The fortress of the city of Xi'an, the antiquated capital of Shaanxi region, in the inside of the Guanzhong Plain, speaks to one of the most seasoned and best preserved Chinese city walls. The wall was inherent the fourteenth century by Zhu Yuanzhang, the first Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, under the guidance of a loner who let him know to "fabricated high wall, store bounteous food supplies and require some serious energy to be an Emperor," so he could strengthen the city and bind together other states.
After the stronghold of the Ming tradition, Zhu Yuanzhang emulated his recommendation and started to develop the Wall fabricated at first throughout the old Tang Dynasty (618 - 907), making the present day Xian City Wall. It's the most finish city Wall that has made due in China, too being one of the biggest old military defensive systems in the world.
The first Xi'an city wall was begun in 194 BCE and took 4 years to complete. Upon culmination, the wall measured 25.7 km long and 12–16 m in thickness at the base, and encased a range of 36 square km. The primary city wall was fabricated of earth, snappy lime, and glutinous rice concentrate, packed together. Later, the wall was completely encased with blocks.
Xi'an's city wall, after its augmentation in the Ming Dynasty, stands 12 meters high. It is 12-14 meters over the top, 15-18 meters thick at bottom, and 13.7 kilometers long and surrounds a territory of approximately 14 square kilometers inside the city. There is a rampart each 120 meters that stretch out from the fundamental wall and permit officers to see adversaries attempting to climb the wall. The separation between every two bulwarks is simply inside the reach of bolt shot from either side.
There are four fundamental doors on the wall, which were the best way to go into and away in old times. Each one entryway is disregarded by sentries on three towers. A wide moat ran circled the city. Over the moat, there used to be enormous drawbridges, which would cut off the route done and finished with the city, once lifted.
Today, the Ming administration wall is generally in place and open to guests. It is conceivable to walk the whole edge of the wall, be that as it may, cycling is the most ideal approach to investigate the memorable city wall. The wall has a street on the top ideal for strolling or biking. Actually, cycling on the city wall is one of the well known exercises on Xi'an. Cycling is additionally an extraordinary approach to see the old city.
Xian city wall
Source : Travel China Guide