Xi'an (8.0 million inhabitants): capital of Shaanxi province — ancient Chang’an, capital of thirteen dynasties, home of the Terracotta Army, and the eastern terminus of the Silk Road.
Last updated: October 2026
| Country | China |
|---|---|
| Population | 8.0 million |
Source: UN World Urbanization Prospects, 2022 Revision (metropolitan agglomeration estimate). Observation date: 2022. The Bureau cross-checked major-city figures against UN WUP; smaller-city figures are presented as published and have not been individually re-verified.
Xi'an has a metropolitan population of 8.0 million, according to the UN World Urbanization Prospects (2022 Revision) cited on this page.
Xi'an is in China. It is the capital of Shaanxi province, in the Wei River valley of north-central China.
Xi'an is known as ancient Chang’an, the starting point of the Silk Road, and the home of the Terracotta Army guarding the tomb of China’s first emperor.
As Chang’an, Xi’an was the capital of thirteen dynasties, including the Western Zhou, Qin, Western Han, Sui and Tang. At its Tang-era peak in the 8th century it was one of the largest and most cosmopolitan cities on earth, the eastern terminus of the Silk Road, home to traders, monks and envoys from across Asia.
In 1974 farmers digging a well east of the city uncovered the Terracotta Army — thousands of life-sized clay soldiers, horses and chariots buried to guard the tomb of Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of a unified China. The site is now one of the world’s most visited archaeological wonders. The Big Wild Goose Pagoda, built in 652 to house Buddhist scriptures brought from India, still stands in the city.
Modern Xi’an is a centre for aerospace, electronics, equipment manufacturing and software, and a growing research hub anchored by its universities. Tourism built around the Terracotta Army, the city wall, the Muslim Quarter and the Silk Road heritage is a major industry.
The city is also a key node on the modern overland trade corridors linking China to Central Asia, reviving its historic role as a gateway between China and the west.
