The culture of Xi'an is inherited from the traditions of one of the world's earliest civilizations. The Guanzhong Ren were the cultural antecedent of Xi'anese, their cultural features are drawn from the "Ten Speciailties of Guanzhong Ren". Another major part of this culture is "Eight Great Sights of Chang'an", the storied scenic areas in the region.

    Architecture
    Seven styles of architecture dominate urban Xi'an, the first three include the architecture of Qin and Han dynasties, the architecture of Tang Dynasty and the architecture of Ming and Qing dynasties. These three styles are all Chinese traditional, but they may be differentiated by the colors of the roof and certain details. For Qin and Han Style, the roof is black, and no decorations are used under the roof. For Tang style, people began to use a lot of the color red but still prefer the black or dark green roof, and the buildings were all divine and huge to show off the power of the country; when the history went into Ming and Qing dynasties, roof's color changed to yellow, and people placed tremendous value on details, such as drawings and prints under the roof.
    After the Qing dynasty came Republic of China style before the PRC was established. This type of architecture is perhaps best exemplified by the People's Showplace. Then, there is what is sometimes referred to as the Sino-Soviet style , built between the 1950s and the 1970s, with the help of the U.S.S.R., mostly centralized in the western part of the city where there are many factories. Also, there are much more modern architectural forms — most notably in the High-Tech Zone and the Economic-Development zone.
    At present, a new Chinese architectural form called New Tang Style can be mainly found in Qujiang, which inherits the soul of tradition and develops itself on the base of modern architecture; the Shaanxi History Museum and the Xi'an Museum are examples of this style.

    Drama and Literature
    The drama of the original Xi'anese culture, Qinqiang (Voice of Qin) is the oldest and most extensive Chinese Opera of the four major types of Chinese opera. It is also "random pluck", is the main type of drama in Shaanxi area and also the most ancient existing one in dramatic arts of the country. As the earliest ancestor of Beijing Opera, Yu Opera, Chuan Opera and Hebei Opera, it has formed its own system with unique vocal music, spoken parts, types of facial makeup, posture, role, category and acting.It can be traced to Xi Qinqiang (Voice of West Qin) in Qin Dynasty. It went on to blossom until Qing Dynasty, and influenced Jingju (Chinese Opera) directly.

    Banpo Culture
    Banpo Culture originating from the middle reaches of the Yellow River is part of the Yangshao Culture of the Neolithic Age. The culture is so named because it was founded in Banpo Village in Xian, Shaanxi Province. The culture lasted from 6,800 to 6,300 years ago and reflects the geographical situation of northern China at that time.
    Residents in Banpo lived in villages in clans or tribes. Agriculture, fishing and hunting were their main ways of acquiring food. The dwelling place for a clan was surrounded by a moat as a way to prevent invasion by wild animals. Houses were square or round in shape and were built so that some of the building extended under the ground.
    The Banpo Site is a typical Neolithic matriarchal community of the Yangshao Culture dating back about 6,000 years. At that time, the Banpo people used tools made primarily of wood and stone. Women, the crucial labor force, were responsible for making pottery, spinning, and raising the family, while men fished.
    Banpo Culture is renowned for its fine painted potteries. The pottery-painting skills displayed here are listed the top among all the cultures at that time. Not only are the pottery wares of different kinds but they are also meticulously painted with unusual patterns. Human faces, fish, deer, plants and other geometric figures are commonly seen on the wares, which were usually dyed red with black-lined patterns. Judging from the patterns painted on the pottery, archaeologists have concluded that the fish symbol was regarded as a good omen by clans that time.
    As for the burying custom, people were buried in the common cemetery. Adornments were usually buried together with the dead body. As for the children, after they died, they would be put into urns and then buried in dwelling areas. As women played a significant role in society during that period, there were more sacrificial articles buried in the girls' graves than those of young boys.
    Excavated in 1954, the ruin of Banpo Village lies in the east suburb of Xian. In 1958, a large Banpo Museum was built there presenting the production scenes of Banpo people, and social life and artistic achievements to modern people.

    Art, music, film and others
    - Pianting: Chang'an School is a very important modern Chinese school of traditional arts. The main artists are Zhao Wangyun, Shilu, He Haixia, Liu Wenxi.
    - Art: Much like Beijing 798 and Shanghai 1933, Xi'an has an art district called Spinning town. It's not an actual town and the name derives from the fact that, since the 1950s, there have been several big spinning factories there; the population in that area is almost equal to that of a town. Today it is no longer a centre for the spinning industry but a new art factory with A, B, C and D - 4 big workshops in total. Since March 2007, more than 40 artists have taken a part in these. It is thought as a signal of new creative industry in Xi'an.
    - Rock Music: Xi'an is also known for its rock music. It's one of the vigorous underground musical centers in China - the other three being Beijing, Kunming and Chengdu - and home to some contemporary Chinese Stars such as Xuwei, Zhangchu, Zhengjun.
    - Film: Zhang Yimou (Director of the Opening Ceremony of 2008 Olympics) and Gu Changwei are directors from Xi'an; Xi'an is also the only city in China to win the Golden Bear (Berlin Film Festival) twice. The first film is Red Sorghum and the second one is Tuya's Marriage. They are produced by Xi'an Filmmaking Factory (now called Xi'an Qujiang Filmmaking Group) and Xi'an Filmmaking Company respectively.
    - Others: Chinese main economists graduated from North Western University such as Zhang Weiying, Zhang Shuguang, Weijie, Liu Shijin, Songze, Fenglun, Feng Zongsu, Zou Dongtao, Li Yiping, Zhuo Zhonghai; Zhang Chaoyang, the CEO of SOHU company, is the leader in the field of Chinese Internet