South Gate (Yongningmen)

The Xian City Wall is one of China’s best-preserved city walls. Gain admission to the wall at the South Gate, the largest of its major gates, for a moderate fee, with additional charges to rent bicycles (including tandems) or a golf cart. It takes around four hours to walk a full circuit of the walls, which are 9 miles (14 kilometers) long. Most Xian city tours, whether from Xian itself or day trips from Beijing or Shanghai, include a visit to the city wall, often at the South Gate.

• A Xian landmark, the South Gate is the most popular spot to start exploring Xian City Wall.

• A good guide can help you make sense of the wall’s fortifications, as well as pointing out essential Xian sights.

• While it’s easy to look at the South Gate from below, the city wall itself is reached by steps and not accessible to travelers who use wheelchairs.

The South Gate stands dead center in the southern stretch of the Xian City Wall, at the base of South Street, about half a mile (800 meters) south of the Bell Tower. It’s close to Shuyuanmen Street and walking distance from the Great Mosque and the Muslim Quarter. The South Gate has its own dedicated metro station, Yongningmen (line 2).

The Xian City Wall is open from morning to evening seven days a week in summer, closing earlier in the evening during winter, and the South Gate is at its most attractive after dark. Try to avoid visiting Xian on weekends or over Chinese holiday periods, particularly Lunar New Year and Golden Week, in early October.

The ancient Chinese city of Chang’An, from which modern-day Xian originates, was for centuries the largest city in the world. During the Tang dynasty, over 1,000 years ago, the city walls encircled a city seven times larger than the area today’s walls enclose. The current walls were built in the 14th century and have been regularly maintained since then.

Yes, visiting South Gate (Yongningmen) is worth it. Xi’an City Wall is one of the best-preserved city walls in China, covering around 8.5 miles (14 kilometers), and the South Gate is its largest and most spectacular gate. It’s a great place to start exploring the 14th-century city walls.

Yes, you can go to South Gate alone, whether walking or cycling the City Walls or simply exploring the towering gatehouse. You may need to use some sign language to rent bicycles or tandem bikes. South Gate has its own metro station, Yongningmen (Line 2).

It’s free to look at South Gate from outside, even during the warrior performances on the square in front. But there’s a charge to climb onto Xi’an City Wall, currently 54 RMB, plus additional fees if you want to rent a bicycle while you’re up there: You can’t bring your own.

If all you’re looking at is the gate itself, allow 20 minutes to climb up, explore the archery tower, and grab some shots on the city walls. It takes 1–2 hours to cycle around Xi’an City Wall, and you should allow half a day to walk it.

One of the most spectacular times of year to visit South Gate is over the Lantern Festival period, after the Lunar New Year, generally in February. Both the gate and the walls are spectacularly dressed in lanterns and dragons. Visit between April and October if warm weather is important to you.

Yes, there are restrooms at South Gate (Yongningmen). There are public bathrooms that serve the large square outside the gate and several different public bathrooms along Xi’an City Wall itself—important as the wall is 8.5 miles (14 kilometers) long.