Shaanxi

File:China Shaanxi.svg

Shaanxi Province in China

Shaanxi (Chinese:陕西, also sometimes called Shenshi) is a province in northwest China. The word "Shaan" (viz Shanzhou) is a place in Henan Province. "Xi" means "west". So "Shaanxi" means "the place to the west of Shaan".

Although in pinyin, "Shaanxi" is spelled exactly the same as "Shanxi", the only difference in how the two words are pronounced is that the first syllable in "Shanxi" is said using the first tone in Mandarin, while the first syllable in "Shaanxi" is said with the third tone. Since tone markers are not usually used to show how to pronounce the two different names, the first word in "Shaanxi" is spelled using the Gwoyeu Romatzyh method instead, which indicates tones by adding extra letters to a syllable.

The river Wei He runs across it. It has a large population of more than 30 million people. The capital of Shaanxi is Xi'an. It abbreviates as Shan (陕) or Qin (秦), also known as SanQin (三秦, meaning Three Qins).

History

January 23, 1556 – A massive earthquake, measuring 9.0 on the Richter scale, strikes Shaanxi, killing over 850,000 people. This is the most devastating earthquake in recorded history.

Political divisions

File:Shaanxi prfc map.png

The map of Shanxi Province

Shaanxi Province is divided into ten municipalities:

1. Xi'an Municipality(西安市)
2. Ankang Municipality(安康市)
3. Baoji Municipality(宝鸡市)
4. Hanzhong Municipality(汉中市)
5. Shangluo Municipality(商洛市)
6. Tongchuan Municipality(铜川市)
7. Weinan Municipality(渭南市)
8. Xianyang Municipality(咸阳市)
9. Yan'an Municipality(延安市)
10. Yulin Municipality(榆林市)

Shaanxi Media

• 大夏国都统万城 - panoramio.jpg

  Tongwancheng, capital of Northern Xia (407–431)

• Hong Shi Xia 红石峡 (4647141266).jpg

  Cliff inscriptions in Red Stone Gorge from 1587 to 1949

• 双山堡古民居 - panoramio.jpg

  A typical yaodong residence

• Terracotta Warriors (24137068936).jpg

  Terracotta Warriors

• Yellow River bridge connecting Wubu and Liulin.jpg

  The Yellow River is the natural provincial border between Wubu, Shaanxi (right) and Liulin, Shanxi (left), both being the heartland of Jin Chinese language. The Taiyuan–Zhongwei–Yinchuan railway ran across the bridge.

• The Chess Pavilion, Huashan, China.jpg

  Mount Hua, a famous attraction.

• 榆林古城.JPG

  Walled City of Yulin, Shaanxi.

• 陕西省人民政府2017.jpg

  Shaanxi People's Government

• 陕西省教育厅.jpg

  Education Department of Shaanxi Province

• Shaanxi cuisine.JPG

  Food from Shangluo, Shaanxi, China.