General Survey

Xi’an, which was called Chang’an in ancient times, is the capital city ofShaanxiProvince. It is located in the middle of the Guanzhong Plain. As one of the top seven regional central cities ofChina,Xi’anis also a center of innovation, knowledge and technology in Asia and functions as the manufacturing base of large aircraft inChina. The city has become the largest central city along the Chinese section of the new Eurasia Land Bridge across theYellowRiver basin. Since there are many key institutions of higher learning in the city,Xi’an is one of the most powerful cities inChinain the areas of science and technology. With the largest and most important bases of scientific research, higher education, national defense technology and hi-tech industries in middle and western China including electronic information technology industry and the aviation/space industry, Xi’an is unique as one of the largest central cities in China with powerful science and technology in addition to complete industry categories. As a new, energetic and special zone in the interior ofChina, the city is also the financial and transport center for middle and western China  as well as the northern inland. Xi’an has become the pilot special zone for the coordination and sharing of national scientific and technical resources at the core of the Guanzhong-Tianshui economic zone. In the Development Program of the Guanzhong-Tianshui Economic Zone promulgated by the central government, Xi’an has been specified as the third “international metropolis” of China following Beijing and Shanghai.


Xi’an exercises jurisdiction over ten districts and three counties (109 sub-districts, 67 townships, 782 communities and 2,991 administrative villages), including the districts of Xincheng, Beilin, Lianhu, Yanta, Baqiao, Weiyang, Yanliang, Lintong,Chang’an  and Gaoling as well as the counties of Lantian, Zhouzhi, and Huxian. In addition, there are National Xi’an Hi-tech Industries Development Zone, National Xi’an Economic and Technological Development Zone, Xi’an Qujiang New Zone, Xi’an Chanba Ecological Zone, Xi’an Yanliang National Aviation Hi-tech Industrial Base, Xi’an National Civil Space Industry Base, Xi’an International Port and Xi’an Fengdong New Town Zone (which are called “five zones, one port and two bases” in short). The total area ofXi’anis 10,108 square kilometers, including the planned city proper of  865 square kilometers. The main city proper is established on as much as 415 square kilometers and is planned to have a construction area of 490 square kilometers.Xi’an has a permanent population of 8,588,100. According to the Development Program of Guanzhong-Tianshui Economic Zone promulgated by the State Council in June of 2009, Xi’an should be built into an international metropolitan area and its city proper will have a population of more than 10 million and an area of 800 square kilometers by 2020.


The Gross Domestic Product of Xi’an City in 2013 was 488.413 billion yuan. The general budgeted revenue of its local finance was 50.198 billion yuan, the total investment of the whole society in the fixed assets reached 513.456 billion yuan while the total retail sales of consumer goods was 254.802 billion yuan.  Per capita disposable income of urban residents was 33,100 yuan and the annual per capita net income of rural residents was 12,930 yuan. The comprehensive economic power of the entire city has increased remarkably.


Xi’an is progressing rapidly with many prosperous industries. In recent years, thanks to the implementation of the national strategy of rapid development of western China, the urban appearance of Xi’an is improving daily and the development of its economy has entered a new stage. Now, Xi’an has established an industrial system with complete categories, famous for its powerful industries of machine and equipment, transport, electronics and information technology, aviation and space flight, biomedicine, food/beverage, petroleum and chemical products, etc. In order to hasten the scientific development and make the leading development, the municipal Party committee and the municipal government have made a plan for the development of “Five Leading Industries” and “Five Zones,One Portand Two Bases”. “Five Leading Industries” referring to the hi-tech industry, the equipment manufacture industry, the tourism industry, the modern service industry and the culture industry. “Five Zones,OnePortand Two Bases” refers to National Xi’an Hi-tech Industries Development Zone, National Xi’an Economic and Technological Development Zone, Xi’an Qujiang New Zone, Xi’an Chanba Ecological Zone, Xi’an Fengdong New Town Zone, Xi’an International Port, Xi’an Yanliang National Aviation Hi-tech Industrial Base and Xi’an National Civil Space Industry Base. Such a development plan represents the synthesis of ancient and modern civilizations, the mutual radiance of the old andnew cityproper as well as the mutual dependence of cultural and ecological resources.


Xi’anhas won many honorary titles, such asNationalHealthCity, National Garden City, China Excellent Tourism City and China Happiest City. It has become one ofChina’s best cities in terms of quality of life, foreign and domestic tourism as well as investment.