The 7th China West International Equipment Manufacturing Exposition

* Tang Dynasty

    * 7th century: Buddhist monk Xuan Zang, well-known as Tang Sanzang in China, established a sizeable translation centre after returning from India with Sanskrit (the first language spoken in India) scriptures.
    * 652: Construction of Da Yan Pagoda (大雁塔, Great Wild Goose Pagoda) began. It measured 64 m in height. This pagoda was constructed for the storage of the translations of Buddhist sutras obtained from India by the monk Xuan Zang.
    * 707: Construction of Xiao Yan Pagoda (小雁塔, Little Wild Goose Pagoda) began. It measured 45 m in height. After the earthquake of 1556, its height was reduced to 43.4 m.
    * 904: The end of Tang Dynasty brought destruction to Chang'an. Residences were forced to move to Luoyang, the new capital. Only a small area continued to be occupied after the destruction.

* Ming Dynasty

* 1370: Ming Dynasty built a new wall to protect a much smaller city of 12 km2. The wall measures 11.9 km in circumference, 12 m in height, and 15-18 m in thickness at the base.

* during World War II

* This city was the site of the Xi'an Incident in 1936 during World War II. The Xi'an Incident brought the Communist Party of China and Kuomintang to a truce so the two forces could concentrate on fighting against Japan.(In 1936, after Nationalist leader Chiang Kai-shek had been kidnapped there, the communists and Nationalists formed a united front against Japanese invaders. )

Xi'an introduction---history

Xi'an City, capital of Shaanxi province, central China. Located on the Wei River, the site served as the capital of several dynasties beginning in the 11th century BC. It became one of the most splendid cities of the ancient world during the Tang dynasty (AD 618–907) and was a thriving commercial centre. Marco Polo visited in the 13th century. It is the site of several educational institutions and numerous temples and pagodas. It became an important tourist destination after the discovery of the nearby tomb of Emperor Shihuangdi, with its army of 6,000 life-size terra-cotta warriors (designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1987).

* Zhou Dynasty

* Zhou Dynasty established its capital in Feng (灃/沣) and Hao (鎬/镐) between the late 11th century BCE and 770 BCE,both located west of contemporary Xi'an.

* Qin Dynasty

* Qin Dynasty (221-206 BCE) constructed its capital in Xi'anyang, on the north shore of Wei River. It was burned by Xiang Yu at the end of the dynasty.

* 190 CE - The most powerful tyrant of the time, Dong Zhuo, moves the court from Luoyang to Chang'an in a bid to avoid a coalition of powerful warlords against him.

* Han Dynasty

* 202 BCE: Liu Bang, the founding emperor of the Han Dynasty, established Chang'an County as his capital; his first palace Changle Palace (長樂宮/长乐宫) was built across the river from the ruin of the Qin capital. This is traditionally regarded as the founding date of Chang'an and Xi'an.
Here in Xi'an was the start of the Silk Road. There was also a brisk trade with south and west Asia.

* Sui Dynasty

* 582: Emperor of Sui Dynasty ordered a new capital to be built southeast of the Han capital, called Daxing (大興, great excitement). It consisted of three sections: the Palace, the Imperial City, and the civilian section. The total area within the wall was 84 km2, The main street Zhuque Avenue measured 155 m in width. It was the largest city in the world. The city was renamed Chang'an (長安, Perpetual Peace or Eternal Peace) in Tang Dynasty.