XI’AN
Xi'an (Chinese: 西安; pinyin: Xī'ān; Wade-Giles: Hsi-An; Postal map spelling: Sian; historically known as Cháng'ān), is the capital of the Shaanxi province in the People's Republic of China and a sub-provincial city. As one of the oldest cities in Chinese history, Xi'an is one of the Four Great Ancient Capitals of China because it has been the capital (under various names) of some of the most important dynasties in Chinese history, including the Zhou, Qin, Han, the Sui, and Tang dynasties.Xi'an is the eastern terminus of the Silk Road and known as the site of the Terracotta Army, made during the Qin Dynasty.The city has more than 3,100 years of history, and was known as Chang'an (traditional Chinese: 長安; simplified Chinese: 长安; pinyin: Cháng'ān; literally "Perpetual Peace") before the Ming Dynasty.
Since the 1990s, as part of the economic revival of interior China especially for the central and northwest regions, the City of Xi'an has re-emerged as an important cultural, industrial and educational center of the central-northwest region, with facilities for research and development, national security and China's space exploration program.
The two Chinese characters in the name "Xi'an" literally mean Western Peace. The local Xi'anese pronunciation of Xi'an is almost the same as the Standard Mandarin pronunciation in Hanyu Pinyin. This name derives from the Ming Dynasty, when the city's name changed from its former title of "Chang'an". In fact, the naming conventions used for the city have often changed throughout time. The city was named "Fenghao" (丰鎬) in the Zhou Dynasty (周) beginning around 1046 BC. It was renamed Chang'an (長安) during the Han Dynasty (汉) in 206 BC. It was then renamed as Daxing (大興) during the Sui Dynasty (隋) in 581 AD, then renamed Chang'an during the Tang Dynasty beginning in 618 AD. It was given other names in later periods, such as Fengyuan (奉元), then Anxi (安西), then Jingzhao (京兆) during the Yuan (元) Dynasty. Finally, it was named Xi'an in the year 1369 AD during the Ming Dynasty. It retained the name of Xi'an until 1928, until it was named Xijing (西京) in 1930. It was once again changed back to its Ming-era name of Xi'an in the year 1943.
Xi'an's abbreviations in Chinese are Hao (鎬) or Tang (唐). The former is derived from the ancient name Fenghao of the Zhou Dynasty. The latter is derived from the name of Tang Dynasty.
HISTORY
Xi'an has a rich and culturally significant history. The Lantian Man was discovered in 1963 in Lantian County (蓝田县; pinyin: Lántián Xiàn), 50 km southeast of Xi'an, and dates back at least 500,000 years before present. A 6,500 year old Banpo (半坡) Neolithic village in was discovered in 1954 on the outskirts of the city proper.
Xi'an become a cultural and industrial center of China in 11th century BCE with the founding of the Zhou Dynasty. The capital of Zhou was established in Fēng (沣/灃) and Hào (镐/鎬), both located just west of contemporary Xi'an. Following the Warring States Period, China was unified under the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BCE) for the first time, with the capital located at Xianyang (咸阳), just northwest from modern Xi'an. The first emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang ordered the construction of the Terracotta Army and his mausoleum just east of Xi'an shortly before his death.
In 202 BCE, the founding emperor Liu Bang of the Han Dynasty established his capital in Chang'an County; his first palace Changle Palace (长乐宫/長樂宮, perpetual happiness) was built across the river from the ruin of the Qin capital. This is traditionally regarded as the founding date of Chang'an, or Xi'an. Two years later, Liu Bang built Weiyang Palace (未央宫) north of modern Xi'an. The original Xi'an city wall was started in 194 BCE and took 4 years to finish. Upon completion, the wall measured 25.7 km in length and 12-16 m in thickness at the base, enclosing an area of 36 km². In year 190, amidst uprisings and rebellions just prior to the Three Kingdoms Period, a powerful warlord named Dong Zhuo moved the court from Luoyang to Chang'an in a bid to avoid a coalition of other powerful warlords against him.
