Lianhu district
Lianhu district is one of the major urban districts in the city. The total area is 43 square kilometers, and there are about 710,000 permanent residents.
Lianhu district is rich in religious cultures, consisting of five religions, namely Buddhism, Islam, Taoism, the Catholic Church and Tibetan Buddhism competing with their own brilliances, while each of them have their own typical buildings with unique features. The district also has abundant historical and cultural deposits as well as rich culture connotation. It is celebrated with a total number of 76 sites of heritage architecture. Meanwhile the Hui Muslim Quarter and the halal snack food have become a byword for the culinary culture of Xi'an, applauded as "the best of local flavors and snacks is in the Lianhu district".
The district plays a key role in Xi'an's transformative development. In it there are more than 200 state, provincial and municipal industrial enterprises. At this stage, it is vigorously developing the service industry, new industries, and new business forms, namely the five pillar industries (commerce and trade services, cultural tourism, high-tech and modern industry, modern financial services, and industrial real estate) and four economic forms (headquarters economy, commercial real estate economy, block economy, and maker economy).
Lianhu district is a pilot area for developing the commerce and trade services. Since ancient times, it has been a major commerce and trade district, with nationally renowned business streets such as the West Street and the North Street. In 2017, the newly opened Laochenggen Gpark Business Street was awarded as China's first "Belt and Road" commercial culture street with international characteristics.
Lianhu district has achieved steady growth in terms of gross value of production, and it is the only district in Shaanxi province that has been selected as one of the "Top Five Economic and Social Development Districts in Shaanxi Province" for ten consecutive years.
In 2022, the district's gross domestic product (GDP) came in at 82 billion yuan ($11.89 billion).
Xincheng district
The present day Xincheng district is located in the northeast part of urban Xi'an, with Lanzhou-Lianyungang Railroad running across the district from the east to the west. The Ming Dynasty city wall divides the district into two parts as the inner city and the outer city. The district covers an area of 31.2 square kilometers.
Xincheng district has convenient transportation, advanced telecommunication and an advantageous geological location. In the north it's connected with Xi’an-Tongchuan Expressway, leading directly to Yan'an the holy land for Chinese communist revolution; in the east it joins Xi'an-Tongguan Expressway, leading directly to the world famous Terracotta Warriors and Horses of the Emperor Shihuang of the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC). Within its administration area there are Xi'an Railway Station and Xi'an Long-Distance Bus Station of Shaanxi Province, serving as the “big stateroom" to welcome guests from both home and abroad as well as the land port for going into and out of Xi'an. The district has always been called "threshold to the ancient city".
Xincheng is an important administrative center of the province and is the seat of the provincial government. There are Metro Line 1 and Line 2 stretch across the district, while Metro Lines 3, 4 and 5 running in the north-south direction are under construction. Xincheng has solid business basis. As the most important commerce and trade center and resource element collection and distribution center in northwestern China, it has modern commercial complexes such as Minsheng and Wanda, star-rated hotels including Sofitel Xi'an on Renmin Square and Wanda Hilton, more than 80 professional markets such as the light industry wholesale market and the North-west Mart, and famous business districts including the Jiefang Road and the Changle Road. Besides, the district also has the most number of financial institutions in Shaanxi and even the Northwest; has many renowned primary and secondary schools, as well as more than 50 medical units such as the Xijing Hospital; and has many military-related enterprises and institutions.
Xincheng district's GDP in 2022 came in at 67.28 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 4.3 percent.
Beilin district
Covering an area of 23.36 square kilometers and home to a permanent population of 730,000, Beilin district in Xi'an, capital of Northwest China's Shaanxi province, has eight neighborhood committees and 98 communities under its jurisdiction.
It is the urban area with the smallest area and the largest population density in Xi'an, as well as a district integrating commerce, technology, culture and tourism. For eight consecutive years, it has been rated as the strongest district for economic and social development in the urban areas of Shaanxi province.
