Xi'an

Xi'an ([ɕí.án]; Chinese: 西安), formerly romanized as Sian, is the capital of Shaanxi province, located in the northwest of the China, in the center of the Guanzhong Plain. One of the oldest cities in China, the city was known as Chang'an before the Ming dynasty. Xi'an is the oldest of the Four Great Ancient Capitals of China, having held the position under several of the most important dynasties in Chinese history, including Zhou, Qin, Han, Sui, and Tang. Xi'an is the starting point of the Silk Road and home to the Terracotta Army of Emperor Qin Shi Huang.

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. Xi'an currently holds sub-provincial status, administering 9 districts and 4 counties. According to the 2010 Census, Xi'an has an urban population of 5,566,711 in its built-up area made of 7 out of 10 districts (all but Yanliang, Lintong and Gaoling not urbanized yet), while the total population of the Municipality is up to 8,467,837. It is the most populous city in Northwest China, as well as one of the three most populous cities in Western China. According to a July 2012 report by the Economist Intelligence Unit, it was recently named as one of the 13 emerging megacities, or megalopolises, in China. The report pinpoints and highlights the demographic and income trends that are shaping these cities' development.

Street food

Street food is ready-to-eat food or drink sold by a hawker, or vendor, in a street or other public place, such as at a market or fair. It is often sold from a portable food booth,food cart, or food truck and meant for immediate consumption. Some street foods are regional, but many have spread beyond their region of origin. Most street foods are classed as both finger food and fast food, and are cheaper on average than restaurant meals. According to a 2007 study from the Food and Agriculture Organization, 2.5 billion people eat street food every day.

Today, people may purchase street food for a number of reasons, such as to get flavorful food for a reasonable price in a sociable setting, to experience ethnic cuisines, or for nostalgia.

History

Small fried fish were a street food in ancient Greece, however, Theophrastus held the custom of street food in low regard. Evidence of a large number of street food vendors were discovered during the excavation of Pompeii. Street food was widely consumed by poor urban residents of ancient Rome whose tenement homes did not have ovens or hearths. Here, chickpea soup with bread and grain paste were common meals. In ancient China, street food generally catered to the poor, however, wealthy residents would send servants to buy street food and bring it back for them to eat in their homes.

Xian Lim

Alexander Xian Cruz Lim Uy (Chinese: 冼立呒 Xiǎn Lì Fǔ July 12, 1989) is a Chinese-Filipino actor, model and singer, also known as Xian Lim. Lim is a contract artist of Star Magic. Lim is famous for playing the roles of Andy in the series, My Binondo Girl in 2011 and Rocco in the blockbuster hit movie, Bride for Rent.

Life and career

Upon graduating high school in Daly City, California, he returned to the Philippines to study college as a basketball varsity scholar at the University of the East in Manila. Before getting a degree, he became involved with modeling, and eventually, acting.

Lim was cast in a few minor roles before landing a supporting role in Katorse in 2009. In 2010, he was a cast in the drama Rubi as Luis Navarro. Then, he guest starred in 100 Days to Heaven as Jojo Villanueva, He was a guest judge on Showtime and had one-episode appearances for Midnight DJ, Maalaala Mo Kaya, Wansapanataym and Your Song Presents: Andi.

In 2011, after a special participation in Minsan Lang Kita Iibigin portraying the young Joaquin del Tierro, he landed his first major lead role in My Binondo Girl top-billed by Kim Chiu. The romantic-comedy television drama was a nationwide success, garnering an average household TV rating of 28.2% provided by Kantar Media/TNS.

Kim Chiu

Kimberly Sue Yap Chiu (born April 19, 1990), commonly known as Kim Chiu, is a Chinese Filipino actress in the Philippines.

Chiu first starred in the television series, Sana Maulit Muli (2007) which won her the year's Most Promising Female Star at GMMSF. This followed by a string of successful projects and leading roles in dramas such as the Philippine adaptation of My Girl (2008), action-melodramas Tayong Dalawa (2009), Kung Tayo'y Magkakalayo (2010), rom-com My Binondo Girl (2011–2012), family drama Ina, Kapatid, Anak (2012–2013) and period drama Ikaw Lamang (2014).

She also starred in several films including Bride for Rent (2014), the sixth highest grossing Filipino film of all time grossing P326 million at the box office. Her other high profile films include I Love You, Goodbye (2009) and Bakit Hindi Ka Crush Ng Crush Mo? (2013).

She has received a PMPC Award for Best Drama Actress, four FAMAS Award nominations (winning one) and was hailed Princess of Philippine Movies and TV for her accomplishments in the film and television industry.

China

China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a sovereign state in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population of over 1.35 billion. The PRC is a one-party state governed by the Communist Party, with its seat of government in the capital city of Beijing. It exercises jurisdiction over 22 provinces; five autonomous regions; four direct-controlled municipalities (Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai and Chongqing); two mostly self-governing special administrative regions (Hong Kong and Macau); and claims sovereignty over Taiwan.

Covering approximately 9.6 million square kilometers, China is the world's second-largest country by land area, and either the third or fourth-largest by total area, depending on the method of measurement. China's landscape is vast and diverse, ranging from forest steppes and the Gobi and Taklamakan deserts in the arid north to subtropical forests in the wetter south. The Himalaya, Karakoram, Pamir and Tian Shan mountain ranges separate China from South and Central Asia. The Yangtze and Yellow Rivers, the third- and sixth-longest in the world, run from the Tibetan Plateau to the densely populated eastern seaboard. China's coastline along the Pacific Ocean is 14,500 kilometres (9,000 mi) long, and is bounded by the Bohai, Yellow, East and South China Seas.