Xi'an City Wall. The well-preserved Xi'an City Wall was constructed in the Ming Dynasty (1368 -1644) on the basis of the Chang'an City of the Tang Dynasty (618- 907). It's the most complete city wall survived in China, and one of the largest ancient military defense systems in the world.

The well-preserved Xi'an City Wall was constructed in the Ming Dynasty (1368 -1644) on the basis of the Chang'an City of the Tang Dynasty (618- 907).

It's the most complete city wall survived in China, and one of the largest ancient military defense systems in the world.
 

A deep moat surrounds the whole walls, with suspension bridge connects to the outer city. Nowadays, this old historical relic has become a sightseeing and entertainment resort for visitors, which is definitely worth a visit.
The wall now stands 12m (40 ft) tall, 12-14m (40-46 ft) wide at the top and 15-18m (50-60 ft) thick at the bottom. It is 13.7 km in circumference, occupying an area of 11.5 square kms.


The City Wall was earth-rammed and wrapped with grey bricks.  Ancient weapons were not powerful to break through a wall and the only way to seize a city was attacking the gate of the city wall. This is why complicated gate structures were built.

There are four main gates and several accessorial gates. Those main gates are respectively named as Chang'le (eternal joy) in the east, An'ding (harmony peace) in the west, Yong'ning (eternal peace) in the south and An'yuan (forever harmony) in the north.

Try biking on the City Wall, you will have an enjoyable and interesting experience.