Xi'an City Wall

So far this summer we've had a number of visitors come to Xi'an and quite the international mix, one from France, one from Ecuador and five Chinese from Wuhan. That means we've finally hit some of the big tourist spots of the city, so get ready for some major blogging (we'll try our best).

The city wall in Xi'an is definitely one of the top attractions to visit, and it might be one of our favorites depending on the weather. We've visited it twice already within one week and both days were beautiful with clear blue skies, something that is not very common in Xi'an.

Here's just a short description and brief history of the wall. As you might know, Xi'an is one of the oldest cities in China and once was the capital city during several dynasties. Construction of the first city wall first began in 194 BC, but the current wall was started by the Ming dynasty in 1370 and is 13.7 km (8.5 miles)  long. It's one of the oldest and best preserved city walls.

 This is a view of the fancy business and shopping district that is just outside of the south gate of the city wall.

This is a view of the opposite side. This area is called Beilin and is just inside the south gate of the city wall. It's a neighborhood filled with artists and calligraphers.

 

We think next time we'll rent some bikes so we can explore all 14 km of the wall. 

 

 Like most sites in China the wall is very beautiful at night, as it is covered with lights and lanterns.

 

 This is the view of the Bell Tower that you can see from the south gate of the wall.