Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek and senior members of the Kuomintang after their arrest.

The Xi'an Incident of December 1936 (traditional Chinese: 西安事變; simplified Chinese: 西安事变; pinyin: Xī'ān Shìbìan) was an important turning point in Chinese modern history, took place in the city of Xi'an during the Chinese Civil War between the ruling Kuomintang (KMT) and the insurgent Chinese Communist Party and just before the Second Sino-Japanese War. On 12 December 1936, Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek, the leader of the Kuomintang was suddenly arrested and kidnapped by Marshal Zhang Xueliang, a former warlord of Manchuria, then Japanese-occupied Manchukuo.

The incident led the Nationalists and the Communists to make peace so the two could form a united front against the increasing threat posed by Japan. Some facts about the incident still remain unclear today as most of the parties involved died without revealing details what happened during those chaotic few weeks. Before the Xi'an incident, Chinese Communist Party was severely dampened by the Kuomintang on the military front, and Japanese influence in China was greater than ever. This meant the success of Xi'an incident would generate the chance for the Soviet Union to expand in North China and weaken the Japanese. He Yingqin, a senior general in the Kuomintang, was preparing to lead military forces to Xian from Nanking after the incident. The pro-Japanese General He Yingqin would then cause conflict of interest between the Soviet Union and Japan in North China and thus inducing outgrowth of imminent Russo-Japanese confrontation. This was against the interest of the Soviet Union that Chang Kai Shek was kept alive and in the eyes of Soviet Union, Chang Kai Shek would be drafted into a deputy role to lead the Kuomintang to combat the Japanese with the Chinese Communist before the final Communist takeover of China (as deemed to be governed by Soviet Union as a satellite puppet). As a result, Xian Incident was directed by Joseph Stalin, planned by the Chinese Communist Party and executed by Marshal Zhang Xueliang.

The Xian Incident is credited to be the turning point for the Chinese Communist Party as the party itself was going to be annihilated by the Kuomintang before the incident. Chinese nationalism was enkindled by the Xian Incident to battle against the Japanese Imperial Forces on the United Front of Kuomintang and the Chinese Communist Party. This eventually helped the Chinese Communist Party to secure uninterrupted logistic supplies from the Soviet Union on the Northern China border after the beset in the military retreat during the Long March, and consequently the Russo-Chinese Communist Party cross-tie defeated the Kuomintang (with lack of plenary US economic aid to the Kuomintang and disengagement of US military supplies to the Kuomintang) in Mainland China during the Chinese Civil War after Japan unconditionally surrendered to the Allied forces.

Background[link]

Zhang Xueliang, known also as The Young Marshal, was the son of Zhang Zuolin, warlord of Manchuria in northeast China. For sometime prior to the Kuomintang-led China-uniting Northern Expedition, the elder Zhang was being quietly supported by the Japanese government. When it became imminent the advancing Expedition forces would defeat Zhang and thus threaten Japanese interests in Manchuria, rogue elements within the Kantogun (Japan's Army in Manchuria) forcibly halted the Expedition in Ji'nan and assassinated Zhang on the grounds he was an unreliable ally, hoping to capitalise on the confusion caused by his death. They miscalculated however, and his son quickly pledged his allegiance to Chiang Kai-shek, turning his forces over to Kuomintang control and supported Chiang in his war of unification against other warlords such as Li Zongren, Feng Yuxiang and Yan Xishan. As a reward, Zhang remained ruler of Manchuria and even extended his influence to Northern China around Beijing and Hebei. Following the Mukden Incident of 1931, when the Japanese invaded and took full and direct control over Manchuria, forcing Zhang, his army and all other Chinese to evacuate, the public placed the responsibility of the disaster on Zhang, who suffered great humiliation in China. By 1936, his father's assassination and the loss of his homeland made Zhang into an ardent opponent of the Japanese.

Zhang left China for military training in Europe. After his return, Zhang and his Northeastern China Army were sent to Anhui and Hubei to suppress the Red Army of the Chinese Communist Party. The CPC was forced on the Long March after suffering heavy losses and then set up another base in Yan'an, Shaanxi. Zhang and his troops were transferred to Shaanxi again for suppression in 1936, where he worked with General Yang Hucheng, who used to be a general of Northwestern China Army and a favorite of Feng Yuxiang but later defected to Chiang’s camp.

Zhang and Yang suffered great losses in their attempted suppression of the CPC, and Chiang did not give them any support in manpower and weaponry. It was quite natural for them to think Chiang would take advantage of CPC’s resistance to eliminate their own armies, which were not of Chiang’s own Whampoa Clique. Zhang and Yang began to contact the CPC secretly, and overtly agreed with while covertly opposing Chiang’s policies. Zhang and Yang reached an agreement with CPC for temporary peace. CPC even sent many members to work for Yang.

At the same time, the tension between China and Japan rose day by day. Japan was hoping to conquer China in its entirety by invading vast areas of Northern China. Japanese troops fought against the Kuomintang troops along the Great Wall in 1933. Then in 1935, under the accord signed between He Yingqin, the commander of Kuomintang armies in Northern China, and Yoshijiro Umezu, the commander of Japanese troops in Northern China, elite Kuomintang troops related to the group Blue Shirts Society, core of Chiang’s Whampoa Clique, had to evacuate from Beijing and Northern China, which put the whole of Northern China under direct threat of Japanese invasion. But Chiang preferred to unite China by eliminating the warlords and CPC forces first. Chiang believed he was still too weak to launch an offensive to chase out Japan and China needed time for a military build-up. Only after unification would it be possible for the Kuomintang to mobilize a war against Japan. So he would rather ignore the discontent and anger within the Chinese people at his policy of compromise with the Japanese, and urged Zhang and Yang to carry out suppression efficiently.

Meanwhile, Joseph Stalin and his Soviet Union in the 1920s and early of 1930s stood by Japan’s invasion of China at first, for they too had also invaded Manchuria and waged a war against Zhang and his father. The Soviets were hoping to make their own territorial gains at the expense of China, dividing it with the Japanese^{[citation needed]} as they would do later with Germany over Poland in Europe. Soon the Soviets became wary of the Japanese ambition and success, fearing it might hurt Soviet interests in the Far East. Then, Stalin began to favor a stronger Chinese resistance to Japan.

