"Xi'an - China's Ancient Capital" a Xi'an Travel Page by mikelisaanna

The city of Xi'an and its predecessors served as China's capital from the country's unification in 221 BC until about 1000 AD. During this period, the city was named Chang'an, and was one of the greatest cities in the world. Xi'an is still a large city, with about 2.7 million people. It is well worth visiting because of its many interesting historical sites, the most famous of which is the Terra Cotta Army, an army of life-sized sculptures that were created and buried to guard the tomb of empeor Qin Shi Huangdi, the first empeor who united China in 221 BC. Other notable sites in and around Xi'an include the Large and Small Wild Goose Pagodas, which were built in the Tang Dynasty, and the intact city wall surrounding Xi'an, which dates from the Ming Dynasty. Xi'an is also home to one of China's best museums, the Shaanxi History Museum, which contains an outstanding collection of artifacts from the various early dynasties that ruled China.