Unlike many of China's modernized cities, Xi'an has managed to retain a major piece of its ancient past with the city wall. Forming an enormous rectangle around the old imperial heart of the city, the Xi'an City Wall (Xī'ān Chéngqiáng, 西安城墙) was built during the Ming Dynasty and replaced the older, larger Tang Dynasty wall. Though the wall is mostly original, several sections have been restored or even rebuilt to facilitate modern traffic. The most complete city wall in China still in existence, the Xi'an wall runs approximately 12 km (8 mi) in length and features imposing guard towers and gates. In its heyday, the city was further protected by a moat complete with drawbridges; today, the moat has been filled in and converted into a park. The wall is fully walkable, with access provided at the major gates, making it a great way to get a feel for the lay of the land. A shuttle runs between the South (Nán Mén, 南门), East (Dōng Mén, 东门) and West Gates (Xī Mén, 西门) and bikes can be rented for RMB 20 an hour for riding the wall.
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