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Postcards of Xi'an's City WallsXi'an, situated in the centre of the Guanzhong Plain, is the capital of Shaanxi Province. Xi'an, called Changan in the ancient times, is one of the 6 great ancient capitals. It served as capital sites for 13 dynasties respectively, including Zhou, Qin, Han, Sui and Tang, lasting for over 1,000 years. The present remaining City Wall, taking 8 years in construction, was built in the 3rd year of Emperor Hong Wu (1370 A.D.) of the Ming Dynasty on the former site of Royal City in the Tang Dynasty. The City Wall is 12 meters high, 13.74 km long, 12-14 meters wide on the top and 15-18 meters wide at the bottom. The west-east direction is a little more longer than the north-south direction. The whole City Wall forms a rectangle. ON the top of the wall there is a Dilou (rampart for stationing army) every 120 meters, totalling 98. In the East Gate, South Gate, West Gate and North Gate, there each builds a small inner city (or a compound), attaching which there is a city tower and a Jianlou (rampart for shooting arrows) respectively. Out of each Jianlou, on the side of the city moat, there builds a Qiaolou (watching rampart) for controlling the rise and fall of the drawbridge over the city moat. Today the City Wall of Xi'an is the best-preserved, best-equipped and slidest ancient fighting and defending system. It is also one of the treasured cultrual legacies the ancient people left.
City Moat
The Kuixing Tower
Early Flowers in Spring
The Wall
Grand Northern Gateway
Happy Garden in Southern City
A Glimpse at the Southwestern Corner
The City Wall
Arch Bridge in Western City
Colorful Ancient City
Western City in Rosy Clouds
Ancient Bell in Eastern City
Variegated Northern City
Brightly-lit Southern City
New Look at Southern City
Gate Tower at Northern Gate
Gateway in Eastern City
Night in Moon City
Autumn in Western City
Spring in Eastern City
Thatched House in Southern City
Spring Flowers in Southern City
Summer at Western Gateway
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