Xi'an had been the capital of 13 dynasties in history. It has one of the best-preserved city walls in China.[Photo/Xinhua]

According to the Shaanxi Tourism Bureau, a new flight from Hangzhou to Paris via Xi'an, will be available from Sept 3, 2014.  

Time travelers

Gesang flowers in bloom in Liuba,Shaanxi province

At present, Xi'an Xianyang International Airport has 22 international routes to 12 countries and regions, including the Xi'an to Moscow route that was launched on July 1, said Yang Zhongwu, head of the Shaanxi Tourism Bureau.

The local government is also expected to help launch new flight routes between Xi'an and Central Asian countries in the future, to help realize Chinese President Xi Jinping's proposal of a Silk Road economic belt, which he put forward last year during his visit to Central Asia, Yang said.

The Silk Road economic belt includes China and Central Asian countries such as Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, and stretches all the way to Europe.

There is beautiful natural scenery and abundant cultural resources on the ancient trade route, which offer cities, such as Xi'an, a great chance to develop their tourism industries, Yang said.

Shaanxi's tourism industry has already made progress over the past two years.

In the first six months of 2014, 1.05 million foreign tourists traveled to Shaanxi, an increase of 3 percent on the same period last year.

"In recent years, economic growth has slowed globally, but the number of foreign tourists to Shaanxi continues growing," Yang said. "It proves that Shaanxi is an attractive and important destination for foreign travelers."

In 2013, there were a total of 270 newly built and on-going tourism projects in Shaanxi, representing investment of 33 billion yuan ($5.5 billion), an increase of 48.9 percent compared to the previous year.

The rapid development of tourism has created 80,000 new jobs, which are mainly in sectors such as rural tourism, tourism products, renowned scenic spots, hotels and travel agencies.