Xian (Wei River, China)

Xian is a Wei River cruise port and the capital of Shaanxi province in northwest China. One of the China's oldest cities, before the Ming dynasty Xian was named Changan. It is also the oldest of the Four Great Ancient Capitals of China. Xian is famous for being the starting point of the ancient Silk Road (connecting China to Europe / Mediterranean Sea), and with the Terracotta Army.

Since the 1990s, Xian re-emerged as an important industrial and educational centre of the country's central-northwest region. Here were built numerous research facilities for the China's national security and space exploration programs. The city has a population of around 9 million, while the Xian-Xianyang metropolitan area has a population of around 14 million.

China river cruise deals are inclusive of internal / domestic flights between Beijing-Xian-Chongqing and between Shanghai-Wuhan. Lhasa Tibet is visited on 13-15-day Yangtze River cruisetours with flights from Xian to Lhasa, then return flights from Lhasa to Chongqing.