Shaanxi

- Total - Contribution to PRC

205.8 thousand km ² 2.14%

- Total 2010 - Density

37.72 million inhabitants 175 inhabitants / km ²

Shaanxi? / I (Chinese陕西 省/陕西 省, Pinyin Shǎnxī Sheng ) is a province in the center of the People's Republic of China. It is the easternmost province of Northwest China and is therefore south and west of northern China. Shaanxi is bordered by the autonomous regions of Inner Mongolia and Ningxia, the direct-controlled municipality of Chongqing and the provinces of Shanxi, Henan, Hubei, Sichuan and Gansu. Most large cities are located in the densely populated valley of the Wei River, as well as the provincial capital Xi'an. In the Wei River plain two-thirds of the population live. On the Loess Plateau agriculture is affected by water scarcity and severe winter.

Population

The population consists mainly of Han Chinese, but there are still Islamic Hui, who are likely immigrated during the Tang Dynasty. In addition to the Drum Tower in Xi'an, there is an Islamic neighborhood where today a wooden mosque from the Tang period is obtained.

Until the end of the 19th century made ​​Hui and other Muslim peoples of China more than 78 % of that population ( 6.5 million of 8.3 million inhabitants). Today there are less than 1%.

Name

According to the rules of the official romanization Pīnyīn the province name is to transcribe as Shǎnxī. As usually, however, the tone marker is not written, this would lead to the same name with the neighboring province of Shanxi. For this reason Shǎnxī is reproduced in transliteration without tone marker as Shaanxi. The old German spelling is Shensi, the Shanxi province Shansi.

History

The first hominids already settled here before 1.15 million years ago and spread themselves along the Yellow River. Shaanxi is considered one of the most important cradles of Chinese civilization. About 13 dynasties had here during more than 1000 years, their residence, including the Zhou, Qin, Han and Tang dynasties.

On January 23 and February 2, 1556 830,000 people died in the earthquake in Shaanxi in 1556, the worst earthquake in history, which also affected areas in today's neighboring provinces, killed. During the Dunganenaufstände the provincial capital Xi'an in 1862 initially then besieged by Muslim Hui of the incident in the south of the province Taiping rebels, the following year. Until 1872, the Hui controlled mainly to the north and west of the province, as well as other areas in southern Shaanxi and much of northern China. During the Muslim uprisings millions of Hui, but also numerous Han were killed, the majority of the Muslim communities of the province was then destroyed or weakened.

The end of 1911 and Xi'an was captured by the revolution, the Shaanxi Province seceded from the central imperial government. After the establishment of the Republic of China, Shaanxi was drawn from 1916 in the civil war between the Northern militarists, nationalists and communists. Stand the province in 1920 under the influence of the Anhui clique, so dominated by 1924 Zhili - generals and 1926 Guominjun. In the northern part of the province was 1935, the Communists established "Chinese Soviet Republic " of Yan'an, in the south in 1936, the incident of Xi'an occurred.

Geography

There is a desert on the border with Inner Mongolia. To the south extends the northern Chinese Loess Plateau. Further south runs the Qin Ling Mountains from east to west, forming a weather divide. The climate is sub-tropical south of the mountains. The Mountains are the geographical border between South and North China. Important places are Lintong and Yan'an.

Administrative divisions

The Shaanxi province is composed of ten prefecture-level cities:

• City of Xi'an (西安市);
• Tongchuan City (铜川 市/铜川 市);
• Baoji City (宝鸡 市/宝鸡 市);
• Xianyang City (咸阳 市/咸阳 市);
• Weinan City (渭南 市);
• Yan'an City (延安 市);
• Hanzhong City (汉中 市/汉中 市);
• Yulin City (榆林 市);
• Ankang City (安康 市);
• Shangluo City (商洛 市).

Tourism

The provincial capital Xi'an is one of the most historically interesting cities in China. The old capital that flourished 1,300 years ago, involves only two buildings from that era: the great and the small wild goose pagoda. Worth seeing is also the mighty ramparts of the late 14th century, the mosque, the bell tower and several museums. In the near Xi'an Also the Terracotta Army is in the Mausoleum of the First Emperor of Qin Shi Huangdi China (World Heritage Site).

Additional points of interest:

• Banpo Stone Age village, near Xi'an
• Several imperial mausoleums
• Daqin Pagoda
• Yan'an, target of the Long March and the center of power of the Communist Party of China from 1935 to 1948
• Historical Museum of Shaanxi, Xi'an
• In the south of Xi'an is located in Hua Shan, one of the five sacred mountains of China, leading to its peaks only stairs.