How old is the xian city wall

Near the wall there was a moat filled with water. Thus in the XIV century, the City Wall was a Xian reliable defensive installation, which, by the way, never came into play. In the XV century Xian was not the capital any longer and lost its strategic importance. Centuries went by and the city was developing both inside the City Wall and outside it. An excellent panorama view of the city is another advantage of this Xian attraction. Though all together there are 16 gates leading to the wall, however the southern gate is most frequently used.

From there, the tourists can get on the City Wall for a certain payment. The rest gates may be closed to preserve the monument. The City Wall length is about A wide choice of bikes is available for you - from conventional models to tandem ones with spacious baggage compartment. Below the square is a large underground parking lot. Meanwhile, two museums inside the barbican and the archery tower of the South Gate are also open to the public. Tourists who visit the wall can enjoy a free visit to these two museums.

Each city gate has three gate towers: Zhenglou, Jianlou and Zhalou. The most outside is Zhalou, which stands away and is opposite to Zhenglou.

It was used to raise and lower the suspension bridge. Jianlou with small windows in the front and flanks was used as a defensive outpost.

Zhenglou, in the inner, is the main entrance to the city. The wall connects Jianlou and Zhenglou Towers. The area between them was called 'Wong Cheng', in which the soldiers stationed. From Wong Cheng, there are sloped horse passages leading to the top of the wall.

Initially, the wall was built with layers of dirt, with the base layer including also lime and glutinous rice extract. Throughout the time the wall has been restored three times. In , Zhang Zhi the government officer of that period was in charge to rebuild the wall with bricks. In , another officer, Bi Yuan, refitted the wall and the gate towers.

More recently since the Shaanxi Provincial Government restored the wall again. The circular City Wall Park has been built along the high wall and the deep moat. The thriving trees and flowers decorate the classical Chinese architecture of the wall, adding additional beauty to the city of Xi'an. Encircling the rectangled city center of Xi'an, it has totally 18 city gates, but they are not all open for visitors. You can choose the nearest city gate according to your location.

No matter which gate you choose, you can tour the whole circle of the wall if you like. Here is a hiking itinerary around the wall starting from the South Gate for your reference.

The South Gate Xi'an Yongning Gate is the most time-honored and magnificent one among all the city gates. There is bicycles for rental up to the South Gate. So it is popular for visitors to ascend here. G etting to four main gates:. To the East Gate: Take bus no. To the West Gate: Take bus no. Try biking on the Wall, you will have an enjoyable and interesting experience. To cycle round the wall for a whole circle takes 2 hours at a medium speed.

A single bicycle costs CNY 45 for 2 hours. The tandem bicycle costs CNY 90 for 2 hours. You will have to pay an extra charge if you cycle more than 2 hours. Bicycles should be returned at the South Gate before if you don't return them before at the other three gates. One can also visit the wall by sections.

The distance between every two ramparts is just within the range of arrow shot from either side. There are four main gates on the wall, which were the only way to go into and out of town in ancient times. Each gate is overlooked by sentries on three towers. A wide moat ran around the city. Over the moat, there used to be huge drawbridges, which would cut off the way in and out of the city, once lifted. Today, the Ming dynasty wall is mostly intact and open to visitors.

It is possible to walk the entire perimeter of the wall, however, cycling is the best way to explore the historic city wall. The wall has a road on the top perfect for walking or biking.