Ancient Xian City Wall
Old Xian City Wall – the most prominent walls built after medieval time, and also the best-reserved city wall with the longest history throughout the world, is a must-visit attraction of Xian Tour.
Ancient Xian City Wall Facts
A fun fact about the Xi'an City Wall: The logo of the Xi'an Metro uses the city wall as its main symbol. Its main colors are Chinese red and white, which looks somewhat like a "wall emblem". The overall image of the logo is square-shaped. In the design, the city wall and the subway tunnel are interlinked, effectively combining the elements of Xi'an's iconic city wall and subway tunnels.
History of Xian Old City Wall
The old city wall’s construction can be tracked back to Sui, Tang, Song and Yuan Dynasties. Until 600 years ago (1374 - 1378) in Ming Dynasty, the wall was built on the basis of the imperial city walls of the Sui and Tang Dynasties, which is the Xian City Wall that we see today.
So why and when exactly the Xian Great Wall was built? The existing city wall is a piece of Chinese architecture from the Ming Dynasty. It was first constructed in the third year of Hongwu (1370) during the reign of Emperor Taizu of Ming, and was completed in the eleventh year of Hongwu (1378).
It was built under the policy of Emperor Taizu "Build high walls, accumulate abundant grain, and delay the assumption of the throne". Emperor Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang bestowed the title of Prince Qin upon his second son, and the fiefdom and the provincial capital were located in the same city. Therefore, the city was of grand scale and solid construction.
Additionally, it was repeatedly renovated and expanded by the Ming and Qing dynasties.
The five periods of the destruction of the Xi'an City Wall, based on the sections from the earliest to the latest
| Period | Cross-section Feature |
| Sui and Tang Dynasties | The existing cross-section is close to a triangular shape. |
| Late Tang and Five Dynasties Period | The ancient city wall of Xian was thickened by about 1.5 to 2.5 meters, and the top was raised by nearly one meter. |
| Song and Yuan Dynasties | Additional layers were built at the center of the Ming city wall section; the soil is dark in color, compact in texture, and contains a small amount of tiles. |
| Ming and Qing Dynasties | The previously built city walls were all enclosed within the new wall, which is the current Xi’an City Wall. |
| Modern Reinforcement Layer | Mainly refers to the reinforcement work carried out by Xi’an City authorities in the early 1980s. |
Brief Introduction of Xian City Wall: Architecture & Design
Since the location of Xian gives it strategic military importance, the wall is very tall and fortified. It is 13.74 kilometers long and consists of a series of military facilities like moat, drawbridge, gate tower, arrow tower, main tower, turret, watch tower, battlement, crenel, etc.
On the outer side of the Xian city wall, battlements, also known as parapets, were built, totaling 5,984. There were arrow holes on them for shooting arrows and observing. The inner side of the wall was a low wall called a "female wall", without arrow holes, to prevent soldiers from falling when walking back and forth. Every 120 meters along the wall, an enemy tower was constructed, which was specifically set up to shoot at the enemies climbing the wall. There were a total of 98 enemy towers on the ancient city wall of Xian, and each had an enemy watchtower for troops to stay in.
The original Xi'an city walls were constructed using layered rammed earth. The foundation layer, composed of soil mixed with lime and glutinous rice paste, was exceptionally hardened. Subsequently, the entire structure—including the inner and outer walls as well as the crest—was faced with blue bricks. Along the wall crest, drainage channels made of blue bricks were installed at intervals of 40 to 60 meters. These channels played a crucial role in the long-term preservation of Xi'an's ancient city walls.
Xian Old City Wall once assumed the role of defending the city against invasion, and now, it shoulders great responsibilities of providing material data for historical research, fulfilling the glorious mission of spreading Chinese culture, blending ancient city culture and modern culture harmoniously, and becoming a model of great historical site protection and development in Shaanxi Province even in China. Don't miss it when you travel in Xan China.
What to See
One of the best preserved city walls in China, The brick city wall of Xian forms a rectangle running 3.4 kilometers from east to west and 2.6 kilometers from north to south. Its circumference is 13.74 kilometers. The wall is 12 meters tall; it measures 15-18 meters in width at the base and 12-14 meters on top. On each side there is a city gate, over which the various towers majestically stand.
