Shaanxi Province has a time-honored history and a well-developed culture. It was the starting point of the Silk Road that extended from Asia to Europe and played an important role in cultural interflow between the East and West in ancient times. Beginning in the 1 1 th century, Van served intermittently for more than 1,100 years as the capital of 1 3 feudal dynasties. The favorable geographical environment and long history have left Shaanxi with many unique places of historic interest and enchanting landscapes, cultural sites, and revolutionary sites. There are six cities of historic and cultural interest and 35,750 historical relic places, including more than 10,000 historic ruins, 4,300 tombs, 557 grottoes, and nearly 20,000 stone sculptures and ancient and modern buildings. The worldrenowned Mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of the Qin Dynasty (221-207 B.C.), and the terracotta warriors and horses were included by UNESCO in the List of World's Cultural Heritages.

A network of air, railway, and highway transport that has been formed in Shaanxi Province radiates in all directions. The province is a vital traffic artery linking China's northwest and southwest. Xianyang Airport in Van is one of China's modern airports. The Longhai (Lianyungang-Lanzhou) Railway that links Eurasia runs from east to west through the province. A highway network with Van as its center reaches all the cities , towns, and scenic sites. Tourism has become an important industrial sector of Shaanxi.