Beilin district has a long and rich history and its historical sites include Xi'an Beilin Museum -- renowned as "a treasure house of stone calligraphy", the beautifully towering Small Wild Goose Pagoda of the Tang Dynasty (618-907), the city's biggest Taoist Temple of Eight Immortals and the grand and spectacular Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) city wall.
Based on its glorious history and culture, Beilin district has become the most important center for scientific research and education in Xi'an. In the district, there are 17 institutes of higher learning, including Xi'an Jiaotong University and Northwestern Polytechnic University, and more than 130 scientific research institutes with over 30,000 of researchers, as well as 10 national major laboratories. Beilin is the precinct with the most extensive range of scientific and technological talent and the highest scientific and technological achievements in the city, the province and perhaps even the country.
In 2022, the GDP of Beilin district reached 111.26 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 0.1 percent.
Yanta district
Located in the southern part of Xi'an, Yanta district covers a total area of 152 square kilometers, with a permanent population of 1.35 million. It manages 142 sub-district offices and 45 administrative villages.
It has won first place in the top five districts for economic and social development in Shaanxi province for 11 consecutive years. It also ranked 3rd in the list of "Top 100 Potential Counties and Cities" in 2020.
The district has strong consumer demand and a dynamic business environment, especially in the Xiaozhai commercial district, one of the first batch of dedicated service industry areas in the city. The core area has 4.2 million square meters of large-scale commercial facilities and was included in the first group of China's key demonstration commercial districts.
Yanta is a district that excels in science and education in China with 39 institutes of higher learning, 55 research institutes at provincial level or above and 140,000 top-level professionals working in different fields, which have provided powerful intellectual and human resource support for the development of the region.
It also has many scenic spots including the Dayan Pagoda, Daxingshan Temple, Qinglong Temple and Shaanxi History Museum. Last year, it played host to 45 million tourists from home and abroad.
Yanta district's GDP in 2022 hit 300.56 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 4.5 percent.
Baqiao district
As one of the main urban districts of Xi'an, Baqiao district has a total area of 332 square kilometers and a population of 703,900. It contains nine sub-districts, 65 communities, and 76 administrative villages.
The district has abundant natural resources. The Chanhe, Bahe and Weihe Rivers flow through it and converge to form a natural ecological wetland that stretches for 60 kilometers and covers an area of more than 1,333.33 hectares.
The Baqiao Ecological Wetland Park has become a major destination for citizens to relax and cool off.
There are eight military industrial units and colleges with solid development foundations such as the Academy of Aerospace Solid Propulsion Technology and Rocket Forces University of Engineering. It gathers together more than 70,000 scientific and technical talents, making it one of the areas with the most scientific and technological strength and intellectual resources in the city.
Within Baqiao district, the Xi'an municipal Party committee and the Xi'an municipal government have established three development zones: the Chanba Ecological Zone, the Xi'an International Trade and Logistics Park, and the Xi'an Bahe New Area.
Baqiao district will vigorously develop the five leading industries including commerce and trade, logistics, cultural ecotourism, construction and real estate, and new industry, and further improve regional infrastructure and the living environment.
In 2022, Baqiao district's GDP amounted to 66.32 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 4.5 percent.
Weiyang district
As the new administration center of Xi'an, Weiyang district covers an area of 262 square kilometers, with 10 neighborhood committees under its jurisdiction. The number of permanent inhabitants of the district is 811,400, with 537,000 people registered at the police. It is named after the Han Dynasty ruins of Weiyang Palace, meaning “endless prosperity”.
Weiyang District boasts peculiar regional advantages. It is at the very center of the "nine-grid pattern" in overall urban planning, the forefront of the integration of the cities of Xi'an and Xianyang, and the core of Guanzhong-Tianshui Economic Development Zone.
Weiyang district is an ancient capital with over one thousand years of history, and it is also a cultural area in a region where China prospered during its history. With its rich historical remains, the region served as the capital of 11 dynasties for a period of more than 1,200 years. The ruins of Tang Dynasty Daming Palace, Han Dynasty Chang'an City and Qin Dynasty Epang Palace evoke the world's pondering over the ancient glory of China, and the historical ruins shine brightly with modern development.
