Xi’an has several names in history: Fengjing, Gaojing, Fenggao, Xianyang, Chang’an, Jingzhao, Daxing, Yongxing, Fengyuan, and Xijing. Among them, Chang’an is the most famous one, for it was the capital name of the prosperous Han and Tang dynasties.
Xi’an is not only the important birthplace of the Chinese nation, but also one of the important birthplaces of human being and prehistoric cultural centers of the whole Asia. Xi’an had a history of over 3100 years of city construction, and 13 dynasties including Zhou, Qin, Han and Tang Dynasty successively established their capitals here. Xi’an once was China's political, economic and cultural center and the first city opened to the outside. The famous "Silk Road" starts from Xian. Therefore, it enjoys equal fame with world-renowned ancient capitals in history, including Athens, Rome and Cairo.
Among those past dynasties, the Han dynasty and the Tang dynasty were the most prosperous periods in Chinese history. Under the rule of the two dynasties, Xi’an was an international metropolis and also one of the largest cities in the world. Weiyang Palace in Han dynasty and Daming Palace in Tang dynasty both had great influence then. TheDaming Palace is the largest as well as the most gorgeous palace in ancient China.