Under the authorization of Stalin and Comintern, the delegation of CPC to Comintern led by Wang Ming issued a manifesto urging Chinese to set up a new united front against the Japanese, which was later called the Ba Yi Xuan Yan. In this manifesto, Wang acknowledged the archenemy of CPC at the present stage was Japan instead of Chiang. But this received cold shoulders from Mao Zedong and his associates, who ruled CPC and greatly disagreed with Chiang's policies.

These were the complicated situations and relationships between the domestic and foreign parties which preceded the incident.

Events[link]

On 22 October 1936, Chiang flew to Xian from Nanjing and announced his new plan of suppression of the communist forces, raising opposition from both Zhang Xueliang and Yang Hucheng. On 4 December 1936, Chiang came to Xian again, accompanied by many senior Kuomintang leaders including Chen Cheng to monitor the suppression campaign. In the interim between these two visits the Japanese backed Inner Mongolian Army had tried to invade Suiyuan. This invasion was defeated by the Chinese in the Suiyuan Campaign, the success giving many Chinese the belief that it was possible and necessary to resist the Japanese.^[1]

After unsuccessfully attempting to persuade Chiang to voluntarily join forces with the CCP to meet the impending threat of Japan, Zhang and Yang finally decided to take matters into their own hands. In the early hours of 12 December 1936, Chiang and his entourage were arrested by Zhang's bodyguards. During the arrest, Shao Yuanchong (Chinese: 邵元冲), the incumbent minister of the propaganda department of the Kuomintang, died after he was hit in his testicles while attempting to climb over a fence. Colonel Jiang Xiaoxian (Chinese: 蒋孝先), Chiang’s nephew and bodyguard, was also killed during the chaos for past grievances.

Misperceived as a coup by Zhang, news of the incident shocked the world. But Zhang and Yang had a different plan. While the country was reeling in confusion, they contacted the CPC and requested a delegation be sent to Xian to discuss Chiang’s fate and that of the whole of China.

There was great disagreement within both the CPC and Kuomintang on how to handle the incident. Senior leaders of the Kuomintang decided to set up an acting commission for resolution. Chiang’s wife Soong May-ling (Madame Chiang Kai-shek, 宋美齡) was excluded from this commission although she desperately asked for a peace negotiation. General Tung Cheuk Heem was appointed to take charge of the military. His role was quite controversial. He was voted as acting commander to lead the Kuomintang armies for the rescue of Chiang. Historians used to say that He Yingqin strongly supported solving this incident by force, for which He contacted Wang Jingwei asking him back to China to take charge of Kuomintang. Two armies were marched to Xian to fight Zhang’s army. It has been said that when Madam Chiang came to him to ask for a peaceful solution, He refused her on the grounds of her being a woman with little knowledge of politics who should stay out of state issues.^{[cite this quote]} New evidence suggests that it was actually the Whampoa clique, especially the young and extremist officers from the Blue Shirts Society, whom intended to launch military attacks against Zhang, even though He Yingqin rejected their request for military support. The radical young officers of the Blue Shirts Society and Whampoa clique could not wait for the decisions to be made by their senior leaders and launched expeditions against Zhang's forces. Although he did not support the young officers in public, his connivance did promote conditions calling for Chiang's death. However, warlords such as Li Zongren and Yan Xishan who used to oppose Chiang, did not want Chiang to die. They knew that if they advocated the execution of Chiang, Japan would benefit the most from a China without a national leader. These warlord generals sent their telegrams of reprimand to Zhang Xueliang and Yang and voiced their support for Chiang. Furthermore, most of the western powers, such as the United States and United Kingdom, preferred a peaceful resolution to the incident, for they regarded Chiang as the ideal person to govern China.

In the CPC, there were two opinions as well. Most of the leaders such as Mao and Zhu De proposed the execution of Chiang for his suppressions, which had damaged the CPC immensely. Some of them, such as Zhou Enlai and Zhang Wentian, did realize it could bring more damage to the anti-Japan movement if Chiang was executed. At last they only made a resolution to send a delegation consisting of senior leaders such as Zhou, Ye Jianying and Qin Bangxian to Xian at the request of Zhang and Yang.

As the fury over Chiang and pressure for his execution intensified among the CPC members and armies of Zhang and Yang, the situation worsened for Chiang. Madam Chiang did not believe that the Kuomintang would be effective in freeing her husband. Thus, on 14 December 1936, Madam Chiang sent her Australian adviser, William Henry Donald, who had previously been Zhang’s adviser (and had helped him overcome opium addiction), to Xian for negotiation. The winds began to change his way after Stalin gave his guidance on this incident. Stalin believed that Chiang's execution would not be beneficial to either Chinese resistance to Japan or Soviet interests in the Far East. Desperately in need of Soviet aid, Mao relented to Stalin’s opinion and showed his enthusiasm for peace talks. On 17 December 1936, the CPC delegation was sent to Xian and met with Zhang and Yang to find a peaceful resolution. On 22 December 1936, Madam Chiang and her elder brother T.V. Soong flew to Xian to meet the CPC delegation, Zhang, and Yang. On 24 December 1936, the parties reached an agreement to establish a united front against Japan and to release prisoners accused of inciting anti-Japanese riots. The next day, Chiang and his entourage were released. Zhang escorted him back to Nanjing, although Zhou expressed his concern.

Repercussions[link]

Although Chiang described his perseverance during the ordeal in Half Month In Xian, parts of his journal were clearly fabricated. In his diary, Chiang described it as the greatest humiliation of his life, thus it was no surprise that he would later seek to take revenge on Zhang. As Chiang was the legitimate premier of China at the time, Zhang’s actions could be characterized as treasonous. Although some argued for a public trial, Chiang insisted on trying Zhang in a military court. Zhang was sentenced to ten years in prison, with Chiang quickly granting amnesty but nevertheless keeping Zhang in custody.

