Xianyang () is a prefecture-level city in central Shaanxi province, situated on the Wei River a few kilometers upstream (west) from the provincial capital of Xi'an. The old Xianyang city was once the capital of the Qin dynasty and thus the first imperial capital of China. It is now integrated into the Greater Xi'an Metropolitan Area, one of the main megalopolises in northwestern China, with more than 7.17 million inhabitants. Its built-up area, consisting of 2 urban districts (Qindu and Weicheng), had 945,420 inhabitants at the 2010 census. It has a total area of .
Xianyang is the seat of the Xi'an Xianyang International Airport, the main airport serving Xi'an and the largest airport in Northwest China, and one of the 40 busiest airports in the world.
Xianyang is one of the top 200 cities in the world by scientific research outputs, as tracked by the Nature Index. It is home to the main campus of Northwest A&F University (NWAFU), one of the world's top universities in agriculture science related fields, and a member of "Project 985" club which is an organization of 39 reputable universities in China.
History
Qin dynasty
Xianyang was among the capital city's environs during the Western Zhou dynasty, and was made the capital of the state of Qin in 350 BC during the Warring States period before becoming the capital of China during the short-lived Qin dynasty. Because the city lay south of the Jiuzong Mountains and north of the Wei River – both sunlight-rich (yang) orientations – it was named "Xianyang", meaning "fully yang". destroying the sole surviving copies of several banned books that were kept in the royal library.
In 202 BC, after defeating Xiang Yu in Battle of Gaixia and ending the Chu-Han contention, Liu Bang was crowned the emperor of the newly established Han dynasty, and he built a new capital across the Wei River merely miles from the ruins of old Xianyang and named this new city Chang'an.
Later History
During the Han dynasty, parts of Xianyang south of the Wei River were incorporated into the new imperial capital Chang'an, while the area north of the river became the Weicheng (渭城) County. Liu Bang, the Emperor Gaozu of Han, chose the high plain in Xianyang to be the site of his own mausoleum, and many of his successors followed suit. In order to secure the imperial mausoleums, the Han dynasty established five "mausoleum towns" (陵邑) and resettled many rich and prominent families of the empire there. Over time, Wuling (五陵, "Five Mausoleums") became a name that was associated with the empire's elite for many centuries.
Weicheng was home to the first relay station out of the capital Chang'an on the road to the western frontiers during the Tang era. In Tang literature, Weicheng was associated with parting. It was the setting of many poems, most notably Wang Wei's "A Song at Weicheng", a classic of farewell poetry.
Modern History
After the founding of the People's Republic, Xianyang Subregion was established, administering six counties: Xianyang, Xingping, Wugong, Chang’an, Huxian, and Zhouzhi. In August 1950, after the establishment of Shaanxi Provincial Government, Xianyang Subregion governed 13 counties: Xianyang, Sanyuan, Jingyang, Chunhua, Xunyi, Liquan, Xingping, Zhouzhi, Huxian, Yaoxian, Tongchuan, Fuping, and Gaoling. In August 1952, Xianyang was granted county-level city status. On 8 January 1953, the Subregion was abolished; Xianyang City, Xianyang County, Huxian, and Tongchuan came under provincial direct control, while suburban counties were reassigned to Weinan and Baoji administrative regions. In August 1958, Xianyang city and county merged into a new county-level city. On 8 October 1961, the Subregion was re-established, administering the county-level Xianyang City plus 13 counties. On 8 June 1966, Xianyang city was placed under Xi’an's jurisdiction until August 1971, when it returned to Xianyang Subregion.
On 5 October 1983, the State Council approved the transformation of Xianyang Subregion into a prefecture-level Xianyang City, converting the former county-level Xianyang City into Qindu District. Zhouzhi, Huxian, and Gaoling were transferred to Xi’an, while Wugong County and Yangling District (formerly part of Baoji) were placed under the new prefecture-level Xianyang City. In May 1984, county-level cities under Xianyang Subregion were renamed as administrative districts.
On 16 September 2006, following the merger of Xi’an and Xianyang local telephone networks, Xianyang's area code 0910 was changed to 029. On 8 July 2007, Yangling District was brought under the jurisdiction of the national Yangling Agricultural High‑Tech Demonstration Zone, although it remained de facto part of Xianyang. On 8 January 2017, fifteen townships (pop. ~605,000) from the four districts of Qindu, Weicheng, Jingyang, and Xingping were administratively reassigned to Xi’an. On 8 May 2018, with State Council approval, Bin County was dissolved and reconstituted as the county-level Binzhou City, directly administered by Shaanxi Province and managed by Xianyang.
Archeology
From the end of the 1950s until the middle of the 1990s, archeologists discovered and excavated numerous Qin era sites in Xianyang, including palaces, workshops and tombs.
Administrative divisions
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:90%;" align=center
!colspan="6" align="center" | Map
|-
|colspan="6" align="center" | <div style="position: relative" class="center">
</div>
|-
! Name
! Hanzi
! Hanyu Pinyin
! Population (2004 est.)