Weiyang is an area connecting the whole country and opening to the world. Within the area lies the largest high-speed railway station in Asia - Xi'an North Station. Xi'an-Tongchuan Expressway, Xi'an Bypass Expressway, and Airport Lines one and two run across the region.
Weiyang district is an ecological zone with beautiful waterscape, green landscape and vitality. It holds the Hancheng Lake National Water Conservation Scenery Spot, the Weihe River Wetland Park, Weiyang Lake Fairground, and Chanba National Wetland Park.
Weiyang district's GDP in 2022 hit 156.35 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 6.5 percent.
Yanliang district
With a total area of 244.4 square kilometers, Yanliang district has two townships and five neighborhood committees under its jurisdiction. The total population of the district is 300,000.
The district has long historical and cultural deposits as well as peculiar industrial features. It is the site of the historically famous ancient Yueyang City, where the legend has it that the Chinese ancestor Yellow Emperor Xuanyuan cast nine ding tripods to set up his rule over China, and in history the Duke of Xiao of the State of Qin in Warring States Period (475-221 BC) appointed Shang Yang to carry out the reform, which laid the foundation for Qin's unification of China as the very first dynasty of imperial China.
Yanliang is the unique aerotropolis of China, and it is the aviation industrial base which is the biggest in Asia and the only one that integrates aircraft design, R&D, manufacturing, trial flight and appraisal, scientific research and education. Within the area there are large-scale aviation enterprises and institutions such as Xi'an Aviation Corporation, the First Aircraft Design and Research Institute of Air China, and China Flight Test Establishment, etc. More than 30 kinds of military or civil aircrafts including Y20, JH-7, MA 600 and ARJ21 take to the skies from here, the large aircraft project is launched here for R&D and for manufacture, and national aviation hi-tech industrial base is constructed here for further development.
The district also has beautiful urban and rural environment as well as competitive investment conditions. It is the intersection of Xi'an-Hancheng, Xianyang-Tongchuan and Xi'an-Yan'an railways, Beijing-Kunshan expressway runs through the region from the north to the south, and Guanzhong Ring Road and some other highways lead to all directions, Xi'an-Yanliang B Road has been constructed and put into operation, the projects of Guanzhong Intercity Railway and the nonstop expressway from Yanliang to the airport are to be launched.
The district has an important strategic position with a promising future. With the implementation of Guanzhong-Tianshui Economic Zone Development Plan and the full-scale construction of Xi'an International Metropolis, Yanliang is determined as the sub-center city of the international metropolis.
In 2021, Yanliang district's GDP amounted to 26.48 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 6.32 percent.
Lintong district
Lintong is an ancient magical land with youthful vitality. And from the Zhou, the Qin, the Han to the Tang Dynasty, it always served as part of the capital area, and was thus in the very center of the political, economic and cultural life of the country. As the east gate of the ancient capital of Xi'an, Lintong is 30 kilometers to the city center. Covering a total area of 915 square kilometers and a population of more than 700,000, the district has 23 neighborhood committees and 226 administrative villages under its jurisdiction.
Always bearing the title of “Lintong has the best cultural relics in the world”, the district is the gathering place of numerous cultural relics, with Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Park as the best representative. Up-scale tourism resources have taken form, and they may possibly rank first in the world in terms of their numbers, varieties, levels and compositions. Within the district there are six historical and cultural sites protected at the national level, three at the provincial level, and 57 at the district/county level. The abundant historical and cultural heritages make Lintong a shinning pearl in China's tourism chain, and a must-see tourism destination for those coming to Shaanxi.
Since the reform and opening-up, Lintong has actively carried out the strategy of tourism-driven development. With the perfecting tourism service functions, related industries are being promoted and further developed. Tourism has become the important pillar industry in the social economic development of Lintong.
