Xi’an, Wade-Giles romanization Hsi-an, also spelled Xian, conventional Sian, historically Chang’an, city and capital of Shaanxi sheng (province), north-central China. It is located in the south-central part of the province, at the southern limit of the Loess Plateau. The city site is on a low plain on the south bank of the Wei River. Just to the south the Qin (Tsingling) Mountains rise dramatically above the plain. The Xi’an region is one of the most important in the history of China, both as the capital of several ruling dynasties and as a market and trade centre. Xi’an was the eastern terminus of the Silk Road, the ancient trade route that connected China with the Mediterranean. Pop. (2010) city, 5,403,052; (2019 est.) urban agglom., 9,508,800.