Introduction:
Xi'an has a long history. Since the earliest societies, humanity lived and multiplied here. It served as a capital for twelve dynasties, including the Western Zhou, Qin, Western Han, Sui and Tang dynasties, spanning over 1120 years. It became the oriental cultural centre of the Silk Road.

Many dynasties kept the city beautiful and magnificent. More than two hundred and seventy palaces and temples, for example, were built in the Qin dynasty, in the Han dynasty the "Three Han Palaces", namely Changle, Weiyang, Jianzhang Palaces, and numerous other palaces and watch towers were built. In the City of Chang'an of the Sui and Tang dynasties, luxurious palaces sprang up like tree, of which Taiji, Daming and Xingqing Palaces and the forbidden garden of the Tang dynasty to the north of the town were very large. Now, from these architectural sites people still can imagine the general picture of what Chang'an City was like, then. All the emperors of the Qin, Han, Tang and other dynasties had their magnificent mausoleums built. Qin Shi Huang's mausoleum at the foot of Lishan Hill in Lintong county, for example, is the earliest example of a grand mausoleum for an emperor in ancient China.

Aside from being a major tourist destination and historical city, today Xi'an is an important industrial and manufacturing center. Despite the incredible history that Xi'an carries, it is a modern and prosperous area. The nightlife here is pretty up to date and Xian's University is considered to be one of the best in China. As a result, the city has a large student population who contribute to the cultural life of the city, making Xi'an one of the most pleasant cities in China and an ideal place to break the journey between Beijing and Shanghai.