wei River. A vast palace was begun, however, work was never completed in his lifetime. Some years later when the Qin fell to the Han (206 B.C.), this and most of the other palaces were destroyed. The conqueror, Liu Bang, first emperor of the Han Dynasty, also established the site of his capital only a few miles north of modern Xi'an.