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Xi'an: Buried in the Heart of China


	Photo: P Torrodellas

One could easily say the heart of China is buried in Xi’an. The countryside around the city holds treasures from China’s Neolithic beginnings and from some of its greatest empires. For over 2,200 years almost nine thousand terracotta troops have stood guard over the elaborate tomb of China’s first emperor, Qin Shi Huang. The army was first discovered by farmers in 1974, opening a great treasure to the world. Excavation of the elaborate tomb, said to have been built by the labors of 700,000 people, is still continuing. The great Chinese historian, Sima Qian, writing 100 years after the tomb’s construction, told of rivers of mercury and ceilings dotted with constellations of gems.

During the Tang dynasty (618-907 CE), the network of trade routes now called the Silk Roads linked Xi’an to South and Central Asia as well as Europe. With over a million inhabitants, Xi’an was the world’s most populous city. It boasted goods, fashions, and music from the world over and was home to diverse religions such as Buddhism, Nestorian Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. Visitors today can see numerous Buddhist temples, such as the Big Goose Pagoda, built in 652 CE. Islam arrived via the Silk Roads and today Xi’an is home to one of China’s largest mosques.