Shaanxi (Chinese: 陝西省 , pinyin: Shǎnxī Shěng, Shensi) is a
province in the northwest of the People's Republic of China. It is
occasionally confused with its eastern neighboring province Shanxi,
as the pronunciation of the names differs only in the tone of the
first syllable. The province is well developed for tourism and has
some of the most impressive sights in China. The capital of the
province is Xi'an.
On January 23, 1556, a major earthquake
measuring 8 on the Richter scale occurred in Shaanxi Province. Dali
was one of the worst affected areas. The death toll nationwide was
up to 830,000 (excluding residents without registered household
registration). It was the largest death toll in Chinese and even
global history. The most devastating earthquake.
The province of Shaanxi is located in the middle of China and is
surrounded by Inner Mongolia in the north, Shanxi and Henan in the east,
Gansu and Ningxia in the west and Sichuan, Chongqing and Hubei in the
south. It is crossed by the Wei River, on which the capital Xi'an is
located.
The province of Shaanxi is geographically divided into
three areas. Northern Shaanxi (陝北, Shǎnbě) is mainly the loess plateau,
Guanzhong (关中/關中, Guānzhōng, "inside the pass") is the Weihe plain and
southern Shaanxi is the Han river basin and the Qinling mountains.
Guānzhōng, protected by four or six passes, was the heartland of the
Western Zhou Dynasty. Since the Zheng Guo Canal was dug in ancient
times, it has been an extremely fertile region. After his victory in the
civil war, the victorious Liú Bāng was able to establish himself as the
"first emperor," called Hàn Gāozǔ (漢高祖). Soon after, he moved his
capital to Chang'an, today's Xi'an.
The Qin Ling mountain range
(秦岭山脉/秦嶺山脈, Qín Lǐng Shānmài), which runs one thousand kilometers
east-west, is 170 km wide. The Taibai Shan is the highest mountain in
the Qinling at 3767 m. The mountain range is bordered by the Wei River
to the north and the Han Jiang River to the south. The mountain range
not only forms a watershed between the river systems of the Yellow River
and the Yangtze, but also a striking vegetation boundary. While dry
loess regions predominate to the north of the mountain range, which are
ideal for growing wheat, the warmer, wetter areas begin south of the Qin
Ling, where extensive forest regions alternate with rice fields. This
mountain range, formerly known as Nanshan ("Southern Mountains"), is
therefore also a culinary border. To the north of it, wheat dominates as
a staple food in the form of bread and noodles. In the south, the
proverbial sacks of rice fall over.
Hancheng medium-sized town with around 300,000 inhabitants, located
around 200 km north of Xi'an, starting point for various sights in the
region.
Hanzhong is located in the southwestern part of Shaanxi, in
the middle of the Hanzhong Basin, on the Han River, close to the border
with Sichuan.
Weinan is located in the east of the province and, with
5.52 million inhabitants, is the second largest city in the province
after Xi'an.
Xi'an is the capital of Shaanxi Province. Famous for its
well-preserved old town and the center of tourism in the province.
UNESCO World Heritage
Top sight Yan'an is located in the north of
Shaanxi Province on the border with Inner Mongolia and on the Yellow
River. It was the destination of the Long March in 1935 and the
political and military base of the Communist Party until 1948.
Stone inscriptions and sculptures of the Medicine King Mountain
(Yàowángshān shíkè), Tongchuan, Yaozhou District, 宝鉴路. Stone
inscriptions and stone carvings from the Sui to Ming dynasties. The
Yaowangshan Temple (药王山庙) is a listed building.
Taibei (太白县) is
located about 55 km due south of Baoji in the Qinling Mountains. From
there to Hanzhong it is another 161 km on the G244. The Taibei Mountain
National Park cannot be reached from here; it is a local recreation area
closer to the south of Xi’an.
River loop (延川黃河乾坤灣景區; about 125 km to
the east on the G2211 or S205). of the Yellow River. On the enclosed
hill are the remains of a fortress, which is open from 8.00 a.m. to 5.30
p.m.
Stone town of Wubu (吴堡石城, Wúbǎo shíchéng; above modern Wubu (吴堡县) on
the Yellow River). The entire ensemble of the Ming Dynasty mountain
village has been on the national monument list since 1988.
