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Why the Xi'an
City Wall is special
Many cities in China once had massive
defensive walls to thwart invading armies. Among
the few city walls that remain, the one of Xi'an
is undoubtedly the most impressive and photogenic.
Interesting insights about
the Xi'an City Wall
 The
sloped, rectangular wall is 14 kilometers (8 miles
long) and encloses the old center of Xi'an.
However,
only the southern half of the Xi'an city wall has
been significantly restored and rebuilt. But that
portion runs over 5 kilometers (3 miles) and is
striking.
There
is an 11 meter (30 foot) wide roadway on top of the
wall. It was designed to allow a large number of
soldiers to move rapidly to any section that was
being attacked. Today, the roadway is a promenade
enjoyed by strolling tourists (good views) and
bicyclists (you can rent bikes on the wall).
Xi'an City Wall tidbits
The
Xi'an city wall was constructed in 1378. It
replaced a city wall that was built during the
Tang Dynasty (618-907).
The
height of the Xi'an City Wall of today averages 12
meters (40 feet).
Each
side of the rectangular wall has a gate. Each
corner of the wall has an imposing
watchtower.
Between
those watchtowers are smaller lookouts in the form
of projecting ramparts. They are spaced at 120
meter (400 foot) intervals. This assures that
arrows can reach any point along the wall where
the enemy may be attacking.
The
wall between the ramparts is crenelated (notched)
for shooting and shielding. The Xi'an crenatures
once numbered 5,894.
Location
Xi'an, the capital of Shaanxi province, is about
1,000 kilometers (600 miles) southeast of Beijing.
Pronunciation guide
Xi'an: she-ah'n
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