Gates of Xian City Wall
There are 4 main gates, i.e. the East Gate (Everlasting Happiness 长乐门), the West Gate (Eternal Stability 安定门), the North Gate (Pacifying the Outlying Areas 安远门) and the South Gate (Eternal Peace 永宁门). Until the period of the Republic of China, in order to facilitate access to people, the number of gates has increased to 18 in total, including Zhujue Gate, Wumao Gate, Hengguang Gate, Yu Xiang Gate, Shangwu Gate, Shangde Gate, Jiefang Gate, Shangjian Gate, Shangqin Gate, Chaoyang Gate, Zhongshan Gate, Jianguo Gate, Heping Gate, and Wenchang Gate.
Besides, the city wall is surrounded by a moat, and the famous Bell Tower and Drum Tower are located in the center of the Xian Old City Wall.
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What to Do
Over the centuries, the city keeps developing both inside the Old City Wall and outside. You will be shocked by enjoying the excellent panorama view of the whole city and the antique beauty of ancient architectures – from one side it is an old town with narrow blocks and age-old austere geometric configuration planning; and from the other side, numerous modern skyscrapers, super malls with brilliant advertising signboards and highways with galloping cars are presented in front of you.
Walking
Especially after 8 o’clock in the evening, the view becomes more beautiful. The Xian City Wall is decorated with Chinese red lanterns, which light up it at night. Walking on the Xian city wall at night is so romantic.
Cycling Tour around the City
Biking on the ancient city wall is a suitable and more efficient way to discover the beauty of this historical site. In fact, it is one of the popular activities of Xian tour.
We would like to recommend you a Xian city wall cycling route: rent a bike and ride from the South Gate and then the West Gate, North Gate, East Gate and finally ride back to the South Gate. Of course, if you get tired, you can return the bike at any bike rental spots without going back to the original place.
Boating on the City Moat
Sitting on a gaily-painted pleasure-boat, traveling along the moat quietly, watching the ancient high walls and experiencing the historical and modern culture will be a great pleasure during your leisure Xian culture tour. And you will feel like travel back to the glorious days of the ancient times.
>> Recommended Xian Day Tour: Terracotta Warriors and Old City Wall
Other Activities on Xian City Wall
Chang’an Impression
Shows: Tang Dynasty Grand Welcoming Ceremony, the Grand Etiquette, Dream back to the Silk Road
Show Time: Every night of Thursday and Sunday at 20:30-21:00
Address: The South Gate area of Xian Old City Wall
Ticket Price: CNY 260 (ticket of the scenic spot included)
Tips: Children under 1.2 meters are free of charge (not occupying a seat), others shall pay full price.
Normalized Performance
Cruise of Palace Guards Standing Sentry (11:00 14:00 17:00)
Relieve Guard Ceremony (10:00 15:00)
Address: The South Gate of Xi’an City Wall
There’re other featured activities which attract many visitors from home and abroad to participate in, such as Night Running on the Wall (城墙夜跑), Lantern Festival of the Old City Wall (城墙新春灯会), Xian City Wall International Marathon (西安城墙国际马拉松), etc.
Best Time to Xian Visit Xian City Wall
Xian Old City Wall can be visit all year round. But based on Xian weather, the best time to visit is in spring and autumn, i.e. from March to June and September to October. Because of during these seasons, it is not too hot or too cold. And the view is more beautiful if you visit the city wall at sunrise or sunset.
Ticket Price
Package of Xian Old City Wall and Beilin Museum: CNY 100
How to Get Here
By Bus: Take Bus 12, 208, K208, 600 or 603, and get off at South Gate Station.
Travel Tips
1. The nearby attractions including Beilin Museum, Drum Tower, Bell Tower, Zhang Xueliang’s Residence, Xian Muslim Quarter, etc.
2. Tourist Center can be found at South Gate, North Gate, West Gate and East Gate, which provide services like storage, resting, clinic and so on.
3. The weather in Xian is drier compared to other southern cities of China, so it is better to bring some water, use moisturizers and sunblock, wear a hat and sun glasses to protect your skin from the sun burns.
Plan Your Xian City Wall Tour with Easy Tour China
From the world-famous archaeological site of Terracotta Warriors to the magnificent ancient city wall of Xian and the city's museums and temples, Xian is an epic tale of one-of-the-kind experiences waiting to be written. We are happy to customize a Xian trip based on your specifications. Here are best China tours to Xian with its city wall.
