Xi'an City Wall

• Location: No. 2, South Street, Beilin District, Xi'an City, Shanxi Province, China.
• Recommended reason: The largest and most well-preserved ancient city wall.
• Opening hours: 08:00-22:00
• Official website: Xi'an City Wall

Xi'an City Wall, also known as Xi'an Ming Circumvallation, is the largest and most well-preserved ancient city wall in China. As an iconic landmark in the ancient capital of Xi'an, Xi'an City Wall is absolutely a must-visit attraction.
 

History of Xi'an City Wall

Xi'an City Wall was built in 1370(Ming dynasty) and completed in 1378, which has a long history of more than 600 years. The walls were constructed as a defense against enemy attacks on the base of the imperial city Chang'an (Ancient Xi'an) in the Tang dynasty. There were three times of big renovations. The first one was in the second year of Ming Longqing(1568), the second one was in the ninth year of Chong Zhen(1636), and the 46 years of Qian Long(1781). In 1961, Xi'an City Wall was listed as the first batch of national key relics protection units.

The Structure of Xian City Wall

Xi'an City Wall is located in the city center and is rectangular in shape, with a total circumference of 13.74 kilometers, a height of 12 meters, bottom width of 18 meters and top width of 15 meters. The whole construction includes city moat, suspension bridge, gatehouse, embrasured watchtower, main building, turret, tower, parapet, crenel and other military facilities, which constitutes a complete and tight set of the city defense system in the era of cold weapons. The walls on all sides are equipped with gates: Changle Gate to the east, Anding Gate to the west, Yongning Gate to the south and Anyuan Gate to the north.

Highlights of Xi'an City Wall

There are eight entrances to Xi'an City Wall, including Changle gate, Anding gate, Yongding gate, Yongning gate, Hanguang gate, Wenchang gate, Heping gate and Shangde gate. Visitors can choose one of the nearest gates to climb up the city wall. While Yongning Gate to the south is the welcoming gate and also the most beautifully decorated one. You can enjoy the shows that guards open the city gate by the form of traditional rites and more solid parade performance every day. That’s why the majority choose to enter the scenic spot through Yongning gate.

Apart from walking, riding on the Xi'an City Wall is a good way to look around and discover its beauty. And you can save time and energy because the wall is too long which will take about 2 hours by cycling. While riding on the antique bricks, you can capture an illusion that travel to the ancient time. To feel the long history of a thousand-year and enjoy the national legends.
 

Xi'an City Wall International Marathon is held every April. The marathon was founded in 1993, which is the unique marathon whose track is set on the completed ancient city walls. Runners from all kinds of language and colors gather here every spring to transmit different faiths and cultures, which compose peaceful music. In 2019, Xi'an City Wall International Marathon was listed officially in the "one belt one road" Shanxi excellent sports events, which was the greatest recognition of the Xi'an city marathon.

What's more, don't miss the opportunity to learn Tai Chi Quan from masters. Tai Chi is a branch of Chinese Kung Fu, which is the perfect combination of Chinese traditional dialectics with martial art, art and Chinese traditional medicine. Tai Chi has existed for centuries, which is helpful to relieve stress and anxiety, improve balance, strength and suppleness. Enjoy the charm of Tai Chi.

Best time to visit Xi'an City Wall

The best time to visit Xi'an City Wall is in spring and autumn. It's cool and comfortable to wander on the walls from March to June and from September to October. During the summer of July and August, it's too hot and crowed due to the summer holiday. You can choose to visit Xi'an City Wall in the early morning or after sunset.

How to Get to Xi'an City Wall

Xi'an City Wall is located in the city center, so it's very convenient to get there. You can take a taxi or metro Line 2.
 

Or you can get there by public bus. Please refer to the bus number as below: No. 22, 23, 27, 29, 33, 37, 47, 602, 612, 704.

Tips for visiting Xi'an City Wall

Due to the ground of Xi'an City Wall is covered by bricks, so the ground is uneven. It gets a little bumpy when riding on the city walls. Come ready to walk a lot. You'd better wear a pair of comfortable sneakers or other walking shoes. And don't forget to bring a hat or sunscreen to protect yourself from the sun's rays.

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