Xi'an is known as "the Cradle of Chinese Nationality". It is not only the birthplace of Chinese Nationality, but also the important human birthplace and one of the prehistoric culture centers in Asia. There is a saying, "Xi'an located in the center of Qinling had been made capital since the ancient times." Xi'an is a city with a long history, in which many ancient Chinese dynasties established their capitals. From Xizhou with the flourishing slavery to Tang Dynasty with the peak of feudalism, there had been a total of 12 dynasties that built capitals here.
As an ancient capital with thousands of years of history and the starting point of the "Silk Road", Xi'an served as an important pivot and center in ancient foreign economy and culture exchange. After the 10th Century A.D., with the focus of Chinese economy, politics and culture moved eastward, Xi'an attracted high attentions from rulers of Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing, because it was, first of all, taken as an important town militarily and politically in northwest, serving as an important strategic position to maintain the stability in northwest and guard the safety in central China.
Xi'an is a city with glorious revolutionary traditions. In 841 B.C. the National Insurrection in Haojing was a very famous large-scale mass insurrection which expelled the king in Chinese history. Red Eyebrow and Lulin Peasant Rebellion at the end of Xihan, Tang-eng Huangchao Peasant Rebellion and Ming-end Li Zicheng Peasant Rebellion all once built Peasant Rebellion Political Powers in Xi'an. During Tongzhi years of Qing Dynasty, the Muslim peasants in Shaanxi rose in rebellion, and set off an upsurge of peasant rebellion in Xi'an and Guanzhong area. On Oct. 22,1911,
Shanxi Revolutionary Political Party members and Gelaohui jointly rose in rebellion, and after 2 days of hot fighting, they took control in Xi'an and overthrew Qing's ruling in Xi'an. During the Anti-Japanese War, Xi'an was both a gateway to guard the Vast Northwest and a hub of communication for connecting the anti-Japanese base areas in enemy's rear with the Big Rear Area, and contributed greatly to the victory of the Anti-Japanese War.
On May 20,1949, PLA liberated Xi'an, and the People's Government of Xi'an proclaimed its founding.