Hukou
Waterfalls of the Yellow River (140 km from Yan'an in the middle reaches
of the Yellow River (Huang He) between Ji County (吉县) in Shanxi Province
and Yichuan County (宜川县) in Shaanxi Province; you can get here from
Xi'an via Fuxian East Station. The Shanxi side can be reached via
Linfen, 130 km, 2 buses daily from Linfen Station 临汾火车站). Directly on
the provincial border with Shanxi is the Hukou waterfall, which is 30-50
meters wide depending on the season. Most of the water falls down the
twenty meters in early summer. Parts of the surrounding area are
protected as national or geoparks. On sunny days, you can see a
persistent rainbow above the spray from viewpoints on both sides. In the
depths of winter, massive icicles form on the rocks. A bridge nearby
connects both provinces. 3 km below the falls is the "ghost stone" (鬼石,
guǐshí), which seems to rise or fall with the water, but always remains
visible. On the Shanxi side of the bank is the Dragon Cave (龍洞,
Lóngdòng). A forty-meter-wide side channel is the "10-mile Dragon
Canal." Open: 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Price: admission to the park; Dragon Cave
extra.
Accommodation can be found in Yichuan (宜川县)
Yaozhou Kiln
(耀州窯 / 耀州窑, Yàozhōu yáo; Huangpu 15 km northeast of Tongchuan). The
Song Dynasty porcelain kilns discovered in 1959 are on the national
monument list. Fourteen workshops with eighteen kilns were uncovered in
1984–86.
Qihan branch of the Shaanxi Museum (陕西历史博物馆秦汉馆, Shaanxi
Museum Qin and Han Museum). New building completed in 2024 on the basis
of the ruins museum of the Qin Xianyang Palace, which began in 1962 on
the former site of the Confucian temple of the Ming Dynasty with a
collection of finds from the two early dynasties. The exhibition hall
consists of seven individual buildings arranged in the shape of the Big
Dipper and connected by ceiling corridors. Open: Reservations required
only on holidays (max. 8000/day), 3 days in advance. Passport control at
the entrance.
Famen Temple (法门寺; 10 km north of Fufeng). Tel.: +86
(0)917 5254002 . According to legend, the pagoda contains one of the
"84,000" relics of Buddha's body that Ashoka is said to have
distributed. In fact, a temple has only been proven to have existed
since the T'ang Dynasty, although there are written records that make it
plausible that it was founded during the Wei in 555. Before the Northern
Zhou Dynasty, the complex was called "Ashoka Temple." During the Ming
and Qing dynasties, the Famen Temple gradually fell into disrepair, but
it still maintained a certain size. In 1569, the four-story wooden
pagoda of the T'ang Dynasty collapsed after centuries of history. The
new building, financed by donations in 1579, toppled over again in an
earthquake in 1654. The pagoda was rebuilt several times, from a
four-story pavilion-style pagoda in the Tang Dynasty to a thirteen-story
brick pagoda in the Ming Dynasty. Reconstruction took place three times
during the Manchu rule, but each time at the cost of reducing the size
of the temple. Listed as a historical monument since 1956, a public
school remained in the temple. Ten years later, damage occurred to the
old buildings, which were demolished after 1979. The new buildings, such
as the main hall, the Jade Buddha Hall, the Zen Hall, the Ancestral
Hall, the Zhaitang, etc., as well as dormitories and the Buddhist
Academy, imitate the Tang architectural style. The expansion of the
Famen Temple and the reconstruction of the temple tower were completed
in October 1988. The Famen Temple Museum was opened to the public in
November of the same year. The current site has the "True Body Pagoda"
(now with an internal reinforced concrete framework) on the central axis
of the temple. In front of the tower are the main gate and entrance
hall. Behind the tower is the main hall. This is a typical layout of
early Buddhist temples in China. The hall under the pagoda has been
restored to its Tang Dynasty condition, and only some of the severely
damaged parts have been replaced. It is made of white marble and
limestone slabs, and the interior walls and stone doors are covered with
carvings. During the restoration, a circular basement was built around
the underground hall and fitted with Buddhist niches. The only remaining
Buddha finger relic was originally kept in the center of the underground
hall. After the Heshi Relic Pagoda was completed, it was moved there for
worship. There have been several exhibitions of Buddhist relics from
other countries. In 2009, the provincial government designated 9 km² as
the "Famen Temple Cultural Landscape" (tourist attractions outside the
actual temple are not under the temple's jurisdiction). In 2014, the
27th World Buddhist Fellowship meeting took place in the temple.
