---- Antike Puppen und Kuriositäten sind für den Verkauf in einem Geschäft auf der Hui Leute Straße in XiAn City, West China Shaaanxi Provinz, 14. Juni 2006. Während
--FILE--Ancient dolls and curios are for sale at a store on the Hui People Street in XiAn city, west Chinas Shaaanxi province, 14 June 2006. While most Chinese cities are busy constructing skyscrapers and razing old (historical) communities to make room for more apartments, XiAn is betting on a distinctly different urban planning vision. City leaders in XiAn recently announced the smooth progress of a major restoration project that will restore the urban layout of Xian back to what it was 2, 000 years ago. The project, which broke ground last year, will be completed in 2020 and cost nearly 60 billion yuan, according to the China Daily. XiAn may be best known for its UNESCO World Heritage Terracotta Army site discovered in 1974, but its more than just that, says mayor Dong Jun. The modern day Shaanxi province capital city once served as the cosmopolitan capital of ten dynasties, during which the city was also known as Changan, or perpetual peace. The ancient city was first built in 194 BC, making it one of the oldest cities in China. The restoration projects hallmark is the construction of a 75 square kilometer special relics park. The park will not only centralize some of the citys key relics in one area, but also preserve these historical artifacts that span a two millennia time period.
