Shaanxi is a landlocked province in north-central China that served as the cradle of Chinese civilization and the eastern terminus of the ancient Silk Road. Home to the world-famous Terracotta Army, the Ming-dynasty Xi'an City Wall, and the sacred cliffs of Mount Hua, Shaanxi pairs 3,000 years of imperial history with the hearty noodle-and-lamb cuisine of the Loess Plateau.
Shaanxi is the cradle of Chinese civilization, home to thirteen imperial dynasties that ruled from its capital region over more than 1,100 years. Xi'an, known as Chang'an in antiquity, was the eastern terminus of the Silk Road and one of the largest and most cosmopolitan cities on earth during the Han and Tang dynasties. The province holds the tomb of China's first emperor, Qin Shi Huang, guarded by the Terracotta Army, alongside the mausoleums of Han and Tang rulers scattered across the Guanzhong Plain. In the 20th century, Shaanxi again became central to Chinese history when Yan'an served as the Communist Party's revolutionary base from 1935 to 1948.
Historical timeline
Key moments that shaped Shaanxi.
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1
Western Zhou Dynasty Capital
The Zhou dynasty establishes its capital near modern Xi'an in the Guanzhong Plain, laying early foundations for Chinese statecraft and ritual bronze culture in the region.
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2
Qin Dynasty Unification
Qin Shi Huang unifies China for the first time and rules from Xianyang, near modern Xi'an. He commissions the vast underground mausoleum guarded by the Terracotta Army, discovered by farmers in 1974.
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3
Han Dynasty — Chang'an as Capital
Chang'an (modern Xi'an) becomes capital of the Han dynasty and the eastern terminus of the Silk Road, opened under Emperor Wu. The Han Yangling Mausoleum of Emperor Jing dates from this era.
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4
Sui Dynasty Reunification
The Sui dynasty reunifies China and rebuilds Chang'an on a grand new grid plan that the following Tang dynasty would inherit and expand.
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5
Tang Dynasty Golden Age
Chang'an becomes the largest city in the world, with an estimated population exceeding one million, and a cosmopolitan hub of the Silk Road hosting Persian, Sogdian, and Japanese merchants and monks. Empress Wu Zetian, China's only female emperor, is buried at Qianling Mausoleum with her husband Emperor Gaozong.
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6
Post-Tang Decline
After the fall of the Tang dynasty, Chang'an loses its status as national capital as political power shifts eastward, beginning centuries of relative decline for the city.
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7
Ming Dynasty City Wall Built
The Ming dynasty constructs the current Xi'an City Wall, one of the best-preserved ancient city walls in China, atop the foundations of the earlier Tang imperial palace city.
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8
Boxer Rebellion — Imperial Refuge
Empress Dowager Cixi and the Qing imperial court flee to Xi'an during the Boxer Rebellion and the Eight-Nation Alliance's occupation of Beijing, briefly making the city the de facto seat of government.
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9
Yan'an — Communist Revolutionary Base
After the Long March, the Chinese Communist Party establishes its base in Yan'an, where Mao Zedong consolidates leadership and develops key ideological writings. Yan'an becomes a symbolic birthplace of the modern Communist movement.
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10
Discovery of the Terracotta Army
Farmers digging a well near Qin Shi Huang's mausoleum uncover the first fragments of the Terracotta Army, leading to one of the 20th century's most significant archaeological discoveries.
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11
Han Yangling Museum Opens
The underground museum at Han Yangling Mausoleum opens to the public, displaying thousands of miniature terracotta figures and animals from Emperor Jing's tomb complex via glass-floor walkways.
Historical eras
The chapters of Shaanxi's past.
Western Zhou
Qin Dynasty
Han Dynasty
Sui Dynasty
Tang Dynasty
Ming Dynasty
Revolutionary Era
Historical sites
Places where Shaanxi's past comes alive.
Terracotta Army (Museum of the Terracotta Warriors and Horses of Qin Shi Huang)
Where: Lintong District, Xi'an
Admission: ¥120 (~$17)
Shaanxi History Museum
Where: Yanta District, Xi'an
Admission: Free with online reservation
Xi'an City Wall
Where: Central Xi'an
Admission: ¥54 (~$8)
Big Wild Goose Pagoda (Dayan Ta)
Where: Yanta District, Xi'an
Admission: ¥50 (~$7) grounds, +¥30 (~$4) pagoda climb
Small Wild Goose Pagoda & Xi'an Museum
Where: Beilin District, Xi'an
Admission: Free (park & museum); ¥30 (~$4) pagoda climb
Famen Temple
Where: Fufeng County, Baoji
Admission: ¥120 (~$17) peak season; ¥90 (~$13) off-season
Huaqing Palace (Huaqing Hot Springs)
Where: Lintong District, Xi'an
Admission: ¥120 (~$17)
Han Yangling Mausoleum
Where: Weicheng District, Xianyang
Admission: ¥70 (~$10) peak; ¥55 (~$8) off-season
Qianling Mausoleum
Where: Qian County, Xianyang
Admission: ¥45 (~$6) peak; ¥25 (~$3) off-season
Baoji Bronzeware Museum
Where: Weibin District, Baoji
Admission: Free (ID required)
Yan'an Revolutionary Memorial Hall & Baota Pagoda
Where: Baota District, Yan'an
Admission: Memorial Hall free (ID required); Baota Pagoda park ¥65 (~$9)
Museums
Curated collections that tell Shaanxi's story.
Shaanxi History Museum
Baoji Bronzeware Museum
Xi'an Museum
Han Yangling Museum
Terracotta Army Museum
Historical tours
Guided experiences that bring history to life.