Xi'an

Xi'an

Xi'an is the city and capital of Shaanxi Sheng, in north-central China. It lies in the south-central part of the province, on the southern border of the Loess Plateau, on a low plain on the southern bank of the Wei River. The Xi'an region is one of the most important in China's history, as the capital of several ruling dynasties as well as a market and trading center, as the city was the eastern terminus of the Silk Road, the ancient trade route that linked China to the Mediterranean. The city's many historical monuments and the abundance of ancient ruins and tombs nearby, make tourism an important part of the local economy, and makes the Xi'an region one of China's most popular tourist destinations. The area's most famous attraction is the Terracotta Army, a collection of terracotta sculptures depicting the armies of China's first emperor, Qin Shi Huang. This is a form of funerary art that was buried with the emperor in 210-209 BC, in order to protect him in the afterlife. Dating from the late 200s BC, the figures were discovered in 1974 by local farmers in Lintong County, near Xi'an. The heights of the figures vary according to their rank, with generals being the tallest. Among the figures are warriors, chariots and horses. The three pits that contain the Terracotta Army include more than 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots with 520 horses and 150 mounted horses, most of which remain in place in the pits next to the Qin Shi Huang mausoleum. In addition to these, other non-military terracotta figures have been found in adjacent pits, including officials, acrobats, strongmen and musicians.