Shaanxi
Not to be confused with the neighboring province of Shanxi (;
Postal System Pinyin:
Shensi) is a north-central
province of the
People's Republic of China, and includes portions of the
Loess Plateau on the middle reaches of the
Yellow River as well as the
Qinling Mountains across the southern part of the province.
By regular
Hanyu Pinyin rules, if tone marks are not written, both Shaanxi and the neighbouring province of
Shanxi should be spelled "Shanxi"; the difference is in tone: Shānxī and Shǎnxī. To make the difference clear without tonal marks, the spelling "Shaanxi" was contrived for the province of Shǎnxī, while "Shanxi" is used for the province of Shānxī.
See also: Chang'an, Zhou Dynasty, Qin Dynasty, Han Dynasty, Sui Dynasty and Tang Dynasty.Shaanxi (and the city of
Xi'an therein) are considered one of the cradles of Chinese civilization. Thirteen feudal dynasties established their capitals in this province during a span of more than 1,100 years, from the Zhou Dynasty to the Tang Dynasty. It is also the starting point of the
Silk Road which leads to
Europe,
Arabia and
Africa.
During the
Mongol rule in the 13th century, Shaanxi became a provincial unit. In the ensuing years, wars and famine had decimated and depopulated the province. As a result, large populations of
Muslims, or
Hui people, emerged, as evident today. Under the
Ming dynasty, Shaanxi was incorporated into Gansu but was again separated in the
Qing dynasty.
One of the most devastating
earthquakes in history occurred near
Hua Shan, in south-eastern part of Shaanxi Province on
January 24,
1556, killing an estimated 830,000 people. (See
1556 Shaanxi earthquake)
The short-lived
Jiangxi Soviet can be seen to have ended in Shaanxi, signaling the beginning of the
Long March by
Mao Zedong and the
Chinese Communists.
Desert in the north along the border with
Inner Mongolia, the Loess Plateau in the central part of the province, the Qinling mountains running east to west in the south central part, and subtropical climate south of the Qinling mountains.
The northern part of Shaanxi is cold in the winter and very hot in summer with dry winter and spring. Its southern portion generally receives more rain. Annual mean temperature is roughly between 9°C and 16°C with January temperature ranging from −11°C to 3.5°C and July temperature ranging from 21°C to 28°C.
Other cities include:
Baoji,
Hanzhong,
Lintong,
Tongchuan,
Xianyang,
Yan'an,
Ankang.
Shaanxi consists of nine prefecture-level cities and the city of
Xi'an.
The prefecture-level cities:
Shaanxi's nominal GDP for
2004 was 288.4 RMB (35.78 billion USD) and GDP Per Capita was 6536 RMB (789 USD). It ranked 22nd in the PRC.
Nearly all the people in Shaanxi are comprised of ethnic
Han Chinese, with pockets of
Hui population in the north western region (adjacent to Ningxia). The southern part of Shaanxi—where its provincial capital of Xi'an is located—is more populated compared to the northern part.
*
Qinqiang, the representative folk opera of Shaanxi
*
Banpo Neolithic village, near Xi'an
*
Daqin Pagoda* Imperial mausoleums
**
Zhao Mausoleum*
Mount Huashan, one of the five most famous mountains in China.
*
Mount Taibaishan, the highest peak of the
Qinling Range.
*
Mausoleum and Terracotta Army Museum of the
First Qin Emperor in Xi'an (
World Heritage Site)
* The city of
Xi'an: City Walls, Great Mosque, Bell Tower and Drum Tower,
Forest of Stone Steles Museum,
Shaanxi History Museum, Wild Goose Pagoda
*
Yan'an, the destination of the
Long March and the center of Chinese Communist revolution from 1935 to 1948
Professional sports teams based in Shaanxi include:
*
Chinese Basketball Association**
Shaanxi Kylins*
Chinese Football Association Jia League
**
Xi'an Anxinyuan*
The official website of Shaanxi*
Travel guide to Shaanxi*
Large map of Shaanxi*
Snapshots of Xi'an today*
China Shaanxi - a blog about Shaanxi
