Xian City Walls 城墻
- First begun in the 14th century
- Some of the best preserved walls in China
- Cover over 14 km now
- Made of rammed earth lined with brick
- Four main gates give access to the old city
Xian's impressive city walls, which are around 12 meters high and 14 km in length, were first begun in 1370 during the reign of the first Ming Emperor - Hongwu (Zhu Yuanzhang).
Originally constructed from rammed earth, quicklime and glutinous rice resin, the walls were lined with brick in 1568.
Dimensions
The impressive walls are 18 meters thick at the base, topped with crenellations and ramparts, with watchtowers at each corner and a main gate on each side: Anyuan on the north side, Changlemen on the east, Yongning on the south and Andingmen on the west side.
The walls remain as one of the most ancient city defence systems in the world and visitors can stroll or cycle along the flat tops of the walls. Touring the city walls is one of the best ways to explore the city of Xian.
The Xian city walls also used to be surrounded by a wide moat with drawbridges leading to the main gates.
The original Tang city walls of Chang'an once enclosed around 80 square kilometers, seven times larger than the old city that remains today.
Xian City Walls Access
Access the walls from one of the main gates or the Forest of Stelae Museum.
The nearest stations on the Xian subway to the gates are Yongningmen Station on Line 2 for the South Gate; Anyuanmen Station also on Line 2 for the North Gate.
Hours: 7 am-9.30 pm (summer); 8 am-6 pm (winter)
Xian Attractions
Other attractions in Xian include the Terracotta Army, Xian Bell Tower, Xian Drum Tower, the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, the Small Wild Goose Pagoda, the Great Mosque, the Muslim Quarter, Louguantai and Shaanxi History Museum.
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