! Area (km<sup>2</sup>)
! Density (/km<sup>2</sup>)
|-
|Weicheng District
|
|Wèichéng Qū
|400,000
|272
|1,471
|-
|Yangling District
|
|Yánglíng Qū
|140,000
|94
|1,489
|-
|Qindu District
|
|Qíndū Qū
|450,000
|251
|1,793
|-
|Xingping city
|
|Xīngpíng Shì
|560,000
|496
|1,129
|-
|Binzhou city
|
|Bīnzhōu Shì
|330,000
|1,202
|275
|-
|Sanyuan County
|
|Sānyuán Xiàn
|400,000
|569
|703
|-
|Jingyang County
|
|Jīngyáng Xiàn
|500,000
|792
|631
|-
|Qian County
|
|Qián Xiàn
|560,000
|994
|563
|-
|Liquan County
|
|Lǐquán Xiàn
|460,000
|1,017
|452
|-
|Yongshou County
|
|Yǒngshòu Xiàn
|190,000
|869
|219
|-
|Changwu County
|
|Chángwǔ Xiàn
|170,000
|583
|292
|-
|Xunyi County
|
|Xúnyì Xiàn
|270,000
|1,697
|159
|-
|Chunhua County
|
|Chúnhuà Xiàn
|200,000
|965
|207
|-
|Wugong County
|
|Wǔgōng Xiàn
|410,000
|392
|1,046
|}
Chinese Bureau of Statistics lists the urban population of the city at 316,641 (1990 Census), rising to 814,625 (2000 Census), and 835,648 in 2010 Census.
Climate
Xianyang sits in the central part of the Guanzhong Basin in Shaanxi Province. The terrain steps down from north to south, with distinct elevation gradients and clear topographic boundaries. The Loess Plateau and adjacent plains dominate the landscape. The highest point within the city is Shimen Mountain in the northeast, reaching 1,826 m, while the lowest point lies at the Qīnghé exit in Dacheng Town, Sanyuan County, at 366 m.
The northern part is part of the southern edge of the Loess Plateau, generally delineated by the Jing River. The southwest features loess hills and ravines, while the northeast consists of eroded loess gullies and low-to-mid hills. The central and southern parts form the Wei River Plain, a flat and largely erosion-free segment of the Guanzhong Plain. This basin is further divided into the Jing–Wei alluvial plain and the loess plateau, arranged in descending terraces from north to south.
Surface water is primarily composed of river runoff and groundwater. All rivers belong to the Wei River tributary of the Yellow River. The main tributaries within Xianyang are the Qishui, Xinhe, Fenghe, Jinghe, and Shichuan rivers, with the Jinghe being the most significant, forming two major drainage systems: Jinghe and Wei River. Groundwater is richer in the south and poorer in the north. Prolonged drought and over-extraction of groundwater have led to the drying of some rivers and ponds, and a continuous decline in groundwater levels. Although there is substantial transit water, its utilization remains challenging due to uneven distribution of surface and groundwater.
Education
Xianyang is one of the top 200 cities in the world by scientific research outputs, as tracked by the Nature Index.
Xianyang is considered a major cultural city in Shaanxi and China. It is often referred to as a treasury of Zhou, Qin, Han, and Tang cultural relics. The city is home to one UNESCO World Heritage Site, two National Archaeological Parks, one First-grade museum (the Xianyang Museum), and one National Forest Park. There are nine key ancient ruins such as the site of the ancient State of Tai, the Xianyang Palace Site, and the Zhengguo Canal. Additionally, there are 21 imperial mausoleums from the Han and Tang dynasties, along with sites like the Thousand Buddha Pagoda, the Terracotta Army of the Qin and Han periods, Mao Mausoleum, and the Yang Mausoleum of Han.
The city is the birthplace of the Ban family: Ban Gu, a historian of the Eastern Han dynasty; Ban Chao, who opened the Western Regions; and Ban Zhao, the earliest known female Chinese historian. They were children of Ban Biao from modern-day Xianyang.
Within the urban core lies the ruins of the Ming-Qing walled old city, accessible through Beiping Street. This area houses several Major Historical and Cultural Sites Protected at the National Level in China, including the Xianyang Confucian Temple, Anguo Temple, and Shengmu Palace, as well as the only surviving section of Xianyang's Ming city wall—Phoenix Terrace (凤凰台).
Xianyang Lake is the largest artificial lake in Northwest China. Along its shores lies the historic ferry site of Xianyang, which was one of the Eight Scenic Spots of Guanzhong. The lake stretches from Gudong Park in Weicheng District in the east to Xiantong South Road in Qindu District in the west, southward to the Xianyang Lake South Garden Square, and connects with the Century Avenue of the Xi'an-Xianyang New Area. The northern edge reaches Unity Square (统一广场), the city's largest civic plaza, which served as the starting point for the Olympic torch relay in Xianyang during the 2008 Summer Olympics.
Religion
Before the Ming dynasty, most of the Han population in the region practiced Buddhism or Taoism, while the Hui people adhered to Islam. Catholicism was introduced into the area in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. Following the First Opium War in 1840, both Catholicism and Protestantism spread across the counties of Xianyang, eventually becoming two of the most widely followed and influential religions in the area.
During the Cultural Revolution (1966–1976), all religious activities in the region were forcibly suspended. After the Third Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party in 1978, religious properties such as churches and temples were returned to religious organizations, and religious activities were gradually restored.
Language
Most dialects spoken in Xianyang belong to the Central Plains Mandarin (Zhongyuan Mandarin), a subcategory of Northern Mandarin, particularly the Guanzhong subgroup. However, certain areas—such as Wuqian village in Yangling District, Youfeng village in Wugong County, Yongle in Bin County, as well as Ju family and Lu family villages in Changwu—are considered part of the Qinlong subgroup of Central Plains Mandarin.
References
Further reading
External links
- Official website of Xianyang Government