Xi’an: Back to the Future (English-Chinese Edition): 500 Mini-Stories & 200 Photos That Piece Together the Ancient Capital

Xi’an is not just a museum-piece ancient capital. It‘s the morning steam rising from Muslim Quarter food stalls, the elderly playing chess at the foot of the city wall, the silent stone steles in the Beilin Museum, and the modern China reflected in the glass towers of the High-Tech Zone.

Micro Xi’an (Bilingual Edition), edited by Qu Shengwen and published by The Commercial Press, is part of the “Micro China” series. It is not a superficial travel guide — it‘s a bilingual cultural reader that brings Xi’an‘s history, people, streets, food, and daily life to life through clear, engaging writing. The Chinese-English side-by-side format lets you read in Chinese while understanding the cultural context through English.

Who is this book for?

• Overseas travelers planning a trip to Xi’an who want to “enter” the city before arriving

• Chinese language learners who want to improve reading with authentic material

• Readers interested in Chinese urban culture and local history

• Anyone looking for a meaningful gift for a friend curious about China

Why trust this book?
The Commercial Press (商务印书馆) is one of China‘s oldest and most respected publishers, founded in 1897 and known for academic rigor and editorial quality. The “Micro China” series is built on grounded, on-the-ground observation and bilingual presentation — not recycled internet content, but a carefully edited and proofread publication.

With this book in hand, you won’t see the Xi‘an of tourist brochures. You’ll see a city with warmth, detail, and breath