Cycle the city wall of Xi’an

What the experience is

The wall of Xi’an was begun in 1370 under the Hongwu Emperor, the founder of the Ming dynasty, on the line of earlier Sui and Tang fortifications. It forms a rectangle of about 14 kilometres round and encloses the centre of the modern city.

The top of the wall is a paved roadway 12 to 14 metres wide. Visitors climb to it at one of the gates and may walk or cycle as far as they wish. Bicycles are not allowed to be brought up, but they can be hired on the wall itself, and the whole circuit can be ridden without coming down.

What you see

The wall is 12 metres high and 15 to 18 metres thick at the base. Ramparts project from its outer face at regular intervals, a distance set so that archers on neighbouring ramparts could cover the ground between them. Outside runs a moat.

There are four main gates, one on each side, each defended by towers, and a watchtower at each corner. The exterior was faced with brick in 1568 and the wall was enlarged and given drainage in 1781.

From the saddle the difference between the two sides is plain: low grey roofs, temples and lanes within, towers and traffic outside.

When to go

Late afternoon is the best time, when the light is low and the gate towers are lit towards dusk. Summer middays are hot and there is no shade on top. Spring and autumn are the most comfortable seasons.

Good to know

The circuit is just under 14 kilometres. On foot it takes three to five hours; by bicycle about one and a half to two hours, with stops. Bicycles can be hired at the main gates and are returned to the same gate; rental normally needs a passport, and rules for older riders may apply. The wall closes in the evening and cycling stops earlier, so start in good time. The surface is old paving and is bumpy in places. The south gate is the grandest point of entry and the nearest to the Bell Tower.

Why OKYTO recommends it

Complete city walls are rare in China, and this is among the largest that can be travelled from end to end. It is the quickest way to grasp the plan of the old capital, and a good counterpart to a morning at the Terracotta Army.