When Zhu Yuanzhang, the first Emperor of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), captured Huizhou, a hermit named Zhu Sheng admonished him that he should 'built high walls, store abundant food supplies and take time to be an Emperor,' so that he could fortify the city and unify the other states. After the establishment of the Ming dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang followed his advice and began to enlarge the wall built initially during the old Tang dynasty (618 -907), creating the modern Xian City Wall. It's the most complete city wall that has survived in China, as well being one of the largest ancient military defensive systems in the world.
After the extension, the wall now stands 12 meters (40 feet) tall, 12-14 meters (40-46 feet) wide at the top and 15-18 meters (50-60 feet) thick at the bottom. It covers 13.7 kilometers (8.5 miles) in length with a deep moat surrounding it. Every 120 meters, there is a rampart which extends out from the main wall. All together, there are 98 ramparts on the wall, which were built to defend against the enemy climbing up the wall. Each rampart has a sentry building, in which the soldiers could protect the entire wall without exposing themselves to the enemy. Besides, the distance between every two ramparts is just within the range of an arrow shot from either side, so that they could shoot the enemy, who wanted to attack the city, from the side. On the outer side of the city wall, there are 5948 crenellations, namely battlements. The soldiers can outlook and shoot at the enemy. On the inner side, parapets were built to protect the soldiers from falling off.
Since the ancient weapons did not have the power to break through a wall and the only way for an enemy to enter the city was by attacking the gate of the city wall. This is why complicated gate structures were built within the wall. In Xian, the city wall includes four gates and they are respectively named as Changle (meaning eternal joy) in the east, Anding (harmony peace) in the west, Yongning (eternal peace) in the south and Anyuan (forever harmony) in the north. The south gate, Yongning, is the most beautifully decorated one. It is very near to the Bell Tower, center of the city. Important greeting ceremonies organized by the Provincial Government are usually held in the south gate square.
Each city gate has three gate towers: Zhenglou, Jianlou and Zhalou. The most outside is Zhalou, which stands away from the City Wall and is opposite to Zhenglou. It was used to raise and lower the suspension bridge. Jianlou with small windows in the front and flanks was used as a defensive outpost. Zhenglou, in the inner, is the main entrance to the city. The wall connects Jianlou and Zhenglou Towers. The area between them within the wall was called 'Wong Cheng', in which the soldiers stationed. From Wong Cheng, there are sloped horse passages leading to the top of the city wall.
Initially, the wall was built with layers of dirt, with the base layer including also lime and glutinous rice extract. Throughout the time Xian City Wall has been restored three times. In 1568, Zhang Zhi (the government officer of that period) was in charge to rebuild the wall with bricks. In 1781, another officer, Bi Yuan, refitted the city wall and the gate towers. More recently (since 1983) the Shaanxi Provincial Government restored the city wall again. A circular park has been built along the high wall and the deep moat. The thriving trees and flowers decorate the classical Chinese architecture of the wall, adding additional beauty to the city of Xian.
A nice suggestion for tourists: Try biking on the City Wall, you will have an enjoyable and interesting experience.
2007- 2008 Theme Cultural Events of the City Wall |
| Event |
Content |
Time |
Site |
Price |
| Kite Festival |
Flying kites, Making kites, Kate flying match and performances |
Mid - Apr |
West Gate Section |
CNY 40 |
| Culture Week of May |
Performances displaying Shaanxi culture |
May 1st - 7th |
South Gate Section |
CNY 40 |
| Happy Children's Day |
Raising the flag, Showing programs, and Touring around the City Wall |
Jun 1st |
South Gate Section |
CNY 40 |
| Int'l Youth Music Festival |
Performance by youth worldwide |
Jul 16th - 18th |
South Gate Section |
CNY 280/Person |
| Evening Banquet for Mid-Autumn Day |
Admiring the bright full moon and Enjoying the wonderful evening party |
Sep 25th |
South Gate Section |
VIP: CNY 880 (Section A); CNY 580 (Section B); CNY 380 (Section C) |
| Culture Week for National Day |
Interactive activities, Folk custom shows, Cutting paper and Flying kites |
Oct 1st - 7th |
South Gate Section |
CNY 40 |
| Events for Chongyang Festival |
Admiring chrysanthemum and Climbing the City Wall to relax especially for the seniors |
Oct 6th |
South Gate Section |
CNY 100/Person |
| Int'l Xian City Wall Marathon |
Marathon participated by athletes from world over |
Nov 3rd |
The Whole City Wall |
CNY 200/Person |
| Christmas Party |
Enjoying the grand party |
Dec 24th - 25th |
South Gate |
CNY 40 |
| Ringing Bell For the New Year |
Ringing the bell to welcome the New Year and pray for blessings |
22:30 of Dec 31, 2007 - 1:00 of Jan 1, 2008 |
South Gate |
CNY 100/Person |
| Temple Fair for Chinese New Year |
Admiring marvelous lanterns and folk-custom shows, as well as Eating Shaanxi local snacks |
Feb 2, 2008 - Mar 7, 2008 (18:00 - 22:00 each night) |
South Gate |
CNY 40 |
| Admission Fee: |
CNY 40 |
| Opening Hours: |
08:00 to 19:00 (Spring and Summer)
08:30 to 17:00 (Fall and Winter) |
Recommended
Time for a Visit: |
Three hours |
