Welcome to Xian
Xi’an, once called Chang’an, the City of Long-lasting Peace, tops the list of Chinese six ancient cities. The world-renowned ancient Silk Road starts here. To stand on this land is to be on the very soil where merchants from empires long relegated to the annals of history once moved, and many facets of its past as a trading post still live on in various forms. The variety of folk handicrafts that greets the visitor is bewildering. Just outside the city is the steepest mountain in the world’, Hua Mountain. Here is where the pre-historic Lantian man was found, proving that human existence here dates back 500,000 years. With all this heritage behind it, Xi’an stands proud even in the face of its modernization, a spectacular testament of the magnificent legacy the Chinese are so proud of.
Facts
| Population | 8.305 million |
| Currency | 1 RMB =10 jiao |
| Opening hours | Office hours are 9:00-17:30 or 18:00, from Mondays to Fridays. Banks are open from 9:00-16:00 on weekends. Most malls and supermarkets close at 10pm. |
| Website | www.xa.gov.cn www.xaonline.com |
| Newspapers | Sanqin Daily (in Chinese), Huashang Weekly (in Chinese), Shanxi Daily, Xian Wan Bao, Xibei Xinxi Bao |
| Emergency numbers | Police: 110, Ambulance: 120, Fire: 119 |
| Tourist information | Xi’an Tourism Bureau, Address: 159 BeiYuan Men, Internet: www.xian-tourism.com |




















