Description of the attraction
The Ming era city wall is one of the landmarks of Xi'an. It is from here, from the city wall, that an extraordinary view of the city opens, you can see the Drum Tower and the Bell Tower. Take your breath away from the impressive panorama.
A similar wall existed in Beijing, but it was destroyed during the construction of the subway. Therefore, the city wall in Xi'an is the only one of all Chinese city walls that have survived to this day.
The wall was originally built, like all city walls, to protect the city from attacks. The height of the wall is 12 meters, the width is about 15 meters at the base, and the length is almost 12 kilometers. The wall was originally built using earth that was tamped down tightly when laid. Then the structure was covered with bricks.
On each side of the wall, gates were created to enter the city: Anyuan from the north side, Yonnie from the south, Anding from the west, and Changle from the east side of the city. All gates were equipped with a lifting bridge, a deep ditch and a stone bag. At the corners of the wall, watchtowers were made, in each of which a small military garrison was located. The towers served as observation posts.
Special passages for horses were also created in the wall. The steps in them were made in such a way that the horse could easily walk on them. There were 11 such passages in total.
Today, the wall has remained to exist simply as a local landmark. During the restoration in 1983, a park was created here for pleasant walks and the towers on the gate were restored. In addition, a Marathon is held on the territory of the city wall, the participants of which must overcome three full circles along the wall.
At night, the city wall of Xi'an looks even more beautiful and mysterious because of the colored illumination.
