The meaning of the province, 'west of Shan', is attested c.1000BC, when the dukes of Shao and Zhou marked their borders along the Shan plateau (陝塬, now the Zhanbian plateau).[13] In Chinese typing, the toponym 陝 often got mixed up with 'valley' 陜 (note: distinguish 㚒 and 夾).[14]Simplified characters merged the two as 陕.[14]
Shaanxi
"Shaanxi" in simplified (top) and traditional (bottom) Chinese characters
The romanizations of Shaanxi (陝西) and its neighboring province Shanxi (山西) are troublesome in Beijing Mandarin because their pronunciation differs only in tone (rendered as Shǎnxīand Shānxīin pinyin transcription,1958). To avoid confusion,mainland China recognized the Gwoyeu Romatzyh transcription (1928) for 陝,"Shaan".[16][17]
Nonetheless,the vowels and consonants of shǎn陝 and shān山 are distinguished in the more conservative Jin Chinese languages native to the two provinces. This conservative phonology is reflected in the historical spelling of Shaanxi,"Shensi",known to the Europeans in the 18th century.[15] "Shensi" was recognized in the 1906 Chinese postal romanization and continued to be popular until 1987,when the People's Republic of China banned romanizations made before their establishment.[16]
Shaanxi is considered one of the cradles of Chinese civilization. Thirteen feudal dynasties established their capitals in the province during a span of more than 1,100 years,from the Zhou dynasty to the Tang dynasty.
The province's principal city and current capital,Xi'an,is one of the four great ancient capitals of China and is the eastern terminus of the Silk Road,which leads to Europe,the Arabian Peninsula,and Africa.
The region was briefly governed as the Three Qins after the fall of the Qin dynasty. This is the origin of one of Shaanxi's two abbreviations,秦 (Qin),the other being 陝 (Shaan). Then it was conquered by Liu Bang during the Chu-Han Contention. Under the Han dynasty,the Northern Silk Road was expanded to advance exploration and military purposes to the west. This Northern Silk Road is the northernmost of the Silk Roads and is about 2,600 kilometres (1,600mi) in length. It connected the ancient Chinese capital of Xi'an to the west over the Wushao Ling Pass to Wuwei and emerging in Kashgar before linking to ancient Parthia.[18]
The Northern Song dynasty and the Tangut-led Western Xia contested their border in Shaanxi. Western Xia found the Luōwùchéng (罗兀城) frontier fort in 1071 but was taken by Song in 1081.[20]
Under the Ming dynasty,Shaanxi was established with the founding of the Shaanxi Provincial Administration Commission in 1376,whose administration also included the modern provinces of Gansu,Ningxia,and part of Qinghai.[21] During this dynasty,most visitors from Central and West Asia entered the country via Shaanxi.[22]
One of the most devastating earthquakes in history occurred near Hua Shan in southeastern Shaanxi on January 23,1556,killing an estimated 100,000 people and causing a regional reduction in population by an estimated 830,000 due to emigration and famine (see 1556 Shaanxi earthquake).
The administrative evolution of Shaanxi:The Northern Song established the Shaanxi Lu (circuit),governed from modern Xi'an in 997. The Yuan dynasty established Shaanxi Province (Yuan dynasty),governed by a Branch Secretariat in 1286.[21] After the founding of the Qing dynasty,Gansu was split from Shaanxi,but both provinces were governed under the Viceroy of Shaan-Gan.
Prehistoric site
The Lantian Man site,with hominin fossils from approximately one million years ago,was found in Lantian County in northwestern Shaanxi province,near the city of Xi'an. Scientists classify Lantian Man as a subspecies of Homo erectus. The fossils are displayed at the Shaanxi History Museum,Xi'an,China.
The geography of the area is described as being part of the Ordos Desert in the north along the border with Inner Mongolia, the Loess Plateau in the central part of the province, the Qin Mountains (Qinling) running east to west in the south central part, and subtropical climate south of the Qinling. In between the Loess Plateau and the Qinling lies the Wei River Valley, or Guanzhong, a cradle of early Chinese civilization.
Going clockwise, Shaanxi borders Shanxi (E, NE), Henan (E), Hubei (SE), Chongqing (S), Sichuan (SW), Gansu (W), Ningxia (NW), and Inner Mongolia (N). In terms of number of bordering provincial-level divisions, Shaanxi ties Inner Mongolia.