Lintong district's GDP in 2022 hit 26.71 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 0.4 percent.
Gaoling district
Covering a total area of 294 square kilometers and with a population of 351,100, Gaoling district has seven neighborhood committees and 86 village committees under its jurisdiction.
In 2021, the district's GDP reached 38.47 billion yuan with a year-on-year increase of 2.73 percent.
Located in the central part of the Guanzhong Plain of Shaanxi province, Gaoling district is 20 kilometers to either the Bell Tower of Xi'an or Xianyang International Airport, and 7 kilometers to the new administration center of the city. With Xi'an-Tongchuan and Xi'an-Yumenkou expressways running from the north to the south through the region, the totally flat district is a piece of promising land for investment.
Stretching 20.55 kilometers from the south to the north, and 20.1 kilometers from the east to the west, the district is dubbed as “the cabbage core” of the Guanzhong Plain. Gaoling is a piece of flat land, and has always been part of the capital area of the ancient capital Chang’an during the 13 dynasties. From the west to the east the Weihe River runs through the south of the county, zigzagging over 20 kilometers, which is why in ancient times the region was advantageous in river transportation. From the northwest to the southeast the Jinghe River runs into the Weihe River at the northeast of Jingweibu in Jingwei Township, extending 13 kilometers within the county. For a period of over 2,000 years, the region has benefited from the irrigation of the two rivers, and the waters of the two rivers cut the area naturally into three parts.
Ancient cultural relic sites such as Zhaohui Pagoda of the Tang Dynasty, the stone tablet of Li Sheng and the ruins of Dongwei Bridge are scattered in the county. Established in 350 BC, the 12th year of the rule of the Duke of Xiao, Gaoling is one of the earliest counties ever established in the history of the country.
Chang'an district
Chang'an district in Xi'an is located in the central part of Guanzhong Plain, bordering Lantian county in the east, Zhashui county in the south, Huyi district in the west, and Yanta, Baqiao and Weiyang districts in the north.
Covering a total area of 1,583 square kilometers, Chang'an district encompasses 232 administrative villages in 84 communities in 16 sub-districts, with an actual population of 1.1 million.
It has more than 20 scientific research institutes, 12 entrepreneurship and innovation bases, and four gathering areas for cultural industry development. There are 50 maker spaces, with more than 500 professional teams and a total of more than 4,500 entrepreneurs settling in.
More than 300,000 teachers and students from 32 colleges and universities have provided intellectual support, education and skills for the district's economic development.
Qinling Mountain in the district has an area of 876 square kilometers, with a forest coverage rate of 36 percent.
Chang'an district is also rich in cultural heritage. There are four historical and cultural sites protected at the national level, seven at the provincial level and 20 at the district or county level.
In 2022, Chang'an district's GDP reached 141.83 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 7.5 percent.
Huyi district
Located in the southwest of Xi'an, capital of Northwest China's Shaanxi province, Huyi district is one of Xi'an's three sub-center districts. It manages eight sub-districts and six towns, with a total area of 1,282 square kilometers and population of 600,000.
Huyi district boasts abundant historical heritage; it was the capital during the reign of King Wen of the Zhou Dynasty (c. 11th century - 256 BC) and served as part of the capital area during the Han (206 BC-AD 220) and Tang (618-907) dynasties.
The district also boasts abundant tourism resources, and a few tourism routes have taken form, with Caotang Temple and Guifeng Mountain as the major scenic spots.
Currently, there are 241 primary and secondary schools and eight colleges and universities in the district, including Xi'an Shiyou University, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, and the Shaanxi Institute of Technology.
In 2022, the district's GDP hit 34.13 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 20.8 percent.
It is rated as the first batch of strong tourism counties of Shaanxi province, one of the top ten most attractive key tourism counties of Shaanxi province, and one of the most charming cultural and ecological tourism counties of China.
Zhouzhi county
As the western gateway into Xi'an, Zhouzhi county covers a total area of 2,974 square meters, with a population of 691,700. It encompasses one sub-district, 19 towns and 264 administrative villages.
