"Xi'an" a Xi'an Travel Page by bsfreeloader

With a metro-area population of more than 6.5 million people, Xi’an is one of China’s largest cities. It also is one of the country’s oldest cities. Dating back several thousand years, Xi’an is one of China’s six ancient capitals and is steeped in history. The city served as the capital for no less than twelve imperial dynasties, and seventy-three former emperors are buried in the surrounding countryside. The most famous of these (or infamous), Emperor Qin Shi Huangdi, was the first emperor to unify China’s divided territories into one nation and standardize its written language. He is better known for being buried surrounded by an army of terracotta warriors. These warriors draw most visitors to Xi’an, but there is much more to see in this vibrant city that displays an interesting mix of ancient China, communist China, and modern China.