There are nine pyramid-shaped Han-era tombs on the Xianyang Plateau.
Hanyangling Museum (帝陵外葬坑保护展示厅; 15 km from Xi’an North Station, 19
km from the airport. Tourist buses from the city center in front of the
city library, 6 times a day). Tomb of the fourth emperor of the Western
Han Dynasty, Hàn Jǐngdì. Empress Wang has her own burial mound. The
mausoleum was only discovered in 1990. 24 pits were uncovered in which
40,000 clay figures were found. They are only a third of life-size,
around 62 cm high. The underground museum shows the burial chambers. On
the northeast side there is a protective exhibition hall for the tombs
outside the imperial mausoleum. The south gate was reconstructed in a
historicizing manner. Price: HS: 70 元, NS: 55 元; Show +10 元.
Mausoleum of the Yellow Emperor (黄帝陵; buses from the southern forecourt
of Xi'an Central Station). Huangdi is considered the deified founder of
the Chinese nation. A temple, which has been repaired several times, has
existed here since 770. Near the mausoleum area is an "immortality
platform." It is said to have been built by Emperor Han Wudi to offer
sacrifices when he returned from the northern expedition against the
Huns. The mausoleum is now 3.60 meters high and has a circumference of
48 meters and is surrounded by brick walls. In the south there is a
stone tablet from the Ming Dynasty. In the stele gallery on the east
side of the mausoleum area are 57 sacrificial steles from emperors of
all dynasties. The memorial pavilion shows the inscriptions of modern
Chinese leaders: Sun Yat-sen, Chiang Kai-shek, Mao Tse-tung and Teng
Hsiao-ping; in front of the tomb there is a sacrificial pavilion for
believers. The sacrificial ceremonies of the mausoleum (黄帝陵祭典, Huángdì
líng jìdiǎn) are on the list of intangible cultural heritage of the
People's Republic of China. These take place during the Qingming
Festival (beginning of April). Open: 7.30 a.m. to 6.30 p.m.
Qianling
Mausoleum (on the slope of Mount Liang Shan, 6 km north of Qian, 80 km
northwest of Xi'an). The tomb of the third Tang emperor Gaozong (r.
650-683) and his wife, the later empress Wu Zetian (r. 684-704).
Tomb
and Temple of Sima Qian (司马迁墓和祠), in Zhichuan Town, Hancheng District
(on a hill on the west bank of the Yellow River). The ancestral temple
was built in various dynasties from the Tang to the Qing Dynasty and is
quite large. In the middle of the temple, which commemorates the
historian Sima Qian, are the consecration hall and the "sleeping
palace," both built in the Song Dynasty. His main work Shiji, the first
of the 24 dynasty histories, is fundamental to the knowledge of Chinese
antiquity.
The panda rescue center Louguantai Wild Animal Center is part of the
4th Qiliang Botanical Garden (southwest of Xi’an, from there tourist bus
1, mountain circular line). Open: 9.00-17.30, Nov-March 9.30-16.00.
Price: summer 30 元, winter 20 元.
Valley of the Pandas (佛坪熊猫谷旅游区,
Foping Xiongmaogu Tourist Zone, Dapingyu Scenic Area 大坪峪风景区), Lupan
Village (20 km from Foping on National Road 108. High-speed trains Xi’an
North to Foping, direct buses from there). Tel.: +869168992115. Nature
reserve where you can see the animals on enclosed paths. Open: 8:30 a.m.
to 5:30 p.m. Price: Summer 50 元, Winter 35 元.
Dali County (大荔县) is 72 kilometers by road from Weinan or 138 km from
Yuncheng. Dali Man, a fossil from the late Middle Pleistocene, was found
here in 1978.