Due to its large span in latitude, Shaanxi has a variety of climates. Under the Köppen climate classification, the northern parts, including the Loess Plateau, have either a cold arid (Köppen BWk) or cold semi-arid (Köppen BSk), with cold and very dry winters, dry springs and autumns, and hot, humid summers. The area known as Guanzhong is mostly semi-arid, though there are a few areas with a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cwa), with cool to cold winters, and hot, humid summers that often see early-season heatwaves. The southern portion is much more humid and lies in the humid subtropical zone, with more temperate winters and long, hot, humid summers. Annual mean temperature is roughly between 8 and 16°C (46 and 61°F), with January temperatures ranging from −11 to 3.5°C (12.2 to 38.3°F) and July temperatures ranging from 21 to 28°C (70 to 82°F).
12Yangling is a satellite urban area separated from Xianyang and it is not included in the urban area count.
↑New district established after 2010 census: Hengshan (Hengshan County). The new district not included in the urban area count of the pre-expanded city.
↑New district established after 2010 census: Nanzheng (Nanzheng County). The new district not included in the urban area count of the pre-expanded city.
↑New district established after 2010 census: Huazhou (Huaxian County). The new district not included in the urban area count of the pre-expanded city.
↑New district established after 2010 census: Ansai (Ansai County). The new district not included in the urban area count of the pre-expanded city.
↑Shenmu County is currently known as Shenmu CLC after 2010 census.
↑Binxian County is currently known as Binzhou CLC after 2010 census.
↑Zichang County is currently known as Zichang CLC after 2010 census.
Walled City of Yulin, Shaanxi.Shaanxi People's GovernmentEducation Department of Shaanxi Province
The politics of Shaanxi is structured in a triple party-government system like all other governing institutions in mainland China.
The Governor of Shaanxi is the highest-ranking official in the People's Government of Shaanxi. However, in the province's dual party-government governing system, the Governor is considered to have less power than the Shaanxi Chinese Communist Party Provincial Committee Secretary; since the Governor is always ranked as the First-Deputy Secretary in the Shaanxi Chinese Communist Party Provincial Committee.
Shaanxi was established as a provincial government since Qing dynasty. On 10 January 1950, the People's Government of Shaanxi was established in Xi'an. Ma Minfang was then appointed as the first Governor of Shaanxi.
Economy
As of the mid-19th century, Shaanxi exported animal skins, wine, liquor, and musk. Money loans were also common, with Shaanxi business people involved in the Guangzhou loan business. Shaanxi commonly imported European animal skins, watches, Chinese language books, and cloth.[29]
Shaanxi was a major recipient of China's investment in industrial capacity during the Third Front campaign.[30]:298
The fossil fuel and high technology sectors compose the two largest industries in Shaanxi province. During 2009, the province ranked third in China for production of coal, natural gas and crude oil.[9] As the home of several of the leading universities and research institutes in Western China, Shaanxi province also plays a major role in China's burgeoning aircraft and aerospace industries, producing more than 50% of the R&D and manufacturing equipment for the country's domestic commercial air industry.[9] Nominal GDP for 2011 was 1,239billion RMB (US$196.7billion) and GDP per capita was 21,729 RMB (US$3,179), ranking 17th in the PRC.
In the first half of 2019, Shaanxi's total production value reached 1,162.557 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 5.4%. The added value of the primary industry was 55.319 billion yuan, an increase of 4.5%; the second industry was 557.935 billion yuan, an increase of 4.2%; the tertiary industry was 549.303 billion yuan, an increase of 6.8%.[31]
Economic and technological development zones
Baoji Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone
Established in 1992, Baoji Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone was approved as a national hi-tech zone by the State Council. It has a long-term planned area of 40km2 (15sqmi). The transportation system around the zone includes Xi'an-Xianyang International Airport and National Highway 310, and industries operating within the zone include auto parts, electronics, IT, pharmaceuticals and bioengineering industries and new materials.[32]
Shaanxi Xi'an Export Processing Zone
Shaanxi Xi'an Export Processing Zone (XEPZ) was approved on 21 June 2002 by the State Council for its establishment and was put on 5 April 2004. As the first state-level export processing zone in northwest China, XEPZ has become one of the seven pioneer EPZs with the function of bonded logistics in China. XEPZ is under the leadership of the Administrative Committee of Xi'an Economic and Technological Development Zone (XETDZ), which is designated by Xi'an municipal government to exercise economic and administrative power within the zone. XEPZ is a special economic zone. By now, there are more than 40 enterprises home and abroad settled in XEPZ. The pillar industries feature aviation, machinery, electronics and new energy.[33]
