Xianyang: Definitely Not Just a District of Xi'an!
"Xianyang? Isn't that just a district under Xi'an's jurisdiction?"
When introducing Xianyang to friends, I have heard similar responses more than once. But this isn’t entirely due to their lack of knowledge—it’s because the distance between Xianyang and Xi’an is incredibly short. The straight-line distance between the core urban areas of the two cities is only about 20 kilometers. In Beijing, that’s roughly the distance from Tiantongyuan to Tiananmen Square. They are practically "cheek to cheek" across the Wei River.
Such proximity makes the two cities like old neighbors who have known each other for years, visiting each other often. Xi’an and Xianyang even share the same area code, "029." Xi’an’s airport is built in Xianyang and is named Xi’an Xianyang International Airport. When Xi’an constructed its Third Ring Road, the project extended into Xianyang’s territory. With the establishment of the Xixian New Area, the two cities have become thoroughly intertwined, each containing elements of the other.
In fact, historically, Xianyang and Xi’an were originally the same city.
First came Xianyang, then Xi’an.
Let’s turn the clock back over 2,000 years. Xianyang was a super metropolis that stood out not only in Shaanxi but also in all of China at the time.
In 350 BCE, after the reforms of Shang Yang, the Qin state rose to become the strongest among the seven warring states. The ambitious Duke Xiao of Qin urgently desired to build a new capital matching the state’s power. His gaze fell upon this treasured land south of Jiuzong Mountain and north of the Wei River. In ancient China, it was believed that the southern side of a mountain and the northern side of a river were considered "yang." Xianyang lies on the yang side of both the mountain and the river—hence the name Xianyang (literally "all yang").
The meandering Wei River nourishes the Guanzhong Plain.
This city is located at what the nation recognizes as the "Center of Heaven and Earth." In the 1970s, after extensive nationwide surveys, Chinese surveyors determined the Geodetic Origin of China to be in Jingyang County, Xianyang. This site thus became the starting point and benchmark for China’s latitude and longitude.
Xianyang, situated in the heart of the Guanzhong Plain, can be considered the essence of all China. It has always been a land coveted by the entire nation, with the ancient saying: "Whoever holds Guanzhong holds the world."
The fertile Guanzhong Plain is like a massive "treasure bowl."
Located in the warm temperate zone, the Guanzhong Plain benefits from the East Asian monsoon, which brings abundant rainfall in summer. The endless fertile loess soil is exceptionally suitable for crop growth. As a result, this area became one of the birthplaces of Chinese civilization and laid the material foundation for the rise of cities in later eras.
The Guanzhong Plain is surrounded by towering mountains: the Northern Mountains to the north and the Qinling Mountains to the south. By guarding the strategic passes between these mountains, the city’s defense could be ensured. For example, the famous Hangu Pass repeatedly blocked the attacks of allied forces during the Warring States period, buying the Qin people over a hundred years of valuable time to "develop stealthily."
The mountains hindered invasions by foreign enemies, but the Guanzhong Plain was not isolated. The winding Wei River nourished the fertile land of the eight hundred li Qinchuan. In ancient times, water transport was the most convenient mode of transportation. From the Wei River, one could enter the Yellow River and reach the vast North China region. This area was ideal for both offense and defense, truly deserving the title "a golden city spanning a thousand li, a land of abundance."
The century-long foundation laid by Duke Xiao of Qin became a powerful asset for the Qin people in their quest for dominance. "The brave old Qin, together facing the nation’s calamities," they marched eastward through Hangu Pass one after another, expanding their territory with conquering swords and establishing an unprecedented great empire. Xianyang was the most dazzling pearl in this entire empire.
The city of Xianyang during the Qin Dynasty spanned both banks of the Wei River, covering an area of 48 square kilometers. The Xianyang Palace was five times larger than the Beijing Forbidden City. The Qin Straight Roads, which extended throughout the empire, originated from Xianyang and were considered China’s earliest highways. All roads lead not only to Rome but also to Xianyang.
However, this was far from the full picture of Qin-era Xianyang.
Represented by the "wonder-obsessed" Qin Shi Huang, successive Qin kings built about 300 detached palaces and gardens around Xianyang, covering what are now the cities of Xianyang, Xi’an, Weinan, and Baoji. If these palaces were connected, they would form a super "Xianyang Metropolitan Area" with a total area of nearly 5,000 square kilometers—comparable to Shanghai excluding Chongming Island.
Schematic diagram of the evolution of ancient Xi’an and Xianyang.
Unfortunately, all this dreamlike splendor vanished in a colossal fire, turning to dust along with that unprecedented great empire, becoming mere fragments of history.
"The garrison soldiers cried out, the Hangu Pass was seized; with a single torch from the men of Chu, the pitiful scorched earth was left!"
