 Ancient City Wall
Xi'an, an ancient capital of China, represents one of the oldest and best preserved Chinese city walls. Construction of the first city wall of Chang’an began in 194 B.C. and lasted for four years. That wall measured 25.7 km in length, 12-16 m in thickness at the base. The area within the wall was ca. 36 km2. The existing wall was started by the Ming Dynasty in 1370. It encircles a much smaller city of 12 km2. The wall measures 11.9 km in circumference, 12 m in height, and 15-18 m in thickness at the base. Besides, on top of the walls, a complete drainage system is equipped to protect the walls at an interval of every 40 meters which plays a key role in the preservation of ancient walls in a long term.
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