Xi’an City Walls

Xi'an City Walls 400
Xi’an City Walls meets traffic
Photo by: Bernt Rostad, Creative Commons

The ancient Xi’an City Walls radiate a romantic setting with its red and gray colors and a long cemented stretch of pavement perfect for a long afternoon walk. The gray colored wall highlights the contrast between it and the red colored lamps and flags, providing a harmonious blend. The pathways of the enormous edifice encourage a handful of people to tour this magnificent site.

Xi’an City Walls was constructed during the reign of Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang of the Ming Dynasty. People believed that a hermit recommended the erection of the city walls. Upon hearing this advice, the emperor hurriedly sent orders to put up huge walls. The structure was further improved during the Tang Dynasty. Today, the 40 feet-tall wall of the structure surrounds the ancient Xi’an center.

Xi’an City Walls is rectangular in shape with each side fortified by a huge gate. This design allowed the walled city to put up military defense structures like a moat, drawbridges, and several watchtowers. Located in the middle of the watchtowers are lookouts strategically placed 120 meters apart from each other so military guards can shoot up arrows that would reach potential attackers.

Another strategic feature of Xi’an City Walls is its 11-meter walkway located on the top of each wall. The structure was constructed with a wide road to provide adequate space for soldiers to move with ease when an enemy approached. Visitors can enjoy walking or biking along this historical path.

Another feature of the walled city are the tunnels, which links the narrow tower to the main tower. These tunnels provided passages for horses so they could quickly dash up to the top of the wall. All horse passages are scattered around the city to provide easier access and transportation to those who dwell inside the city.

One response to “Xi’an City Walls”

  1. Shavonne Degonia says:

    It’s actually a nice and useful piece of info. I am glad that you shared this useful information with us. Please keep us informed like this. Thanks for sharing.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *