Sianfu

From the Postal Romanization of Mandarin 西安府 (Xī'ān fǔ), from Xi'an's former status as the center of a military commandery, 府 (fǔ).

• IPA^(key): /ˈsiː.ɑn.fu/, /ˈʃiː.ɑn.fu/

Sianfu

1. (obsolete) Synonym of Xi'an: the provincial capital of Shaanxi in central China.
   • 1811, John Pinkerton, A General Collection of the Best and Most Interesting Voyages and Travels in All Parts of the World‎^[1], volume 7, page 150:

     Sianfu is a noble and great city in the province of Mangi, and hath twelve rich and great cities under her juriſdiction.

   • 1901, Clive Bigham, A Year in China, 1899-1900‎^[2], London: Macmillan and Co, Ltd., page 139:

     From the town of Hanchung a track leads in a north-easterly direction over the Tsingling Mountains to Sianfu, but the regular route bears back slightly and goes N.N.W. along the Kansu border, until it eventually strikes the Wei Valley and enters Northern China.

   • 1941, Edgar Snow, The Battle for Asia, New York: Random House, page 26:

     As we rode slowly over the Lunghai Line toward Sianfu, across the brown sun-baked plains of Northern Honan, soon to be flooded when the Chinese breached the Yellow River dikes to stop the advancing Yellow Horde, we passed many troop trains en-route to the front.