Shaanxi Province is situated in the center of China, on the middle reach of the Yellow River. It covers an area of 205,600 square kilometers with a population of 29.3 million. It serves as the vital industrial transportation and communication junction to link the central parts of China with the southwestern and northwestern parts of the country. Xian is the provincial capital city.
 
Shaanxi is considered one of the cradles of Chinese civilization. About one million years ago, some of China's earliest inhabitants lived in this region, and began spreading their culture along Yellow River. Banpo people of Neolithic matriarchal community inhabited here about 6,000 years ago. Fifteen dynasties have established capitals here, including Zhou, Qin, Han, and Tang. With such rich history, Shaanxi has plentiful cultural relics and well-preserved ruins.

The Museum of Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses is one of the eight major miracles of the world. Big Wild Goose Pagoda is a well-preserved ancient building and a holy place for Buddhists. City Wall of the Ming Dynasty is the largest and most intact Ming Dynasty castle in the world. Shaanxi Provincial History Museum is a Tang-Dynasty style pavilion which houses a large collection of 113,000 historic and cultural artifacts unearthed in Shaanxi. The Great Mosque is the largest and best-preserved early mosques of China . Famen Temple is renowned to be the "forefather of pagodas and temples in Central Shaanxi," because it holds the finger bones of Sakyamuni--the founder of Buddhism. The natural landscape around Xian is also amazing. Mt. Huashan is one of the five best-known mountains in China, for its breath-taking cliffs and unique characteristics.