Elevated Railway to Run Through Ancient Chinese Capital

Visitors to Xi'an, an ancient city with countless historical sites in northwestern China, will soon be able to appreciate the city's heritage as they travel by train 6 to 10 meters above ground.

 

Construction of the 9.3-km rail is expected to be completed by April, local authorities said.

 

The trains on the railway line will pass several of the northwestern city's most famous scenic spots, including the Grand Wild Goose Pagoda, which is a 1,360-year-old Buddhist pagoda, the Tang Paradise, a large royal-garden-like theme park, as well as a lake park and a Tang city wall relics park.

 

Construction of the 11-stop railway line started in April last year.

 

Xi'an, one of the oldest cities in China and capital of Shaanxi province, is home to the world-famous Terracotta Army. In ancient times it was called Chang'an, and was the eastern terminal of the Silk Route.

 

The city opened its first metro line in September 2011 and plans to complete six more lines by 2018 – which is part of its ambitious plan to build itself into a metropolis in the country's relatively undeveloped western region.