The Tianshuigou site (甜水沟遗址, Tiánshuǐgōu yízhǐ) of
the Dali Man (大荔人, Dàlì rén) from the late Middle Pleistocene discovered
in 1978, the Fengtu Granary (丰图义仓, Fēngtú yìcāng), and the Qing Dynasty
6 Family Tomb of Li Shi (李氏家族墓地, Lǐ Shì jiāzú mùdì) (in Xigao) have
been on the list of cultural monuments of the People's Republic of China
since 2001, 2006 and 2013 respectively.
Yúlín is a modern city of one million inhabitants, which is not only
the center of the province's granary, but also the site of mineral
mining. Parts of the old Great Wall, built during the Qin Dynasty, can
be found scattered around the city. Yúlín County is the northernmost of
Shaanxi and four-tenths of its northern part is desert.
Yulin
train station (on the east side of the city center). High-speed trains
from Xi'an take 4 hours, normal trains 6–7½ hours.
Things to see
in Yulin
Ming Dynasty city wall of Yulin (Q515712). The remains of
the city wall, with a massive city gate, the Zhenbeitai, runs through
the northern part of the town.
Daixing Temple (戴兴寺), 解放上巷19号; 19
Jiefang Shang Lane (Bus 4 to Hemorrhoids Hospital 痔瘘医院).
Kaige Tower
(凯歌楼), 瓦窑沟巷3号; 3 Wayagao Lane (200m south of the Drum Tower on Beida Rd.
北大街). Tel: +86 912 3285588
Lingxiao Pagoda (凌霄塔), Shangjun North Road
上郡北路 (sdl. of Zhenyuan Gate).
Wenchang Pavilion (文昌阁), 南大街216号; 216
Nanda Street (near Zhenyuan Gate).
Wuliang Temple (无量寺), 桃源路与驼峰北路交叉口;
Taoyuan Road / Tuofeng North Road intersection (Bus 6).
Xiangyun
Temple (香云寺)
Xinming Tower (新明楼, Xingming Tower 星明楼), 南大街 Nanda St.
Tel.: +86 912 3252210.
Drum Tower (榆林鼓楼), 人民东路35号; 35 Renmin Road
East. Tel.: +86 912 3260495. Open: 07.00-23.00.
Zoumaliang Mausoleum (走马梁汉墓群), 4 km outside Shenmu (120 km from Yulin
on the G1812). Han Dynasty Emperor Tomb The forms of the tombs are
diverse. 21 cave floor tombs, brick room tombs, stone room tombs were
found during the 1999–2002 excavations. They are scattered on both sides
of the Ming Dynasty Great Wall. The tomb at Guchengtan Village (古城滩村) is
870 meters long. A number of precious relics found fully demonstrate the
cultural characteristics of agriculture and mixed animal husbandry. It
is worth mentioning that a number of bone-made goods were also
discovered at the site, among which colorful animal cylinders were found
for the first time in China.
Hóngjiǎnnào Lake (红碱淖) . A lake in
the desert with no outlet that was only created in 1929, the area of
which has been decreasing since the 1970s. A "scenic area" has been
created on the eastern shore for bird watching, especially Larus
relictus, and for camel rides.
Northern Mandarin dialects are spoken, with the Zhongyuan dialect (中原方言/中原方言, Pinyin: Zhōngyuán Fāngyán, dialect of the Central Chinese plain) dominating. In the northern region, Jin is spoken, which has retained the entry tone. Anyone who has learned standard Chinese should be able to communicate with it.
By plane
Regional airports without international connections:
Hanzhong-Chenggu Airport (汉中城固机场, IATA: HZG)
Yan'an Nanniwan
Airport (延安南泥湾机场, IATA: ENY; in Liulin 柳林). (Replacement for
Yan'an-Ershilipu Airport, which was closed in 2018.)
Yulin-Yuyang
Airport (榆林榆陽機場, IATA: UYN)
By road
The highway between
Qingdao and Lanzhou, G22, or “Qinglan Expressway” (青兰高速公路) for short,
crosses the north east-west.
