Xian City Wall Night View

The present ancient city wall of Xian was built between 1370 and 1378 in Ming Dynasty ( 1368 - 1644) , which had been expanded from the imperial walls in Sui and Tang dynasties in the 6th century. Now it has a perimeter of 13912 meters with 12 meters in height, 18 meters  in  width at the base and 15 meters in width on the top.

Xian City Wall constitutes a total and tight city defense system in the Medieval Cold Weapons times including the Wall itself, city moat,  suspension bridges, watch towers, arrow towers, main towers, turrets and battlements on the city wall.

Xian City Wall has four gates, namely West Gate (Anding Men ), North Gate (Anyuan Men), East Gate (Changle Men) and South Gate (Yongning Men) .  Each gate comprises three buildings - outer Que Tower, mid-Arrow Tower and inner Main Tower. Between the mid-Arrow Tower and the Main Tower is the so-called Wengcheng - an walled  and fortified enclosure for besieging invading enemies.

At nightfall, the whole  city wall will be lit with bright rays and red lanterns,  a mix of grandeur and elegance. The south gate area is the most beautiful with its massive gate complex. The south wall is 3442 meters long and 15 meters wide on the top extending from the central south gate.

Having an half hour walk or take a subway line 1 from Bell Tower down to the South Gate  for a glimpse of the night view of Xian City Wall, the largest military defense system in the Medieval Times.

The South Gate seen from outside the city wall

The south city wall and city moat

The Que Tower atop the South Gate

The Arrow Tower inside the South Gate

Hanging Lanterns on the Wall

South Gate Entrance Ceremony ( only held on a special occasion )

South Gate Entrance Ceremony ( only held on a special occasion )

The mega performance inside Wengcheng - an walled  and fortified enclosure at South Gate ( only held on a special occasion)

The main tower at South Gate

Bike rental on the wall

Tip: Hassle-free Xian Guided Tours

If you don’t want to go the do-it-yourself route and prefer the hassle-free escorted tours,  here are some options for Xian guided tours:

Further Readings