Western Triangle
The Western Triangle is a new economic zone composing the three major city-level economies of Western China: Xi'an, Chongqing and Chengdu. It is believed that the addition of Xi'an to the Triangle will spur economic growth in the region and allow the city an opportunity to capitalize on the commercial potential of its high-technology industries.[9]
Xi'an Economic and Technological Development Zone
Established in 1993, Xi'an Economic and Technology Development Zone was approved as a national zone in 2000. The zone is 20 minutes from Xi'an Xianyang International Airport, and national highways pass through. It has formed four pillar industries: automotive, electronics, food, and new materials industries. So far, the zone has attracted more than 1,700 enterprises.[34]
Xi'an High-tech Industrial Development Zone
Xi'an HTDZ opened its gates in 1991. It was established as a "pivotal location" for investment by high-tech industry companies in central and northwest China. Established in 1991, Xi'an Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone is a national high-tech zone. It is surrounded by national highways and it is 30 minutes from Xi'an-Xianyang International Airport. Furthermore, it is ranked in the top three high-tech zones in China.[35]
Xi'an Software Park
Xi'an Software Park, established in December 1998, is the professional park for Xi'an to develop scale software and service outsourcing industries. The park has been appraised as a software industry base under the National Torch Program, national software industry base, national software export base, city demonstrational area of national service outsourcing base. It is one of the four parks with "double bases" of software in China. Xi'an Software Park assembles 90% of enterprises engaging in software and service outsourcing in Xi'an. There were nearly 780 companies, of which foreign-funded enterprises account for 170, and over 71,000 jobholders in the park by the end of 2008.[36]
Yangling Agriculture Hi-Tech Industrial Zone
Yangling Agriculture Hi-Tech Industrial Zone was approved as a national-level hi-tech development zone by State Council in 1997. It is 82km (51mi) from Xi'an to the east and 70km (43mi) from Xi'an Xianyang International Airport.[37]
Demographics
Nearly all the people in Shaanxi are ethnic Han Chinese, with pockets of Hui population in the northwestern region (adjacent to Ningxia). Shaanxi province is one of the centers of ancient Chinese civilization. The central part of Shaanxi, known as Guanzhong, where the provincial capital Xi'an is located, is more populous compared to the others (Shaannan and Shaanbei).
↑The data was collected by the Chinese General Social Survey (CGSS) of 2009 and by the Chinese Spiritual Life Survey (CSLS) of 2007, reported and assembled by Xiuhua Wang (2015)[49] in order to confront the proportion of people identifying with two similar social structures: ① Christian churches, and ② the traditional Chinese religion of the lineage (i. e. people believing and worshipping ancestral deities often organised into lineage "churches" and ancestral shrines). Data for other religions with a significant presence in China (deity cults, Buddhism, Taoism, folk religious sects, Islam, et al.) was not reported by Wang.
↑Xing Xiangdong (邢向东) Wang Zhaofu (王兆富) (2014). 吴堡方言调查研究. Zhonghua shuju. pp.40, 47, 52. Informant: Wang Zhaofu, born in 1948, 吴堡县寇家源镇东王家山村.
↑Shen Zhongwei (沈钟伟) (2015). 《蒙古字韻》集校. The Commercial Press. pp.287, 295, 261. Locality: Yuan-era North China c.1269.
↑王军虎 (1996). 西安方言词典. 江苏教育出版社. pp.151, 214, 27. Audio released as 王军虎 (1997). 侯精一 (ed.). 西安话音档. 上海教育出版社. Informant: 杨绳信, born in 1932, Xi'an.
↑Lao Yu (老愚) (27 February 2014). 为何说《新华字典》切断了中华文化之根？. Financial Times. Archived from the original on 16 July 2023. Retrieved 16 July 2023. Reprinted on Lao Yu (老愚) (2014). 《新华字典》切断了中华文化之根？. 读写月报(高中版) (in Chinese) (5): 2–3.
12再说"陝"（陕）字. 崤函网. 1 February 2012. Archived from the original on 16 July 2023. Retrieved 16 July 2023– via 印象河南网.
12Rathlefs, Ernst Ludewig (1748). Pastoris primarii zu Diepholz, Akridotheologie Oder historische und theologische Betrachtungen über die Heuschrekken, Volume 1 (in German). p.38. der Landschaft Shensi
12Dictionary of the Ben cao gang mu, Volume 2: Geographical and Administrative Designations First Edition, Paul Unschuld, Series Editor Edition by Hua Linfu (Author), Paul D. Buell (Author), Paul U. Unschuld (Editor)
↑中华人民共和国县以上行政区划代码[Administrative division codes above the county level in the People's Republic of China] (in Simplified Chinese). Ministry of Civil Affairs. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 11 December 2015.
↑Census Office of the State Council of the People's Republic of China; Population and Employment Statistics Division of the National Bureau of Statistics of the People's Republic of China (2012). 中国2010人口普查分乡、镇、街道资料 (1ed.). Beijing: China Statistics Print. ISBN978-7-5037-6660-2.
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