Xi’an

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Xi'an: Big Wild Goose Pagoda

Xi'an: Little Wild Goose Pagoda

Xi'an: Bell Tower

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The Big Wild Goose Pagoda in Sian, Shensi province, China.

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Little Wild Goose Pagoda, Xi'an, Shaanxi province, China, c. early 8th century ce.

Xi’an summary

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Geography & Travel

Xi’an

China

Also known as: Hsi-an, Sian, Xian, Xijing

Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last Updated: Mar 28, 2024 • Article History

Category: Geography & Travel

Wade-Giles romanization:: Hsi-an

Also spelled:: Xian

Conventional:: Sian

Historically:: Chang’an

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Recent News

Mar. 26, 2024, 11:06 PM ET (Taipei Times)

Ma aide teases possible China meeting with Xi

Xi’an, city and capital of Shaanxi sheng (province), north-central China. It is located in the south-central part of the province, at the southern limit of the Loess Plateau. 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. The Xi’an region is one of the most important in the history of China, both as the capital of several ruling dynasties and as a market and trade centre. Xi’an was the eastern terminus of the Silk Road, the ancient trade route that ...(100 of 1034 words)

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