Name: Xi'an

Population: 13.16 million

Area: 10,752 square kilometers

Location: The city, capital of Northwest China's Shaanxi province, lies in the middle of Guanzhong Plain.

Economy

In 2023, Xi'an's GDP amounted to 1.2 trillion yuan ($167.16 billion), a 5.2 percent year-on-year increase. The added value in the city's primary, secondary and tertiary industries reached 32.52 billion yuan, 414.69 billion yuan, and 753.86 billion yuan, respectively, showing respective year-on-year growths of 3.4 percent, 6.2 percent, and 4.7 percent.

The city's total retail sales of consumer goods reached 481.16 billion yuan, up by 3.7 percent.

History

Known as Chang'an in ancient times, Xi'an is one of the birthplaces of the Chinese nation and oriental civilization.

It has a history of more than 3,100 years as a city and a history of more than 1,100 years as a national capital, serving as the capital for 13 dynasties.  

In October 1984, Xi'an was listed as a city specifically designated in the State plan by the State Council; in 1992, it was approved as an inland open city; in 1994, it was approved as a national comprehensive reform pilot city and a sub-provincial city; in 2018, it was identified as a national central city.

Resources

The Weihe River runs through Xi'an for about 150 kilometers, with an annual runoff of 2.5 billion cubic meters. Xi'an's groundwater reserves are estimated to total 1.99 billion cu m.

Xi'an is rich in wild plants, including 2,224 species of wild plants in 138 families and 681 genera. The city's wild animals are mainly distributed in the Qinling Mountains, with 55 species of mammals and 177 species of birds, including giant pandas and golden monkeys.

The complex development of strata in Xi'an and various structural types provide favorable conditions for the formation of various mineral resources. A total of 47 mineral resources in the city have been discovered.

Honors

Xi'an has been named National Sanitary City, National Garden City, China's Best Image City, China's Best International Image City, China's Happiest City, and China Civilized City.

Administrative divisions

Xi'an governs 11 districts (Xinchen, Beilin, Lianhu, Baqiao, Weiyang, Yanta, Yanliang, Lintong, Chang'an, Gaoling and Huyi), two counties (Lantian and Zhouzhi), and seven national and provincial key development zones, and hosts a national new area (Xixian New Area).