Xianyang is the older capital. In 350 BCE the Qin state moved its seat here, and from Xianyang the Qin king and later the first emperor ran the unification of China. Later dynasties built their capital across the river at Chang'an, so Xianyang became a place of tombs and temples rather than a city of palaces.
The tombs are the draw. Emperor Wu of the Han is buried at Maoling, and Tang emperors, including Gaozong with Wu Zetian and Taizong at Zhaoling, lie in mounded tombs set into hills north of the city. The sites are quieter than Xi'an's famous attractions and give a clearer sense of scale.
