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“Cycling the Xi'an City Wall is a great way to spend an evening.” |
Today's highlight was a leisurely late afternoon cycle on the Xi'an city wall; a distance of 13.74km. The wall, an ancient fortification situated in the heart of XI'an, was established in 582AD in the second year of the Sui Dynasty. Xi'an was formerly known as Chang'an during the Sui (581-618AD) and Tang (618-907AD) Dynasties. The wall was repaired and expanded upon in successive dynasties, based on the foundations established in the Sui and Tang Dynasties. Subsequently, the wall was extended to the east and north by Hongwu, the first emperor during the Ming Dynasty.
Four main gates are present: Changle Gate in the east, Anding Gate in the west, Yongding Gate in the south and Anyuan gate in the north. The structure is rectangular in shape with the north and south walls longer than the east and west walls. The wall is 12 metres high, with a width of 12-14 metres at the top and 15-18 metres at the base. A moat and manicured gardens surround the wall.
We arrived at the South Gate around 5.30pm to be greeted by a multitude of tourists, most of whom appeared to be Spanish-speaking. By now the rain had subsided and the heat of the afternoon had disspiated. The South Gate Tower had been converted into a sales area specialising in silk, paintings and sculptures. The second floor of the tower offered commanding views of the streets outside the city walls, along the city wall itself, and into the city within the confines of the walls extending to the Bell Tower.
We took our time cycling the full circuit along the worn out bricks that constitute the top of the wall. The further away from the South Gate we were, the fewer the people we encountered. Inside the city walls some of the dwellings exhibited that classic Chinese architectural design with the curved and tiled rooves. Other homes were constructed of unadorned brick and appeared delapidated. Xi'an's chaotic train station was visible from the North Wall.
The bottom line: entry via the South Gate is 40 RMB; bike hire 20 RMB for 100 minutes; 200 RMB refundable deposit for the bikes; an additional 5 RMB for 30 minutes extra time on the bike.
Upon leaving the confines of the wall we were greeted with festive summertime street activities, including dancing, singing and games of "skill" usually found in a sideshow alley. We then dined at an upmarket Italian Reataurant near the South Gate (see review).
Cycling the Xi'an City Wall was a great way to spend an evening!
previous travel blog entry
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