I am writing this in Xi 'an, ancient capital of the Chinese empire.

我正在中国古都西安撰写此文。

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With a history of over 3000 years and a capital history of more than 850 years, Beijing is a famous historical and cultural city in the world and one of the four ancient Chinese capitals.

北京有着3000余年的悠久历史和850多年的建都史，是世界历史文化名城和中国四大古都之一。

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"Chengdu has its unique spirit, related to inclusiveness and independence, " said the president of an association of ancient Chinese capital studies.

中国古都学会会长表示：“成都有其独特的精神气质，最鲜明的特色就是包容性和独立性，”

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How, though, can all this modernisation be squared with the maintenance of what every senior official says is the capital's great quality, its function as the ancient vessel of Chinese history and culture?

ECONOMIST: Get ready for an enormous show of triumphalism