Xianyang

Offical Website: http://www.xianyang.gov.cn/

Xianyang is a famous city that was the capital of China in the Qin Dynasty, located a few kilometers upstream (west) from Xi'an. The city has a total area of 10,283 km², it governs 2 cities, 2 districts and 10 counties, with a total population of 5 million. In 2020, the city reached the GDP of 220.481 billion yuan.

History

Xianyang was among the capital city's environs during the Western Zhou Dynasty, and was made the capital of the state of Qin in 350 BC during the Warring States period before becoming the capital of China during the short-lived Qin Dynasty. Because the city lays south of the Jiuzong Mountains and north of the Wei River- both sunlight-rich (yang) orientations - it was named "Xianyang", meaning "fully yang". Under Duke Xiao of Qin, Minister Shang Yang designed Xianyang in 350 BC, which was then the capital for over 140 years. It was located in the current Shaanxi province on the northern bank of the Wei River, on the opposite side of which Liu Bang would later build the Han Dynasty capital of Chang'an once he became emperor.

In 221 BC,Qin Shi Huang eliminated all six other vassal states to establish the first centralized empire in Chinese history. Xianyang became the centre of politics, economy and culture of the Qin Empire. The Emperor had a lavish mausoleum built near the capital, complete with his Terracotta Army. This and other large undertakings required enormous levies of manpower and resources, not to mention repressive measures, which eventually led to the fall of the Qin Dynasty and with it the original city of Xianyang.

Qin Shi Huang expanded Xianyang beyond the walls. Then he built replicas of the palaces of all the conquered states along the Wei River. In 220 BC, he built Xin Palace and later renamed it Apex temple to be the earthly equivalent of the apex star (Polaris). He continued with the theme of earth as the mirror of heaven building a network of 300 palaces in the Wei valley connected by elevated roads. In 212 BC, he built the Hilltop Palace.

Shortly after the First Emperor's death in 210 BC revolts erupted. At the beginning of December 207 BC, then King of Qin Ziying surrendered to rebel leader Liu Bang. Liu Bang went on to capture Xianyang, but was forced to hand it over to another rebel leader, Xiang Yu, whose army greatly outnumbered Liu Bang's. Xiang Yu then killed Ziying and burned Xianyang in 206 BC, thereby forever robbing humanity of some unique copies of the many "forbidden books" kept in the royal library. In 202 BC, after defeating Xiang Yu, Liu Bang built a new city near the old Xianyang and named this new capital Chang'an.

From the end of the 1950s until the middle of the 1990s, archaeologists discovered and excavated a large numbers of Qin era sites in Xianyang, including palaces, workshops and tombs.

Natural museum of Chinese civilization

Xianyang, with a long history and rich culture, is a natural museum of Chinese civilization. Xianyang is the birth place of Chinese history and culture. Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor in China, chose the city as its capital, making it well-known for every Chinese people. You can find bricks of Qin Dynasty and tiles of Han Dynasty everywhere in Xianyang. There are all together 4951 historical sites. Among them, the most famous ones are Changling Mausoleum of Emperor Han Gaozu, Yangling Mausoleum of Emperor Han Jingdi, Maoling Mausoleum of Emperor Han Wudi, Zhaoling Mausoleum of Emperor Tang taizong, and Qianling Mausoleum of Emperor Tang Gaozong and empress Wu Zetian. Altogether 28 emperors’ tombs of Han Dynasty and Tang Dynasty are scattered in the north plateau, stretching about one hundred li. For this reason, Xianyang is honored as the land of Chinese Pyramids. There is a saying which goes like this. If you don’t come to Shaanxi, you can’t understand Chinese history; if you don’t come to Xianyang, you can’t experience prosperous Han and Tang history. Shangyang reform, a well-known revolution in Qin Dynasty, started in Xianyang, including unification of measurement, Chinese characters and government political system. His great idea of unification had great influence on China’s development.

Transportation

Xianyang is located in the center of China, and was one of the most important strategic cities in west China since the ancient times. Today’s Xianyang is the most convenient city in north-west China to connect the world. Xianyang international airport is one of the six large air harbors in China and the biggest air harbor in west China. From here you can get more than 40 cities within one hour across china. There are 9 railways and 6 expressways going through Xianyang from four directions. The biggest railway station in Asia, which is under construction, is next to Xianyang. The two express railways, one is from Beijing to Kunming and the other is from Urumqi to Shanghai, which is under construction, meet in Xianyang. At that time, it will take 4 hours from Xianyang to Beijing by train and 5 hours to Shanghai. All of those will surely bring opportunity to the great economic development for Xianyang.

Agriculture

Xianyang is the birth place of Chinese agriculture. Hou Ji, the farming ancestor of China, started from here to teach peasants how to farm. With production of 2 million tons of wheat each year, the good quality of wheat flour is well-known in Shaanxi province, even in China. Xianyang is also the biggest high–quality apple production base in China with more than 4 million tons of annual yields. The fruit yield of Xianyang accounts for 10 percent of the total in China and the export volume of condensed fruit juice accounts for over one-sixth of the world’s total. Meanwhile, it is also the largest nuisance-free vegetables production base in Shaanxi province. The natural resources such as underground water, coal, limestone, and geothermal are very rich. Today’s Xianyang is one of the important industrial cities in north-west China, the largest electronic industrial base in north-west China and an important base for energy, chemical and light-industry. It has formed a completed industrial system with 9 industries as its supporting ones, including energy, chemicals, textile, electronics, machinery, food and pharmaceuticals, building material and logistic. This has laid a strong foundation for the development in the future.

Outlook of the city

With a combination of natural landscape and artificial spots, Xianyang has become an important tourist destination in west China. Weihe River, Jinghe River, and Fenghe River connect each other, with 4 million mu of forest around them. Five magic medical treatments, including magic surgery, magic needles, magic pulse, magic bag and magic anti-cancer star enjoy good reputation both at home and abroad. Six other treatments, like food treatment, medical treatment, medicine treatment, water treatment, food treatment and tea treatment are very unique in terms of health-care project, which attract more than 11 million tourists to Xianyang every year. A group of tourist spots in Qin and Han style have been constructed. The newly-built Xianyang Lake, based on Weihe River makes the city more and more beautiful, attracting citizens to come here, which also greatly improved the air quality. Xianyang maintains over 300 days in second level of air quality within 5 years. Today’s Xianyang has become a health-care city and the top ten livable city in China.

Xianyang, with a broad prospect, is the engine for developing Xi’an-Xianyang international metropolis. In 2009, the state council issued Guanzhong-Tianshui Economic Zone Development Plan, which attaches great importance to the construction of Xi’an –Xianyang into a modern international metropolis with urban total population of 10 million. This will bring good opportunity for the development of Xianyang in the future. An energetic and attractive world famous city will surely come into being. At that time, 10 kilometers Fenghe River will become cleaner; Weihe River will run through the middle of Xianyang City. A more open and attractive city, new Xianyang, with blue sky, clean water, will assume a new aspect in the world.