Shaanxi

Shanxi is a province in Northwestern China. It touches Inner Mongolia to the north, Shanxi and Henan to the east, Hubei, Chongqing, and Sichuan to the south, and Gansu and Ningxia to the west. The land is bigger than 205,000 km² and has about 37 million people.

Xi'an, the capital, is one of the oldest cities in China. It was important to many old rulers, like the Western Zhou, Western Han, Sui, and Tang. The city has a famous place where emperors once lived. Another big city, Xianyang, was the capital of the Qin dynasty.

Shaanxi has three parts: Northern, Central, and Southern. The Central part, called Guanzhong, is where most people stay and has the Wei River valley. The Northern part is dry and hilly. The Southern part is full of mountains.

In the past, Shaanxi was very important. The city of Yan'an helped leaders plan for China’s future. Today, Shaanxi is good at making airplanes and other new technology.

Name

The name of the province means "west of Shan" and has been used since around 1000 BC. Leaders from places called Shao and Zhou marked their borders along a flat area called the Shan plateau.

In Chinese writing, the name of this place is sometimes mixed up with another word. Over time, the two words were written the same way.

People in Beijing sometimes have trouble saying the names of this province and its neighbor, Shanxi, because they sound very similar. To help avoid confusion, special rules were made for writing the name. Older ways of writing the name, like "Shensi," were used by Europeans many years ago but are no longer common.

History

Shaanxi is an important place where Chinese civilization began. For over 1,100 years, thirteen ancient dynasties made their capitals here, from the Zhou dynasty to the Tang dynasty.

The main city today, Xi'an, is one of China's four ancient capitals and the end point of the Silk Road, which connected China to Europe, the Arabian Peninsula, and Africa. During the Han dynasty, a northern route of the Silk Road was expanded from Xi'an westward for trade and exploration.

An important prehistoric discovery was made near Xi'an, where fossils of early humans, called Lantian Man, were found. These fossils are kept in the Shaanxi History Museum in Xi'an.

Geography

Shaanxi is a big area in China with many different landscapes. In the north, near the border with Inner Mongolia, you can find parts of the Ordos Desert. The central part of Shaanxi has the Loess Plateau, and the Qin Mountains run from east to west in the south central area. South of the Qin Mountains, the climate becomes warmer.

The province borders several other areas. Moving clockwise, Shaanxi touches Shanxi to the east and northeast, Henan to the east, Hubei to the southeast, Chongqing to the south, Sichuan to the southwest, Gansu to the west, Ningxia to the northwest, and Inner Mongolia to the north.

Shaanxi has many different climates because it stretches over a large area. The northern parts, including the Loess Plateau, have cold, dry winters and hot, humid summers. The area called Guanzhong is mostly dry but has a few spots with cooler winters and hot, humid summers. The southern part of Shaanxi is more humid with milder winters and very hot, humid summers.

Besides the capital city of Xi'an, other cities in Shaanxi include Baoji, Hanzhong, Lintong, Tongchuan, Xianyang, Yan'an, and Ankang.

Administrative divisions

Main articles: List of administrative divisions of Shaanxi and List of township-level divisions of Shaanxi

Shaanxi has ten main areas called prefecture-level divisions. All of these are cities, including one very important city. These cities are divided into 107 smaller areas. These smaller areas include 30 districts, four smaller cities, and 73 counties.

Politics

Main article: Politics of Shaanxi

Shaanxi has a special way of governing where three important groups work together, just like in other parts of China.

The most important leader in Shaanxi is called the Governor. But there is another leader who has more power. This leader is the top person in the local group that helps run the province.

Shaanxi has had its own government since ancient times. The current way of governing started on January 10, 1950, in the city of Xi'an. At that time, a man named Ma Minfang became the first Governor of Shaanxi.

Economy

Shaanxi has been an important place for trade for a long time. In the past, it sent out animal skins, wine, and special products like musk. It also brought in things like European animal skins, watches, books, and cloth.

Today, Shaanxi is known for its big industries, especially in energy like coal and oil, and in high-tech areas like airplanes and space. Many important universities and research centers are there, helping these industries grow.

The province has special areas for businesses to grow, like the Baoji Hi-Tech Zone and Xi'an Export Processing Zone. These areas help make things like car parts, electronics, and new materials. The Western Triangle, which includes cities like Xi'an, aims to boost the economy by using its strong technology industries.

Demographics

Most people in Shaanxi are ethnic Han Chinese. Some Hui people live in the northwest near Ningxia. The central part of Shaanxi, called Guanzhong, has more people than other areas like Shaannan and Shaanbei. The capital city is Xi'an.

Religion

People in Shaanxi have different beliefs. Some follow Chinese ancestral religion, Christianity, or Islam. Most people do not follow a specific religion. You can find places of worship such as the Temple of the Chenghuangshen (City God) in Weinan and temples in Xi'an and Huangling.

Culture

Shaanxi has its own special ways of cooking, known as Shaanxi cuisine. The area is also famous for Qinqiang, a traditional style of folk opera. People in Shaanxi enjoy shadow plays and a folk song called Xintianyou. To learn more, you can explore the culture and religion of Xi'an.

• Shaanxi cuisine
• Qinqiang
• Shaanxi shadow play
• Xintianyou
• Also see Xi'an#Culture and religion

Media

Shaanxi Radio plays music and news for Xi'an and the rest of the Shaanxi province.

An old storybook called The Story of Yue Fei is about a famous general from the Song dynasty. It says that his fighting teacher came from Shaanxi.

Sports

Shaanxi has some professional sports teams. The Shaanxi Wolves play basketball in the National Basketball League. The Shaanxi Red Wolves play in the Women’s Chinese Basketball Association. These teams make fans in the area very excited.