Beyond the ancient walls

For many, Xi'an, capital of Shaanxi Province, is still seen as a backwater, a dusty tourist destination at which to see the Terracotta Warriors and to climb the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda. It is a city that is seen as a shadow of its former self: Chang'an, the once great capital of the Han (206 B.C.-A.D. 220), Sui (581-618) and Tang (618-907) dynasties, then the world's largest city, now reduced to a Tier II city in China's vast northwest. What was once the terminus for the great historical Silk Road has been for decades seen in the West as a city of museums and historical sites, a far cry from its glory days as a mighty metropolis drawing in merchants and diplomats from far-flung parts of the globe. However, whenever I stand upon the ramparts of the old Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) city wall and look out onto the cityscape, I see something far different: I see a city brimming with potential and new opportunities thanks to the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

For context, Xi'an is a city of 13 million people with about 10 million living in its urban area. Despite its geographic location, it is quickly catching up to coastal Tier I cities like Shanghai and Guangzhou. In recent data from Yicai Global, a Shanghai-based financial news outlet, Xi'an was ranked as the sixth most attractive New Tier I city in China, holding a Top 10 position for five consecutive years—an obviously popular choice among up-and-coming entrepreneurs. Innovation-led development has been key to turning Xi'an from a historical capital into a budding, dynamic modern city.

The BRI has turned Xi'an into a logistics hub. No longer a landlocked interior city, Xi'an now functions as a vital "dry port" connecting the Pacific coast of east China with the heart of Europe and Central Asia. Goods from Russia, the Central Asian republics and much of the Middle East are coming into local markets at an astonishing pace and at affordable prices. The Chang'an freight train service is the flagship of Xi'an's BRI participation. In 2024, the service completed 4,985 trips, up 25.1 percent from the previous year, making Xi'an the first city in China to surpass 25,000 cumulative trips. By 2025, this increased to 6,037 trips, a 21.1-percent increase. Such figures point to the emergence of a city that will attract large amounts of foreign specialists and talent that can once again build the city into a vibrantly international destination for global commerce like Shanghai or Hong Kong.

Xi'an's affordability is a major draw for talent, particularly young graduates and foreign experts who find their purchasing power significantly higher than in high-pressure cities like Shanghai or Shenzhen. Xi'an's aggressive metro expansion and smart traffic management have kept commuting manageable for most residents despite its rapid growth, further enhancing its appeal. The city is clean, safe and easy to navigate despite the millions of residents passing through its streets each day. For students, dozens of universities and colleges, including Xi'an Jiaotong University, Northwestern Polytechnical University and Northwest University, await them, with most of these universities offering excellent programs and scholarships for international students. Partly because of this, Xi'an's population has been growing rapidly and the city continues to expand outward.

Xi'an, to me, represents China's future: A city that preserves its "old soul" while operating with futuristic efficiency, integrating thousands of years of cultural heritage with cutting-edge technology. When I had the chance to move to China, I had the choice between two cities: Shanghai and Xi'an. I specifically chose Xi'an because of the history, culture, good cost of living and safe environment. Still to this day, I feel it is one of the best decisions I've ever made in my life and I still continue to fall more in love with the city to this day. After six years of living here, I don't see a provincial backwater town or a city of ancient ruins; I see a blueprint for a modern, livable global city capable of bringing prosperity and success to millions of people in the region and potentially around the world.