Xiang Yu set fire to the Epang Palace, and the flames burned for three months without extinguishing, reducing Xianyang City to ruins. Later, Liu Bang, the founding emperor of the Han Dynasty, had to rebuild the capital on the south bank of the Wei River, which became the city we are familiar with—Chang'an.
The tomb of Liu Bang, the founding emperor of the Han Dynasty, resembles an Eastern pyramid.
This name has accompanied Chinese civilization for thousands of years, witnessing the glorious heights of the Han and Tang empires. However, at this time, the Grand Historian Sima Qian merely noted briefly in the "Records of the Grand Historian": "Chang'an was formerly Xianyang."
Indeed, Chang'an and Xianyang are essentially twin brothers sharing the same roots.
A popular saying in the official circles of the Qing Dynasty went: "To be assigned as a county magistrate under the same jurisdiction as the prefect is the worst luck imaginable." It meant that if a county magistrate had to serve alongside the prefect, it was incredibly unfortunate. Facing one's superior every day was far less comfortable than being the "local emperor" of one's own territory.
Unfortunately, Xianyang was just such an "unlucky one." It is too far from the Han and Tang dynasties and too close to Xi'an.
As the neighboring "little brother" Xi'an developed, the "big brother" Xianyang, separated only by a river, inevitably became a foil. Although the glory of its golden age has long faded, what remains unchanged on this land is the resilience and tenacity ingrained in the blood of the old Qin people.
Xianyang does not naturally produce tea, but local merchants transported tea from Hunan all the way to Jingyang County in Xianyang. Here, loose tea was processed into compressed tea bricks for easier transportation. Jingyang's unique climate allowed the microorganisms in the tea to bloom into abundant "golden flowers," giving Jingyang Fu tea its distinct aroma and flavor.
The "golden flowers" in Jingyang Fu tea,
are actually a unique type of mold,
similar to the blue veins in cheese.
Xianyang merchants trekked along the "Westward Trade Route" to sell Jingyang Fu tea to the distant Mongolian grasslands. With this specialty, Shaanxi formed the nationally renowned "Shaanxi Merchant Guild," and the widespread Shan-Shaan Guild Halls across the country are the best evidence of this.
The Shan-Shaan Guild Halls in Sheqi County, Nanyang, and Chongqing.
As the saying goes, "If you want to get rich, build roads first." Railways are the arteries of industrialization and the lifelines of modern urban development. By the end of 1935, with the opening of the Xianyang Station on the Longhai Railway, the once-isolated Guanzhong Plain was connected to the prosperous southeastern coast, "turning natural barriers into thoroughfares." Electricity, machinery, and other unprecedented novelties flooded into Xianyang, bringing the dawn of a new era to the ancient Guanzhong Plain.
When the full-scale War of Resistance broke out, Xianyang, located deep inland, fortunately escaped the ravages of war and became one of the few havens in the rear. The Longhai Railway became a lifeline for people from occupied areas seeking stability and freedom.
The Baoji Gorge of the Wei River Valley, Baoji-Tianshui section of the Longhai Railway.
Countless displaced refugees from Henan clung to trains and settled around Xianyang's railway station, Wenhui Road, and Xinxing Road. They transformed Xianyang and simultaneously awakened the Guanzhong cities from centuries of stagnation. To this day, cities along the Longhai Railway, such as Baoji and Tongchuan, still retain the nickname "Little Henan." The slightly discordant Henan dialect, spoken alongside the local Qinqiang opera, faintly narrates Xianyang's remarkable modern development.
Xianyang was already a major hub for cotton production in Guanzhong. With the convenience of the railway, cotton from surrounding counties and cities flocked to Xianyang. Coupled with an abundant labor force, Xianyang quickly evolved from an ancient commercial distribution center into a key textile industrial base in Northwest China. In the early years of the People's Republic of China founded in 1949, the textile industry accounted for 73% of Xianyang's total industrial output.
Inclusiveness and openness are inherent traits of the resilient old Qin people. The brilliance of Xianyang has never been overshadowed by Xi'an.
Xianyang is far more than just another Xi'an.
Xianyang, a name that has remained unchanged for 2,300 years, represents the city's ancient and profound historical heritage. Modern urban development has allowed Xianyang to carve out a distinct path of growth under the shadow of Xi'an. Knowing when to persevere and when to let go embodies the unique wisdom of the people of Xianyang in navigating life on this land.
In 2021, Xianyang surpassed Xi'an to be listed as one of China's cities with the highest sense of happiness. This happiness stems from its rich history as well as its vibrant present.
Children playing in front of the winged horse statue at the Tang Zhenling Mausoleum.
The underground world buried with Xianyang's history is only second to its neighbor Xi'an in terms of liveliness—absolutely outperforming 99% of cities across the country!
