Xi'an hosts record number of tourists

A replica of an ancient luxurious chariot, the equivalent of a Rolls-Royce in modern times, is now on display at the Emperor Qin Shihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum in Xi'an, the capital city of Shaanxi province, Jan 7, 2015. [Photo/cnwest.com]

XI'AN - Tourists from China and abroad made more than 500 million trips to ancient capital city Xi'an over the past five years, giving a boost to the local tourism industry.

Xi'an, now capital of Northwest China's Shaanxi province, reported nearly 402 billion yuan (about $61.5 billion) of tourism income in the five years from 2011 to 2015, the provincial statistical bureau said in a report on tourism industry published Saturday.

The city's tourism revenue grew at an average 21.5 percent over the past five years, according to the report.

Last year alone, Xi'an hosted 136 million sightseeing tours by Chinese and overseas tourists.

The city's tourism revenue totaled 107.4 billion yuan in 2015.

The report attributed the city's booming tourism industry to its abundant resources and efficient traffic network consisting of air hubs, railroads and highways.

Xi'an served as ancient China's capital for 13 dynasties. It houses some of China's most valuable archaeological treasures, including the Mausoleum of the Qinshihuang, the first emperor of a united China, and his famous stone army of terra cotta warriors from the 3rd century BC, unearthed in 1974.