Zhang was incarcerated for most of the rest of his life, and his armies disbanded in the meantime; he did not publicly reveal any more details about the incident and died in 2001. Zhou Enlai publicly expressed regrets about the incident, while Zhang privately told others he felt the CPC had betrayed him, insofar as his actions had saved the CPC from annihilation but they had put Zhang in custody anyway. Furthermore, Zhang’s real status and beliefs were still in question. Zhang’s enthusiasm for communism was no secret; he applied for membership in the CPC. According to the biography of Zhou, however, Zhou told others that Zhang’s application was opposed by Stalin, as he thought Zhang's status as a warlord made him a poor candidate for CPC membership. New theories argued Zhang was indeed a CPC member, but his status was kept secret so only a few people, such as Zhou and Ye Jianying, knew. With eyewitnesses in their advanced years and fewer of them, Zhang's true status may remain unknown. If Zhang’s CPC membership were ever to be verified, the history of the Xi'an Incident would probably be rewritten as a CPC conspiracy (as opposed to a spontaneous act motivated by patriotism).

Yang Hucheng probably lost the most in the incident, as he was removed from his position and sent abroad for "review"; later, he was held in a concentration camp for 13 years. When the Kuomintang retreated to Taiwan, Chiang ordered the execution of Yang, his wife and his son as a small child.

It is generally accepted the CPC benefited the most from the incident. Chiang held up his end of the peace agreement and suspended anti-Communist operations until the outbreak of the New Fourth Army Incident with Mao exploiting the interlude, enlarging his base and strengthening his grip on power. By conforming to Soviet policy, Mao also appeased Stalin and avoided his further interference. Finally, the CPC won considerable support from the Chinese people for being open advocates of the anti-Japanese United Front. All this laid the foundation for the CPC’s victory over the Kuomintang after the end of the anti-Japanese war.

See also[link]

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• Chiang Kai-shek
• Zhang Xueliang
• History of the Republic of China
• Warlord era
• Central Plains War
• Madame Chiang Kai-shek
• Second Sino-Japanese War
• Military of the Republic of China
• Politics of the Republic of China
• Sino-German cooperation
• Chinese nationalism
• History of China
• Kuomintang
• Lü Zhengcao (the surviving last witness of the Xi'an Incident)

Notes[link]

References[link]

This article includes a list of references, but its sources remain unclear because it has insufficient inline citations. Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations. (April 2009)

• Gao Wenqian, Later Years Of Zhou EnLai
• John W. Garver, "The Soviet Union and the Xi'an Incident," The Australian Journal of Chinese Affairs.26 (1991): 145-175.
• Jay Taylor, The Generalissimo: Chiang Kai-Shek and the Struggle for Modern China (Cambridge, MA: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 2009), esp. pp. 124–137.
• Guo Rugui (2005-7-1). editor-in-chief Huang Yuzhang. ed. (Chinese) China's Anti-Japanese War Combat Operations (中国抗日战争正面战场作战记). Jiangsu People's Publishing House. ISBN 7-214-03034-9. http://www.wehoo.net/book/wlwh/a30012/A0170.htm (Chinese). 
• 第二部分：从“九一八”事变到西安事变 绥远抗战的巨大影响和军事上的经验
• Part II : From the "9/18" emergency to the Xi'an Incident Suiyuan Resistance War's huge influence and military experience

External links[link]

• On the Beginnings of the Chinese Communist Party
• Xi'An Incident - Turning Point Of Modern History

Internet Video

• (Chinese)華視 張學良有話要説... 1/5
• (Chinese)華視 張學良有話要説... 2/5
• (Chinese)華視 張學良有話要説... 3/5
• (Chinese)華視 張學良有話要説... 4/5
• (Chinese)華視 張學良有話要説... 5/5

Coordinates: 34°16′N 108°56′E / 34.267°N 108.933°E / 34.267; 108.933

Xi'an 西安 Chang'an · 长安
—  Sub-provincial city  —
西安市
From top: Terracotta Army, Giant Wild Goose Pagoda, Drum Tower of Xi'an, Bell Tower of Xi'an, City wall of Xi'an, and the Tang Paradise
Location in Shaanxi province
Xi'an Location within China
Coordinates: 34°16′N 108°54′E / 34.267°N 108.9°E / 34.267; 108.9Coordinates: 34°16′N 108°54′E / 34.267°N 108.9°E / 34.267; 108.9
Country	People's Republic of China
Province	Shaanxi
Government
• CPC Xi'an	Sun Qingyun (孙清云)
• Mayor	Dong Jun (董军)
Area
• Sub-provincial city	9,983 km2 (3,854 sq mi)
• Urban	826 km2 (319 sq mi)
• Yangling	94 km2 (36 sq mi)
Elevation	405 m (1,329 ft)
Population (2010)
• Sub-provincial city	8,467,837
• Density	850/km2 (2,200/sq mi)
• Urban	6,501,200
• Urban density	7,900/km2 (20,000/sq mi)
• Metro	6,501,200
Time zone	CST (UTC+8)
Postal code	710000 - 710090
Area code(s)	+86/29
GDP	(2008)
- Total	¥ 219 billion
- Per capita	¥26,259
License plate prefixes	陕A
City flower	Pomegranate flower
City tree	Pagoda tree
Website	http://www.xa.gov.cn/

Xi'an (Chinese: 西安; pinyin: Xī'ān; Wade–Giles: Hsi-An, also spelled Hsi-an, Hsian, or Sian)^[1][2] is the capital of the Shaanxi province, and a sub-provincial city in the People's Republic of China. One of the oldest cities in China, with more than 3,100 years of history, the city was known as Chang'an before the Ming Dynasty.^[1] Xi'an is one of the Four Great Ancient Capitals of China, having held the position under several of the most important dynasties in Chinese history,^[3] including Zhou, Qin, Han, Sui, and Tang.^[3] Xi'an is the eastern terminus of the Silk Road and home to the Terracotta Army.^[1]

Since the 1990s, as part of the economic revival of interior China especially for the central and northwest regions, the city of Xi'an has re-emerged as an important cultural, industrial and educational centre of the central-northwest region, with facilities for research and development, national security and China's space exploration program. It's now one the most populous metropolitan areas in inland China with more than 8 million inhabitants, including urban parts of Xianyang (Weicheng and Qindu districts).