Xi'an is renowned as the "Ancient Capital of Thirteen Dynasties," with the civilizations of the Zhou, Qin, Han, and Tang dynasties shaping its legacy. But when it comes to Xianyang, the Qin Dynasty is undoubtedly part of its historical "private domain." Although Fengjing, established by King Wen of Zhou, and Haojing, built by King Wu of Zhou, now fall under Xi'an's Chang'an District, they were part of Xianyang's jurisdiction before 1950.
Figure 1: Qianling Mausoleum of Emperor Gaozong of Tang and Empress Wu Zetian; Photo by Li Wenbo.
Figure 3: Maoling Mausoleum of Emperor Wu of Han; Photo by Li Wenbo.
During the Han and Tang dynasties, although emperors established their capitals in Xi'an, most were buried in Xianyang after death. Of the 11 Western Han imperial mausoleums, nine are located in Xianyang, with the exception of Emperor Wen's Baling and Emperor Xuan's Duling. As for the 18 Tang imperial mausoleums in the Guanzhong region, half are in Xianyang and the other half in Weinan.
The Xianyang Plateau, where countless kings, nobles, and generals are buried, is an Eastern Valley of the Kings.
Figure 1: Gilt Bronze Rhinoceros Zun with Gold and Silver Cloud Patterns, housed in the National Museum of China.
Figure 2: Jade Seal of the Empress, housed in the Shaanxi History Museum; Photo by Arterial Shadow.
Figure 3: Gilt Silver Bamboo-Joint Censer, housed in the Maoling Museum.
Although neighboring Xi'an is the capital of Shaanxi Province, its long-standing status as a municipality directly under the central government and a separately listed city makes it seem like a child raised by another family. In contrast, native Xianyang feels more familiar and亲切 to the people of Shaanxi. In the new era, Xianyang is poised to become a renowned western city and a celebrated capital along the Silk Road.
Shaanxi is a hidden major fruit province, with over 17 million mu of fruit cultivation—equivalent to twice the area of Shanghai. Xianyang leads Shaanxi in fruit production. Fruits such as Binzhou large jujubes, Binzhou pears, and Xingping nectarines are distributed nationwide, spreading sweetness from the Guanzhong Basin to people across the country.
Xianyang, Shaanxi: Persimmons ready for harvest.
The fruit industry reflects Xianyang's agricultural development in the new era. Legend has it that Hou Ji, the ancestral god of agriculture in China, was enfeoffed in Tai State (now Wugong County, Xianyang), where he taught locals to cultivate crops, pioneering China's agricultural era. Modern-day "Hou Jis" from Northwest A&F University carry on this legacy, working tirelessly on this land.
In the new era, Xianyang established China's first national agricultural high-tech industry demonstration zone—the Yangling Agricultural High-Tech Industry Demonstration Zone. "Bima No. 1," developed here, is the most widely cultivated wheat variety in the world by accumulated planting area. This is just one small example of the thousands of major agricultural achievements originating from Yangling.
Xianyang, Shaanxi: Farmers in Qianling Village, Chengguan Town, Qian County, rushing to harvest wheat.
Abundant produce naturally contributes to the diverse dietary habits of Xianyang's people. Located in Shaanxi, a province known for its carb-rich cuisine, Xianyang's food scene is dominated by a variety of noodles and baked goods. Although just a river away from Xi'an, Xianyang's culinary traditions have their own unique flair.
"Guokui is as big as a pot lid" – one of the Ten Strange Wonders of Shaanxi – refers precisely to Qian County guokui from Xianyang. This food carries a distinct military imprint. To meet the soldiers' provisions needs, guokui is usually made extremely large, with a diameter of at least two chi (about 66 cm).
Such a visually striking and massive shape far exceeds the limit of what one person can eat, even for those bottomless-stomached Guanzhong men. Therefore, it is usually cut into wedge-shaped pieces ("yazi"), stuffed full with braised meat marinated in aged broth, creating Xianyang's unique local version of roujiamo. The biggest difference from its neighboring version is that guokui is made from unleavened dough, giving it a denser and chewier texture.
It is often said: Qian County has four culinary treasures – sour soup with floating shredded noodles poured over them, guokui, chasu, and tofu pudding. Qian County is named after the Qianling Mausoleum, where Emperor Gaozong Li Zhi and Empress Wu Zetian are buried together. The invention of these four foods is said to be related to the laborers who built the mausoleum.
History has endowed the dining tables of Xianyang people with profound and rich flavors, and this heritage imperceptibly permeates every corner of modern Xianyang. But the people of Xianyang are not blinded by the glories of history; they have chosen to strive and advance. The future of Xianyang will be an even better Xianyang.
The Jingyang Chongwen Pagoda is the tallest ancient brick pagoda still standing in China.
Map Editors | Shao Tianrui, Sun Lu
Header and Cover Images | Visual China Group
Uncredited images in the text | Visual China Group