Editing Xi'an (section)

== Name ==
"Xi'an" is the [[Standard Chinese phonology|atonal]] [[pinyin]] [[Romanization of Chinese|romanization]] of its Chinese name {{linktext|lang=zh|西安}}, ''Western Peace''. (The apostrophe – known in Chinese as a {{linktext|lang=zh-Hant|隔音符號}}, ''géyīn fúhào'' – should be included to distinguish its pronunciation from the single syllable ''xian''.) The name was adopted in 1369 under the early [[Ming dynasty]]. [[Jesuit China missions|Jesuit missionaries]] recorded its name as {{nowrap|"'''Si-ngan'''"}} or '''"Si-ngan-fou"'''<ref>{{harvp|Du Halde|1736|pp=[https://archive.org/stream/descriptiongog01duha#page/220/mode/2up 220–1]}}; {{harvp|Du Halde|1741|pp=[https://archive.org/stream/generalhistoryof01duha#page/226/mode/2up 227–8]}}</ref> from its status as the seat of a [[fu (administrative division)|prefecture]] ({{linktext|lang=zh|府}},{{nbsp}}''fǔ''). This form still appears in the Latin name of the [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Xi'an|Catholic diocese of Xi'an]], {{lang|la|archidioecesis Singanensis}}. The name was later romanized as {{nowrap|"'''Hsi-an'''"}} by [[Wade-Giles|Wade & Giles]] and as "'''Sianfu'''"<ref>{{harvp|Stanford|1917|p=[https://archive.org/stream/cu31924023258241#page/n45/mode/2up/ 13] & [https://archive.org/stream/cu31924023258241#page/n79/mode/2up Index, p. 11]}}</ref> or "'''Sian'''"<ref name="br"/> by the [[Chinese postal romanization|imperial post office]], both of which were common until the promulgation of pinyin.

The area of present-day Xi'an has been the site of several important former Chinese cities. The capital of the [[Western Zhou dynasty|Western Zhou]] were the [[twin cities]] of '''[[Fengjing (Zhou)|Feng]]''' and '''[[Haojing|Hao]]''', known collectively as '''[[Fenghao]]''', located on opposite banks of the Feng River at its confluence with the southern bank of the [[Wei River|Wei]] in the western suburbs of present-day Xi'an.<ref>{{citation|script-title=zh:《中国古今地名大词典》|trans-title=The Big Dictionary of Old and Current Chinese Placenames |date=2005 |location=Shanghai |publisher=Shanghai Cishu Chubanshe |page=1540}}</ref> The [[state of Qin|Qin]] capital [[Xianyang]] was erected north of the Wei during the [[Warring States period]] and was succeeded by the [[Western Han]] capital of '''[[Chang'an]]''' ({{linktext|lang=zh-Hant|長安}}), meaning "Perpetual Peace", which was located south of the Wei and covered the central area of present-day Xi'an. During the [[Eastern Han]], Chang'an was also known as  the "Western Capital" ({{linktext|lang=zh|西|京|p=xijing}}), named for its namesake position relative to the main capital at [[Luoyang]]. Under the [[Sui dynasty|Sui]], its name became '''Daxing''' ({{linktext|lang=zh-Hant|大|興}}, "Greatly Prosperous") in AD 581. Under the [[Tang dynasty|Tang]], the name reverted to Chang'an in 618.<ref name="br">{{Cite encyclopedia |url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/542532/Xian |title=Xi'an |encyclopedia=[[Encyclopædia Britannica]]|access-date=2008-09-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081204121315/http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/542532/Xian|archive-date=December 4, 2008|url-status=live}}</ref> Under the [[Mongol Empire|Mongolian]] [[Yuan dynasty]] (13th & 14th centuries), it held a succession of names: '''Fengyuan''' {{nowrap|({{linktext|lang=zh|奉|元}}),}} '''Anxi''' {{nowrap|({{linktext|lang=zh|安西}},}} "Peaceful West") and '''[[Jingzhao]]''' {{nowrap|({{linktext|lang=zh|京|兆}}).}} The Ming name "Xi'an" was changed back to Xijing ("Western Capital", as above) between 1930 and 1943.