Name[link]

The two Chinese characters "西安" in the name Xi'an literally mean "Western Peace". During the Zhou Dynasty, the area was called Fenghao, with the portion of the city on the west bank of the Feng River called Feng and the portion on the east called Hao.^[4] It was renamed Chang'an, meaning "Perpetual Peace", during the Han Dynasty (206 BCE - 220 CE). It changed in 581 CE to Daxing (大興) during the Sui Dynasty then again became Chang'an from 618 CE during the Tang Dynasty. During the Yuan Dynasty (1270-1368 CE), the city was first given the name Fengyuan (奉元), followed by Anxi (安西) then Jingzhao (京兆). It finally became Xi'an in the year 1369 CE at the time of the Ming Dynasty. This name remained until 1928, then in 1930 it was renamed Xijing (西京), or "Western Capital". The city's name once again reverted to its Ming-era designation of Xi'an in the year 1943.^{[citation needed]}

Xi'an is abbreviated in Chinese to either Hao or Tang (唐). The former abbreviation is derived from the Zhou Dynasty name Haojing, whilst the latter comes from the name of the Tang Dynasty.

History[link]

Terracotta Army inside the Qin Shi Huang Mausoleum, 3rd century BCE.

Statues in the Imperial Tomb of Tang Emperor Gaozong, one of the many Tang Dynasty-era mausoleums located in the Xi'an area

Bell Tower of Xi'an

Xi'an has a rich and culturally significant history. The Lantian Man was discovered in 1963 in Lantian County, 50 km southeast of Xi'an, and dates back at least 500,000 years before present. A 6,500 year old Banpo Neolithic village in was discovered in 1954 on the outskirts of the city proper.

Xi'an became a cultural and political centre of China in the 11th century BCE with the founding of the Zhou Dynasty. The capital of Zhou was established in the twin settlements of Fengjing (灃京) and Haojing, together known as Fenghao, located south west of contemporary Xi'an. Following the Warring States Period, China was unified under the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BCE) for the first time, with the capital located at Xianyang, just northwest of modern Xi'an. The first emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang ordered the construction of the Terracotta Army and his mausoleum just to the east of Xi'an almost immediately after his ascension to the throne.

In 202 BCE, the founding emperor Liu Bang of the Han Dynasty established his capital in Chang'an County; his first palace Changle Palace (長樂宮, perpetual happiness) was built across the river from the ruin of the Qin capital. This is traditionally regarded as the founding date of Chang'an, or Xi'an. Two years later, Liu Bang built Weiyang Palace north of modern Xi'an. The original Xi'an city wall was started in 194 BCE and took 4 years to finish. Upon completion, the wall measured 25.7 km (15.97 mi) in length and 12–16 m (39.37–52.49 ft) in thickness at the base, enclosing an area of 36 km² (13.90 sq mi). In the year 190, amidst uprisings and rebellions just prior to the Three Kingdoms Period, a powerful warlord named Dong Zhuo moved the court from Luoyang to Chang'an in a bid to avoid a coalition of other powerful warlords against him.

Following several hundred years of unrest, Sui Dynasty united China again in 582. The emperor of Sui ordered a new capital to be built southeast of the Han capital, called Daxing (大興, great prosperity). It consisted of three sections: the Xi'an Palace, the Imperial City, and the civilian section, with a total area of 84 km² within the city walls. At the time, it was the largest city in the world. The city was renamed Chang'an in the Tang Dynasty. In the mid-7th century, after returning from his pilgrimage to India, Buddhist monk Xuan Zang (popularly known as Tang Sanzang) established a translation centre for Sanskrit scriptures.

Construction of the Great Wild Goose Pagoda began in 652. This pagoda was 64 m (209.97 ft) in height, and was built to store the translations of Buddhist sutras obtained from India by the Xuan Zang. In 707, construction of the Small Wild Goose Pagoda began, and measured 45 m (147.64 ft) tall at the time of completion. The massive 1556 Shaanxi earthquake eventually damaged the tower and reduced its height to 43.4 m (142.39 ft).

Chang'an was devastated at the end of the Tang Dynasty in 904. Residents were forced to move to the new capital city in Luoyang. Only a small area in the city continued to be occupied thereafter. During the Ming Dynasty, a new wall was constructed in 1370 and remains intact to this day. The wall measures 11.9 km in circumference, 12 m (39.37 ft) in height, and 15–18 m (49.21–59.06 ft) in thickness at the base; a moat was also built outside the walls. The new wall and moat would protect a much smaller city of 12 km².

In October 1911, during the revolution in which the Qing Dynasty was overthrown, the Manchus living in the north-eastern zone within the city walls were massacred.^[5] In 1936, the Xi'an Incident took place inside the city during the Chinese Civil War. The incident brought the Kuomintang (KMT) and Communist Party of China to a truce to in order to concentrate on fighting against the Japanese Invasion.

On May 4, 2010, a new metro tunnel started in Xi’an, which will ease the move for commuter travel from surface streets to below ground.^[6]

Geography and climate[link]

Geography[link]

Xi'an lies on the Guanzhong Plain in central China, on a flood plain created by the eight surrounding rivers and streams. The city has an average elevation of 400 metres (1,312 ft) above sea level and an annual precipitation of 550 millimetres (22 in). The urban area of Xi'an is located at 34°16′N 108°56′E / 34.267°N 108.933°E / 34.267; 108.933 . The Wei River provides potable water to the city.

The city borders the northern foot of the Qinling Mountains to the south, and the banks of the Wei River to the north. Hua Shan, one of the five sacred Taoist mountains, is located 100 km away to the east of the city. Not far to the north is the Loess Plateau.

