Xi’an summary

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

Xi’an , or Hsi-an conventional Sian, City (pop., 2003 est.: 2,657,900), capital of Shaanxi province, central China. Located on the Wei River, the site served as the capital of several dynasties beginning in the 11th century bce. It became one of the most splendid cities of the ancient world during the Tang dynasty (618–907 ce) and was a thriving commercial centre. Marco Polo visited in the 13th century. It was an entry point in the 1920s for communist ideology from the Soviet Union. In 1936, after Nationalist leader Chiang Kai-shek had been kidnapped there (see Xi’an Incident), the communists and Nationalists formed a united front against Japanese invaders. It is the site of several educational institutions and numerous temples and pagodas. It became an important tourist destination after the discovery of the nearby tomb of Emperor Shihuangdi, with its army of 6,000 life-size terra-cotta warriors (designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1987).

Qin tomb Summary

Qin tomb, major Chinese archaeological site near the ancient capital city of Chang’an, Shaanxi sheng (province), China, now near the modern city of Xi’an. It is the burial place of the first sovereign emperor, Shihuangdi of the Qin dynasty (221–207 bce), who unified the empire, began construction

Karst scenery near Xi'an, Shaanxi province, China.

Shaanxi Summary

Shaanxi, sheng (province) of north-central China. It is bordered by the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region to the north, Shanxi province to the east, Henan and Hubei provinces to the southeast, Chongqing municipality and Sichuan province to the south, Gansu province to the west, and the Hui

China Summary

China, country of East Asia. It is the largest of all Asian countries. Occupying nearly the entire East Asian landmass, it covers approximately one-fourteenth of the land area of Earth, and it is almost as large as the whole of Europe. China is also one of the most populous countries in the world,