Xi'an

City overview

Xi'an, capital of Shaanxi Province, is a core city in Northwest China, classified as a New First-tier and Megacity. As an ancient capital of 13 dynasties, it boasts world heritage sites like the Terracotta Warriors and Giant Wild Goose Pagoda, making it a cradle of Chinese civilization. Modern Xi'an integrates high-tech industries, education, and tourism, with renowned universities (e.g., Xi'an Jiaotong University). Affordable living costs and diverse cuisine (e.g., roujiamo, liangpi) make it ideal for international students to explore China's history and development.

Basic information

Geography and climate

Detailed introduction

Xi'an, historically known as Chang'an, is located in the central Guanzhong Plain of Northwest China. As the capital of Shaanxi Province, it covers an area of 10,106 km² with a permanent population of approximately 13.17 million. As one of the longest-established and most influential ancient capitals in Chinese history, Xi'an boasts over 3,100 years of urban history and 1,100 years as a capital, earning it the title of 'Natural History Museum'. World cultural heritage sites such as the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor with the Terracotta Warriors, the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda, the Small Wild Goose Pagoda, and the Ming City Wall are scattered throughout the city, showcasing its profound cultural heritage. Economically, Xi'an is the largest economic center in Northwest China, with pillar industries including high-tech, advanced manufacturing, cultural tourism, and modern services. The Xi'an High-tech Industries Development Zone and Xi'an Economic and Technological Development Zone attract substantial domestic and foreign investment, particularly excelling in aerospace, electronic information, and biomedicine. As a key node of the Belt and Road Initiative, Xi'an continues to enhance its openness to the world. Education is one of Xi'an's core strengths. The city is home to nearly 100 higher education institutions, including renowned universities such as Xi'an Jiaotong University, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xidian University, and Shaanxi Normal University, with over one million enrolled college students. These universities enjoy international reputations in engineering, materials science, electronic information, and aerospace, offering abundant academic resources and exchange opportunities for international students. In terms of daily life, Xi'an has a relatively low cost of living, convenient transportation, and well-developed medical facilities. The city is well-greened with numerous parks, such as Xingqing Palace Park and Qujiang Pool Relics Park. Local residents are warm and hospitable, and the city has good public security, making it an ideal place for international students to live long-term.