At the beginning of Han Dynasty, Prime Minister Zhang Liang advised the emperor Liu Bang to choose Guanzhong as the capital of the Han Dynasty: 'Guanzhong Plain, which is located behind Xiao Pass and Hangu Pass, connects Long Plain and Shu Plain. Land of thousands miles and rich in harvest can be found here, as if this place is belongs to the nation of the heaven.' ("关中左崤函, 右陇蜀, 沃野千里, 此所谓金城千里, 天府之国也" 《史记·留侯世家》) Since then, Guanzhong is also known as the 'Nation of the Heaven'.^{[citation needed]}

National Time Service Centre[link]

The Shaanxi Astronomical Observatory was established in 1966. In 1975, according to the Geodetic Origin Report of the People's Republic of China, 'in order to avoid bias in the mensuration as much as possible, the Geodetic Origin would be in central mainland China.' Jingyang (泾阳), a town near Xi'an was chosen. Since 1986, Chinese Standard Time (CST) was set from NTSC. The NTSC in Jingyang is 36 km away from Xi'an. Distances to the national borders are 880 km to the North, 2500 km to the Northeast, 1000 km to the East, 1750 km to the South, 2250 km to the Southwest, 2930 km to the West, and 2500 km to the Northwest.

National Time Service Centre (NTSC), the Chinese Academy of Sciences is an institute which is mainly engaged in the service and research on time and frequency. NTSC takes charge of generating and maintaining the national standard time scale, disseminating the time and frequency signals. The autonomous standard time scales of universal time and atomic time and the dissemination techniques with LF radio and HF radio were established successively during the 1970s and 1980s, which meet all the requirements for different applications on the whole, such as the scientific researches, national economy, etc.^[8]

Climate[link]

Xi'an has a temperate, semi-arid climate (Köppen BSk) influenced by the East Asian monsoon. The Wei River valley is characterised by hot, humid summers and cold, dry winters. Spring and autumn are somewhat brief and dry. Xi'an receives most of its annual precipitation from August to late October in the form of rain. Snow occasionally falls in winter but rarely settles for long. Dust storms often occur during March and April as the city rapidly warms up. Summer months also experience frequent but short thunderstorms. Monthly mean temperatures range from around the freezing mark in January to 26.6 °C (79.9 °F) in July, with an annual average of 13.7 °C (56.7 °F). Extreme temperatures have ranged from −20.6 °C (−5 °F) to 42.9 °C (109 °F).^[9]

Demographics[link]

Muslim Quarter in Xi'an, 2011

By the end of 2005, Xi'an had a population of 8.07 million.^[10] Compared to the census data from 2000, the population has increased by 656,700 persons from 7.41 million.^[10] The population is 51.66% male and 48.34% female.^[10] The district with the most population is YanTa Qu, with 1.08 million inhabitants.^[10]

The majority of Xi'an residents are Han Chinese, who make up 99.1% of the city's total population.^{[citation needed]} There are around 81,500 people belonging to ethnic minorities living in Xi'an, including 50,000 Hui people.

During World War II, Xi'an became a destination for many refugees from other provinces of China, especially neighboring Henan Province. Because Xi'an was far inland, the invading Japanese army only managed a few aerial assaults on the city.^{[citation needed]} As a result, Xi'an suffered minimal destruction. After 1949, the national government tried to balance the development in different regions of China, and relocated a number of factories and universities from other cities to Xi'an. Modern Xi'an Jiaotong University was relocated from its original campus in Shanghai.

Subdivision[link]

The sub-provincial city of Xi'an has direct jurisdiction over 9 districts (区 qu) and 4 counties (县 xian):

	Subdivision		Population	Land area		Subdivision		Population	Land area
			as of 2006	km²				as of 2006	km²
	Xi'an City Proper				Xi'an Suburban and Rural
	■ Beilin-qu	碑林区	700,000	22.0		■ Chang'an-qu	长安区	930,000	1583
	■ Yanta-qu	雁塔区	690,000	152.0		■ Yanliang-qu	阎良区	240,000	240.0
	■ Weiyang-qu	未央区	410,000	261		■ Lintong-qu	临潼区	670,000	898.0
	■ Baqiao-qu	灞桥区	450,000	322
	■ Xincheng-qu	新城区	490,000	31.0		■ Lantian-xian	蓝田县	640,000	1,977.0
	■ Lianhu-qu	莲湖区	600,000	38.00		■ Zhouzhi-xian	周至县	630,000	2,956.0
		■ Hu-xian	户县	590,000	1,213.0
		■ Gaoling-xian	高陵县	230,000	290

Transportation[link]

Underpass around the Bell Tower

Xi'an has many areas that are easily accessible on foot. In many commercial, residential, educations zones in the city, especially in the shopping and entertainment districts around the Bell Tower, underpasses and overpasses have been built for the safety and convenience of pedestrians.

Electric bikes are very popular among students and offer easy transportation in and around the city for many residents.^{[citation needed]} Taxi services are numerous but many citizens of Xi'an still commute to work on one of more than 200 bus routes.

Metro[link]

Currently the metro system is designed with 6 lines.

The 2nd route has opened in September 16 2011. The 1st route has started in early 2009, while the rest is planned to start in 2013 and to be finished around 2016. The 3rd route has already begun at Oct. 2011, and to be launched at the end of 2015.

Taxi[link]

Taxis in Xi'an are predominantly VW Santana made in Shanghai, BYD Auto made in Xi'an, and Citroen made in Wuhan. Most, if not all, taxis in Xi'an run on compressed natural gas.

Rail[link]

There are 6 passenger transport railway stations in Xi'an. Xi'an Railway Station is one of the eight major national railway stations. Other stations include Xi'an West, Xi'an East, Xi'an South, Xi'an North, Sanmincun, and Fangzhicheng railway stations.

Xi'an Railway Station covers 597 thousand square meters, has 5 passenger platforms, and 24 tracks. It provides 112 services to 80 000 people daily. There are services from Xi'an to Zhengzhou, from Xi'an to Lanzhou, from Xi'an to Baoji, and from Xi'an to Mount Hua. China Railway High-speed 2 now run an express services from Xi'an to Baoji and Xi'an to Zhengzhou; with a total running time to Baoji of under 90 minutes, and 2 hours to Zhengzhou. The Zhengzhou–Xi'an High-Speed Railway opened on February 6, 2010.

