The Six Great Ancient Capitals of China traditionally refer to Xi’an, Luoyang, Kaifeng, Hangzhou Nanjing and Beijing.

Xi'an Bell Tower at night [Photo/chinadaily.com.cn]

Xi’an is the capital of Shaanxi province, northwest of China. It was called Haojing during the Western Zhou Dynasty. It was renamed Chang’an, meaning ‘Perpetual Peace’, during the Han Dynasty (206BC-220AD). It was changed in 581 AD to Daxing during the Sui Dynasty and then became Chang’an from 618 during the Tang Dynasty. It finally became Xi’an in 1396 at the time of the Ming Dynasty. Since the opening of the Silk Road in the Han Dynasty, Chang’an became the cultural center of eastern civilization. Xi’an with Athens, Rome and Cairo were known as the four ancient capitals of the world. During 1,000 years, about 13 dynasties established their capital in Xi’an. So the city has many historic sites, such as the Bell Tower, Giant Wild Goose Pagoda and Terracotta Army.

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