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Last update: August 13, 2009, at 02:17 PM
About Xi’an
History
Xi’an, called Chang’an in ancient times, is one of the birthplaces of the ancient civilization in the Yellow River area of the country. In its 3,100 years history, 13 dynasties placed their capitals here. Xi’an was the wastern terminus of the Silk Road, which connected East, South, and Western Asia with the Mediterranean World. It was one of the most significant factors in the development of the great civilizations of China, India, Egypt, Persia, Arabia, and Rome and it helped to lay the foundations for the modern world. X'ain is divided into seven districts and has a combined population of 4.27 million people over a land mass of 1,884.3 km2.
Education & Industry
Xi’an is a centre of higher education and is noted for its various schools. It is the most important engineer training base of China, concetrating in the areas of computer, telecommunication, radio and wireless communication. Xi’an has the third largest student’s numbers in China. There are more than 30 universities and colleges in and around the city. Best known are Xi’an Jiaotong University (No. 7 in the Chinese University Ranking), Northwestern Polytechnic University (No. 13), Northwest A& F University (No.3 in the area of agriculture and forest) and Xi’an Academy of Fine Arts (No.3 in the Chinese Art School Ranking).
The growth of the technological industries in Xi’an is remarkable. The Hi-tech Industrial Development Zone (XDZ) is a part of the organizational network of the APEC technological park and is classified zones by the State Ministry of Science and Technology as one of the five national high-tech industrial development sites. It was regarded as one of the six most vigorous cities and areas of China by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO). Compared with Beijing and Shanghai, Xi’an is the most important city in the southwest of China. Multinational companies and organizations such as NEC, Fujistu and Siemens amongst others have set up their R&D centers and/or manufactories in Xi'an.
Culture
The culture in Xi’an is incredibly fertile in both tradition and contemporary arts. Descending form one of the world’s earliest civilizations, the local culture is embodied in architecture, drama and literature. The Xi’an Center of More Art (X-COMA) is the independent non-profit organization composed mainly of the local artists. It is dedicated to the goal of promoting contemporary art and supporting the international collaboration of artists in northwestern China. It is a modern art centre much like Beijing 798, consisted four workshops. More than 40 artists have taken a part in these workshops. X-COMA provides an ideal platform for artists’ creations, collaborations and promotions.