Expressways[link]

Xi'an currently has two ring road systems, the Second Ring road and the Third Ring road which encircle the city. These ring roads are similar to freeways, except that there are traffic signals on the Second Ring road.

As a tourist city, Xi'an has built expressways to Lintong, Tongchuan and Baoji, with well-maintained roads to famous scenic spots in suburban counties and to the north slope of the Qin Mountains. Since its construction in September 2007, the Xi-Han Expressway connects Han Zhong and Xi'an through the Qinling Mountains. At 15 kilometers long the Zhongnan Shan Tunnel is the longest tunnel in Asia.^{[citation needed]}

Xi'an Xianyang International Airport

• China National Highway 210
• China National Highway 211
• China National Highway 312

Air[link]

Xi'an Xianyang International Airport (airport code: XIY) is the major airport serving the city and is the largest airport in the northwestern part of China. The airport is located to the northwest of the city, between Xi'an and Xianyang. Chang'an Airlines and China Eastern Airlines are the main airlines using the airport.

International Routes: There are direct flights from Xi'an to many major cities in Asia, including Bangkok, Fukuoka, Hong Kong, Osaka, Pusan, Sapporo, Singapore and Seoul and Taipei.

Germany's Fraport, the operator of Frankfurt Airport, has paid 490 million yuan to obtain a 24.5-percent stake in the Xianyang International Airport, offering opportunities to upgrade and expand the facility.

Culture[link]

A typical Chinese pavilion located in Xi'an

The culture of Xi'an descends from one of the world's earliest civilizations. The Guanzhong Ren (关中人/關中人) culture is considered the cultural antecedent of Xi'anese; their features are satirized as the "Ten Strangenesses of Guanzhong Ren" (关中十大怪/關中十大怪). Xi'an is also known for the "Eight Great Sights of Chang'an" (长安八景/長安八景), a collection of scenic areas in the region.

Traditional Chinese musical performances at Xi'an

Qinqiang (Voice of Qin) is the oldest and most extensive of the four major types of Chinese opera. Also called "random pluck" (乱弹), Qinqiang is the main type of drama in Shaanxi province. As the earliest ancestor of Beijing Opera, Yu Opera, Chuan Opera and Hebei Opera, Qinqiang has developed its own system of unique vocal music, spoken parts, facial makeup, posture, role, category and acting. It can be traced to Xi Qinqiang (西秦腔, Voice of West Qin) in Qin Dynasty, and blossomed until Qing Dynasty, with direct influences on many branches of Chinese Opera.

The Tang Dynasty Music and Dance show presents ancient music and dance.

Much like Beijing 798 and Shanghai 1933, Xi'an has an art district called Textile town (纺织城). The district is not an actual town but derives its name from the many textile factories built there since the 1950s. Today it is no longer a centre for the textile industry but a new art factory with 4 workshops in total. Since March 2007, more than 40 artists have taken a part in these workshops.

Xi'an is known for its rock music, and is one of the vigorous underground musical centres in China^{[citation needed]} - the other three being Beijing, Kunming and Chengdu. It is home to contemporary Chinese Stars such as Xu Wei, Zhang Chu, Zheng Jun.

Zhang Yimou and Gu Changwei are directors from Xi'an. Xi'an is also the only city in China to win the Golden Bear (Berlin Film Festival) twice. The first film is Red Sorghum and the second one is Tuya's Marriage. They are produced by Xi'an Filmmaking Factory (now called Xi'an Qujiang Filmmaking Group) and Xi'an Filmmaking company respectively.

Economy and business[link]

Industrial zones[link]

Major industrial zones in Xi'an include:

• Xi'an Economic and Technological Development Zone
• Xi'an Hi-Tech Industries Development Zone

Telecommunications industry[link]

This unreferenced section requires citations to ensure verifiability.

China's 3G standard (Datang Telecom) and Wireless standard (Xidian university) were developed in Xian. Many other domestic and multinational telecommunications vendors have set up their R&D centres and/or factories in Xi'an, including Huawei, ZTE, CATT, NEC, Fujitsu and Siemens. Xi'an is China's leading training centre for engineers. The universities and local companies have provided hundreds of thousands of engineers for the Chinese telecommunications industry.

Software and outsourcing industries[link]

The growing economy of Xi'an supports the development of a software industry, and the city is a pioneer in software industry in China.^{[citation needed]}

In 2005, the production value of software industry reached RMB 8.2 billion Yuan, with export revenue up to $US 42 million.^{[citation needed]}

A Silicon.com article describes Xi'an: "But Xi'an is selling on its own merits - with a large pool of cheap human resources from the 100 universities in the area, it hoovers up around 3,000 computer graduates every year, each earning approximately $120 a month - half the wages for the equivalent job in Beijing."^[11][12]

Aerospace industry[link]

In November 2006, Xi'an and the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation jointly set up Xi'an Aerospace Science and Technology Industrial Base. From its establishment, the base has focused on the development of the civil space industry, including equipment manufacturing, software and service outsourcing, new materials and solar photovoltaics.

Apart from the core area, the base will cover Xi'an and the Guanzhong area (the central China) and the expansion zone will reach Northwest China and Southwest China. It is expected that by 2012 the total industry output can reach 2.8 billion us dollars with about 10 to 20 brand products with intellectual property rights and 5-8 products with global competitiveness.

In 2008, after the launch of the initial aerospace centre in Shanghai, China is constructing another civil aerospace centre in the Shaanxi province. The State Development and Reform Commission approved the planning of Xi'an National Civil Aerospace Industrial Base on December 26, 2007. The National Civil Aerospace Industrial Base of Xi'an, set to cover 23 square km, will focus on developing satellites, new materials, energies, IT and other technologies for civil applications.

