Shaanxi Province Map

Author: Wang Ruiping, Editor-in-Chief
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-01-01
Features: Shaanxi Province is the homeland of the Qin Kingdom and is abbreviated as Qin. The province is located in the middle reaches of the Yellow River and the upper reaches of the Han River, covering an area of 195,000 square kilometers. It borders Inner Mongolia, Shanxi, Henan, Hubei, Sichuan, Gansu, and Ningxia. Geographically, the province is long from north to south and narrow from east to west, with highlands in the north and south and a lowland in the middle. The southern part lies between the Qinling Mountains and the Daba Mountains, featuring the Han River Valley, known as the Southern Shaanxi Mountains. The northern part belongs to the Loess Plateau, known as the Northern Shaanxi Plateau. The area between Southern Shaanxi and Northern Shaanxi is the Wei River Plain, referred to as "Guanzhong," stretching from Tongguan in the east to Baoji in the west, with an average elevation of about 500 meters and a total length of 300 kilometers, earning it the name "Eight Hundred Li of Qin Plains." Southern Shaanxi has a subtropical climate, while Guanzhong to the southern part of Northern Shaanxi has a temperate climate. Temperatures and rainfall decrease from south to north. The province experiences four distinct seasons. Shaanxi is located in central China and serves as one of the hubs for national highways, railways, and aviation routes. The province has a population of 30 million, predominantly Han Chinese, with minority groups including Hui, Manchu, and Mongolian. The province is divided into 5 prefectures, 5 prefecture-level cities, 8 county-level cities, and 84 counties. Major cities, in addition to the capital Xi'an, include Yulin, Yan'an, Tongchuan, Hancheng, Baoji, Hanzhong, and Ankang.
Shaanxi is a vast historical museum, with Guanzhong serving as one of its primary exhibition halls. If you visit the Shaanxi History Museum and see the treasures it collects and displays, you will quickly understand this. Walking across this land, you can see Qin bricks and Han tiles everywhere, and the number of famous historical and cultural sites is countless, with national and provincial key cultural relic protection units ranking among the best in the country. The Yellow Emperor's Mausoleum and the Shennong Temple are sacred sites where descendants of the Yellow and Yan tribes recognize and pay homage to their ancestors. The Sima Qian Temple, the King's Temple, and the Mausoleum of Hua Mulan embody the memory of cultural figures and national heroes. The Ba Xian Temple and the Louguantai are sacred sites of China's indigenous religions. The ruins of Han and Tang palace complexes, as well as well-preserved mausoleums; the vast and magnificent Terracotta Army of Qin Shi Huang, the world's largest mausoleum, with its Terracotta Warriors that shocked the world and are ranked as one of the "Eight Wonders of the World." Bronze drums from the Zhou Dynasty, stone carvings and murals from the Han Dynasty, and gold and jade treasures from the Tang Dynasty, as well as the dazzling Tang Sancai, are all treasures of ancient art. The Xi'an Stele Forest, known as the world's largest "stone library," reflects the thoughts of ancient people, the changes over the centuries, and allows visitors to appreciate the calligraphy art of ancient masters.
The long history and rich cultural soil have nurtured a diverse and vibrant folk culture. As the saying goes, "One land nurtures one people." If we look at folk culture, Shaanxi can also be divided into three parts: Northern Shaanxi can be considered a semi-agricultural and pastoral culture zone, Guanzhong can be considered a wheat and millet culture zone, and Southern Shaanxi can be considered a rice culture zone, with both similarities and differences. In Northern Shaanxi, you might as well see the hand-woven carpets of Yulin, listen to the "Sanbian" folk songs, watch the paper-cutting of Yan'an women, experience the warmth of cave dwellings, and appreciate the charm of Ansai Waist Drumming. In Guanzhong, you might as well explore the meaning of face-painting, taste the flavor of Yangrou Paomo, and witness the liveliness of the Shenghuo during the first month of the lunar calendar. In Southern Shaanxi, you might as well listen to the love songs of the Bashan Mountains, savor the green tea of Ziyang, watch the local flower drum opera, and experience the charm of Bashu.