Xi'an City Wall 西安城墙Xī'ān Chéngqiáng

Why go to Xi'an City Wall

Xi'an's Ming-dynasty wall is among the best-preserved city walls in China, a broad brick rampart about 14 km around with gate towers, corner towers and a moat. Rent a bike on top and ride the full loop in a couple of hours, with old courtyards on one side and the modern city on the other.

The story

The Ming founder Zhu Yuanzhang was famously advised to 'build high walls, store up grain and be slow to call yourself king'. Xi'an's wall, raised in the 1370s on the foundations of the Tang imperial city, was one result.

What to see at Xi'an City Wall

• South Gate (Yongningmen) 永宁门: The best-known gate, built as three structures in a row: an outer gate tower, an arrow tower and the main tower. It is the usual place to join the wall.
• Arrow tower 箭楼: The south arrow tower was burnt in 1926 and rebuilt in 2014 from historical records. The towers had rows of arrow slits for the defenders.
• Corner towers 角楼: The wall has a tower at each corner. The south-west one is round, a form carried over from the Yuan, and the other three are square.
• Hanguangmen Site Museum 含光门遗址博物馆: A museum built over the excavated Hanguang Gate of Tang Chang'an's imperial city, linked with the wall.

How to visit Xi'an City Wall

Join the wall at the South Gate, the grandest entrance, then walk or cycle the full loop of about 13.7 km on the top. Allow two to three hours if you stop for the gates and corner towers; walking the whole circuit can take much longer. Taking in the Hanguangmen museum fits in on the south-west side.

How to get to Xi'an City Wall

Climb up at the South Gate (Yongningmen), the grandest entrance, beside Yongningmen station on Metro Line 2.

Where to stay

Stay inside the walls near the South Gate or the Bell Tower so that the wall, the metro and the old city are all within a short walk.

What to eat

• Yangrou paomo 羊肉泡馍: Mutton or beef broth poured over crumbled flatbread, with noodles and meat, the dish Xi'an is best known for.
• Roujiamo 肉夹馍: Stewed meat chopped into a baked flatbread, a Shaanxi street food; in Xi'an's Muslim areas the filling is usually beef.

Tips for visiting Xi'an City Wall

• Ride in the late afternoon and finish as the lanterns come on at dusk.
• Bikes must go back to a rental point; there are several at the main gates.
• The old brick surface is bumpy, so take it slowly and allow extra time.

Nearby

• Forest of Stone Steles Museum 西安碑林博物馆 under 10 km
  Inscribed stone tablets of classics, calligraphy and Silk Road history by the south wall
• Bell Tower and Drum Tower 钟楼·鼓楼 under 10 km
  Two Ming towers at the heart of the walled city, where bell and drum once marked the day
• Small Wild Goose Pagoda 小雁塔 under 10 km
  A slender Tang brick pagoda, cracked by earthquakes, in the grounds of the Xi'an Museum
• Muslim Quarter 回民街 under 10 km
  Halal street food and a temple-style mosque in the lanes north of the Drum Tower
• Shaanxi History Museum 陕西历史博物馆 under 10 km
  Tang gold and silver, original tomb murals and finds from Shaanxi's Zhou, Qin and Han past
• Big Wild Goose Pagoda 大雁塔 under 10 km
  A Tang-dynasty pagoda built for scriptures a monk carried home from India

Also within 30 km: Yisushe Theatre 易俗社剧场 (under 10 km), Xi'an Incident Memorial Hall 西安事变纪念馆 (under 10 km), Xi'an City God Temple 西安都城隍庙 (under 10 km), Revolution Park 革命公园 (under 10 km), Eighth Route Army Xi'an Office Memorial Hall 八路军西安办事处纪念馆 (under 10 km), Guangren Temple 广仁寺 (under 10 km).

Trips with Xi'an City Wall

• China in 10 days on a first visit: Beijing, Xi’an, Shanghai and Suzhou 10 days · Beijing, Xi'an, Shanghai and Suzhou
• Two weeks in China: Beijing, Xi’an, Chengdu, Guilin and Shanghai 14 days · Beijing, Xi'an, Chengdu, Leshan, Guilin and Shanghai
• North China’s heritage line: Beijing, Datong, Pingyao and Xi’an 9 days · Beijing, Datong, Pingyao and Xi'an

On the map

Open Xi'an City Wall on the illustrated map to see the terrain around it, what else is close, and to add it to a trip and plan the days.

Learn more

• Wikipedia
• Wikipedia (Chinese)