The major north western city of Xi'an in Shanxi Province in China bridges the Muslim west with the Chinese administrations to the east. Xi'an, meaning "western peace", has a vibrant Muslim quarter within the old city walls, and also contains many relics of its periods as capital of China. With important archaeological sites such as the Terracotta Warriors, Xi'an brings in many short-term tourists. The rich culture of Shanxi Province and excellent education will however make you want to stay longer.

With a population of more than 7 million, Xi'an has become a busy modern city, despite its strong links with the past. Built on a flood plain created by the eight surrounding rivers, Xi'an is a city built on a grid system making it easy to find your way around the center. The universities are mainly located to the south and east of the city walls, with the main ancient sites within the walls and to the north of the old city. Although most Xi'an people are Han Chinese, Muslims have a long history in the city, home to the Great Mosque of Xian. To escape the plains of the city, plan a trip to the Taoist mountain of Hua Shan, 100 kilometers to the east.

Since 1990s, as part of the economic revival of interior China, especially the central and northwest regions, in addition to a history of manufacturing and solid industrial establishments, Xi'an has become an important cultural, industrial and educational center.Xi'an has also consistently received one of the largest foreign direct investment amounts among cities in western China. As much as 97% of the industries in Xi'an is manufacturing based. Xi'an is now famous for its software park and it is the largest aviation manufacturing center in Asia.

As one of the most important cities in Chinese history, Xi'an is one of the Four Great Ancient Capitals of China. Xi'an is also renowned for being the eastern terminus of the Silk Road and the location of the Terracotta Army from the Qin Dynasty. More than 3000 years old, in ancient times the city was called Chang'an, meaning long peace. The Silk Road, which started in Xi'an, was taken by traders exchanging the treasures of China with those of Europe. Xi'an has seen exchange to the east as well. During the Tang Dynasty, Japanese scholars studied in Xi'an and took the Chinese script and Buddhist philosophy back home with them.

Xi'an is known as one of the academic centers in China. The number of institutions is the third only after Beijing and Shanghai. Enjoy the atmosphere, as thousands of students create their own social life in the streets and restaurants around the many university campuses. International students in Xi'an are attracted to the high academic quality of courses at the top universities, as well as to the cultural footprints of hundreds of years of Chinese history.

Xi'an Jiaotong University is a key university directed by the Ministry of Education of China. It is one of the oldest universities in China with her predecessor Nanyang College founded in Shanghai in 1896. It was given the name Jiaotong, or "Communications" University in 1921. Xi'an Jiaotong University is a comprehensive university with engineering science as its main focus. More than 420 foreign students, from 23 countries, have studied at Xi'an Jiaotong so far.