Following several hundred years of unrest, Sui Dynasty united China again in 582. The emperor of Sui ordered a new capital to be built southeast of the Han capital, called DaXing (大兴/大興, great excitement). It consisted of three sections: the Xi'an Palace, the Imperial City, and the civilian section, with a total area of 84 km² within the city walls. At the time, it was the largest city in the world. The city was renamed Chang'an in the Tang Dynasty. In the mid-7th century, after returning from his pilgrimage to India, Buddhist monk Xuan Zang (popularly known as Tang Sanzang) established a translation center for Sanskrit scriptures.
Construction of the Da Yan Pagoda (大雁塔, Great Wild Goose Pagoda) began in 652. This pagoda was 64 m in height, and was built to store the translations of Buddhist sutras obtained from India by the Xuan Zang. In 707, construction of the Xiao Yan Pagoda (小雁塔, Little Wild Goose Pagoda) began, and measured 45 m tall at the time of completion. An earthquake in 1556 damaged the tower and reduced its height to 43.4 m.
Chang'an was devastated at the end of the Tang Dynasty in 904. Residents were forced to move to the new capital city in Luoyang. Only a small area in the city continued to be occupied thereafter. During the Ming Dynasty, a new wall was constructed in 1370 and remains intact to this day. The wall measures 11.9 km in circumference, 12 m in height, and 15-18 m in thickness at the base; a moat was also built outside the walls. The new wall and moat would protect a much smaller city of 12 km².
In 1936, the Xi'an Incident took place inside the city walls during the Chinese Civil War. The incident brought the Communist Party of China and Kuomintang to a truce to in order to concentrate on fighting against the Japanese Invasion.
XIAN CUISINE
Xi'an cuisine has a good, hearty style that should never let you leave the table hungry. Noodles and dumplings are the staples of the local food and these are almost always filling and warming.
Yangrou Paomo is a tasty Xi'an specialty that consists of a mutton soup served with wheat flour flat bread. The hard bread is broken up and added to the soup. Then the mixture is eaten along with pickled garlic cloves.
Cuisines in Xi'anIt makes for a hearty, filling meal that is not very expensive. This Xi'an specialty can be found at several restaurants that have become famous for their delicious Yangrou paomo, as well as a small "mom and pop" restaurants throughout Xi'an. Xiguan Beef and Lamb Paomo Restaurant, Tongshengxiang Beef and Lamb Paomo Restaurant, and Chunfasheng Paomo Restaurant are all good places to go for this tasty meal.
When traveling in Xi'an, one special cate you should not miss is the Jiaozi Banquet. Jiaozi or Dumpling is a kind 
of famous fillings wrapped by flour skin in the north of China, which has a very long history. As far back as the Western Han Dynasty (B.C.206-A.D.24) Period Jiaozi was a common food on the table of the residents who lived in the capital city, Chang'an (now called Xi'an). In 1984, this food was primarily presented on the banquet table by the Xi'an Dumpling Feast Restaurant on Jiefang Road. The Xi'an Jiaozi banquets are known for their rich materials and different tastes as well as their attractive shapes. Firstly, their materials of fillings are made from seasonal vegetables, poultry meat, fish, red meat and the delicacies from land and sea, such as the hedgehog fungus, sea pumpkins, shark fins and black mosses etc. Therefore, there are more than one hundred tastes of the Jiaozi on the Xi'an jiaozi banquets. They nearly including all flavors from soup to nuts, for instance, the tomato flavor, chili flavor, fragrant fish flavor, five flavors, fresh and salt combined flavor, sweet-and-sour flavor, curry flavor, oyster sauce flavor, spiced flavor, chili oil flavor and so forth. Secondly, the cookeries of Jiaozi are diversiform. Usually, the basic cooking methods are steaming, frying, parching and boiling. And because with the diverse fillings, the making processes of Jiaozi are very different, the Chinese cookeries such as cooking, sauting, boiling briefly, quick frying, braising and stuffing are put into fullplay. Thirdly, the shapes of the Jiaozi are very wonder. They look like some fancy handicraft articles, some look like butterflies, penguins, green leaves, goldfishes, swallow nests, mandarin ducks, gold (or silver) ingots, flowers, trumpet shells, Apsarases, clouds and pearls etc. all kinds of strange shapes to cannot say. In addition, the names of the Jiaozi on the banquet tables are poetically: Flying Butterflies, Fish Breaking, Black Dragon Lying on the Snow, Dragons Disturbing the Sea, White Rabbits on the Green Lawn, Sending Charcoal in Snowy Weather, Have a Pleasant Journey and the like, everyone is a delight to the eyes and makes your mouth water, at this moment you may have not the heart to touch them or put one in your mouth.
