Xianyang

Xianyang 咸阳市
Prefecture-level city
Location of Xianyang Prefecture within Shaanxi
Country	People's Republic of China
Province	Shaanxi
Area
• Prefecture-level city	10,213 km2 (3,943 sq mi)
• Urban	523 km2 (202 sq mi)
Population (2010)
• Prefecture-level city	5,096,001
• Density	500/km2 (1,300/sq mi)
• Urban	945,420
• Urban density	1,800/km2 (4,700/sq mi)
• Metro	Xian
Time zone	China Standard (UTC+8)
Website	xianyang.gov.cn

Xianyang
"Xianyang" in Simplified (top) and Traditional (bottom) Chinese characters
Simplified Chinese	咸阳
Traditional Chinese	咸陽
Postal	Sienyang
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Xiányáng Wade–Giles Hsien2-yang2 IPA [ɕjɛ̌n.jǎŋ]

Xianyang (Chinese: 咸阳; [ɕjɛ̌n.jǎŋ]) is a Chinese city that was the capital of China in the Qin dynasty. It is a prefecture in modern-day Shaanxi province, on the Wei River, and is located a few kilometers upstream (west) from Xi'an. Integrated into the Xi'an metropolitan area, one of the main urban agglomerations in inland China, with more than 7.17 million inhabitants, its built-up area made of 2 urban districts (Qindu and Weicheng) was 945,420 inhabitants at the 2010 census. It has a total area of 10,213 square kilometres (3,943 sq mi).

Xianyang was among the capital city's environs during the Western Zhou dynasty, and was made the capital of the state of Qin in 350 BC during the Warring States period before becoming the capital of China during the short-lived Qin dynasty. Because the city lay south of the Jiuzong Mountains and north of the Wei River - both sunlight-rich (yang) orientations - it was named "Xianyang", meaning "fully yang". Under Duke Xiao of Qin, minister Shang Yang designed Xianyang in 350 BC, which was then the capital for over 140 years. It was located in the modern day Shaanxi province on the northern bank of the Wei River, on the opposite side of which Liu Bang would later build the Han dynasty capital of Chang'an once he became emperor.

In 221 BC, Qin Shi Huang eliminated all six other vassal states to establish the first centralized empire in Chinese history. Xianyang became the centre of politics, economy and culture of the Qin empire. The Emperor had a lavish mausoleum built near the capital, complete with his Terracotta Army. This and other large undertakings required enormous levies of manpower and resources, not to mention repressive measures, which eventually led to the fall of the Qin dynasty and with it the original city of Xianyang.