Xi'an Terraforming

Xi'an terraforming practice is unique among known sentient civilizations. Rather than only creating a biome to sustain life, Xi'an [terraform](https://robertsspaceindustries.com/galactapedia/article/V3qgj8vjnj-terraforming) planets to fit functions seen as necessary to the well-being of Xi'an society. Some functions include manufacturing, nature preservation, and religious centers.

The Xi'an discovered terraforming roughly 6000 SEY before the beginning of the [First Imperial Age](https://robertsspaceindustries.com/galactapedia/article/VDoPeW55W4-first-imperial-age) (about 25400 BCE), when a series of volcanic eruptions forced the then-divided [Houses](https://robertsspaceindustries.com/galactapedia/article/box9JmxvWL-xian-house) to pool their resources to push back against the rapid cooling of their home planet. Early [geohacking](https://robertsspaceindustries.com/galactapedia/article/R9Bwj1BZAN-geohacking) machines, the precursor to platform-based [terraformers](https://robertsspaceindustries.com/galactapedia/article/bmNrZOQ2pQ-terraformer), stopped the catastrophic global cooling cascade before it could end life on the planet. Today, the Xi'an use the Th.us'ūng system as a testbed for advanced terraforming technology.