Zhouzhi county has a good natural environment. It has been named a national-level ecological demonstration county; one of the first batch of the most attractive ecological tourism counties in China; a pilot demonstration county for the construction of a key national ecological functional zone; and a main national functional zone.
The county's forest coverage rate is 66.6 percent, and this accounts for 52 percent of the city's total forest area. The 15 rivers in the county have an annual runoff of 1 billion cubic meters and provide an annual water supply of 305 million cubic meters to the urban area. It is the main water source in Xi'an.
Zhouzhi county is currently the largest kiwifruit production base in the world and has been awarded the titles of "China's Kiwifruit Capital" and "China's Advanced Eco-Agriculture County".
Zhouzhi kiwifruit was certified by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Products as a geographical indication for agricultural products, and came first in the Chinese kiwifruit regional brand value rankings.
It is also the largest distribution center of seedlings and flowers in Northwest China and the main vegetable supply base in Xi'an.
In 2022, the county's GDP reached 16.07 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 4.4 percent.
Lantian county
Geological Location: Lantian County is located at the north foot of the Qinling Mountains, and the southeast part of the Guanzhong Plain. Being the suburban county of Xi’an, Lantian was in ancient times on the thoroughfare between the states of Qin and Chu, and is one of the roads linking the central Shaanxi to provinces in the southeast. Lantian has an advantageous regional location, very convenient transportation and is within the half-hour metropolitan living circle of Xi'an. The direct distance from the county to the urban area of Shaanxi is only 22 kilometers.
Administrative division: the county has 18 townships, nine neighborhood committees and 337 village committees under its jurisdiction.
Population & dimension: the population of the county totals 656,049 (agricultural population is 470,949) of 191,773 households. The total area covers 2,006 square kilometers, accounting for 19.9 percent of the total dimension of Xi'an.
History & culture: Lantian is one of the places where ancestors of human beings originate and one of the earliest cradles of the Chinese civilization. The world renowned Lantian Jade is among the "top four famous jades" of China. According to the Rites of Zhou, “Lan (blue) is the color of beautiful jades”, hence the county name Lantian (lit. blue field). In ancient times it belonged to the capital area, and the county was first established in the 23rd year (379 BC) of the reign of King of An of the Zhou Dynasty, and it has a history of over 2,300 years by now.
Natural landscape: Lantian is endowed with beautiful natural sceneries, and is one of the major tourism area in the northern foot of the Qinling tourism belt. The county abounds in tourism resources, where mountains are gorgeous and the waters beautiful, the plains elegant and the ranges stretching wide, and with the splendid natural sceneries there are a large number of cultural and natural scenic spots, including the world renowned Lantian Ape Man ruins at Gongwangling, Shuilu'an Temple which bears the name of "the second Dunhuang" with its treasure of wall sculptures, and the Buddhist Wuzhen Temple, which is the holy land of the Buddhist Pure Land Sect and the temple was built during the Sui and Tang dynasties (581-907), the tomb of Cai Wenji, a talented woman of the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220), the underground magic palace of Wangchuan Carst Cave, the villa ruins of Wang Wei the great Tang poet, the attractive Tangquan Lake, and the Wangshun Mountain National Forest Park which not only bears the precipitous features of Mount Huashan but also the charms of Mount Huangshan.
Mineral resources: Lantian abounds in mineral resources, and is famed far and near as "the home of beautiful jades". Thirty-eight minerals were found in the county, of which 17 are metals including gold, silver, lead, and molybdenum, and over 20 different non-metal ores including granite, marble, kaolin clay and limestone. Lantian Jade is ranked one of the “top four beautiful jades” of China, and is listed into the first place of origin protection jade product. There are 17 proved mineral springs and five geotherm spots, Tangyu hot spring has been explored from the Tang Dynasty until today, and all of these spots have been widely explored.
In 2022, the county's GDP reached 15.7 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 1.2 percent.