Xi'an City Wall Tourism

Historical Landmark4.5(7,860 reviews)

About Xi'an City Wall

The Xi'an City Wall, also known as the Fortifications of Xi'an, is one of the oldest and best-preserved city walls in China. Built during the Ming dynasty (1370-1378 AD) under the reign of Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang, the wall was constructed for military defense purposes. The rectangular wall encloses an area of about 14 square kilometers, standing tall at 12 meters, and spans approximately 13.7 kilometers in length. The wall is wide enough at the top for six horses to run abreast, averaging 15-18 meters across. It features a deep moat, drawbridges, watchtowers, corner towers, parapets, and gates on each of its four sides, aligned with the cardinal points. The South Gate, also known as Yongning, is particularly renowned and serves as a symbol of Xi'an. Visitors to the site can enjoy a walk or rent bicycles to ride atop the wall, providing a unique perspective of the city. The wall is also a vantage point for observing many of Xi'an's historical landmarks and experiencing the city's blend of ancient and modern urban life.

Top 5 Reviews on Xi'an City Wall

W9464UNst
5.0
Wrote on 26 Jun 2024
How to get an entrance ticket in-person when you cannot use its local app
When I arrived at the South Gate, there was little English spoken at the customer service desk and I was told to use the booking app to buy the entrance ticket. It didn't work for me as it required a local phone number that can receive an SMS code. I gave up that I would walk the ancient walls. Next day I was visiting the Stele Forest or Beilin Museum (10 RMB) nearby even though the exhibitions were closed and discovered a much smaller entrance to the city wall. To my surprise, there was a staff ready to help and I bought my ticket in person without having to use the booking app. It was a lovely walk during the day as I didn't have the time to buy ticket before 6 pm to see the wall lit up at night. Entrance was $58. There are vendors there selling food and souvenirs. You can also rent a bike to ride on the wall. It was impressive to see the wall and gates built to protect the city from so long ago.