Xi'an City Wall

Walk a stretch on top, or cycle the whole loop

By EvanFacts reviewed 4 October 2026

Book it with usUSD 7 per person per sight, plus the ticket at face value.

Why it's worth the trip

Go up at the South Gate and the top of the wall opens out like a road, 12 to 14 metres wide. It runs straight off east and west until it narrows to a point. Bicycles rattle past over the bricks. On one side lies the old city; on the other, the moat and a strip of park that follow the wall all the way round. Every 120 metres the wall juts out into a broad platform, close enough to the next one that defenders on each could cover the ground between them.

The wall's line is older than its bricks. As the Tang dynasty collapsed, its capital Chang'an was sacked again and again. In 904 the governor gave up the rest of the city and held only the walled quarter of government offices. The Ming built their wall on that line, pushed it outwards on the east and north, and finished it in 1378. In doing so they sealed up one of the old Tang gates, Hanguang Gate, which is why it survives. Yet the walled city covers only about a seventh of Tang Chang'an, which spread far beyond the wall you stand on.

It nearly disappeared. In 1958, as Beijing was tearing down its walls, Xi'an decided to demolish its own. Bricks were stripped from almost all the battlements before heritage officials telegraphed the State Council, which ordered the wall protected in 1959. Most of what you walk on was repaired after 1983, and the ring has been whole again only since the mid-2000s. For a first visit, walk one stretch from the South Gate; cycle the whole loop only if the ride itself appeals.

Don't miss

Look down into the South Gate
Stand on the wall above the South Gate and look down into the walled courtyard where attackers who broke through the outer gate were trapped. This is the one main gate where all three towers stand again: one that worked the drawbridge, the arrow tower with rows of archers' windows, and the main tower. The arrow tower is a 2014 rebuild of one destroyed in 1926.
Tang cart ruts at Hanguang Gate
Near the west end of the south wall, a museum built into the wall shows what is left of Hanguang Gate, first built in 582. Of its three passages, the middle one was kept for the emperor, and the western one still has cart ruts in its Tang road surface. Beside it, a cut through the wall shows its layers, from Sui and Tang earth to modern repairs.
Find the one round corner
From Hanguang Gate, walk west along the top to the southwest corner, the only one of the four that curves. The usual explanation is that the Ming builders followed the rounded corner of an older wall on the same spot. Below, the moat bends with it.

Fitting it in

Time to give it: An hour to an hour and a half to walk one stretch and come down again. Cycling the whole loop is an outing of its own, so keep the rest of that half-day loose.
When to go: In warm months, go up in the late afternoon, once the bricks have started to cool. If you stay into the evening, check how late your exit gate stays open. There is almost no shade on top, so spring and autumn are the comfortable seasons. Around the Spring Festival the wall is hung with lanterns for weeks, in recent years into March.
Pair it with: From the South Gate, walk north up South Street to the Bell Tower, about 1.1 kilometres or fifteen minutes. The Drum Tower and the food lanes of the Muslim Quarter lie just beyond it. Or, inside the wall, turn east along Shuyuanmen, a street of brush, ink and calligraphy shops, to the Forest of Stone Steles Museum.
Who can skip it: If you hope to find an untouched Ming wall, you will be disappointed; almost every stretch has been repaired. If your time in Xi'an is short, go up at one gate and walk one stretch, and let the whole loop wait. To see how old the wall really is, half an hour in the Hanguang Gate museum shows more than a ride round the top.

Questions travellers ask

Is the Xi'an City Wall worth visiting?

Yes, even for an hour. The top is 12 to 14 metres wide, so a walk along it feels like following a road above the city. The moat and park lie on one side, the old town on the other. The full circuit is 13.74 kilometres, but one stretch from the South Gate gives you the feel. Add the Hanguang Gate museum to see a Tang gate inside the wall.

Should I walk or cycle the Xi'an City Wall?

Walk if you have an hour or so; cycle if the ride itself appeals. Walking one stretch and coming down again takes about 60 to 90 minutes. The full loop is 13.74 kilometres of brick paving with almost no shade, so cycling it is an outing of its own. Check the bike rental terms on the day.

Which gate is best for getting onto the Xi'an City Wall?

For a first visit, the South Gate (Yongning Gate) is the easiest. It is the one main gate with all three of its towers standing, and the Bell Tower is 1.1 kilometres north up South Street. There are 17 official points to go up and come down, so you can also choose by where you are heading next; check that gate's hours first.

When is the best time to visit the Xi'an City Wall?

Spring and autumn, in the late afternoon. There is almost no shade on top, so in summer wait until the bricks start to cool. Around the Spring Festival the wall is hung with lanterns for weeks, in recent years from January into March. If you stay after dark, check how late your exit gate is open.

Do I need to book Xi'an City Wall tickets in advance?

Usually not far ahead: tickets can be bought on the day. How tickets are sold and checked changes from time to time, and lantern-festival days can differ, so check for your date before you go, or let us check it for you.

Sources: Qujiang New District Management Committee: the wall's 13.74 km circuit (2026)Qujiang New District Management Committee: the wall's 17 access points (2025)China News Service: how the Xi'an City Wall was saved in 1959 (2015)China News Service: Hanguang Gate site museum opens (2008)

Booking at a glance

From our attraction-booking rules.

Full guide

Xi'an City Wall
Face value
CNY 54 · government full fare
Confirmed when you enquire: when tickets open, passport use, real-name rules
Walk-up windows also sell tickets: foreign visitors can buy at a staffed window and get a paper pass, and no advance-reservation requirement was verified, so booking ahead is optional. An online booking is still exchanged for a paper pass at a window before the gate.
Checked 26 Sept 2026
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