Xi'an City Wall

The Xi'an City Wall, a national AAAA-level scenic area, is situated in the downtown area of Xi'an, Shaanxi Province. It stands 12 meters high, with a top width of 12 to 14 meters and a base width of 15 to 18 meters. Forming a closed rectangle, the wall stretches for a total perimeter of 13.74 kilometers.

The area enclosed by the wall is commonly known as the Old Town, covering 11.32 square kilometers, where the iconic Xi'an Bell Tower and Drum Tower are located. There are four major city gates: Changle Gate to the east, Anding Gate to the west, Yongning Gate to the south and Anyuan Gate to the north. By 2006, a total of 18 gates had been opened along the wall.

Built on the foundations of the imperial city of the Tang Dynasty, the Xi'an City Wall was designed entirely for defense. Its thickness exceeds its height, making it as solid as a mountain. The broad ramparts on top allow for horse-drawn carriages and military drills. Constructed between the 7th and 11th years of the Hongwu reign of the Ming Dynasty (1374–1378), it boasts a history of over 600 years. It ranks among China’s most renowned city wall architectures and is the best-preserved ancient city wall in the country.

Featuring a grand layout and elaborate functional design, the rectangular city wall runs 13.74 kilometers in total. The southern and northern sections are slightly longer than the eastern and western ones. Every 120 meters stands a protruding bastion measuring 12 meters by 20 meters, known as an enemy tower, with 98 such structures in total across the wall. Each enemy tower is topped with a garrison blockhouse. One corner tower is erected at each of the four corners of the city.

There is one main gate on each side of the wall. Outside every gate lies a barbican, equipped with a main gate tower and an arrow tower. Adjacent to the inner bank of the moat outside each barbican stands a gatehouse, also called a watchtower, which controls the drawbridge. A Kuixing Tower is built on the wall top beside the Confucian Temple, namely the Stele Forest.

The top surface of the wall is paved with three layers of large bricks, a structure called Haiman. Along the outer edge stand crenellations, totaling 5,984 battlements across the wall, while a low parapet lines the inner edge. Access ramps for horses and drainage chutes are built on the inner side of the wall.

City walls were defensive fortifications built to fend off foreign invasions, and the Xi'an City Wall features formidable defensive systems. The moat surrounding the wall serves as the first line of defense. A drawbridge across the moat was once the only passage in and out of the city. Lowered during the day for passage, it would be hoisted up at night to block entry.

Outside each main gate stands a watchtower for night watch and alarm, forming the second line of defense. Further inside rises the arrow tower, over 30 meters tall, with sheer outer walls densely dotted with embrasures for observation and shooting — the third line of defense. Between the arrow tower and the main gate tower sits the barbican, covering 9,348 square meters. If enemies broke through into this enclosed space, they would be trapped like "turtles in a jar", making it the fourth line of defense. The main city gate constitutes the fifth line of defense. It was extremely difficult for invading troops to break through all five layers of defenses.