National Highway 108, which runs
3331 km north-south, leads through Weinan via Xi'an to Hanzhong in the
province. It ends in Beijing in the north (1050 km) and in Kunming in
the south (1465 km).
National Highway G201, starting in Baotou,
touches the cities of Yulin, Yan'an, Huangling, Xi'an, Zhenba and others
in the province, before leading to Chongqing and Nanning.
The
G3002 ring road leads around the modern city center of Xi'an. It is part
of the east-west connection G30 Lianhuo Expressway (连霍高速公路), which ends
at the Kazakh border in Khorgos (3200 km) and at the China Sea in
Lianyungang (1055 km).
The connection to Sichuan is
780 km
from Chengdu via Hanzhong, then 271 km to Xi’an on the G5
680 km
Chongqing via Ankang on the G65 highway or to Xi’an 716 km on the G85
via Hanzhong.
Express trains between Xi’an and 1 Yan’an (延安站) take just over two
hours, regular trains take 3-3½ hours, buses a good four hours. It takes
hardly any longer to travel between Xi’an and Ankang.
There is a
regular and a high-speed railway line running parallel between Xi’an and
Baoji.
The region is home to many species of the genus Zanthoxylum. At least
four of these are cultivated for Sichuan pepper.
Shaanxi has its
own cuisine, which is very different from Cantonese, Beijing, Shanghai
or Sichuan cuisine. The latter has adopted a preference for spiciness,
while Shanxi has adopted a preference for salt. Shaanxi cuisine is best
known for its noodles, which come in many shapes and sizes and are
served with many different sauces.
The "belt-shaped noodles" and the
bread are among the "eight curiosities of Guānzhōng."
Roujiamo
(肉夹馍, pinyin: ròujiāmó, meat marinated in bread) may be the oldest
hamburger/sandwich in the world. The dish originates from the cuisine of
Shaanxi province and is now widespread throughout China.
Paomo is a
hot stew made from shredded, steamed, leavened flatbread known locally
as mo (馍/饃, mó) served with lamb in broth. Lamb paomo (羊肉泡馍/羊肉泡饃,
pinyin: yángròu pàomó) consists of lamb soup and a large amount of
unleavened flatbread. When preparing this dish, the cook (or guest at
the table) breaks the bread into small pieces and puts them in the bowl,
then the lamb soup is added. The beef version is beef paomo (牛肉泡饃/牛肉泡馍,
pinyin: niúròu pàomó). It is not uncommon to add glass noodles. Paomo is
also often eaten with pickled garlic and chili sauce.
Huluji (葫芦鸡,
Húlu jī) are small, whole chickens that are first boiled, then steamed
and finally fried in breadcrumbs. This separates the meat from the
bones. They are traditionally served in half a gourd with spices. You
eat with your fingers, for which you are given a plastic glove these
days.
Bāozi (包子), dumplings filled with minced meat (similar to
ravioli), are very popular. They are steamed in a wicker basket (笼,
Lóng) and also served in this. The Bāozi are dipped with chopsticks in a
small bowl with soy sauce and chili powder (辣子, Làzi). Wonton soup is
often served with it.
Biang Biang noodles (𰻞𰻞麵, Biángbiángmiàn, the
traditional character, it has 59 strokes and shows the mixture of
noodles in the soup) are made from wheat flour and water. The long,
flat, hand-pulled noodles are 1 to 2 mm thick and about 3 to 4 cm wide.
They are also jokingly compared to trouser belts. The noodles are eaten
spicy with diced meat, tofu, leafy vegetables, bean sprouts and chili
oil made from dried, crushed chili peppers that have been poured over
with boiling oil (油泼辣子, Yóupō Làzi).
Liángpí (涼皮) are wheat noodles
that are served cold. Grated cucumber and a seasoning of your choice,
often sesame sauce, are placed on top. They are also poured over with
chili sauce or vinegar.
Freshly pulled noodles (拉面, Lāmiàn) are the
most popular main dish in northern China. They can be bought cheaply in
many local restaurants with vegetables and egg or meat.