Famous economists[link]

Chinese economists from Northwest University in Xi'an includes Zhang Weiying (张维迎), Zhang Shuguang (张曙光), Weijie (魏杰), Liu Shijin (刘世锦), Song Ze (宋则), Fenglun (冯仑), Feng Zongsu (冯宗苏), Zou Dongtao (邹东涛), Li Yiping (李义平), Zuo Zhonghai (左中海). Zhang Chaoyang (张朝阳)^{[citation needed]}, the CEO of SOHU (Nasdaq) company, born and grew up in Xi'an, is a prominent leader in the Chinese Internet industry. Liu Chuanzhi, the founder and president of Lenovo Group Limited, completed his tertiary degree from Xidian University in 1960s.

International events[link]

World Horticultural Expo 2011[link]

Xi’an was chosen to host the 2011 World Horticultural Exposition by the Association of International Producers of Horticulture (AIPH) at its 59th congress, held in Brighton, United Kingdom on September 4, 2007. The 2011 World Horti-Expo was held from April 28 to October 28, 2011. The exhibition was located in a new district of the city, Chanba district, and was expected to bring some 10 million visitors to Xi’an.^[13]

Tourism[link]

The number of travellers is often greater during Summer (May–August), although the most pleasant season for visiting Xi'an is Autumn.^{[citation needed]}

Sites[link]

City wall of Xi'an

The Great Mosque of Xi'an

The Giant Wild Goose Pagoda

The Famen Pagoda

View of the city from the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda

Because of the city's many historical monuments and a plethora of ancient ruins and tombs in the vicinity,^[1] tourism has been an important component of the local economy, and the Xi'an region is one of the most popular tourist destinations in China.^[1]

The city has many important historical sites, and some are ongoing archaeological projects, such as the Mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang and his Terracotta Army. There are several burial mounds, tombs of the Zhou Dynasty kings located in the city.^[3] Xi'an also contains some 800 royal mausoleums and tombs from the Han Dynasty,^[14] with some of them yielding hundreds of sculpted clay soldiers, and remains of sacrificial temples from the Han era.^[14] The city has numerous Tang Dynasty pagodas and is noted for its history museum and its stele forest, which is housed in an 11th-century Confucian temple containing large stone tablets from various dynasties.^[14]

Some of the most well-known sites in Xi'an are:

• The city is surrounded by a well-preserved city wall which was re-constructed in the 14th century during the early Ming Dynasty and was based on the inner imperial palace of Tang Dynasty.
• The Mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang and his Terracotta Army are located 40 km to the east of the city centre, in the city's suburbs.
• The Bell Tower and Drum Tower, both are located at the city's central axis.
• The city's Muslim quarter, which is home to the Great Mosque of Xi'an.
• The Giant Wild Goose Pagoda and Small Wild Goose Pagoda are both spectacular towers and both are well over 1,000 years old and have survived great earthquakes. The former is next to a large square with the largest fountain in Asia which projects water high into the air, rising and falling in time to music during one of the daily performances (usually at noon and soon after sunset). They protected Buddhist writings in the past.
• The Stele Forest is famous for its numerous historic inscriptions and stoneworks
• The Famen Temple and its towering pagoda located on the city's outskirt
• Xi Ming Temple
• Wolong Temple at Kaitong lane
• Xingjiao Temple at Shaolin Yuan (where Xuanzang's Tomb lies)
• Jianfu Temple
• Blue Dragon Temple
• Wangji Temple
• The Banpo Neolithic village is located on the outskirt of the city proper
• The Qianling Mausoleum, one of the many Tang Dynasty era tombs located in Xi'an
• The Shaanxi History Museum has a large collection of artifacts both modern and ancient.
• Mount Zhongnan (终南山)
• Mount Taibai
• Mount Li
• Huaqing Hot Springs (華清池), at the foot of Mt. Li, have a history of 6,000 years^{[citation needed]}, the adjacent Huaqing Palace has a history of 3,000 years^{[citation needed]}. Ranked among the Hundred Famous Gardens in China, it also has the status as a National Cultural Relic Protection Unit and a National Key Scenic Area.
• Daming Palace National Heritage Park, site of the former royal residence of the Tang Dynasty emperors

Museums[link]

• Terracotta Army Museum
• Shaanxi History Museum
• Hanyang Tomb Museum, the 1st modern underground museum in China, opened in 2006
• Stele Forest
• Xi'an Museum: October 20, 2006, international council of monuments sites (ICOMOS) international protection centre (IICC) was formally established here

National parks[link]

• Mount Cuihua, National Geological Park, Xi'an (西安翠华山国家地质公园)
• Mount Li National Forest Park, Xi'an (西安骊山国家森林公园)
• Mount Zhuque National Forest Park, Xi'an (西安朱雀国家森林公园)
• Mount Zhongnan National Forest Park, Xi'an (西安终南山国家森林公园)
• Mount Taibai National Forest Park (太白山国家森林公园)
• Mount Wangshun National Forest Park, Xi'an (西安王顺山国家森林公园)

Sports[link]

Cuju is a very old football game:

It was improved during the Tang Dynasty (618-907). First of all, the feather-stuffed ball was replaced by an air-filled ball with a two-layered hull. Also, two different types of goalposts emerged: One was made by setting up posts with a net between them and the other consisted of just one goal post in the middle of the field. Chang'an was filled with cuju football fields, in the backyards of large mansions, and some were even established in the grounds of the palaces. The level of female cuju teams also improved. Records indicate that once a 17-year-old girl beat a team of army soldiers. Cuju football became popular amongst the scholars and intellectuals, and if a courtier lacked skill in the game, he could pardon himself by acting as a scorekeeper.

Professional sports teams in Xi'an include:

• Chinese Football Association Super League
  • Shaanxi Renhe Commercial Chanba F.C. (陕西人和商业浐灞)
• Chinese Pingpong Association Super League
  • Galaxy (银河)
• Chinese Basketball Association
  • Shaanxi Dongsheng (东盛)

Xi'an is also the Chinese Boxing training base for the national team.

Media[link]

Television and radio[link]

• China Central Television's channel 1 through 12 is broadcast nationwide.
• Shaanxi Television (SXTV) provincial station, broadcasts on eight channels as well as a satellite channel for other provinces.
• Xi'an Television (XATV) municipal station, has six channels for specialized programming.
• Shaanxi Radio broadcasts music, news.
• Xi'an Music Radio: FM 93.1, broadcasts music, news and talkshows.
• Shaanxi Music Radio: Fm 98.8, broadcasts music, news and talkshows.