Some other Xi'an snacks and special dishes include: Sour Soup Dumplings and Guantang Steamed Baozi.
TERRACOTTA ARMY
The Terracotta Army (traditional Chinese: 兵馬俑; simplified Chinese: 兵马俑; pinyin: bīngmǎ yǒng; literally "soldier and horse funerary statues") are the Terracotta Warriors and Horses of Qin Shi Huang the First Emperor of China. The terracotta figures, dating from 210 BC, were discovered in 1974 by several local farmers near Xi'an, Shanxi province, China near the Mausouleum of the First Qin Emperor. (Chinese: 秦始皇陵; pinyin: Qín Shǐhuáng Líng). The figures vary in height (183–195cm - 6ft–6ft 5in), according to their role, the tallest being the generals. The figures include warriors, chariots, horses, officials, acrobats, strongmen, and musicians. Current estimates are that in the three pits containing the Terracotta Army there were over 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots with 520 horses and 150 cavalry horses, the majority of which are still buried in the pits.
The Terracotta Army was discovered in eastern outer suburbs of Xi'an, Shaanxi Province by local farmers drilling a water well 1.5 miles east of Lishan (a mountain).This discovery prompted archaeologists to proceed to Shaanxi Province, China to investigate. The Terracotta Army is a form of funerary art buried with the First Emperor of Qin (Qin Shi Huang, Shi Huang means the first emperor) in 210-209 BC (he declared himself the first emperor of China in 221 BC to the end of his life in 210 BC). Their purpose was to help rule another empire with Shi Huang Di in the afterlife. Consequently, they are also sometimes referred to as "Qin's Armies." Mount Lishan is also where the material to make the terracotta warriors originated. In addition to the warriors, an entire man-made necropolis for the emperor has been excavated.
According to the historian Sima Qian (145 BC-90 BC) construction of this mausoleum began in 246 BC and involved 700,000 workers. Qin Shi Huang was thirteen when construction began. Sima Qian, in his most famous history of China, Shiji, completed a century after the mausoleum completion, wrote that the First Emperor was buried with palaces, scenic towers, officials, valuable utensils and 'wonderful objects,' with 100 rivers fashioned in mercury and above this heavenly bodies below which he wrote were 'the features of the earth.' Some translations of this passage refer to 'models' or 'imitations' but in fact he does not use those words. Recent scientific work at the site has shown high levels of mercury in the soil of Mount Lishan, appearing to add credence to the writing of ancient historian Sima Qian. The tomb of Shi Huang Di is near an earthen pyramid 76 meters tall and nearly 350 square meters. The tomb remains unopened, in the hope that it will remain intact. Only a portion of the site is presently excavated.
Qin Shi Huang’s necropolis complex was constructed to serve as an imperial compound or palace. It comprises several offices, halls and other structures and is surrounded by a wall with gateway entrances. The remains of the craftsmen working in the tomb have also been found within its confines, and it is believed they were sealed inside alive to prevent them from divulging information about the tombs.
It was also said as a legend that the Terracotta Warriors were real soldiers, buried with Emperor Qin so that they can guard him in the next life.