Guokui (锅盔,
Guōkuī) is a type of flatbread made from yeast and wheat flour. Legend
has it that soldiers used to use their helmets as baking pans. It has a
diameter of 30 to 60 cm and weighs about 2.5 kilograms. It is cut into
pieces and weighed at the market. It tastes good with soup and porridge,
or simply spread with chili oil. Traditionally, it is given as a gift by
a grandmother to her grandson when he turns one month old.
The local
lemonade Ice Peak (冰峰, Bīngfēng; orange, rarely plum) is offered in many
restaurants in the province as part of the three-course menu (三秦套餐,
Sānqín tàocān): lemonade plus a Ròujiāmó and Liángpí.
Charcoal-grilled shashlik skewers can be found everywhere in the many
small restaurant alleys in the evening.
The province's name 陝西 (Shan's West) refers to the Shan Plateau (陝塬),
now known as the Zhangbian Plateau (張汴塬). The term "west of Shan" (自陝而西)
first appeared around 200 BC in a text about how the Duke of Zhou
divided up lands.
In standard Chinese, the province's name is
pronounced /ʂan ɕi/ (so the first syllable sounds something like
"schann" rather than "scha'an", the second like "chi" in "China") and is
transliterated as Shǎnxī according to the rules of the official Pinyin
transliteration. The double-a spelling is an exception to avoid
confusion with the neighboring province of Shanxi (山西, Shānxī), whose
pronunciation differs only in tone. It is based on the outdated
transliteration Gwoyeu Romatzyh.
The local languages native to
the two provinces distinguish both province names more clearly. For
example, the Jin language in Wubu distinguishes 陝西 /ʂie sɛe/ from 山西 /sã
sɛe/, the Jin language in Lin distinguishes 陝西 /ʂɻə sei/ from 山西 /sæ
sei/, the Mandarin of the Central Chinese Plain in Xianyang
distinguishes 陝西 /ʂã ɕi/ from 山西 /sã ɕi/. Based on local pronunciations,
陝西 and 山西 were transliterated as Shensi and 山西 Shansi as early as 1748,
respectively. Shensi was used in the Chinese postal transcription system
of 1906, but the Ministry of Education of the Republic of China promoted
Gwoyeu Romatzyh from 1928. Shensi remained popular alongside Shaanxi
until 1987, when the People's Republic of China officially banned
pre-People's Republic transcriptions.
The first hominids settled here 1.15 million years ago and spread
along the Yellow River; the Lantian man lived in the region in the
Pleistocene. Shaanxi is considered one of the most important cradles of
Chinese civilization. Fourteen dynasties had their residence here for
more than 1000 years, including the Zhou, Qin, Han and Tang dynasties.
On January 23rd and February 2nd, 1556, 830,000 people were killed
in the Shaanxi earthquake of 1556, the worst earthquake in history,
which also affected areas in what are now neighboring provinces. During
the Dungan uprisings, the provincial capital Xi'an was besieged in 1862,
first by Taiping rebels who had invaded the south of the province, and
then by Muslim Hui the following year. Until 1872, the Hui controlled
mainly the north and west of the province, but also other areas in
southern Shaanxi and large parts of northern China. During the Muslim
uprisings, millions of Hui, but also numerous Han, were killed, and the
majority of the province's Muslim communities were subsequently
destroyed or weakened.
At the end of 1911, Xi'an was also
affected by the revolution, and Shaanxi province broke away from the
imperial central government. After the establishment of the Republic of
China, Shaanxi was drawn into the civil war between northern warlords,
nationalists and communists from 1916 onwards. While the province was
under the influence of the Anhui clique around 1920, the Zhili generals
dominated around 1924 and the Guominjun in 1926. In 1935, the "Chinese
Soviet Republic" of Yan'an, established by communists, was located in
the northern part of the province, and the Xi'an incident occurred in
the southern part in 1936.
Shaanxi covers a territory of 205,624 square kilometers with a north-south extension of 878 kilometers and a west-east extension of 517 kilometers. It is the easternmost province of northwest China and borders the provinces of Shanxi and Henan to the east, the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region to the north, Ningxia and Gansu to the west, and the directly governed city of Chongqing, Hubei and Sichuan provinces to the south.