Printed media[link]

• Chinese Business View (华商报) is a popular daily newspaper.
• Xi'an Evening News (Xi'an Wanbao) (西安晚报), with a history of 50 years (1957–2007), is one of the oldest newspapers.
• Sanqin Daily (三秦都市报) covers the news of Shaanxi Province.
• Shaanxi Daily (陕西日报) covers the news of Shaanxi Province and Xi'an.
• Xianease (发现西安) a popular magazine aimed at the expat and Chinese community of Xi'an.

International relations[link]

Xi'an's twin towns and sister cities are:

Colleges and universities[link]

Public[link]

• Chang'an University (长安大学)
• Northwest A&F University (西北农林科技大学) (founded 1934) [1]
• Northwestern Polytechnical University (西北工业大学)
• Northwest University (西北大学)
• Northwest University of Political Science and Law (西北政法大学)
• Shaanxi Institute of Education (陕西教育学院) [2]
• Shaanxi Normal University (陕西师范大学)
• Xi'an Academy of Fine Arts (西安美术学院) [3]
• Xi'an Conservatory of Music (西安音乐学院) [4]
• Xi'an University of Arts and Science (西安文理学院) [5]
• Xi'an Institute of Post & Telecommunications (西安邮电学院) [6]
• Xi'an International Studies University (西安外国语大学)
• Xi'an Jiaotong University (西安交通大学)
• Xi'an Physical Education Institute (西安体育学院) [7]
• Xi'an Polytechnic University (西安工程大学)
• Xi'an Shiyou University (西安石油大学) [8]
• Xi'an Technological University (西安工业大学) [9]
• Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology (西安建筑科技大学)
• Xi'an University of Finance and Economics (西安财经学院) [10]
• Xi'an University of Science and Technology (西安科技大学) [11]
• Xi'an University of Technology (西安理工大学) [12]
• Xidian University (西安电子科技大学) (founded 1931)

Military[link]

• Air force Engineering University (空军工程大学, 1999年由空军电讯工程学院、空军工程学院、空军导弹学院合编组成)
• The Fourth Military Medical University (第四军医大学) [13]
• The Second Artillery Engineering University of People's Liberation Army (解放军第二炮兵工程学院)
• (PLA) Xi’an Telecommunication College (解放军西安通信学院)

Private[link]

• Shaanxi Institute of International Commerce (陕西国际商贸学院)
• Xi'an Eurasia University (西安欧亚学院; University website)
• Xi'an Fanyi University (西安翻译学院)
• Xi'an International University (西安外事学院，University website)
• Xi'an Peihua University (西安培华学院)
• Xi'an Siyuan University (西安思源学院)

Note: Institutions without full-time bachelor programs are not listed.

Notes and references[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Xi'an

• Xi'an Government Website
• Xi'an travel guide from Wikitravel
• Xi'an National Hi-tech Development Zone

v t e Sub-provincial City of Xi'an Districts Lianhu · Xincheng · Beilin · Baqiao · Weiyang · Yanta · Yanliang · Lintong · Chang'an Counties Lantian · Zhouzhi · Hu · Gaoling Landmarks City wall of Xi'an · Daming Palace National Heritage Park · Mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang and the Terracotta Army · Bell Tower of Xi'an · Chang'an Flower  · Drum Tower of Xi'an · Giant Wild Goose Pagoda · Small Wild Goose Pagoda · Stele Forest · Xingjiao Temple · Banpo · Qianling Mausoleum · Mount Hua Culture & demographics Qinqiang Opera Education Xi'an Jiaotong University · Xidian University · Northwest A&F University · Northwestern Polytechnical University · Northwest University · Chang'an University · Shaanxi Normal University · Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology · Xi'an University of Technology · Xi'an Shiyou University · Xi'an International Studies University · Northwest University of Political Science and Law · Xi'an University of Science and Technology · Xi'an Institute of Post & Telecommunications · Xi'an University of Finance and Economics · Xi'an Polytechnic University  · Xi'an Conservatory of Music · Xi'an Physical Education Institute · Xi'an Technological University · Xi'an Academy of Fine Arts · Shaanxi Institute of Education · Xi'an Institute of Arts and Science Transport Xi'an Metro · Xi'an Railway Station · Xi'an Xianyang International Airport · China National Highway 210 · China National Highway 211 · China National Highway 312

v t e Provincial capitals of the People's Republic of China Changchun, Jilin Changsha, Hunan Chengdu, Sichuan Fuzhou, Fujian Guangzhou, Guangdong Guiyang, Guizhou Haikou, Hainan Hangzhou, Zhejiang Harbin, Heilongjiang Hefei, Anhui Hohhot, Inner Mongolia Jinan, Shandong Kunming, Yunnan Lanzhou, Gansu Lhasa, Tibet Nanchang, Jiangxi Nanjing, Jiangsu Nanning, Guangxi Shenyang, Liaoning Shijiazhuang, Hebei Taiyuan, Shanxi Ürümqi, Xinjiang Wuhan, Hubei Xi'an, Shaanxi Xining, Qinghai Yinchuan, Ningxia Zhengzhou, Henan

This article includes a list of references, related reading or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations. Please improve this article by introducing more precise citations. (November 2011)

Tsuyoshi Suzuki is one of the most famous DJs in the Japanese trance music scene and the co-founder of the label Matsuri Productions. In 1993, he moved to London, where he became a prominent DJ at Return to the Source.^[1] He also played at some of the most famous electronic music events, including the Berlin Love Parade, the Sydney Mardi-gras, Fuji Rock Festival, Tribal Gathering, Phoenix Festival, Rainbow 2000, and Earthcore. Tsuyoshi Suzuki has been part of many Goa trance projects, including Bass Chakra, Joujouka, Kailash, Prana, and Taiyō.

Partial discography[link]

• Trancentral Four - A Trip to Goa (1996)

References[link]

External links[link]

• TokioDrome.com
• FeedbackRecordings.com
• An Interview by Trip Out New York