Xi’an City Wall(596 views)

Release date:2010-02-09 11:45:09

The central part of Xi’an City remains encompassed by a large, imposing grey brick wall. This was initially built to enclose the grounds of the emperor’s home and gardens, back when Xi’an was the capital city of China.

The wall protected the city well for hundreds of years, though it eventually fell into a state of disrepair. Over the past few years the local government has poured money into restoring the wall back to its former glory, and with the work now essentially finished, the 16km wall is once again complete. Each of the four walls are punctured at ground level by several gates to allow traffic through, including a very large opening in the north wall, near the train station, but the pathway atop the wall is a continuous circuit.

A leisurely stroll around the entire wall is likely to take a few hours. To quicken this up, it is possible to hire a bicycle by the hour once you get on top of the wall. To make it even more fun, you can try a tandem instead. It can be confusing, and even annoying, to see people peddling as fast as they can, pelting past you at thunderous speeds, apparently not interested in taking in the scenery and really appreciating the experience. That is, until you realise that your bike rental is strictly timed, and if returning your bike past the specified time you will be charged again! A complete lap of the wall can be done in an hour without being too arduous a task… just don’t go too slowly! For those that prefer a more relaxing tour, large electric chauffeur-driven golf-buggy style vehicles are also available, at a higher cost.

A trip around the wall can give a great perspective on the city, not only because of the commanding view it offers of the main avenues, and the contrast between the old (inside the wall) and new (outside the wall), but also by giving a unique viewpoint from which to observe life going on at ground level below. So while rattling around the wall on your bike admiring the view, don’t forget to stop and look over the sides of the walls every now and then. My personal favourite place to stop and look is anywhere on the quarter that starts at the south gate and runs around the corner to the east gate. Taking a peek over the wall into the park just outside can reveal a side to life in Xi’an that many visitors don’t get to see. Right here, just minutes away from international shopping centres and designer brands, you can see the local people practising tai chi or exercising on the public-use gym equipment, groups singing Shaanxi opera, old guys playing Chinese chess, old gals selling Sichuan peppercorns, or even a 30-table outdoor ping-pong-a-thon, all of which seem to take place on a daily basis.

The wall and its watchtowers are lit at night, outlined by small colourful lights, which makes a charming backdrop when chilling out with a beer in one of the open-air bars outside the south gate area. But perhaps the best time to appreciate the wall at night is during the annual lantern festival, which takes place on the 14th day after Chinese New Year, to mark the end of the Spring Festival. At this time extravagant and colourful models are displayed, brightly lit for locals to enjoy as they walk and eat local snacks including pieces of fruit on a long skewer, covered in hard candy. Alongside these main pieces are the more traditional lanterns, which are often covered with stories or riddles scrawled in Chinese characters. Against a dark wintry night sky, they make for a beautiful sight.

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