The province is divided into three regions by the northern mountains
and the Qin Ling. The Mu-Us Desert and the loess plateau in the north,
which is furrowed by deep erosion channels, take up about 40% of the
territory with 82,200 square kilometers and are located at altitudes of
between 900 and 1900 meters. In the central part of Shaanxi, the
traditional region of Guanzhong around the Wei River is a plain that
covers 49,400 square kilometers or about 24% of the province's area and
is located at 460 to 850 meters above sea level. In the south are the
Qin Ling and Daba Shan mountains, this region covers about 74,000 square
kilometers or 36% of the area of Shaanxi and is located at 1,000 to
3,000 meters above sea level. With the Hua Shan, Taibai Shan, Zhongnan
Shan and Li Shan, several nationally famous mountains or mountain peaks
are located in Shaanxi. About 10% of the province is desert, especially
in the north; 20% is covered with steppe vegetation, 20% of the area is
agricultural land - they are mainly located in the river valleys - and
42% is considered forest areas, although only a fraction of this is
actually covered with forest.
The northern two-thirds of Shaanxi
are in the catchment area of the Yellow River, which flows through the
province for 716 kilometers. It has cut deep into the loess plateau in
places and winds between steep slopes and several gorges. On the border
with the neighboring province of Shanxi is the Hukou waterfall, the
largest waterfall on the river. In Shaanxi, the Yellow River takes in
numerous tributaries, 349 of which have a catchment area of more than
100 square kilometers. The largest of these is the 818-kilometer-long
Wei River; other important tributaries are the Kuye He, Wuding He, Yan
He, Luo He and Jing He.
The southern third of Shaanxi is in the
catchment area of the Yangtze River. Although this river does not flow
through the province, it takes in the water of 1,772 rivers that flow
directly or indirectly into the Yangtze River. The most important of
these rivers are the Han Jiang, the Jialing Jiang and their tributaries
Dan Jiang and Bao He. In total, 31 billion cubic meters of water are
drained from Shaanxi through the Yangtze every year; due to rainfall
conditions, two-thirds of Shaanxi's water resources are located in the
southern third of the province.
Shaanxi has very few natural
lakes, but as of 2018 there were 1,102 reservoirs with a total capacity
of 9.4 billion cubic meters of water. In addition, large agricultural
areas are artificially irrigated by dams and dikes. Shaanxi's rivers are
mostly shallow and regularly dry up, so only the Han Jiang and some
sections of the Yellow River are navigable.
The east-west running Qin Ling Mountains form a weather divide
between northern and southern China and the northern and southern parts
of Shaanxi. While the north is part of the cool temperate climate zone,
which also has a montane mountain climate near the Great Wall of China,
the climate south of the mountains is subtropical. Shaanxi's climate has
four seasons: Spring is generally relatively dry and changeable, with
frequent dust storms. Summer is very hot and dry, autumn is cool and
humid, and winter is cold to very cold and dry. The average annual
temperatures are between 9 °C and 16 °C and increase towards the south
and east. On the loess plateau, agriculture is affected by a lack of
water and harsh winters: here only between 400 and 500 millimeters of
precipitation fall annually. In the southern mountains, however, around
1200 millimeters of precipitation fall annually, while in central
Shaanxi it is between 500 and 700 millimeters.
Shaanxi has been
subjected to devastating droughts throughout its history, occurring
every two or three decades, lasting two years and causing up to 20% of
the population to starve to death. The last such disasters occurred in
1899/1900 and 1929/31; since then, Shaanxi's connection to modern
transport and the construction of irrigation systems have reduced the
danger. Another danger is heavy rain in summer, which swells small
rivers in the loess plain and turns them into destructive torrents that
carry a lot of sediment and not only sweep away everything in their
path, but also bury large areas under a thick layer of mud. Shaanxi is
repeatedly hit by earthquakes, the quake of 1556 being one of the most
devastating in Chinese history.
At the end of 2020, Shaanxi had a resident population of 39,528,999
inhabitants. This had increased by 2,201,621 people (+5.9%) compared to
the previous census in 2010. The urban population amounted to 24,769,730
people or 62.66% of the province's resident population. The proportion
of men was 51.17% of the resident population. 17.33% of the population
was under 14 years old, 63.46% were between 15 and 59 years old, and
19.20% were over 60 years old. There were 410,800 births and 240,200
deaths in 2018, which corresponded to a natural increase of 0.44%.