The terracotta figures were manufactured both in workshops by government laborers and also by local craftsmen. The head, arms, legs and torsos were created separately and then assembled. Studies show that eight face moulds were most likely used, and then clay was added to provide individual facial features. Once assembled, intricate features such as facial expressions were added. It is believed that their legs were made in much the same way that terracotta drainage pipes were manufactured at the time. This would make it an assembly line production, with specific parts manufactured and assembled after being fired, as opposed to crafting one solid piece of terracotta and subsequently firing it. In those days, each workshop was required to inscribe its name on items produced to ensure quality control. This has aided modern historians in verifying that workshops that once made tiles and other mundane items were commandeered to work on the terracotta army. Upon completion, the terracotta figures were placed in the pits in precise military formation according to rank and duty.
The terracotta figures are life-like and life-sized. They vary in height, uniform and hairstyle in accordance with rank. The colored lacquer finish, individual facial features, and actual weapons and armor from battle were used in manufacturing these figures created a realistic appearance. The original weapons were stolen shortly after the creation of the army and the coloring has faded greatly. However, their existence serves as a testament to the amount of labour and skill involved in their construction. It also reveals the power the First Emperor possessed, enabling him to command such a monumental undertaking as this.
The four pits associated with the dig are about 1.5km east of the burial ground and are about 7 meters deep.The outside walls of the tomb complex are as if placed there to protect the tomb from the east, where all the conquered states lay. They are solidly built with rammed earth walls and ground layers as hard as concrete. Pit one, 230 meters long, contains the main army, estimated at 8,000 figures. Pit One has 11 corridors, most of which are over 3 meters wide, and paved with small bricks with a wooden ceiling supported by large beams and posts. This design was also used for the tombs of noblemen and would have resembled palace hallways. The wooden ceilings were covered with reed mats and layers of clay for waterproofing, and then mounded with more soil making them, when built about 2 to 3 meters higher than ground level. Pit two has cavalry and infantry units as well as war chariots, and is thought to represent a military guard. Pit three is the command post, with high ranking officers and a war chariot. Pit four is empty, seemingly left unfinished by its builders.
There is evidence of a large fire that burned the wooden structures that once housed the Terracotta Army. It was described by Sima Qian, who said that the fire was a consequence of a raid on the tomb by General Xiang Yu less than five years after the death of the First Emperor. According to Sima Qian, General Xiang’s army looted the tomb and the structures holding the Terracotta Army, as well as setting fire to the necropolis and starting a blaze that allegedly lasted three months. Because of this, only one statue has survived intact: a statue of a kneeling archer. Despite the fire, however, much of the remains of the Terracotta Army still survives in various stages of preservation, surrounded by remnants of the burnt wooden structures.
CITY WALL OF XI'AN
The fortifications of Xi'an, an ancient capital of China, represent one of the oldest
and best preserved Chinese city walls. Construction of the first city wall of Chang'an began in 194 BCE and lasted for four years. That wall measured 25.7 km in length, 12-16 m in thickness at the base. The area within the wall was ca. 36 km². The existing wall was started by the Ming Dynasty in 1370. It encircles a much smaller city of 12 km². The wall measures 11.9 km in circumference, 12 m in height, and 15-18 m in thickness at the base.
BELL TOWER
The Bell Tower of Xi'an (Chinese: 西安钟楼), built in 1384 during the early Ming Dynasty, is a symbol of the city of Xi'an and one of the grandest of its kind in China. The Bell Tower also contains several large bronze-casted bells from the Tang Dynasty. The tower base is square and it covers an area of 1,377 square meters. The tower is a brick and timber structure and close to 40 meters high.
There are several legends regarding the Bell Tower, one of them tells:
In Ming Dynasty, several earthquakes struck Guanzhong area, thousands are dead and injured. Then a legend appeared: There was a great river flowing across the center of Xi'an City. A dragon in the river was always active and caused trouble, so the earthquake happened. An official of Xi'an government believed these words, so he ordered the blacksmith of the whole city to make a several thousand feet long iron chain in order to lock the dragon and sink it to river. He then ordered 5,000 craftsmen to repair the Bell Tower day and night. In order, to use the tower to lock the dragon - the central of the city. He believes this should suppress the dragon firmly under the river and so it not longer can be active and cause trouble again. After establishing the Bell Tower, earthquake did not occur in Xi'an again.
According to another legend:
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