(1) Xi'an, the largest city on the southern bank of the Wei River, is in northwest China. It is the political, economic and cultural center of the province of Shaanxi. Shaanxi province should not be confused with Shanxi province to the east. The slight difference in spelling indicates a tonal difference applied to the first syllable. To the north lies the Shaanxi Plateau, rising from about 2,500 feet above sea level to almost 4,000 feet on the northern provincial border adjoining Inner Mongolia, and, to the south, the Qinling Mountains, which are mostly over 6,000 feet with one peak, Taibai Shan, reaching 11,400 feet. The northern plateau shelters Xi'an from the biting northerly winds in winter, and the southern mountains protect the town from the hotter weather of the south.