39,306,255 inhabitants (99.44%) belonged to the Han and 222,744
(0.56%) to ethnic minorities (mainly Muslim Hui). Next to the Drum Tower
in Xi'an there is a Muslim quarter in which a wooden mosque from the
Tang period has been preserved to this day.
Until the end of the
19th century, Hui and other Muslim peoples of China made up over 78% of
the population at that time (6.5 million out of 8.3 million
inhabitants). Today it is less than 1%.
The gross domestic product of Shaanxi Province was around 2444
billion yuan in 2018. 7.5% of it was generated in the primary sector,
49.7% in the secondary sector and 42.8% in the tertiary sector. Per
capita GDP in 2018 was 63,477 yuan, up 7.5%.
Agriculture
contributed about 138 billion yuan to gross domestic product in 2018.
Grain was grown on 3 million hectares, with summer grains being the main
crop in the north, while wheat, corn, cotton and rapeseed are grown in
the Wei River plain. Cotton cultivation has been declining since the
1970s in favor of tobacco, vegetables and oilseed cultivation. In the
mountainous south, grain cultivation on terraced fields dominates. Corn
cultivation has increased here. Forestry is practiced on 12.4 million
hectares. 8.4 million pigs, 1.5 million cattle, 8.7 million sheep and
goats and 72 million poultry were kept. Meat production amounted to 1.14
million tons.
Shaanxi's industrialization began in the 1930s.
Since the 1950s, heavy and defense industries have been deliberately
established in the province because the region is considered a bridge to
western China and is far from the coast. Important companies in the
Chinese aircraft, mechanical engineering and defense industries are
therefore located around Xi'an, but the state-owned companies in
particular fell into crisis in the 1990s because they were not
competitive with companies in the coastal provinces. In 2018, industry
contributed around 963 billion yuan to the gross domestic product, which
represented an increase of 9% compared to 2017. Energy production and
high-tech industries grew the most, and the stock of public fixed assets
increased by 15.1%. Shaanxi's exports amounted to 208 billion yuan in
2018, an increase of 25.3%, while imports amounted to 143.5 billion
yuan, an increase of 35.4%.
Large areas of Shaanxi, particularly
in the north and in regions of the south affected by environmental
destruction, are financially supported by the central government.
The provincial capital Xi'an is one of the most historically
interesting cities in China. The old capital, which experienced its
heyday 1,300 years ago, only has two buildings from that era: the large
and small wild goose pagodas. Also worth seeing are the mighty city wall
from the late 14th century, the mosque, the bell tower and several
museums. Near Xi'an is also the Terracotta Army in the mausoleum of the
first emperor of China, Qin Shihuangdi (World Heritage Site).
Other sights:
Banpo Stone Age Village, near Xi'an
Several imperial
mausoleums
Daqin Pagoda
Yan'an, destination of the Long March and
power center of the Communist Party of China from 1935 to 1948
Shaanxi History Museum, in Xi'an
In the south of Xi'an lies Hua Shan,
one of China's five sacred mountains, whose summits can only be reached
by stairs.
In 1934, the provincial capital Xi'an was connected to China's
railway network. By 1945, the railway was extended beyond Xi'an to
Tianshui. Today, Xi'an is a railway junction where several important
railway lines meet: the Zhengzhou-Xi'an high-speed railway, the
Xi'an-Baoji high-speed railway, the Datong-Xi'an high-speed railway, the
Longhai railway, the Nanjing-Xi'an railway and the Xi'an-Ankang railway.
Other important railway lines that run through Shaanxi are the
Baoji-Chengdu railway and the Baoji-Zhongwei railway. The Xi'an-Yan'an
railway was approved in December 2018 to connect northern Shaanxi to the
high-speed network.
As of 2018, Shaanxi's road network covers
172,500 kilometers, of which 5,279 kilometers were highways. Almost all
administrative units at the county level are now connected to the
motorway network.
The largest airport in the province is
Xi'an-Xianyang Airport, and other important airports are Yulin, Ankang,
Yan'an and Hanzhong.